They had already mentioned a kinky arrangement.
I wanted that.
Reese smoothed a finger between my eyebrows. “You’re thinking about something.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t mind being your play partner,” I admitted, feeling awkward as fuck. I wasn’t the best at putting myself out there. “As in, some type of relationship-type thing. Type.”
His eyes flashed with warmth and amusement.
River leaned back in his seat and grew contemplative.
I swallowed as a rush of nerves twisted my insides.
“A play partner dynamic is a good start,” Reese said eventually. “That would come with some restrictions, though.”
“I don’t mind.” Restrictions were good. Restrictions meant there would be a structure to follow. “Could we discuss those now?”
“Fuck, you’re cute.” He pressed a hard kiss to my lips that sent heat to my cheeks. “At the risk of pushing too hard, too fast, I want you to stay with us, sweetheart. When you don’t have plans with your brothers, stay here. Give us a few weeks to settle into our dynamic and find out what limits work for us.”
A few weeks…
Fucking hell, I wanted to. I wanted it so much that my whole body screamed for it.
“Take a break from everything else.” He stroked my cheek, and I swallowed hard, trapped in his heated gaze. “Help us with the next Game. You can train with me as often as you need.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “I thought you weren’t a fighter.”
He snorted softly and lifted a brow. “I think I can give you a run for your money.”
I bet. It wasn’t like training under Weasel’s guidance and facing the fighters he set me up with offered much of a challenge. I could do this, I was sure. Taking three weeks off was still just three fight nights. It wasn’t as if I’d spend months catching up on work in a cubicle. I’d return to the cages soon enough to make more money. But I could afford a break.
I wanted to get involved out here too. They’d done a lot for me already.
“Okay.” I nodded, suddenly flushed with excitement. “My brothers go back to school soon, so I want to be there for them when they come home in the afternoon, but then I can come back out here.”
He cradled my face in his hands and kissed me hard.
“One more thing,” I mumbled against his lips. “I’m not sleeping in the fucking subbie bed.”
He chuckled. “Fuck no, you’re not.”
* * *
One might’ve hoped to wake up the next morning to a round of morning sex and pillow talk.
In reality, someone woke up a little before nine o’clock to two notes, and that someone was me.
River was out buying us breakfast, and Reese was “in the office,” this mystery place I still hadn’t seen.
I woke up feeling weirdly reenergized, so I figured I could start my day with a swim. Because if I was actually going to stay here a few weeks, I had to get back to working out regularly. I may only have one fight night a week, but I didn’t get confident in winning—or deciding the outcome, rather—by lying around and being lazy.
I had to buy some trunks next time we were out. For now, I’d go with my briefs.
I didn’t have to ask Reese why he’d opted for briefs instead of boxer briefs. He’d torn up my ass good and proper last night when seeing me in a pair of them.
As I left the cabin, I noticed Tate was in the pool too. Well, he was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, at least. But he was dressed to go in.
He looked like he was a million miles away in his head. He still hadn’t noticed me when I was ten feet away.
Should I just ignore him? I’d ignored both him and Penelope yesterday.
“Good morning,” I said politely, albeit quietly.
He jumped slightly and glanced up at me over his shoulder. “Oh. Sorry. Good morning.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude.” I dropped my phone in the lounger I usually shared with the twins. There were already three folded towels on the table, so maybe Reese had plans for us to stay here at some point today.
“You didn’t,” Tate responded absently.
I side-eyed him and walked over the last few feet to the wide stairs in the corner of the pool. He was lost in thought again, and I didn’t know him well enough to prod. Did I? We’d just talked a little at a few munches. I knew he was a sadomasochist and a switch. He was heavily inked—though not anywhere near my level—he worked…with children, if I wasn’t mistaken, and he was together with someone named…something. I should remember.
On the other hand, the extent you knew someone in this community evidently didn’t matter.
I hissed under my breath as I headed into the water. It was going to be another hot and humid day, but the water hadn’t warmed up yet.
I noticed the pool cleaner near my feet. The little robot vacuum must’ve been working through the night, ’cause I didn’t see any dirt or dead bugs.
“Is it cold?” Tate asked.
“Depends if you’re asking me or my balls.” I winced and cupped my junk under the water. “It’s all right.” You got used to it quickly, which I bet his legs agreed with. They were still submerged up to his calves. This end of the pool was only like four feet deep, and I had no intention of leaving it. The other end was six feet at the deepest. “By the way, are you okay?”
“Hmm?” He dragged his gaze off the surface of the water. “Oh. Yeah. I don’t know. I mean—I’ll be fine.” He gripped the edge of the pool and slowly lowered himself into the water. Kind of impossible not to notice the definition of his abs and biceps.
He was a few years older than me, and he managed to look both youthful and a bit rugged. His neatly trimmed beard
