Page 73 of Buying Time

Char used the heel of his hand to rub over his eyes, collecting stray tears that had escaped from his laughing fit. “I just didn’t expect this falling-on-your-sword thing. Fuck, you really are straitlaced, aren’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You really don’t know? I thought we were all just accepting that such a stupid agreement wouldn’t last. Was I supposed to do this, too?”

Do this, too?His words took a moment to work through, and when I did? I narrowed my eyes. “You meanyoufooled around with her, too?”

Char shrugged, not appearing the least bit sorry or uncomfortable. “Well, seeing as I know how her pussy tastes, yeah.”

I looked toward Tor, hoping for him to agree. “Can you believe this?”

Tor rubbed the back of his neck and avoided my gaze.

“Might want to look for someone who didn’t get his dick sucked by her for backup,” Char said.

“You what?” Vance asked. “I can’t believe you all! I’m the man whore but I restrained myself!”

“Wait one minute,” I interrupted. “You’re trying to tell me thatVance Moore,who has screwed his way through almost every cover model out there, was the only one to keep his hands to himself?”

Vance shuffled his weight from foot to foot. “Well, not entirely to myself. There weresomehand things happening, but it was second base at best, then I stopped myself. If I’d realized that you all would ignore our agreement, I wouldn’t have bothered.” He set down his drink and Char’s beer on the tailgate between Tor and I before crossing his arms like a pouting child.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering why I’d been so damned worried. It seemed while I’d agonized over having crossed the line, everyone else had done far worse with no guilt at all.

It also forced me to think about Kenz, about how innocent she was, and picture the things they said. I doubted they were lying, and given that Kenz showed no fear of them, I was sure they had all been things Kenz wanted.

Besides, if I had the slightest suspicion that these men would have done something so reprehensible, that they’d force a woman to do anything, I wouldn’t have let them within a mile of Kenz.

And just like that, my body stirred, some of the regret subsiding. My time with Kenz had been tainted by my guilt. Now that I knew differently—or rather, understood we’d all failed to keep our word—I could recall the way she’d looked lost to pleasure.

I shouldn’t have held back, shouldn’t have stopped myself from going further. I imagined how it would feel to cup her breasts, to slide my fingers into her, to have felt her squeeze down around me as she came.

Talk about a missed opportunity…

“So, now that we’ve all admitted to being degenerates who can’t keep our word, what do we do?” Char asked.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen.I’m not a degenerate.

“I remember what happened, so I don’t think you can tell me that,” Char argued.

Coming from someone who decided to lick my cum off your fingers?

“That’s right, so don’t you think I’d know one?”

“Wait, youwhat?”Vance asked as he moved his gaze between his phone, Char and Tor as though he couldn’t believe that.

Then again, the details do just seem to be getting more and more outrageous.They sounded less like normal sex and more like some kink video.

I never would have figured that the playboy would be the one on my side when it came to scolding Tor and Char for their behavior.

“And no one invited me?” Vance added on, making it clear I was the odd man out when it came to being modest or traditional. “I would have so been there ifsomeonehad called me to let me know!”

“Fine, fine,” Char said with a dismissive wave. “I’ll send you a text next time.”

“Good.” Vance picked his drink up again as though that resolved everything.

“So…what does this mean?” I asked, needing clarification. “Because we all decided not to touch her since we knew it would only hurt her. Now, what? Our cocks are suddenly more important than her wellbeing?”

At least the others had the decency to hesitate for a moment and think it over. I’d easily admit that she was tempting—obviously, since I’d fallen to her charms so easily—but that didn’t mean I’d let us off the hook so easily.

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