Page 72 of Break Your Fall

“And of course this wasn’t missed,” I say with a shake of my head as I discard the console onto the side table after spotting the use and abuse of Julian’s console in the living room.

“He’s been using mine,” he confirms as I now spot controllers and headsets scattered on the couch cushions.

“Hoggingyours,” Camille corrects him as she starts a pot of coffee, then says to me over her shoulder, “It was missed.”

“Because you keep hoggingme,” Julian says back to her with a teasing smile as he leans against the counter at her side. The scene passes through my head in only a couple seconds; Banks fighting with Camille over Julian because he was never good at sharing, and losing each time.

Camille presses a button on the pot, then faces him with a smug stare. “You keepchoosingme.”

“And it’s the right choice,” Julian says as I meet them at the island, and I’m rewarded with a viewing as he pulls her into a kiss. That doesn’t end.

“You guys know I’m still standing here, right? Like I’ve moved closer.”

Camille laughs out of the kiss. “Please. Once Reyna pulls her head out of her ass, you’ll be doing the same thing.”

I attempt to ignore that comment and the pierce it sends to my gut as I turn my head for a new focus, my eyes latching on to Grumbles as she sits right in the middle of the hall entrance with a mean mug directed at Julian and Camille, and I laugh at the thought of this being her reaction to them.

“There’s a child present,” I joke with a wide-eyed gesture toward the cat.

Camille eyes Grumbles as she shifts from Julian’s hold to lean back against the counter and shrugs. “She’s seen worse.”

I look back at Grumbles who is now looking back at me, her face softening to curiosity and anticipation. I jerk my chest out in her direction and she jolts, ready to take off down the hall, but freezes when she sees I’m not running for her. I smile as Julian and Camille laugh.

“Don’t be a tease, man.”

I make a face at Julian as he spins and rummages through a cupboard.

When I look over at Camille, she crosses her arms and gives me a challenging stare. “Are you ready for your chase date?”

I gesture to thedatebeside her. “Have you called him your boyfriend yet?”

“She did,” Julian chimes in, spinning back around with two cups and a smile that he turns to Camille’s glare. “About an hour ago.” Then he gloats to me, “I also got the name of her ASMR channel out of her.”

My shock that Camille’s willingly going through with showing herself to a camera, whispering and playing with props, pops my mouth open, and I’m about to ask her the name to check this out for myself when she says to Julian, “Well, you keep offering things in return that I can’t refuse.”

And now I’m violated and grossed out.

“Okay, this whole meeting has been one big T.M.I.,” I stress at Camille.

“F.U.”

“And, okay, since I’mabsolutely notoffering you something you can’t refuse, I guess I won’t know?”

“Nope,” she proclaims before turning a warning to Julian. “And you’re not saying a thing unless you want your title revoked.”

He laughs. “Come on, Camille. They’regood.”

His compliment causes her chest to swell with pride, but she doesn’t lower her hackles. “You heard me.”

Julian shakes his head at her while looking at me, then looks past his girlfriend to the half-filled coffee pot. “Is that done? I have to head to the shop.”

“Now?” I question.

“Adding inventory,” he tells me with a sigh.

The front door flies open and Banks storms in, on a speedy quest to Julian.

“Dude, I can’t find this girl’s G-spot.”

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