look at Charlie, I stopped in place because he looked furious. His normally smiling mouth was clenched tight like he was suppressing a scream, and his large hands gripped the edge of the counter like he might break it off into pieces. “Wow, what happened?”
“What happened? Did you see Denise sitting in my lap? I’m surprised my dick didn’t hurt her back.”
I rolled my eyes at his flattering assessment of himself. “Okay now…”
“You said you would talk to Kat, so talk to her. What the hell are you waiting for? It’s not like I can just go out and pick up a girl at this point. I have a celibate relationship with Denise, and it fucking sucks.”
“I will talk to her. It’s been a busy week—” Busy fucking Dax.
“Yes, I’ve noticed. I have to sit there and listen to you talk about all the good sex you’re getting, while I’m sitting with Denise and trying to stay soft. You’re the biggest cockblock in the world.”
“How dare you! I am not a cockblock.”
“Then talk to Kat and get it over with. I know you. I know you’re procrastinating.”
“I’m not a procrastinator. I get my articles done early—not just on time.”
“You procrastinate for shit you don’t want to do. Remember when it was your turn to clean the apartment, and you dragged your feet for three months?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes. “So not the same thing.”
“I have to listen to you and Dax go at it tonight while I’m sleeping alone. I’m happy for you, I really am, but I want to be happy too. Come on, think about it. The four of us could go out together all the time. How awesome would it be if Denise and I ended up together? I would be your brother-in-law.”
Yes, that did sound like a dream come true. Charlie was already my brother, already my family, and I was actually closer to him than my own sister. It might bring Denise and me closer together. “You’re only focusing on the good, not the bad. If I don’t handle this right, we might lose Kat as a friend. Do you want that?”
His eyes became clouded with irritation. “Of course I don’t. But Jesus Christ, it’s time to move on. Get it done within three days, or I’ll tell her myself.”
It would be way worse coming from him than me. At least with me, she could cry and not be embarrassed about it. At least she could show her full heart without having to contain it. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you said that last time.” He turned back to the kitchen and finished cleaning, giving me the cold shoulder.
Dax came back inside and walked to the sink. “You guys hash it out?” He washed his hands and patted them dry before he turned around to look at us.
“You could say that.” Charlie grabbed his phone and headed to the hallway. “I told Carson to grow some balls.” He was gone from our sight, and his bedroom door shut a moment later.
After Dax watched him walk away, he turned back to me. “Kat?”
I nodded.
“I understand. If I couldn’t be with you, I’d be losing my mind too.” He left the kitchen and moved closer to me, his arms circling my waist and bringing me in close. “Ready for bed?”
“Yes. And I’m not ready to go to sleep…”
“Me neither.”
We went to my bedroom and shut the door behind us. I liked to go to sleep the second we were done with sex, so I did my nighttime routine before, like washing off my makeup and brushing my teeth. I know I didn’t look as good, but he didn’t seem to care. He seemed to want me just the same.
When I came back to bed, I took off my clothes and my panties and crawled into bed beside him, the sheets covering his waist but all his chiseled masculinity visible in the dark bedroom.
Once my back was to the mattress, he was on top of me, between my legs, his weight pressing me into the sheets.
My hands dug into his hair and cradled his face close to mine. “I was going to be on top.”
“You can be on top next time.” He positioned himself and entered, stretching me wide and making me moan. When he was balls deep, he released a masculine sigh, like it was so good to feel me like this. He paused for a moment as he looked at