Page 23 of Teasing a King

Wyatt grins. “See, I definitely should have told you. I needed that kind of confidence before the proposal.”

I shrug. “Live and learn, baby bro.” I point to the paper he still holds. “Enough about you. Back to me, please.”

Wyatt rolls his eyes and unfolds the paper. I watch as my brother reads over Mya’s list. His lips twitch into a smile and he looks back up at me. “You’re so screwed,” he says.

“Yeah, no shit,” I say. “Platonic? As in, just friends. Which, yeah. I get it. It makes sense. Until last night, I would have said sure. I can be friends with Mya. No problem.”

Wyatt narrows his eyes. “What happened last night?”

I run a hand through my hair. “We went out to dinner to discuss the lists. As friends,” I add, pointedly.

“And?” Wyatt asks, motioning for me to continue.

“And we ate,” I say. “We talked. We laughed. And Myareallylikes lasagna. I mean, shereallylikes it.”

Wyatt studies me for a moment. “I can see where that could be a problem,” he says, stifling a laugh.

I cast my gaze up to the ceiling. “I’m serious, man. There’s no way I’m going to make it a month, let alone a year.”

“So, tell her you changed your mind,” Wyatt says with a shrug. “Tell the mother of your child that you’re such a despicable, horny bastard that you can’t be trusted not to hit on her, so she can’t live with you after all.”

I roll my eyes. “Come on, Wyatt. You know I can’t do that.”

He hands me the list. “Then get control of your dick and don’t screw this up.”

I sigh. He’s right, I know. This is my problem to deal with. I need to figure out a way to ignore the attraction I feel for Mya. I won’t make her uncomfortable just because I can’t stop fantasizing about her. It’s not her fault my brain and my dick can’t seem to communicate.

“When is she moving in?” Wyatt asks, interrupting my thoughts.

“This weekend,” I say. “Her stuff from her apartment is supposed to be delivered Saturday.”

He nods. “Let me know if you guys need any help getting her settled in,” he says.

“Thanks, man,” I say. “I think we’ll be okay. How much stuff can one person have?”

Wyatt laughs. “You should have seen how much stuff Hope brought when she moved in with me. I don’t know how one woman accumulates so many clothes.”

I laugh. “I guess I’ll find out this weekend.”

“Guess so,” he says, coming to his feet. “I’m out of here. I have a hot date with my fiancé.”

I clap him on the shoulder. “You like saying that, huh?”

Wyatt is unaffected by my teasing. He just smiles. “I do. I really do.”

I shake my head. “Get out of here. Tell Hope I said hi.”

He waves a hand as he leaves the office. “Will do!”

After Wyatt leaves, I sit there for several minutes thinking about my dilemma. I’d meant what I said to my brother. I’ll find a way to live with Mya without breaking her rule about remaining platonic. I just need to find a way to ignore my attraction to her. No matter what my unruly dick has to say about it.

Chapter Eleven

Van

After heaving the millionth box up the stairs to Mya’s room, I finally admit to myself that maybe Wyatt had been right. There are more boxes here than should have been able to fit in one woman’s apartment. How big had that apartment been, anyway? Where the hell had she kept all this stuff? The moving company hadn’t been much help. They’d unloaded everything from the truck and deposited it in the living room and front entryway. I’d come home from Mack’s to a maze of brown cardboard.

“Mya?” I’d called, trying to navigate my way toward the kitchen.