“Is that what you want?” I try to breathe normally.
She nods, and my blood surges with nerves and anticipation.
“I want to tell you something, though.” Her eyebrows pinchtogether and she looks down. The vulnerability in her expression makes me want to gather her up in my arms and hold her tight. “You’re my best friend.”
My heart does a hard thud in my chest. “You’re my best friend, too, Darce.”
“Really?” Her mouth lifts into the sweetest smile.
I can’t help but chuckle. How can she not know? I spend every free moment with her. “Yeah, of course.”
“Not Kit?” Her smile dims a fraction, and my chest aches.
An ugly, cold feeling weaves through me. He didn’t brag about her. He didn’t value her. He had her for years and he didn’t build her up the way she deserved.
“After what you told me about New Year’s,” I admit, taking the seat beside her on the bed, “I don’t want someone like that in my life.”
Saying it out loud is a relief.
“At Christmas, when he went home to Ontario to visit family, and we hung out playing video games and eating chocolates?” I give her a wry smile, and her mouth curves. “I didn’t miss him.” My pinky shifts an inch so it’s touching hers. “But I would have missed you.”
I could never admit it before, could never even acknowledge it, because that would make me a fucking asshole for having those thoughts about my friend’s girl.
She’s not his girl anymore, though.
Surprise flares in her pretty green eyes. Her mouth tips into a small, hopeful smile. “I would have missed you, too.”
Something settles in my chest, and for a long moment, we just look at each other. Tension hangs in the air, and she doesn’t move her finger away from where it’s touching mine.
“If we do this,” she starts, biting her lip with an uncertain look, and my cock twitches, “it can’t be weird after.”
“Agreed.” I nod hard. That’s the last thing I want—a stilted,awkward turn to our friendship that ends in her moving out and us not talking anymore. My nightmare. “It won’t be weird.” Determination fires through me. “We won’t let it.”
My growing feelings for Darcy? They’ll stay locked exactly where they are.
“I’m just showing you how to use the toy.” My eyes linger on her mouth, plump and pretty. “We can be adults about this.”
“Totally.” Her throat moves and she tucks that bottom lip between her teeth.
I remember what it was like to kiss that bottom lip, to tug on it with my own teeth, and the gasp of pleasure she made. Arousal courses through me, tightening my body.
“You need to be warmed up.”
“Warmed up?” She sounds dazed.
I clear my throat. “Turned on.”
“Oh.” Is she breathing harder than normal? “Maybe we should watch some porn or something.” The corner of her mouth ticks up and our eyes meet. “You never did tell me what kind of weird stuff you’re into.”
The couple that looks like us? I can’t show her that. She’ll know. And yet I’m pulling out my phone, because why shouldn’t Darcy have access to safe, healthy porn?
“There’s a video you might like.” I log in to my OnlyFans account. I’m only subscribed to one page, so it’s easy to find. “It’s a married couple.” I scroll through their videos until I locate the one I’m thinking about. “She doesn’t come in this video, but she enjoys it.” Even talking about this with Darcy is making me hard. “It’s all about her. Maybe that’s a good way to start.”
I take a deep breath and study her face. She’s nervous, but there’s a glint of fire in her eyes.
“Sounds good.” She swallows and tucks her hairbehind her ears.
The competitive version of me baited by Miller’s stupid challenge the other week on the ice? He wakes up. She wants those fun dating experiences she missed out on? I’m going to make this the most memorable of her life.