the words floated out into the air, he cursed himself. Talking was bad. Talking was a real piss-poor idea...
"It's not what? You mean you want me?"
He thought of the it that was still trying to claw a way out of his pants. She had eyes. She could see the damn thing. "You know I do."
"So if I'm willing to take it... hard..." She paused, and he had a feeling she was blushing. "Then why can't we be together?"
His breath shortened until his lungs burned and his heart pounded. He felt as if he were looking over the edge of a ravine. Good Lord, he wasn't actually going to tell her? Was he?
His stomach rolled as the words came out. "She was always on top. The Mistress. When she... came to me, she was always on top. You, uh, you rolled over onto my chest and... yeah, that doesn't work for me."
He rubbed his face, as much to try to hide from her as to relieve the headache he suddenly had.
He heard breath being exhaled. Realized it was hers.
"Zsadist, I'm so sorry. I didn't know - "
"Yeah... fuck... maybe you can forget I said that." God, he needed to get away from her before that mouth of his got flapping again. "Look, I'm going to - "
"What did she do to you?" Bella's voice was thin as a hair.
He shot her a hard look. Oh, not likely, he thought.
She took a step toward him. "Zsadist, did she... have you against your will?"
He turned away. "I'm going to the gym. I'll see you later."
"Wait - "
"Later, Bella. I can't... do this."
On his way out, he grabbed his Nikes and his MP3 player.
A good, long run was just what he needed right now. A long... run. So what if it got him exactly nowhere. At least he could have the sweaty illusion he was getting away from himself.
Chapter Twenty-one
Phury looked across the mansion's pool table with disgust while Butch measured his shot. Something was off with the human, but as the cop sank three balls with one cue stroke, it sure as hell wasn't his game.
"Jesus, Butch. Four wins in a row. Remind me why I bother playing with you?"
"Because hope springs eternal." Butch tossed back the tail end of his Scotch. "You want another game?"
"Why not. My odds can't get worse."
"You rack while I get a refill."
As Phury collected the balls from the pockets, he realized what the problem was. Every time he turned away, Butch got to staring at him.
"You have something on your mind, cop?"
The male poured himself a couple of fingers of Lagavulin, then took a long drink from his glass. "Not particularly."
"Liar. You've been giving me the hairy eyeball since we got back from ZeroSum. Why don't you get real and spill it."
Butch's hazel eyes met his glare head-on. "You gay, my man?"
Phury dropped the eight ball and dimly heard it bouncing on the marble floor. "What? Why would you - "
"I heard you were getting close with the Reverend." As Phury cursed, Butch picked up the black ball and sent it rolling back over the green felt. "Look, I'm cool if you are. I honestly don't give a rat's ass who you're into. But I would like to know."
Oh, this is just great, Phury thought. Not only was he pining after the female who wanted his twin; now he was supposedly dating a frickin' symphath.
That female who'd walked in on him and the Reverend clearly had a big mouth and... Christ. Butch must have already told Vishous. The two were like an old mated couple, no secrets between them. And V would squeal to Rhage. And once Rhage knew, you might as well have popped the news flash on the Reuters wire.
"Phury?"
"No, I'm not gay."
"Don't feel like you need to hide it or anything."
"I wouldn't. I'm just not."
"You bi, then?"
"Butch, drop it. If any of the Brothers are down with the kinky shit, it's your roommate." At the cop's bug-eyed look, he muttered, "Come on, you have to know about V by now. You live with him."
"Obviously not妗?, hey, Bella."
Phury wheeled around. Bella was standing on the threshold of the room, dressed in that black satin robe. He could not look away from her. The glow of health was back in her lovely face, the bruises gone, her beauty revealed. She was... astonishing.
"Hello," she said. "Phury, do you think I could talk with you for a moment? After you're finished?"