Page 16 of Contingently Yours

Andrew

“Ugh, I hate you,” Terry lets out wistfully as I turn my phone’s camera to show him the view of the resort’s beach.

“Why? You and Shaw do all right. You can go anywhere you want.”

“We do all right because we both work all the time. It’s not that simple,” my cousin-in-law huffs. “Oh, my God! Is that Dario?” he whispers.

I spot said-Hepperly with Lucas down on the dock, fishing.

Why are they fishing? They already agreed to buy the place.

Lucas doesn’t need to hype up any more selling points.

We’ve been here two extra days so they could decompress, part of the honeymoon aspect of it, I guess.

Lucas must have missed the memo that we don’t need to be involved in their alone time. The idiot.

“Yeah. The one and only,” I concur, frowning at Lucas’ bronzed bare back and the way his muscles glisten when he casts his line.

“And is that your boyfriend ?” This amused query comes from Shaw.

They’ve seen enough, so I switch the camera back to face me. “Yup. Tell me what a lucky man I am.”

My cousin snorts at my unenthused delivery. “Still sticking to your stupid plan, huh? How’s that going?”

“I just sold an island. How do you think it’s going?” I ask, taking a sip of my beer under the shade of one of the covered patios at the resort. “Why? Did you doubt me?”

“ I didn’t!” Terry pipes in. “Even though you’re a terrible kisser.”

I wondered when he’d bring that up. I’m sure it won’t be the last I hear of it over the next thirty years or so.

Glancing down the hill at the dock, I can see Lucas’ plump lips from here.

I used to think he was just bitter about his lot in life all the time, and his mouth was in a perpetual pout, but the man has some thick lips.

Thick and…pliable. They’re surprisingly soft.

I’m not going to dwell much on how I know that.

I mean, I’ve kissed two men in the past week, so what’s the big deal?

One to prove a point, the other to sell a lie.

I should be happy that he took the initiative the other night by the fire pit, but he had to make it all weird, like a real kiss.

For a second, I forgot to half ass it. There shouldn’t be anything thrilling about the way his eyes were drooped when he pulled away.

I mean, I know I’m a good kisser, despite what Terry thinks, but I should have zero excitement over the thought of having an effect on the mouth-breather.

He was panting like he’d just run a marathon.

So…I did what any curious, competitive man of the world would do. I’ve kissed him each day since then.

Yesterday, after breakfast with the Hepperlys, he came up with some bullshit excuse about calling his sisters and looking up a few more properties for when we head to Massachusetts.

We’ve already got enough planned that I’m sure the newlyweds will bite on one of them, and I doubt the babies really need big brother’s help if they want a wedding that won’t embarrass them.

It was just an excuse to get away from me.

I was sure of it, so I latched onto his neck and planted one on him for our clients.

I can still feel his little grunt against my lips.

How I’m starting to get used to the feel of stubble against my face when I kiss someone, I don’t know, but…

it was weird. Lucas’s lips shouldn’t feel that good.

I think I’m just fascinated by the way I can feel his body change under my touch.

It’s like his muscle tension melts the second my lips are on his. Maybe he has an oral fixation.

Last night, when we met up with the Hepperlys for dinner, he barely looked at me.

Mason kept him busy talking about his army days, so at least the conversation flowed plausibly and didn’t look like we were at odds.

I had to stop myself from stroking the side of his neck with my thumb where I had my arm draped across the back of his shoulders because the dumbass got flustered a few times.

I really hate what this feud is doing to me. The more he does that heavy mouth-breathing when I touch him, the more I find myself wanting to touch him just to prove…to prove… I don’t know. That I’m winning?

I sure as shit won last night when he was the first to excuse himself to go to bed again.

He leaned in like he was about to steal a quick kiss, so I one-upped him.

Latching my hand around the back of his neck, I put all my skills to good use, sucking on his lower lip and giving it a little lick with the tip of my tongue.

He…whimpered. I swear to God, he whimpered approximately ten seconds before he turned and bolted upstairs to our room. Terrible kisser, my ass. If I can make my enemy whimper, Terry can suck it.

“That’s not what Lucas says,” I mumble idly, watching Dario reach out and direct Lucas’ wrist like he’s showing him a casting tip.

