Page 48 of Claimed By the Cowboys

Brent pats the bed on his good side. “Come here.”

I meekly walk over and lay down. Brent takes his good arm and wraps it around me, pulling me closer.

“There,” he murmurs.

I’m stiff.

“You can relax,” Brent whispers.

“I know. But. Um.”

“Say it, Piper,” he yawns.

“Well, it’s… look, I don’t want it to get weird because… things weren’t equal, and it’s your day, and…” I can’t say more. I can’t do it. Squirming, I wiggle slightly away from him.

Brent tugs me closer. Then, he starts to laugh.

“What?” I ask, looking at him, propping myself up on an elbow so that I can see better.

“Piper. If the only reason you want to have sex with me is so that it’s fair with Dalton and Tate… please don’t.”

I blink. “What?”

Brent sighs. “If you want to do this with me, then I want you to want it, baby. Not because you want it to be fair, or some shit like that.”

“But…”

“We’re big boys, Pipes. We’ll figure it out. But please don’t do it just for pity.”

“Okay,” I say. “So. I guess I’ll let you?—”

“Stay.”

I freeze.

“I can’t have sex, Piper. Not tonight. But if I have to spend my night with you just resting… I want that.”

In my head, I’m pointing out that it isn’t fair. That I didn’t stay with Tate or Dalton.

“Please,” Brent says. His eyes are closed. His face, however, tells me everything I need to know. He’s begging me. And I don’t have the heart to turn him down.

Sighing, I snuggle into his side.

“Goodnight, Brent.”

He shifts slightly. Before I can stop him, he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

“Goodnight, Piper.”

CHAPTER 13

Tate

When Piper comes out of Brent’s room in the morning, I can’t help the spike of jealousy. Part of me is screaming in indignation.

She didn’t spend the night with me.

I’m mad about it, and I’m not afraid to say it. I mean, why did Brent get the whole night with Piper’s attention, and I didn’t? What does he have that I don’t?

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