Page 60 of The Dollhouse

I did, though, because I was me. I watched their little chat, watched her rush over to him and kiss him like there was no tomorrow, all the while fighting the jealousy and anger bubbling inside of me at the sight.

It would take some getting used to, I supposed. Perhaps I’d never get accustomed to it, and I would always be two steps from the edge when it came to Lake and Zoey.

But I would try. I would try for her, because she’d been right. Lake could be there for her when I couldn’t, and if something ever happened to me, at least I’d know she’d have someone else to lean on, someone to depend on. The last thing I wanted would be for Zoey to be alone if worse came to worst.

Fuck, I really hated admitting that to myself.

I sat in my backyard, on a patio near the pool. The sun had almost set; I’d sent Carter to fetch Zoey a little while ago. She had her talk with Lake, and now it was time for her to have a chat with me. I was certain she had many things to say to me, since apparently Crystal spilled all the beans about what I’d tried to do at the Dollhouse with her and Lake.

Every few minutes I sipped my drink, waiting. This week had been slow on the work front, so all of my focus had been on Zoey and Lake. Probably not something healthy to focus on, but it was what it was; I needed to know if I could trust Zoey with Lake, and though it was a rudimentary test, I was satisfied enough with the results.

For now.

Who could say? Maybe I’d test him again further down the road, when I wasn’t there to watch, when it wouldn’t be so obvious, just to keep him on his toes.

I heard footsteps echoing on the patio, and I did not bother to turn and look. I recognized the sounds of Carter’s shoes, and I knew Zoey hardly made any noises when she walked while wearing those hideous pink sneakers.

They were her favorite, for whatever ungodly reason.

When her legs stood in my peripheral vision, I glanced at her, slowly drawing my gaze up, taking in her tight shorts and her even tighter shirt. Her pink hair was a bit messy, a little wild, her light blue eyes almost accusatory as they watched me. Carter stood just behind her, not bothering to hide how his hungry gaze traveled along her backside.

“Sit,” I said, gesturing to the wicker chair beside mine.

Zoey took her time in sitting, though she did glance back at Carter, catching him in the act of ogling her. The man himself didn’t appear to care much that he was caught red-handed, simply giving her a smirk when their gazes met.

Once her attention was back on me, I spoke, “I assume you have words for me, Zoey.” My gaze was now on the pool, on the clear blue water sitting inside it. Inground, it was wide and deep, with lights and its own heating system. The air had started to become a bit cooler at night, but not cold enough to close it up.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, attitude dripping from her voice, “I have more than a few, Roman.” She hissed out my name like she always did, and I fought the urge to smile.

I did so enjoy hearing that tongue say my name.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Zoey asked, frowning at me. “I thought I said no more kidnapping?” I didn’t even get the chance to answer her, for she immediately went on, “And to take him to the Dollhouse, to get Crystal to come on to him? What the fuck?” Now she was just pissed, and I couldn’t hide the smile struggling to form on my face that time.

I also enjoyed her feistiness.

Meeting her angry stare, I shrugged and took another sip out of my glass. “Yes, well, what can I say? Your boy surprised me, in the end.”

Zoey groaned. “Stop calling him a boy. He’s not a boy.” I’d be sure to keep calling him that, just to aggravate her, just as she would continue to press my buttons to rile me up. It went both ways here.

“He even stood up to me,” I said. “If he were anyone else, he’d be dead right now.” That was not an exaggeration. I didn’t take kindly to others trying to put me in my place, so to speak. “Now, I do believe you should be thanking me.”

She glared, saying, “For what? For nearly giving Lake a heart attack? For trying to bully him and scare him away?”

“For allowing you to continue seeing him,” I said, setting down the glass on the patio beneath my chair. “Do you think I’d let just anyone date you while you’re mine, hmm? Do you think I’ve done this for anyone else before?” I leaned over my chair, reaching for her wrist, grasping it tightly as I pulled her toward me.

Zoey’s face was less than two inches from mine, and her lips parted. She did not try to yank herself away.

“The answer to those questions,” I whispered, staring deep into her eyes, “is no, so be grateful.” I let her go, and she huffed at me.

She stood, bending over me, for once in the superior position. “If you want me to thank you,” she purred out, giving me a challenging look, “you’re going to be sorely disappointed.” Her smile grew ear to ear, and she pushed herself away from me, sashaying her hips as she moved closer to the pool.

My eyes were on her ass, because where else would they be?

Zoey slipped off her shoes, tearing off her socks before dipping her toe in the water, testing it. Since it was a completely private backyard, no other houses in sight, she started to strip, right there in front of me. Her shorts were the first thing to drop down, revealing the smooth curve of her ass beneath her lacy panties. She hooked her thumbs in them and tugged them down, too.

I could not tear my eyes off her, needing to watch the show she was about to put on for me.

The next thing she did was turn to face me, letting me view the waxed spot between her legs, not a hair to be seen. Zoey reached for the bottom of her shirt, lifting it up and over her head, exposing the giant tattoo on her side and her hip. Last but certainly not least, her bra. When that bra fell to the ground, when that padded fabric fell away, onto her pile of clothes, I’d be lying if I said I did not feel a low ache in my balls and a twitch of my cock.

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