Page 7 of Little Did We Know
“Since when does that job require babysitting?”I questioned.
Reese shrugged and tossed another few cashews into his mouth.“Company policy.We usually work in third-world countries, so we gotta be safe.”
Ah.I supposed that made sense.Reese definitely fit the bill of someone working in security, even though there really was no telling them apart.Aside from some tattoos.River had a few; Reese had a few.I was sure the abs Reese had put on display were highly visible under River’s tee too.
“There ain’t a whole lot else to know about us,” Reese said.“We work too much.We’re savin’ up to buy a house.We’re tryin’ to find our way in kink.”
I noticed how everything waswewith these two.They shared a lifestyle, a sexuality, they lived together, worked together…
“Oh, and I have a lifelong struggle to get my brother to eat anything other than ramen unless I cook,” he added.“Fucker’s obsessed.If I’m not around, he’s nukin’ noodle cups twenty-four seven.”
I grinned.That was funny—and endearing.
“You leave my ramen alone,” River said absently.He was still busy observing my living room and kitchen.
“I can’t say I’m very useful in the kitchen either,” I admitted.“I recycle the same six or seven dishes—with the exception of appetizers.I like to put together apps and tapas when I have friends over for dinner.”
Reese cocked his head.“You’re social and outgoing, I take it?”
I weighed my response but ended up nodding a little.“Sure.My current problem is finding friends in the BDSM world.I have plenty of vanilla friends with whom I share less and less, the more I explore kink.I really wanna be part of a community.”
He inclined his head.“Same issue for us.Tough to find the right crowd.”
It truly was.Many communities were heavily into a specific kink or lifestyle, such as the leather community, the bondage enthusiasts, and the sadomasochists.It was natural for us to be drawn to others who shared our passions, at least in the smaller circles of friends.The larger communities were more diverse, but they could still be incredibly cliquey.
“Where are you from?”Reese asked me.
I opened my mouth to respond, but River beat me to it.
“Maryland.”He pointed to a picture from my graduation next to my yearbooks.It revealed my high school’s name in the background.“Presumably Bethesda.”
I smirked a little.“Great find.”I faced Reese again.“I moved here for college.I stayed with my grandmother a lot—she lived in Georgetown.What about you?”
“All over the South, pretty much,” Reese said.“But in the end, I guess Virginia Beach has been the main home base.”He paused.“I really like DC, though.”
River smiled faintly.“So does Lucas.”
I grinned.“Okay, share the rest of your findings.”
He cocked his head a little.“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five,” I said automatically.
He lifted his brows, then eyed the yearbooks.
I swallowed.
Um.
He raked his teeth over his bottom lip and shook his head slowly.“We can discuss that you’re a shit liar who probably says you’re younger because you don’t feel entirely accomplished enough for your age, or…we can be over the chitchat.”
I blinked, and the heat of embarrassment bled across my face.How the fuck did I respond to th?—
“Come here.”River took a big swig from his drink, then rose to his feet.“Age is just a number and all that nonsense.”
I didn’t know why I complied.Maybe because I was desperate to leave the past thirty seconds behind me, and he seemed to have a new topic ready for us.
Something about River reeled me in, and I was rounding the coffee table before I knew it.
