The Rules of Dating My Best Friend's Sister(92)

I took a moment to ponder that. “I don’t know. The biggest challenge for me is what things will look like if shit starts taking off with the band.”

“Speaking of that…” Colby popped the cap off a beer he’d taken out of my fridge. “You never really told us how everything went out west. Any prospects?”

“More than one, actually. The trip was as successful as it could have been.”

“You seriously didn’t mess around with anyone out there?” Brayden asked.

“Of course not,” I said, a little insulted. “I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“Good for you,” he said.

“It wasn’t effort. I didn’t want to. It’s as simple as that.”

Colby interrupted, “So what’s the next step? Is someone getting back to you guys?”

“There were at least two interested execs. We’re waiting to hear more. That’s putting me on edge somewhat.”

“Well, I, for one, am proud of you for never giving up,” Owen said. “It seems like it might finally be paying off.”

“Be careful what you wish for…” Brayden laughed. “You might just get it all at once.”

I nodded. “That’s exactly what this feels like. Everything is going great with my personal life and my career, but the two are trying to cancel each other out.”

The guys hung around and busted my balls for about an hour before leaving me alone. Venting to them had done me good.

After they left, I took a shower and jerked off before heading over to Lala’s. The latter would be a must over these next several days, although it didn’t help the need much when she was right in front of me.

As I walked next door, I had to stop myself from getting too excited. I’d almost forgotten for a split-second that we weren’t going to be having sex. Instead, I’d be offering her another evening of “platonic fun.”

When she opened the door, my eyes immediately fell to her chest. Lala’s nipples were piercing through the thin fabric of her white T-shirt.

“Hey, handsome. I missed you today.”

I gritted my teeth as I entered. “Lala, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your nipples are staring at me like you have a second set of eyes. I want to fucking suck on them right now, and that’s not good.”

“Oh.” She looked down. “I must’ve forgotten to put on a bra.”

Her face turned red as I glared at her.

“Is that it, or are you just trying to torture me?”

She flashed an impish grin.

“That’s what I thought.”

Her blond curls were especially unruly tonight—just the way I loved them. I envisioned bunching all of her hair into a ponytail and pulling on it while I fucked her from behind. And God… I’d been so fixated on her chest, I nearly missed the fact that she’d put on that cute leather skirt that she’d worn out to a couple of my gigs.

I was practically salivating as I pulled her toward me. “Fuck. Come here.”

I threaded my fingers through her hair as our lips smashed together. When Lala moaned into my mouth, my dick stiffened. It took everything in me not to carry her over to the kitchen counter and break my “fast.” I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t put a stop to this—so I pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “I thought kissing was okay.”

“It’s never just kissing with you.” I panted. “I know I said we could kiss…but it’s making it harder for me right now.”

She looked down at my crotch. “I can see that.” Lala sighed. “This is more difficult than I thought it would be. Everything is turning me on more than usual. This afternoon, you texted me, and even your name on my phone made my body react. Who the hell gets aroused by a text they didn’t even read yet?”

“Well, that’s all the more reason to condition your brain not to associate me with sex.”

Lala’s expression turned serious. “What is this really about? Are you seriously concerned that I’m only interested in one thing from you? Because if that’s the case, I find it a little insulting after we’ve had years of history together that didn’t involve a single second of sex.”

Fuck. “Of course, I know you care about me for reasons besides sex. But I do think the sex part of our relationship could be masking some things you might be inadvertently turning a blind eye to.”

“Like what?”

Shit. What am I doing?

“Are you trying to warn me or something? I’m confused, Holden.”

Am I?

“Look… The no-sex thing is about us connecting more on another level, but it’s also about you figuring out what you’re getting into with me. When we’re constantly fucking our brains out, it’s hard for you to see everything clearly.”

Why was I trying to sabotage things? I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I tugged on my hair. “I feel like things are starting to happen with After Friday. I know my being away wasn’t easy. But that could be just the beginning, Lala. It’s gonna be tough for you with me away. What if you can’t handle it?”

“You’re putting words in my mouth, Holden. Obviously, I’ve thought about that. But all I know is, if my head starts going there—into tomorrow or some imagined future scenario—I’m losing these moments with you right now. So maybe my blocking out reality is intentional because I don’t want to lose this time with you.”