Her tone was low and teasing. There was no mistaking what she was trying to imply. Sex. She meant sex. "Come on, MK, you can't seriously tell me you haven't dreamed about a reverse harem relationship with them all. It's the perfect setup. Just you and them, all alone in that big old house..." She trailed off like she was imagining herself in that position, and I laughed.
"You're the worst," I told her with a grin, covering my eyes with my arm. I was so freaking tired. My sleep had been better—no screaming nightmares—but still disturbed and restless enough that I never woke feeling fresh. The last time I'd managed a restful sleep was when Archer had broken my lock and held me all night.
Bree chuckled to herself. "I don't hear a denial there, babe."
I scoffed, still not looking at her. "Yeah well, I'm trying to stop lying to myself."
She cackled like some kind of cartoon villain. "So you have thought about it. I knew it."
"I've thought about plenty of things, girl. Doesn't mean I'm going to act on any of them. Besides, could you imagine Archer actually trying to share a woman?" I laughed at my own mental image in an attempt to ignore what a turn-on that idea was. "Pretty sure he would struggle to share a burrito, let alone a taco... if you catch my drift."
Bree laughed so hard I worried she was going to choke on her food, so I sat up slightly and frowned at her. "Damn, dude, it wasn't that funny."
She couldn't reply, though. She was red-faced and laughing into her hand while looking... over my shoulder.
Ah fuck.
Tilting my head back, I met Kody's smiling green eyes. "Well. I should have seen that one coming," I muttered.
His grin was wide and his eyes full of amusement, as well as raw, hungry desire. "I dunno, MK, Arch is pretty good at sharing when the incentive is right."
My cheeks flamed, but I refused to rise to the bait. Steele stood slightly behind him with his phone in his hand and didn’t seem to be paying attention. I could only hope.
"Pretty sure hanging out with Bree is in direct violation of your father's rules, babe," Kody commented, giving me a warning look. I just scowled back at him, letting all my annoyance seep into my gaze.
"Pretty sure you want to stop being such a prick unless you want to find your ass superglued to the toilet seat tomorrow morning," I replied with all the snark of a hormonal thirteen-year-old.
I pushed myself back up and swung my legs over the edge of the table. Bree and I had been doing a bit of studying while we ate and gossiped, seeing as exams were coming up, so I packed my books and notes away into my bag.
"Thanks, Bree. This was fun until my jailers gate-crashed." I shot a glare at Kody and Steele—who'd put his phone away and was paying attention. "I'll call you later, and we can make plans for Thanksgiving."
"Sounds good," Bree replied at the same time as Kody shook his head.
"Sorry Bree," he said, sounding anything but apologetic, "we already have plans for Thanksgiving."
"No we don't," I snapped back, slinging my bag over my shoulder and grimacing at the weight of it. Reality was catching up with me, and I knew I needed to put some serious study hours in during the next week if I wanted any hope of passing my classes. Thankfully, I was an excellent crammer.
Kody just smiled back at me, all smug and shit. "Yes, we do, babe. That's what Steele and I were coming to tell you, right, bro?" He whacked his gray-eyed friend, who just cocked a pierced brow in confusion.
I folded my arms and called Kody's bluff. "Oh yeah? What are we doing that can't involve Bree?"
"Arch is cooking for us," he replied with a smug grin. "Mexican."
My glare turned murderous as Kody grinned wider.
"Fuck that," Steele muttered, sweeping a tattooed hand over his hair. then coming over to me and dropping an arm over my shoulders. "Arch can fucking starve for all I care."
I tried to stomp away in a huff, but Steele wasn't letting me go so easily. He shifted my heavy bag to his own shoulder, then took my hand in his, weaving our fingers together as we left the library.
Nothing had changed. I was still furious at them all. But... I didn't pull away.
So, maybe something had changed after all. Maybe Bree had a point.