The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (74)

“What are you talking about?”

“Barbie…you love her.”

“And then she fucked my cousin, Four. Your point?”

I was surprised that he hadn’t denied being in love with Barbie, but I quickly recovered. “Maybe it’s not what you think.” Tyra had her doubts and Ever had also implied that their thing wasn’t a thing at all.

His hands strangled the steering wheel. “Please, don’t tell me you fell for his crap?”

“They don’t act like a couple. Have you ever even seen them kiss?”

“Does he kiss you in public?”

“I’m not his girlfriend.” And he shouldn’t be kissing me at all. Just this morning, Ever had rejected me, and instead of relief, I felt like he’d ripped my heart out. He didn’t belong to me, and this morning made it clear he never would.

“Ever does what he wants, and no one would dare tell him otherwise. Until you.”

“Exactly. Someone like Ever doesn’t keep secrets because he’s afraid of the consequences. He keeps them to protect the people he loves.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“Why is it when it comes to her, you’re so dumb?” I expelled air, questioning why I even cared. “I think he’s protecting her from something…or someone.”

He was silent for so long, I didn’t think he’d respond, but then he said, “From what?”

I shrugged. “Maybe if you weren’t such an ass, you would know.”

His darkening gaze cut my way. “I never took you for the judgmental type.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m saving you. You are the enemy, Jameson Buchanan.”

“Hey, hey…I only allow one girl to call me that.”

“Let me guess,” I laughed, “your mother?”

“Damn straight.”




Jay D’s nap didn’t last very long. I thought I could sneak him up to my room while I figured out how to convince Thomas to let me keep the pup, but that wasn’t meant to be. I could hear his happy barks as I searched the cupboards for a water dish. For all of Jamie’s talk, he got out of dodge to meet up with one of his many fuck buddies, though he did promise to bring back puppy chow.

“Is that a dog I hear upstairs?”

I peeked over my shoulder and found Mrs. Greene with a basket of laundry tucked under her arm.

“Oh…um.”

She sat the basket on the island and moved to the cabinet next to me. A moment later, she handed me a small plastic bowl.

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry I’ll miss all the excitement.”

I frowned as I moved to the sink and filled the bowl with cool water. “Do you really think Thomas will be mad?”

“I wouldn’t worry about Thomas, dear.”

What the hell did that mean?

She gave me a warm smile before disappearing upstairs.

After running the water up to my new friend and praying he didn’t find anything to chew on in there, I ventured to the master suite for the first time. I figured Rosalyn would be taking one of her afternoon naps. After being a working girl for so long, she had no problem indulging in the advantages of being a kept woman.

I knocked once and pressed my ear to the door, but no answer came. I couldn’t hear anything through the thick wood, so I cracked the door and took a cautious peek inside. Light snoring greeted me, and I smiled a secret smile. Rosalyn would die if she knew she snored.

I left her sleeping and went back to my room to get some homework done. An hour later, I threw in the towel. When I wasn’t rescuing various items from Jay D’s teeth, he was pawing at my ankles to get me to play. Now he whined as he scratched at the door, so I figured it was time for a pee break. Outside, I watched him vigorously sniff the grass searching for the perfect spot to do his business.

“You do know that’s imported grass.”

I swung around and found Ever standing there in jeans and a gray turtleneck. His hair was perfect, and his golden brown eyes shone brightly. “What’s your problem now?”

“Your mutt is shitting on very expensive grass.”

“He’s not a mutt, and do you mean your father actually paid for this? You know it grows for free, right?”

He didn’t respond, so I rolled my eyes, knowing it would piss him off, and turned my back on him. Unfortunately, Jay D chose that moment to notice him and ran his cute butt over to say hello. When Ever pointedly ignored Jay D’s attempt at friendship, he began to sniff around him.

“Stop looking at him like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like he’s beneath you.”

“He’s a dog,” he pointed out.

“And yet he has better manners than you.” Jay D then made a liar out of me by chewing on Ever’s pant leg for attention. I held my breath when Ever peered down at him, fearing he’d kick him away out of spite.

“Doesn’t seem like it to me.”

“He’s a puppy.”

“With no home training.”

“I’ll teach him.” God, why did it feel as if I was explaining myself to him?

“You’re under the impression that you’re keeping him?”