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“I’d like that.” And I do. “Our work in progress is progressing.”

He plants a kiss on the top of my head. “It is, baby. Now, how about we formulate a plan for snagging us a low life who thinks it’s okay to drug and assault a woman?”

I am right. Taron is such a good guy. And I am falling hard for him. But are we moving too fast?

26

Taron

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind who takes up space in Dare’s life. As soon as I follow Syn inside Dare’s place, I am greeted by a large picture of them hung up on the wall above the fireplace.

Syn looks great in this flowy light-blue short-sleeve shirt and a pair of these daisy dukes she would never dare wear when we were dating. Too short. Showcases her toned, slender legs. Calls attention to her body. Standing next to her is a grinning Dare in a classy button-up dress shirt and khaki shorts. The color of his shirt matches Syn’s eyes.

Standing in front of the red barn with rolling hills of what I think is wheat, they are the quintessential picture of the happy couple.

What the hell is he doing with his arm slung across my girl’s lower back? This surge of jealousy crashes down on me like a rogue wave, and I rein it in, focusing on the crowd gathered in the backyard. Midnight sees me and waves. He is holding a huge metal grilling spatula.

That’s right. We are here for grub, a barbeque. This is my chance to meet and get to know the people who make up Syn’s social circle. Except if asked, I will be disavowing our friends-with-benefits arrangement. I’ll have to dial down the heat between us, what we agreed on on the drive here.

But once I get her back to her place, once I beg her to please, please, please, strum the keys of her piano for me, I’ll strum my fingers down the length of her body. Stroke her clit until she comes, the little nub swollen and slick for me and only me.

Before I can ask where the picture of her and Dare was taken, the guy in question approaches us with drinks in hand.

“A mojito for you.” He hands me my glass. I raise a brow. He grins from ear to ear. “Like I said, man, a friend of Syn’s is a friend of mine. Now that you’re my bro, I had to know your choice of poison. You sure you won’t trade that foo-foo drink for something more hardcore?”

“Like what?” I sip rather than down my foo-foo drink, having plans later to do dirty things to Syn’s body. Gotta be sober for that. I dig her sex noises. Fucking love when she comes on my fingers, my face, my dick.

“Shots. Lots and lots of them. Then”—he jerks his head at the winding staircase behind me—“we go down the stairs on a mattress, butt-ass naked.”

I laugh. “You’re shitting me, right?”

“Nah, man.” He shifts his attention to Syn, handing her a full shot glass of something amber. “How about it, B?”

My head swivels to Syn so fast, I’m surprised I didn’t torque my neck. “Hold up. That true?”

Shit, which part? The naked part or the part about taking a buttload of shots? Because dammit, I cannot picture Syn doing either. She is a sweet girl. A quiet girl. A girl who is not wild.Wasa sweet girl.Wasquiet. Syn 2.0 is wild and up for trying crazy things. Fuck sakes, she let me rim her and finger her hole.

Dare saddles his arm across Syn’s small shoulders. “Kid you not. This girl can outdrink a frat boy too.”

“I should bypass the shots and the stairs, Dare.”

“Why’s that? You never did before. Is it because he’s here?”

Dare points a thick finger at me, the friendliness from earlier gone and replaced with hostility. The me from a week ago—yeah, a week and I completely agree with Syn that we are moving too fast, but I’m not up for putting the brakes on our “progress”—I would have socked him in the face for questioning what my girl did and doesn’t want to do.

Except I am here for grub and to get to know Syn’s friends.

“She’s taking a pass ’cause she’s aiming to go for a swim. That’s all she talked about on the drive over.”

The small lie gets me the effect I am aiming for. Wide smile on headcase’s face. “Syn does love the water. Come on, B, let’s get you changed into one of your itty-bitty bikinis and get you a weak-as-fuck spiked seltzer before company shows up.”

“Company?”

“A surprise.”

“You know I don’t like surprises.”

“Believe me, you are going to like this one.”