Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(46)

“Shit,” he says. “When did that happen?”

“I was sixteen,” she says. “I wiped out during my short program at Desert West and had to have knee surgery.”

“Jesus,” James says. “That’s terrible.”

“I didn’t know that,” I say.

“You know I used to skate,” she says. “You see me do it every week.”

“Yeah, but you never mentioned having a career-ending injury.” It must be why I see her rubbing her knee sometimes after we finish a lesson.

She laughs shortly. “It was hardly a career. It wasn’t like I was going to make Team USA or anything.” She wipes her mouth quickly and sets her cloth napkin on the table. “That was my mom.”

I feel the urge to take her hand, but stop myself in time. “Are you okay now?”

“Fine. My knee still hurts sometimes, the rehab didn’t go that great,” she says. “It’s a long story.”

“Penny, will you come to the ladies’ with me?” Bex asks.

As they wind their way through the tables away from us, James leans in. “Friends, huh?”

I polish off the rest of my burger before answering. The moment Bex asked Penny to go to the bathroom with her, I figured that something like this was in my future. James and Bex have been sharing knowing, couple-ish looks all lunch. It would be disgusting if I wasn’t so happy for my brother. “Yeah. She’s Coach Ryder’s daughter.”

“Interesting.”

I scowl at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He huffs out a laugh and leans back in his chair. “Coop, you like her.”

“I do,” I say defensively as I stab a French fry with my fork. “She’s a cool person.”

“Come on, don’t bullshit me. You like this girl.”

“Not like that. We’re friends.”

“Do friends look at each other like that?”

My scowl deepens. “Yes.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m helping her out with something.”

“Something that happens to involve sleeping together?”

“It’s just sex.”

He just ignores that, pressing on. “And how many times did you get on my case about how I looked at Bex before we made things official?”

He looks so smug I have the urge to tackle him to the floor, but that wouldn’t be appropriate restaurant behavior, so I settle for kicking his shin. The tablecloth hides it well enough that the couple having lunch next to us doesn’t even glance over. “I’m not lying. She’s my friend. You know how I do things.”

“I recall the rules including no repeats,” he says. “So, what do you call this?”

“A favor. One that happens to be fun.”

“Fine, keep lying to yourself.” He shrugs, like he’s unbothered. “Or man up and do something about it, either way.”

He doesn’t know the whole situation—such as the very important fact that Penny has specifically said she wants nothing romantic—but I can’t quite make myself ignore his words.

I don’t like Penny Ryder like that. She’s not my schoolboy crush. She’s my friend and we’re kindred spirits in the sack, but that doesn’t make me want to be her boyfriend.

Even if all my wet dreams lately have involved her.

Even if her laughter is so adorable, it makes my chest hurt.

Even if I’ve never enjoyed sex more, and I haven’t even gotten my dick inside her anywhere but her mouth.

Even if my favorite recent memory is cuddling with her in my bed while watching Lord of the Rings.

“It’s not happening,” I tell him. “Even if I wanted it, which I don’t, she doesn’t.”





26





COOPER





“Why is this your favorite sex toy shop?” Penny asks as we climb the stairs from the subway to the sidewalk. Someone shoulders in between us to hustle down the stairs. I grab her hand again and pull her closer.

“It’s where I lost my virginity,” I say as I lead the way around the corner.

She narrows her eyes. “Seriously?”

I laugh at her expression. “Just teasing. That was at Emma Cotham’s pool party. They have a nice massage oil here.”

“Only the best for your dick?”

“You’re starting to get me.” At the right storefront, I pull open the door. Dark Allure is tiny, a scrap of a shop sandwiched between an Indian restaurant and a nail salon. I could get the oil I like to use when I jerk off somewhere more convenient, but I enjoy browsing the aisles. People get up to some seriously freaky shit. The first display is tame, just a row of nicely sized butt plugs, but around the corner, I know there are some metal chastity devices. “Why don’t we make it into a game? Cheesy or cringe?”

She gets my drift right away, a smile breaking out on her face. “You’re on.”

“Sweetheart?” I say just before I lose her in the aisles.

She looks over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“And pick out whatever you want. But choose wisely, because whatever you get, I’m using on you later.”