Page 66 of Dead Serious with Benefits
I shrugged, knowing there was no point in reminding him that I didn’t care what he did with his personal time. My ready acceptance and open-mindedness that puzzled Ward so much was something all my siblings were well aware of and expected. So long as Dom wasn’t going out of his way to endanger himself or others, I wouldn’t cast judgment—especially not a moral one when it came to sex. Much like Ward had said last night, too many times, people held themselves andothersback from free sexual expression. And while my own expression of sex and sexuality was different than other people’s, that didn’t mean I would judge; different folks, different strokes.
There was nothing to really say that hadn’t already been said. I tried to keep out of my siblings’ business. They were grown adults who didn’t need my interference, and while I tried to emphasize that I wanted the same courtesy...well, again, I had to accept that other people just didn’t operate the same way I did. Not that they were terribly intrusive, they had accepted over the years that they wouldn’t get much information about my personal life unless I felt the urge to share it. Or they operated like Dom, who wanted to know some things, even things I didn’t necessarily want to share, but once he had that information, hewas content to leave me in peace. That was an approach I could accept without too much complaining.
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug after a few minutes’ silence. “Honestly? There’s just...no one that’s really caught my attention. I’ve been on several dates and met women all over the place, but no one...I don’t know.”
“You don’t see a future with them?”
“Shit, I don’t see anything past one night with most of them. And lately, I haven’t even had that much. At first, I still went through with it, you know, sleeping with them. But then I just...stopped. It feels like the more time passes, the less interested I am in sleeping with anyone,” he said, a frown creasing his forehead. “I don’t understand it. Nothing changed. It just...started happening.”
Ward appeared around the corner with a yawn. “That’s the point.”
Dom jerked. “Jesus, do you have to be as quiet as Arlo here? Fuck me.”
“I would offer, but I’m fairly certain I might be on my way to being claimed by someone else,” Ward said with a grin in my direction.
“Eavesdropping is considered rude,” I reminded him, even as I felt a happy little flutter in my gut at his words. We hadn’t exactly spoken about where everything between us was going, but it was nice to hear that he was thinking in a similar direction as I was.
“It’s not eavesdropping when I just walk out and overhear the conversation by accident,” he said with a snort. “Unless you think I should have shoved my fingers in my ears and hummed.”
“That would have been one way to ensure I didn’t get jump scared,” Dom muttered.
Ward blinked at the counter and pointed. “Coffee?”
“Help yourself, are you two hungry?” I asked as I walked to the fridge.
“I could eat,” Ward said as he poured himself a cup, adding sugar and cream. “Though I thought you couldn’t cook?”
“Notwell,” I emphasized. “I have, however, learned to cook simple breakfast food.”
“Don’t expect anything fancy,” Dom warned as he pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. “Nothing you’re used to anyway.”
Ward shrugged. “I’m not so fussy that I require my eggs with creme fraiche, caviar, and expertly cut chives. There’s a fantastic diner just around the corner from my building that I always go to, and it’s the definition of a greasy spoon. So long as he doesn’t burn everything to a crisp, I will soldier through whatever he makes.”
“What a rousing endorsement from the two of you,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“So,” Ward said as I began pulling things out. “Do you want to hear what I had to say, or shall I shut up and mind my own business?”
Dom eyed him, and I thought he was probably warring between his need to keep his personal life...well, personal, and his burning curiosity to know what Ward’s perspective was. I knew which one would win, considering how much Dom seemed to struggle with the unexpected change, and I waited patiently until he sighed. “What?”
“Well, like I said, that’s the point. Or I should say, you already touched on the truth,” Ward explained, leaning back against the counter. “Take it from someone who has been around the block more than a few times. When you’re doing the same things at the same times with the same people, it’s going to wear itself down.”
“It’snotthe same people,” Dom protested as I started heating the pan, pulling bread out of the cabinet.
“It might as well be. Technically, it’s not the same people, but I bet you find them in the same places. You only want to do the same thing repeatedly if you’re trying to hone a skill, not squeeze some enjoyment and pleasure out of life. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a rut, and those aren’t easy to get out of,” Ward said, sipping his coffee and wrinkling his nose before adding more sugar. “And before anyone makes a smart comment, the coffee isn’t too inferior for my tastes.”
“No,” Dom said with a laugh. “I get it. Arlo makes it so strong it’s a miracle he doesn’t go around all day with his hair standing upright.”
“You might as well just snort a line in the morning,” Ward said with a rapid blink after another sip and another dose of sugar with creamer thrown in for good measure. “Anyway, my point is, it sounds like you need something new in your life.”
“It’s not like I hit the same bars or go to the same functions.”
“Not theexactsame, I’m sure, but if you’re always hitting the bars and clubs, you’re always finding the same people. What you need is a change.”
“Any suggestions?”
“Mmm, I feel like the suggestions I would give to most people would get me into trouble,” Ward said with a chuckle, and I felt his eyes on me as I carefully put the bacon into the pan.
“His coaches would probably frown on any drugs,” I pointed out as I eyed the sizzling pan.
