The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(27)

“I do not,” Kinsey said.

“Yeah?” Deck took a big bite, chewed, swallowed. “Then label me. Boy Toy? Best Lover You’ve Ever Had?”

“How about Pain in My Ass.”

“Aw,” Deck said with a grin, not appearing the least bit insulted. “Sweet.”

Kinsey rolled her eyes and went to the fridge, grabbing a cranberry juice before going still. “Hey, there’s a piece missing from my chocolate lava cake.”

Eli raised his hand.

“That cake’s mine,” she said.

“She’s cranky when she’s not getting her beauty sleep,” Eli said to Deck.

“No shit,” Deck said.

Kinsey’s eyes were narrowed. “A mom of one of the kids at the middle school made that cake for me.”

“It’s massive,” Eli said. “You’re not sharing?”

“Let me repeat. Chocolate lava cake.”

“Thought I was your best friend,” Eli said.

“You are, but touch my chocolate lava cake again and I’ll murder you in your sleep.”

“I remember like six months ago coming home with that whole big basket of mini muffins,” Eli said. “I went to bed, and when I woke up, you’d mowed through all the good ones.”

“Hey, that basket came to you by way of some rando chick at a work party. You didn’t even know her name. She could’ve been a stalker for all you know. I was merely taste-testing for you. You’re welcome.”

“Wow.” Eli flipped some more pancakes. “Just when you think you know someone . . .”

“Just stay out of my cake,” Kinsey said.

Brynn was fascinated by the easy comradery between them all. They were close and comfortable with each other in a way she couldn’t say she’d ever been with anyone. Thinking about that, she pushed her glasses up farther on her nose . . . at the exact moment that Kinsey did the same thing.

Max snorted.

Kinsey glared at him.

Max just shook his head.

Okay, there was either an odd dynamic going on, or Brynn was missing a whole bunch. Like take Deck and Kinsey. If Brynn went off just their words to each other, she’d have said they were a one-night stand. But Kinsey was wearing Deck’s shirt, and Deck clearly liked that. And then there was the way they looked at each other. Or at least the way Deck looked at Kinsey, with warmth and genuine affection.

But she realized that Kinsey was looking at Deck too, but only when she thought no one was watching.

Brynn had no idea why she’d hide it. If she had someone as into her as Deck appeared to be, she’d . . . well, she’d probably screw things up like she always did.

“How’s the arm?” Deck asked Max.

Max flexed his arm, rolled his shoulder. “Better.”

“Max wiped out on his surfboard a few weeks back,” Eli explained to Brynn. “Tore some ligaments. Deck’s a nurse at the hospital and was on the night I dragged Max’s whiney ass in.”

Deck grinned. “That was a fun night.”

“Hey.” Max pointed a fork at both of the other men. “I did not whine.”

“Ah, man, you so whined,” Deck said. “And then you passed out when you got a steroid injection. Bounced your head off the floor and gave yourself a concussion. We admitted you for the night, and then you mooned all the nurses when you got up in the morning.”

Max sighed. “Those hospitals gowns suck, man. You try dragging an IV stand around and holding the back of the stupid gown together at the same time.”

“I only moon people who want to see my ass.” Deck flashed a grin at Kinsey.

She pointed at him. “Finish your damn pancakes and get out.”

Deck just laughed. He’d cleaned his plate. But he grabbed one more pancake, rolled it, and took a bite. He winked at Kinsey, bent for a quick but hot-looking kiss, and then walked out the back door, eating his pancake.

Kinsey watched him go. Well, she watched his butt go, and Brynn got it. The guy had an exceptional butt.

“You kicked him out of bed?” Max asked.

“He takes up all the space.”

“And?”

“And I like to take up all the space.”

Max just shook his head and ambled off, presumably back to his room.

Brynn hopped off the counter to do the same, but stopped at the sink to wash dishes.

“What are you doing?” Eli asked.

“You cooked—again—so I’m washing.”

Eli looked at Kinsey. “You see that? That’s a good roommate.”

“Hey, you explicitly forbade me to do the dishes ever again.”

“That’s because you throw away the silverware instead of washing them.”

“That was an accident.” Kinsey yawned and pushed away from the island, wobbling for a minute. Eli quickly set down the pan he was carrying to the sink and grabbed her, sliding an arm around her.

“I’m fine.” But for a single beat Kinsey set her head on his shoulder and accepted the hug. Then she pushed away and walked out of the room.

Brynn sent a silent question Eli’s way, but he just shook his head.

“She gets vertigo.”

They all had a role here, she realized. And Eli’s role was the glue. He nudged Brynn over and took on the dishwasher role, letting her dry, directing her where to put everything away.