Page 92 of With a Cherry On Top

“Couple of hours.” He flexes, still gripping the axe. “But look at this. Huh? The ladies are going to love it this summer.”

“Lucky them.”

His grin turns coy. “Soooo, whatcha doing here?”

Immediately, I know heknows. Still, I stall. “Oh...I’m still waiting for your cousin’s invoice. I figured I’d come remind you.”

“Ah.” He grabs a bottle of water, taking a long swig. “That’s the best you got? Kinda sad.”

“I mean it, I?—”

“So how are things going with Charlotte?”

“Shhh,” I hiss, glancing over my shoulder.

He raises both hands. “Dude, your brother has big ears, but he can’t hear through walls.”

I cross my arms, staring at the dirt beneath my boots. Kyle hit the nail on the head—Iamhere to talk about Charlotte. About what’s been happeningdailybetween us. But now that I’m looking into his eyes, I don’t know what to say.

How are things going with Charlotte?

Hot. So incredibly hot. And so unbelievably complicated.

“We . . . we keep doing it.”

“Oh, so you didn’t end things with her, huh?” His crooked grin widens. “What ashockingplot twist on your part.”

“Forget about it,” I say, raising a hand and turning.

“Come on!” He throws a glove at me. “How’s the sex?”

“We’re not . . . not, uh . . . we only . . .”

“Show me with your hands.”

Jesus. “Just oral sex.” I step closer. “She texts me, asks me to come over earlier, and every single day, I do. Then I drop to my knees, and I...” I gesture vaguely at my mouth.

Kyle stares. “Every day?”

“Every day this week.”

“But she doesn’t?—”

“Nope.” I finally meet his gaze, immediately regretting it when I see the laugh he’s fighting to hold back.

“So . . . you’re her vibrator.”

I roll my eyes. “Basically. But that’s not the problem. I mean, it’s...” My hand will probably start to cramp soon enough. “The point is, we don’t kiss. We don’t do anything else. There’s nothing butthatbetween us.”

Now it sounds like I want a relationship with her. Which I don’t—I obviously couldn’t even if I did.

“Sounds like your tongue is the only thing between you two.”

Ignoring him, I power on. “I just don’t know what to do. Maybe I should resign—but I’d put Ian in a shitty position. He’d have to come back, find someone else to send in my place. So then...should I wait for him and Amelie to be back? And do I come clean then? And if not, how will I justify quitting? And what does that mean for Charlotte and me?”

“I’m sorry,every day? You just eat her up, then...?” He cackles. “Hey, it’s still better than all talk and no sex, right? At least you getsomething.”

Why am I here? Seriously . . . Kyle?Kyle?