THE CRAZY GOOD SERIES - Rachel Robinson Page 0,182

his hands on my shoulders. I take several shallow breaths before I can think with a clear head. I kissed the devil out of him. He didn’t try to go further. I basically attacked him. But he definitely let me. Right? I refuse to let myself overthink it.

“While I’d love to do exactly what I want, I did come over here for a reason.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder to a window. The rain has gone from pouring to potential monsoon level. My moment, maybe my only moment with Steven, is ruined by a hurricane. That has to be a bad sign.

“Fitting,” I mutter. “It’s on the right side of the house. Near the back. Do you need any help?”

“Oh, I need help alright. Just not the kind of help you’re offering—right now.” He looks down to the large bulge in his pants and then his gaze flicks up to meet mine. He asks, “We’re back to being just friends as of now, yeah?”

It will kill me slowly, but with a taste so lethal, there is no other way. “Yes,” I say, nodding. I swallow down the whopper of a lie and retreat to my office.

I hear the generator making a long, loud noise and I know it’s ready to go. Touching my lips gently, I realize that my electricity is safe.

The same can’t be said for the remnants of my heart.

I object.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Steve

SELF-PROTECTION. I’M the king of that shit. She said she wanted me to take her shooting for self-protection. Of course she didn’t explain why, which made me force her into the full gamut of self-protection.

I will take her shooting. I’ll also take her to the boxing gym and show her some moves, and force Gunner into her palatial estate. If she won’t have us as a combo package, that is. I’m not holding my breath. I think I may have fucked my chances with her by the kiss that won’t be mentioned. I didn’t have an option. When that woman wants something, I can’t tell her no. Especially when I’m the beneficiary of her desires.

Morganna’s lips aren’t exactly what I thought they’d be. They’re deadly with a side of poison. A combination one such as myself could become addicted to. When I kiss Chloe or Sasha, it makes me hard. Their mouths, lips, and tongues make me want to fuck. I know they’ll go home after, and I know that I’ll have them around for a finite amount of time. Somehow kissing Morganna, after all of this time, lives up to the hype. I want more than a kiss or a finite number of nights with her. For this reason, I’m pissed I let my dick brain think for me. She wanted more, but I knew damn well it would be a mistake to take it further. I guess I should give myself some credit for pumping the breaks on that account.

Chloe flops down, her perfume jolting my crotch like a hit of Viagra. “What’s the countdown? I know you have that number on the tip of your tongue,” she says. I look at her sideways and smile. I know breakups suck as a general rule, but I’m pretty sure this one is going to blow exponentially. Mainly because she has no idea it’s coming and partly because what we do is not considered dating.

She scoops my hand in hers while petting Gunner with her other. “I’ll keep myself busy during the deployment, don’t worry about me,” she whispers, lips opening slightly as she pauses. “Because it looks like someone took your lollipop, baby. Are you nervous about leaving?” I take in a deep breath and watch her watch me, silenced words poised on her lips.

I squeeze her hand once. “I’m going to give it a shot with Morganna if she’ll let me.” Chloe will know exactly what that means without expounding. She’s been with me for years. She’s met my parents, in an effort to convince them I had a regular life outside of my work. She played the part flawlessly, I might add. Almost too well. I needed a breather from her after that trip. Chloe smiles, but it’s forced—fake, like a woman in a pageant. I know she’s going to make this easy for me.

“I’m happy for you, Steve. That’s great news. Fantastic news, actually. No more pretending then? This is your shot at real.” Her tears belie the smile on her face. Something happens to my stomach. It sinks. A feeling