Page 131 of Lovers Like Us
He complies this time. Stepping back, arms crossed.There wego.
I bang on the door. Laughter and cursesrespond.
“Who is that?” a girl giggles. She’s not one of ours. I instinctively reach for my radio mic, but it’s dead. Maximoff actually starts searching my bunk forbatteries.
I bang again. An indistinguishable voice sayshold onand the door swingsopen.
Completely naked, Beckett Cobalt slips out, loosely cradling a decorative pillow near his crotch. He shuts the door behindhim.
My browsspike.
Surprise = mid-tier
Threat =low
Me = bowingout
I let Maximoff take over, and I rest my shoulder on a nearby bunk. He hands me the batteries and approaches hiscousin.
“Hey.” Beckett nods tohim.
“Who’s back there?” Maximoffasks.
“Two girls from the club. A Kylie and a Laura.” Beckett briefly glances my way.Hi there.I pop the new batteries in my radio, and he sizes me up for the eighty-fourthtime.
“It’s not a good idea to bring strangers on the bus to have sex,” Maximoff says, drawing Beckett’s attention. “It’s fucking dangerous. They could steal everyone’s stuff, take pictures, and they haven’t beenvetted.”
“Donnelly vetted them.” Beckett talks smoothly, quickly,calmly. “I’m not going to go through ten other people—half that I’m related to—in order to fuck someone. I haven’t let the girls out of my sight, except for right now. And I’ll clean the room when I’mdone.”
Maximoff rubs his jaw, not happy about this. “Please be fucking careful. Trash any used condoms.” He rattles off a few more general rules to keep his cousinsafe.
I couldn’t care less, and Beckettnotices.
He gives me alook.
Not the iconicyou’re full of bullshitface, but a brand new one that he reserves for me. I’d think I was special, but it’s a you-aren’t-good-enough-for-my-cousinface.
I consider myself extremely patient, but I’m nearing a line where I’d like to just snapgo fuckyourself.
“You don’t agree with Moffy?” Beckettasks.
“Right.” I hook my radio on my belt. “I don’t care what you do with your condoms.” He’s not my client, and those girls aren’t a threat toanyone.
His brows knit together in thatbullshitface. “He’s yourboyfriend.”
“And I don’t always have to agree with my boyfriend.” I’m giving Beckett a pass because he’s never been in a relationship, but he’s trying to measure how much I value Maximoff off the wrongshit.
“If you two don’t agree, then maybe you’re not compatible,” Beckett says like he’s charting a pros and cons list for his cousin. With no pros and allcons.
I fit my earpiece in, done with this guy. I can take blunt honesty to my face—and Maximofflikesit, but I’m reaching a limit with hiscousin.
Maximoff sends Beckett a warning glare. “Stay out ofit.”
“I’m just looking out for you,” Beckett says calmly, kindly, even sincerely, and he switches his hands on hispillow.
I raise the volume on my radio. “Where’sDonnelly?”
Beckett points to a bunk about chest-high. He’s in a bunk? That doesn’t make sense. Donnelly would’ve heard me and Maximoff walkin.