“Wait…you actually kissed him?” Shaw squawks.

Shit. I said that out loud. Flipping the camera view back around, I sigh, like the topic is boring me, because it is.

I don’t want or need them thinking they’re reading something on my face that isn’t there.

They watch way too much reality TV when they’re not fucking in their living room.

I blame Terry. His taste in the arts is shit.

“I told you. I’m going to make these sales happen. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Not my fault you doubted my commitment or my abilities. But on that note, why don’t you put a good word in with your dad for me the next time you see him?”

“And tell him you’re duping his clients by making out with one of your co-workers? Yeah. He’ll love that.”

“If I were you, I think I’d wait until your honeymoon tour is over before you get too confident,” Terry adds as I hear the side door to the pool open around the corner behind me. Mason and Keenan’s voices float over the concrete, telling me they’re headed for a swim in the pool.

Closing my eyes, I lean back in my lounger and take another sip of my beer. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because it looks like your man isn’t as satisfied as you think,” he says smugly.

What the fuck is he going on about? Opening my eyes, I peer down at the dock.

Dario is standing behind the big furry monster truck enthusiast, chest nearly pressed to his back.

The Aussie’s hand is back on Lucas’ wrist, guiding his arm back while his other hand is on his shoulder.

And Lucas… Why the fuck are those big lips of his parted?

“Wouldn’t it be funny if you faked it to make a sale and the guy you’re faking it with ends up breaking up your clients?” Terry cackles.

Every muscle in my body locks up over the possibility.

It shouldn’t be a possibility. Nothing Terry ever says holds any merit, but damn it, I have eyes!

What in the fuck does Lucas think he’s doing getting cozy with the clients?

On their honeymoon, nonetheless! And he thinks I’m dishonest? I’m not a homewrecker.

“Can it, Terry,” I clip and end the call.

Scrambling out of the lounger, I nearly face-plant it on the patio and spill my beer. Freaking Lucas. Mason and Keenan are just around the side of the building. They have a view of the beach from over there. How in the hell is it going to look if they see him skin to skin with their husband?

Hustling down the path to the dock, I keep my eyes trained on my despicable boyfriend. Oh my God. He’s laughing! Actually laughing. He doesn’t laugh with me in front of them. How is that going to look?

“Shameless,” I mutter. “Fucking shameless.”

It only gets worse the closer I approach.

The pole bends, and their faces light up.

Clearly, Dario’s tutelage has paid off. All I see when he grips Lucas’ shoulder eagerly as Lucas reels in his catch is deceit.

Lucas is just standing there, letting another man paw him right in front of me.

No wonder his bride-to-be left his ass in the frozen section. The man can’t be trusted.

Hands touch hands as they wrangle the fish into their grasp.

This should not be the first time I see all of Lucas’ freaking teeth.

Boyfriends are supposed to smile at their boyfriends, not at other people’s husbands.

Have I ever gotten a smile like that from him?

Fuck no. All I get is sass and indifference. Unless my mouth is…

“Drew! Check it out, mate. What do you reckon? Sixteen inches?” Dario enthuses over the fish flapping in his grip on the end of Lucas’ line.

“Way to go, babe,” my voice comes out low and possessive, although it was meant to be a warning.

Grabbing Lucas by the waist, my hand sinks into the soft flesh of his love handle as I yank him to me. His jaw parts, and I catch a shadow of his widened eyes behind his sunglasses before I grip his neck and slam my mouth down onto his.

This is his fault. Someone has to salvage his foolish display of grab-ass with Dario. We’re just lucky that I have a superpower and am not afraid to use it.

Slanting my mouth against his, I tease the seam of his lips with the tip of my tongue, getting a whiff of his sweaty scent in the process.

I thought he’d smell like a well-used gym, but he doesn’t.

There’s something clean and sweet in his aroma that mingles with the salty breeze.

It’s heady and addictive, completely at odds with everything else about him.

On cue, his mouth-breathing activates and his lips part. Ha! I’ve still got it. I’ve still got it, and Lucas wants it. It’s not enough, though, after the fuckery he just ensnared himself in.

I am a man on a mission. I will get another whimper out of this big lug so he can prove how much he loves his boyfriend, and isn’t here to fuck up our clients’ matrimony.