The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (95)

Aiming the remote at the TV, I pressed play. Music filled the silence and captured Tyra’s attention at the same time some tanned, busty blonde appeared on screen wearing a miniskirt, no panties, acrylic heels, and a pink crop top that read ‘Wet.’

“Four…what is this?” Tyra questioned warily.

“Porn.”

“How did you even know he had porn?”

“I’ve never lived with anyone but Rosalyn before. I got curious.”

“You mean you snooped?”

“It’s not as devious as it sounds. Some good can come from it. I learned who my father is by snooping.”

We fell silent as we watched the girl on the screen attempt to seduce the boy next door, however, it was short-lived.

“Did you watch the entire thing?”

“I freaked and shut it off as soon as I realized what it was.”

The dialogue was cheesy, and the guy was sporting a boner within a minute of meeting his new neighbor. Three minutes later, she was eagerly deep throating her unsuspecting victim. It seemed impossible how much she could fit in her mouth.

“Ugh, I don’t—”

A burst of light cut her off, and frustration shifted into horror. Jamie stood on the threshold of his bedroom with eyebrows raised. “I feel cheated,” he drawled.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned as if this weren’t his room and his home.

“I never left. Ever asked me to stay behind and make sure you weren’t up to no good, and I’m glad he did.”

“He had you spy on me?”

“I think his intentions were nobler than that.”

What possible reason could Ever have to enlist Jamie as his watchdog?

“Then where were you this entire time?”

He rubbed his head with a groan. “Passed out, I think.”

It was then that I noticed he was barely holding himself up.

“Jesus, Jamie. Lie down.”

With a sly smile, he answered, “Only if I get the middle.” He stumbled inside, and after dropping onto the bed between Tyra and me, he focused lazy eyes on the TV screen. “This is my favorite part.”

I don’t think any of us breathed the entire time we watched the innocent boy next door stuff his mammoth cock inside the seductress’ ass.

Jesus. Would Ever expect that? It seemed impossible, yet the evidence was in high-definition on a fifty-inch screen.

“Yeah…love a cock up a nice ass,” Jamie casually reflected while I tried not to panic.

“Jesus, Jamie!” Tyra slammed one of his pillows against the side of his head. “I’ll be in your room,” she gritted before fleeing the room. Not long after, the slam of my bedroom door echoed down the hall.

“Your friend has a stick up her ass,” he said as he lay back with one arm behind his head and the other across his stomach.

Twisting around to face him, I shot him a withering look as I crossed my legs under me. “Or maybe you need to tell Barbie how you feel and give the rest of us a break.”

Voice flat and eyes dull, he said, “She knows how I feel.”

“I was there yesterday, remember? You treated her like she meant nothing to you.”

“As I said…she knows how I feel.”

I shook my head with a sad sigh. For some reason, I believed Ever when he said there was nothing real between him and Barbie. Did that make me a fool, or was Jamie just blind and stubborn? “You don’t fool me, Jameson.”

He groaned, then said, “I told you only my mother calls me Jameson.”

“Well, what about James? Do I get to call you that?”

His eyes flashed before he averted them. “What?”

“Barbie called you James, and you didn’t bitch about it.” He didn’t respond, so I poked some more. “And you called her Bette.”

“You must have heard wrong.”

Yeah, right. I know what I heard.

“James and Bette sitting in a tree…” I sang. I was about to get to the part where they started kissing when Jamie shoved me off his bed. I hit the floor with a yelp and burst out laughing despite my aching back. When I sat up, Jamie was on his back again, looking like nothing had happened. “Fine,” I huffed as I stood to my feet. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

He smirked as he watched the porn still playing on his TV with a sudden disinterest.

I started for the door, but a thought had me turning back. “Despite your differences, you know Ever better than anyone.”

His heavy sigh filled the room. “Yeah.”

“What are the chances I can change his mind about finding Fox?” I didn’t need to question if Jamie knew about Ever being Exiled, but him jackknifing into a sitting position told me Ever hadn’t been as forthcoming with him as I thought.

“How do you know about that?”

“I followed him a month ago.”

“Does he know?”

I nodded, not caring to go into detail. “He’s been blackmailing me.”

“Oh, man,” Jamie cackled. “You two are made for each other.” He shook his head and stared at me with equal parts pity and amusement.

“So do you think I can talk him out of going after Fox?”

“Not a chance in hell,” he answered soberly.