Page 25 of Taken By my Brothers' Best Friends

“That was my sandwich.” He frowned down at me and crossed his arms over his chest.

I took another bite and grinned around it. “Sorry.”

He inched closer. “Reed isn’t the only one of us who likes to give out a little discipline.”

Sandwich forgotten, I licked my lips and watched his eyes follow my tongue. “Can I ask you something, Lennon?”

He nodded.

“Do you find me attractive?” I felt stupid and embarrassed as soon as I asked the question, but they hadn’t answered when Iasked before. Instead of shying away from his answer, I lifted my chin and stared into his deep brown eyes.

“Vera…” A muscle in his jaw worked as he stared back at me. “You can’t seriously be unsure about that. You’re just fucking with me, right?”

Forcing out a laugh, I pushed the rest of the sandwich into his hands and slipped around him. “Sure.”

“Vera, wait.”

I spotted Reed at the bottom of the stairs and rushed to him, eager to get away from Lennon. I wasn’t sure of his answer about my attractiveness and I didn’t enjoy feeling like a fool about it. It bothered me that he wouldn’t just answer.

“Reed. Hi.” I swallowed the rest of the words threatening to spill out and smiled up at him.

He frowned at me and then transferred that look to something behind me. Instead of saying anything, because of course he wouldn’t, he handed me a simple phone. “It only connects to our phones so don’t bother trying to call for an escape.”

I pretended to shiver. “Ohh, what foreplay.”

He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Thank you for the phone. I’m going to my room now. I guess you’ll just text me whenever?” I felt Lennon behind me and inched towards my door.

“I’ll text you.” Lennon’s tone left nothing up for debate.

I made a sound that might’ve been agreeable and rushed to my room. I closed the door and leaned against it, heart pounding. I shot a glare at the cameras in the ceiling and climbed into bed. I opened my laptop and tried to work a little but I couldn’t stop staring at the phone, waiting to see when Lennon would text me. I opened a blank document and tapped senselessly at my keyboard to mimic working. I didn’t want them to know I was just sitting there, waiting on them. I didn’t want to look like a loser. More than I already did.

An entire hour passed before the phone vibrated. I took a deep breath before tapping the phone and opening the texting app.

Lennon:You want me to spell it out.

Vera:I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Lennon:You want to hear me tell you that I find you painfully attractive. You want to hear that I’ve been walking around with an erection for days, that the idea of teaching you about sex has me so consumed that I can’t think of anything else.

Vera:Yes.

I sank lower into my pillows and pushed my laptop away. My legs were shaky with nervous energy and I could feel my heartbeat between my thighs. It was really happening.

Lennon:You really are a brat. But I think you’re sexy as hell, V. I have since you tried to run us over. I’ve spent an obscene amount of time thinking about your long legs wrapped around my waist and your full thighs around my head. Your tits are the perfect size to fill my hands, which is the perfect size for me. I’d go to hell if I told you how much I like your ass and you’d probably slap me if I told you how much I like your stomach. And your face…

Lennon:Your face makes me think god had a fucked-up sense of humor. To give a woman with a body like yours and a pain in the ass attitude like yours, the face of an angel? It’s truly cruel.

I laughed out loud even as I blushed from his words. That was the answer I’d wanted in the kitchen. I wanted to know I wasn’t forcing them into something they didn’t want, with someone they didn’t want.

Vera:I didn’t try to run you over.

Lennon:Such a pain in the ass. I can see you blushing, V. I read some of your writing. How can you blush over my words when you’ve written the things you have?

Vera:You’re watching me, too? That feels like cheating.

Vera:The things I write aren’t real. They aren’t about me. You’re saying things about me.

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