Page 94 of Neighbors With Benefits

He got into the car. Dante stared at me a few seconds longer before snorting, opening the door, and sliding behind the wheel.

I thought about that stare the rest of the day. Was he judgmental about our entire situation? He was originally supposed to be part of it, based on the accidental text Aiden sent, so it’s not like Dante had any room to judge.

Why wasn’t he interested in me? Not that Iwanteda third guy thrown into the mix—I had enough on my hands with two—butit weirded me out that he was being so superficial. He claimed he didn’t like blondes? Yeah right. What a stupid excuse.

It was silly for me to feel the sting of rejection when I had Aiden and Bash to focus my attention on. But still. I was only human.

Their absence allowed me to put my head down and concentrate on work. The busy season was only a month away, when the outdoor weather became chilly enough to push golfers to play at Top Golf instead of an actual course, and I had a lot of preparations to make. We had to expand the number of golfing bays we supported, which means expanding our workforce. I could give extra shifts to many of our existing employees, but I needed to hire additional workers too.

I texted with the guys as much as I could, sharing sexy texts and scandalous photos. Bash wasverybusy, but he texted back whenever he could.

Bash: I wish I were home so we could have game night tonight.

Me: Fantasizing about Candyland? Or something else?

Bash: Hmmm. Something else.

Me: Like what?

Bash: Candyland is a kids game. I’m thinking about something more adult.

Me: Like Monopoly?

Bash: No…

Me: Boggle?

Bash: I’ve never played Boggle.

Me: Fantasizing about becoming a professional Scrabble player, so you can compete with me and Aiden?

Bash: Not even a little bit. I’ll stay in my lane.

Me: Well then what adult game could you possibly be thinking about?

Bash: It’s kind of like twister.

Bash: Except we’re all naked.

Bash: And there’s no board, so we’re playing it in bed.

Me: That sounds like a game where everyone wins!

Bash: YES EXACTLY. I’m glad you understand.

Me: Now I’m going to be horny for the rest of work.

Bash: Sorry. But also… not sorry?

Me: Boo. First you ditch me right before a big house project, and now you tease me? SEXUALLY? That’s not very neighborly of you.

Bash: Oh fuck. I forgot all about the greenhouse project.

Me: We bought all the supplies, too! The new glass panes and metal frames are sitting in my back yard.

Bash: I promise that will be the first thing I do when I get home.

Me: How about the SECOND thing you do?

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