Page 35 of Promiscuous Lies

“I suppose you don’t get a body like that from eating carbs all day,” she says under her breath.

“Have you been thinking of my body, Posie?” I ask, very interested in her answer.

She seems to realize her mistake as she says, “No, obviously not, because we aren’t going down that road. I just… it was an observation.”

Observation, my ass.

When it’s my turn to order, I look over the flavors. I don’t fucking know which to choose. I point to the one marked “most popular,” which happens to be pistachio.

“We can revisit the back of my car anytime you’d like, Posie. Just give me the word.” A blush crosses the server’s cheeks as I hand over cash and take the cone.

“And with that, I’m hanging up, bossman.”

“So quick to run.” The moment I realize she might hang up, I find myself adding, “Have you ever wanted to travel to Rome?”

“Get some sleep, bossman,” she says, then hangs up.

Fuck.

I stand there holding a gelato that I have no interest in eating. I look back at the Colosseum and raise the gelato in front of it. I’ve seen Billie do this on numerous occasions when the family traveled together.

I go to send the photo to Posie, and my thumb hovers over the send button. What in the ever-fucking hell am I doing? Messaging a woman when she doesn’t even want to fuck me? That’s a lie. I know she wants to fuck me. I can sense it in the way her body reacts to me. I have to treat Posie differently than any other… conquest isn’t the right word.

Fuck it. I hit send and immediately throw the gelato in the trash. The server’s jaw drops as if I’d just committed blasphemy.

But perhaps Posie was right about one thing. I should get a few hours of sleep.

I go to pocket my phone, but a new notification lights the screen.

Posie hearted my message.

I’m uncomfortable by the unfamiliar emotion that stirs within me at that.

It’s similar to the effects of being praised as a child for doing something right. I haven’t required that from people for a very long time. So why am I feeling it now?

I stuff that right down with the unknown emotions that don’t serve me. But at least I know she’s finally being more responsive to my messages, and for the first time, she actually answered a fucking call.

Hallelujah! We’re making progress.

CHAPTER 18

Dutton

“Do you like the texture?” Billie asks our mother, referring to the tiramisu she made. We’d just had dinner and were sitting around the table, the two of them enjoying their dessert while my father and I each sip a glass of whiskey.

“Oh, sweetheart. You’ve done so well!” My mother applauds. Billie takes a scoop of the tiramisu with a smile on her face.

I only just returned today, but as is tradition, we try to have a family dinner at least once a month. A few years ago, my mother made a rule that there should be no business talk at the table, so we often talk about trivial matters.

“Eli seems happily married,” my mother says, which is her way of starting a very specific conversation that my parents seem to be focusing on a lot more lately.

Billie rolls her eyes. “I love Jewel, but Eli is so pussy whipped. He always gets mad when we’re hanging out over there, even though Jewel says it’s okay.”

They’ve always invited themselves, and Eli has, in fact, always had an issue with them being there.

But now that the topic has changed, I can expect what’s to come.

Eli is married, so it’s my turn.

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