Page 20 of Tastes Like Misery

“Great. No sign of the truck yet?” He seemed distracted despite his question.

“Nope. That’s all I have. I’m going to hit the shower,” I stood, and he smirked at me, not saying a word. “What?” my exasperation clear.

“We have some things to talk about first,” Dane said without opening his eyes, and I waited for him to continue.

“Come on, I’m sweaty and tired. I don’t have the patience for your games,” my irritation grew, something festering since he dropped out of the recon to go to Vivian’s and try to win her over. I offered since I was the most level-headed of us all, but he wouldn’t back down.

With a heavy exhale, his eyes popped open, and he sat up. “Fine. I took her to the track today. She’s a natural. Between her knowledge of the people in this town, her lack of fear, the hell of a shot last night, and ability to control a car at high speeds; there’s no doubt she’s perfect. I want her in this.”

Ollie sneered, “My terms are non-negotiable. You aren’t keeping her for yourself and you’ve already shown to be too jealous. You fucking punched me, Dane.”

Waving his concerns away, Dane informed him in a bored tone, “I think you’ll see she’s more than willing to explore her sexuality. You saw what happened in the truck.”

“She told me I’d never have her.”

Unbalanced was the only way I could describe Dane’s laughter. Half the time I thought he was a psychopath, the other half a sociopath. “She loves getting under your skin and damn if it isn’t the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Poor Ollie, used to getting every woman he wants without working for it,” his eyes blazed with amusement. The man loved chaos, and seeing Ollie’s frustration brought joy to his stony heart.

There was no time for a retort, because that was the moment when Vivian strutted in with only a towel wrapped around her. Beads of water dripped from her hair and I followed the trail of one dripping right down to the curve of her breasts. Tingles shot to my dick as I scanned her body, taking in her shapely legs.

When I finally met her eyes, she winked at me, “Good evening, Finn. You look a little hot.”

“Not as hot as you,” I managed to find my tongue and make my mouth form words.

Her honeyed laughter made me smile and forget how tired I was. She glanced at each of us before asking, “I don’t suppose I could borrow some clothes?”

Ollie looked at her with his predatory gaze, one I knew well from all of our time together. He wanted her probably as much as I did. I just didn’t know how it would play out after Dane showed possessiveness over her, fighting with me and then punching Ollie when he dared to touch her. The plans my blond friend had were going to blow up, and I didn’t like it at all.

Before I could offer, Dane answered, “Nope. I like you with no clothes on.”

“I’ll walk naked around the house when you tell me the big secret,” she retorted, her voice teasing.

“Not until you agree to Ollie’s conditions,” he put it on the man responsible.

“And what are those conditions exactly?” she tilted her head, tapping her bare foot as she waited for an answer.

“Come here, baby girl,” Dane beckoned her, crooking his finger at her.

Sitting back in my chair, I watched with fascination as she sauntered to him, her hold on her towel loosening. The side of her luscious ass peeked from beneath the cloth and damn if I didn’t want to be that towel right at that moment. I didn’t know how much I could take, my dick painfully hard as she climbed on his lap and let the towel fall around her waist.

Those breasts and the pretty pink nipples were almost my undoing. But her words were what made me jump up and run from the room. “You’re dirty, Dane. You know I like my sex dirty but not my men,” her teasing, husky voice shooting right to my dick.

I heard Dane call after me, “Finn, you’re lucky I’ve already had her once today. Don’t use all the hot water.”

I had no plans of using any hot water, and hissed as the cool water hit my skin, refreshing me from the day in the heat but doing nothing to stop my burning need for the temptress in the living room. Rushing through my shower, I quickly dried off, threw on a pair of training shorts, and went to watch the show. The soft giggles from Vivian hit my ears, and I had no idea what was about to happen, but I wanted to see it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to do more than watch.

That raging hard on shriveled up as soon as I entered the living room. Vivian curled up next to Dane, him running his hands through her wet locks while she spoke, “That bitch needs to be taken down a few notches. Her man is constantly sticking his dick where it doesn’t belong. I tried to do her a favor, and she treats me like I ruined her life.”

“Who?” I questioned, not expecting this scene at all, especially not after what I’d left. Ollie was eyeing her with interest, but not one of desire. He held the calculating expression, one I knew meant he was taking in every word she said and storing it for later.

Vivian waved her hand, “Oh, just someone I went to school with. I was just telling your friends about my life in this shithole. I may have been a bit of a wild child.”

“After today, I know you haven’t lost that wild streak,” Dane winked at her and I was shocked by the way he’d become so gentle. Not like a little lamb or anything, but gentle for him. I felt as if the shower was a portal and had dropped me off in a different realm. Dane Barrow was not a man who treated women like this. No, he was the man who used them for sexual gratification and moved onto the next, sometimes within mere minutes of one another. Not that any of us were any different now.

Dane glanced at me, “I hope you left me some hot water. Our girl here kicked my ass at the track. I swear I have dirt in every orifice imaginable. Why don’t you come and sit with her, Ollie? Keep her warm for me.”

Our friend didn’t hesitate, settling down next to her as she showed no emotion at all. Still, I could feel the tension in the air and I tried to ease it a little, “So, Vivian, did I miss out on any good stories?”

With the slight movement of her shoulders, I could see the tension slip away as she turned and smiled at me, patting the seat next to her. I was more than happy to oblige, almost cursing myself for the shorts I’d chosen. Though the towel was back around her body, the exposed skin was enough to fill me with desire again.

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