Page 55 of By the Pint

This was his fresh start. His do-over.

So, it was either plan C, ignore my feelings for him. Squash them into the dust. Like a cartoon rabbit beingsteamrolled. Or D, give in to them. Let my barriers down. Total bodily submission. Fuck him again. Keep fucking him.

I mean … D definitely seemed more fun than C. Not gonna lie there.

C or D. D or C. Fuck.

No, C. It should be C.

I just made the man bawl about a dog that’d been dead for twenty years. I shouldn’t make him cry and then try to slide into his pants.

Dima, do better,I told myself.

I let my left hand drift sideways until my fingers brushed against Casey’s knuckles. He jolted, and tilted his head a fraction towards me, but didn’t move his hand away. Two thoughts flitted through his mind. I tried to ignore both. Failed.

What is happening to me?

And

He’s just being a friend.

After a few moments, I cleared my throat and removed my hand, immediately missing his warmth. “Shall we continue our lessons?”

Casey nodded.

“This time, think of something youreallydon’t want me to know. Or something you consider a serious weakness. Understood? It’s obvious you’re better at hiding things if you perceive them as weaknesses.” I didn’t wait for his conformation before sticking my fingers in my ears and singing.

He tapped my arm. The sensation felt disproportionately electric, like every nerve ending in my body had homed in on it. “Got it,” he said.

I slipped inside his thoughts. Into the now familiar Bordalis Barracudas’ locker room. And drank in everything that was so overwhelmingly him. The leathery-buttery scent of hiscologne, the trinkets that were a reminder of a Casey I’d never known, the air warm, like his body heat.

It took a full fifteen minutes to locate his locker. “You’re doing brilliantly. Really, you are. This would be enough to stop most people. Not hackers, but I don’t think you need to worry about them until after you’re turned.”

Beside me, Casey preened, though he tried very hard not to.

Once I had found the locker, it was easy enough to open. No riddles, or tricks like I’d used, only a rusty old padlock that I had already found the key to.

Casey’s protected thought tumbled out.

I like you, too.

I said nothing. Didn’t know what to say.

C or D?

Eventually, Casey broke the silence. “Do you want me to try again? Hide another thought?”

“We’ll try tomorrow. You can knock off early tonight.”

“I’ve got nowhere else to be.” He reached into his bag and offered me another can of Blooze. I took it from him, and he took out a Mai Tai for himself.

It’s nice to have someone I can be myself around,he said, not looking at me, instead looking out over the lights of Remy. He cracked the tab off his drink and took a sip.And I’ll try really hard not to think about you naked.

I lifted a brow.

Okay, starting now,he said.

I didn’t have a response, so I stayed quiet and gulped my own drink. O positive. Not bad.

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