Page 54 of Tainted

Zara nestled against the butterscotch leather, clasping her hands together.

“Give me a discount on my rent, and we can be,” she wiggled her brows as if trying to convince me, but I turned on her girl Tanner Adell as the soundtrack for the ride back to my crib.

I rehearsed how to handle that awkward moment where the desire to keep her to myself clashed with my ego. We celebrated Mom’s birthday, leaving Zara in a much better mood than I found her in. Mission accomplished, but I wanted more.

Zara seemed to feel the same way when we got inside, occasionally pausing while collecting her belongings. I watched her freeze in the doorway and double back to the spare bedroom before finally running out of stall tactics. I could see the wheels turning in her head, as she tried to figure out how to say whatever was on her mind.

But I pieced it together quicker than she could find the courage, so I replied, “Yes.”

She looked up, making me nervous as fuck. I didn’t know how to cure that feeling, so I headed for the kitchen despite not needing anything.

“What am I asking for?”

“You barely wanted my help today, so it can’t be anything too crazy.”

“You already said yes, so,” Zara dragged the last word out while bouncing her eyebrows.

“Yeah, so enjoy it. Tomorrow, when you’re back to wanting smoke with me, I might not be so generous.”

“Thanks, Kenyon.”

I don’t know what it was about Zara, but lately, I was doing the opposite of what I was supposed to do around her. She followed me to my bedroom, and I grabbed a pillow and stuffed it behind my neck, watching her stand in the middle of the floor.

“Don’t act like you don’t know your way around,” I taunted.

Something had her stumped, so I caught a glimpse of her running her hand through her thick, curly hair, hanging in waves over her shoulders.

Kross: Are you good?

Me: Never better.

Kross: Bring me my money tomorrow.

Tossing my phone aside, if Kross kept talking to me crazy, he’d have to fight me for it. I was surprised it took his worrisome ass this long to check on me.

“Can I ask you something?” I started to hit her with the same comment she gave me earlier. She saw it, too, so she continued before my restraint wore off. “I didn’t find any sign of your girlfriend anywhere.”

“You’re smart enough to know that’s not a question.”

“Why? I’m sure she stays over. I can’t imagine you’re letting me stay and not her.”

“Because I don’t have one.” Though it was true, it felt disrespectful as fuck to Sydney by saying it. Especially to another female. Even one as pretty and exciting as Zara Nicole.

“So you go around offeringthreesomesto anyone. Nice.”

“Fuck no. It’s just complicated with Sydney.”

“It doesn’t bother you that she’s so infatuated with me?”

The list of things I could tell Zara was much shorter than the things I couldn’t. Admitting that it bothered me was off the table, so I pulled Zara onto the bed and pinned her petite frame with mine.

“Nah, it doesn’t because I’m infatuated with you too.”

My brain was screaming shut the fuck up. Now, I was stuck staring at Zara because I was too afraid to say anything out of fear more truth would slip out. There were no interruptions, no regulars to face, and no apartment complaints. It was just the two of us with time and opportunity.

That frightened Zara enough to drum up all her reserve strength, “Move, Kenyon,” she fussed, trying to shove my hovering body.

“If it feels good. Just let it.”

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