Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(65)

“Did you or did you not,” I asked slowly, “ask Colton to sleep with you?”

“Of course not. I don’t even—” She paused and her face kind of cleared with a surprised awareness. “Well, I mean...” Her cheeks flushed pink. “I may have hypothetically posed a question similar to that...in his direction.” When I merely arched an eyebrow, she sighed. “I asked how he’d answer if I did ask him. I didn’t actually ask. I just wanted to know if, you know...if anyone else considered me...f*ckable.”

I rubbed my face and growled, “When did you even talk to him to ask this hypothetical question?”

“We ran into each other when he was on campus this week for his visitation day, or whatever. And he asked why you were being such an ass, so...I told him.”

“You told him,” I repeated, staring at her and unable to believe what I was hearing. “You just...you seriously told our private business to him?”

She blinked, pulling back in surprise. Then... “He’s your brother. Besides, he already knew something was up between us anyway. Why wouldn’t I tell him?”

“Because he’s a pain-in-the-ass kid who needs to stay out of my goddamn private life.”

“Oh my God,” she yelled, “What is your problem tonight?”

I narrowed my eyes at her, sniffing because she had to know at least a little why I was so upset. “I just don’t like hearing you’ve been trying to go to other people for sex.”

Sarah’s mouth fell open. “Excuse me?” Her voice was so low as she pressed her hand to her chest that I paused, realizing she was pissed.

I’d just royally messed up.

Blue eyes flaring with rage, she drew in a deep breath before snarling, “First of all...”

Oh, shit. A first-of-all. I was really in trouble.

“I have not gone to anyone else for sex but you...which you declined, leading me straight to my second point. You didn’t want me, so even if I had gone to fifty other guys after that, it’s none of your concern what I did. If you came here just to be an *, you can turn right back around and leave, Brandt Gabriel Gamble. I’m not in the mood for your attitude tonight.”

Damn, I hated it when she handed me my ass like that. Humbled and ashamed, I pressed my lips tight, knowing I needed to apologize but resisting it because my blood was still roaring with anger. Anger which, yes, was probably unjustified because, like she said, I wouldn’t have any right to object if she had gone to someone else—or even fifty someone elses—for sex.

Which sucked monkey balls.

Except there was one thing she’d been wrong about. “I never said I didn’t want you,” I muttered, glancing away.

After cracking off a sharp laugh, she asked, “Then what was all that I’d do anything for you but that bullshit you fed me last time we saw each other?”

“The truth,” I answered with all sincerity. “I would do anything for you but that. And I do want you, so f*cking bad it hurts. But I’m scared to death of losing you, and us getting naked and kinky together seems like a surefire way to send you packing.”

“Why?” she shot back. “Are you that bad at it?”

Oh...oh, she did not just say that.

The guy in me was totally and completely unable to ignore such a challenge to my manhood. Leaning toward her until our faces were less than a foot apart, I murmured, “I could make you come so hard you’d see stars for a week.”

But instead of scaring her off, my remark made her lean in too, closing the inches between us. “Prove it.”

Holy...damn.

I wanted to. I wanted to so bad. I even swayed in, focusing my entire being on her mouth. A mere breath away from devouring her whole, reality intruded and reined me in.

I pulled back, rasping, “You know I can’t.”

“No.” She shook her head, her eyes filling with pain. “Actually I don’t know, because you won’t tell me.” With a shudder, she sank deeper into her robe, clutching it closer to herself. “You say you won’t try this because you’re afraid you might lose me. But sex wouldn’t send me packing. It’s you keeping secrets that will send me packing.”

Doom landed hard in my stomach, squashing all my rage, all my bitter jealous thoughts, and only leaving me sucked empty with an ice-cold dread.

“Sarah,” I whispered, afraid I’d just ruined everything, killed our friendship for good, and lost any affection she’d ever felt for me.

She looked away, and I swear her eyes went glossy with tears. “I think you need to leave,” she choked out.

“No.” I shook my head, desperate, and reached for her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t!” she snapped, batting my hand away, and in doing so, she had to let go of her grip on the robe, which in return gaped open, giving me an eyeful.

“Wha...?” My mouth fell open as I took in the red bra fringed in black lace, cupping the most perfect set of tits ever.

Sarah gasped and pulled the robe closed, once again hiding her body from me.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say, what to think. She looked so good, my dick was painfully hard and already dripping out the end. I wanted her with an intensity that made my mouth water and skin tighten as if preparing for an orgasm.