Page 3 of Desperate Temptations (Immoral Starts)

THREE

ETHAN

Ignoring the never-ending missed calls and texts, I slide my phone back into my pocket and face Trent. “I’m not sure I’ll have a job to come back to.”

My best friend raises an eyebrow, still typing away on his phone. “I thought you hated it anyway.”

I shrug, shifting my overstuffed duffel bag onto my other shoulder. “Money is money, right?”

“Hmm,” is his only reply and annoyance at whatever has his attention courses through me. I’m grateful he dropped everything to fly with me, but now I feel like maybe he didn’t actually want to come.

“If you have somewhere else you want to be, I’m good doing this myself.”

Trent tilts his face up to stare at me. “What?”

For the first time in a very long time, I feel embarrassed for my immediate dismissal of him. I used to encourage him when we were younger to do whatever he wanted because a part of me felt like I was keeping him back. “Sorry, I just mean if you have someone waiting for you to get back.”

He holds up his screen. “I’m booking a hotel at the place I stayed at last time.

They offered me a discount for rebooking.

” His eyebrow crinkles and a small v forms between his eyes.

“I don’t have anyone waiting for me, Ethan.

I’m single and have nothing on my schedule but to help my buddy through whatever he needs. ”

My teeth grind at the buddy again, but I nod and turn my head back to the sidewalk.

As much as I don’t miss Lyndsey, it feels weird to only be the two of us again.

We’d been a trio since we were sixteen, and honestly it’s a sort of relief.

By now, she would have bitched about something that would somehow be Trent’s fault.

I frown further when I think harder about that.

About how Lyndsey seemed to always find fault with whatever we booked or planned, that would seemingly be Trent’s doing.

He traveled the most out of all of us and I trusted him and his choosing.

At the time, I chalked it up to not being up to her standards since she’s used to a more luxurious lifestyle, but now I’m not so sure.

“I was thinking about how Lyndsey would have been bitching by now,” I say hesitantly.

Trent rolls his eyes and lets out a hollow laugh. “Probably would have been upset from the start with the flight.”

I scratch the back of my neck. “She was kind of miserable to travel with.”

“Nah, she was miserable because I was there. I doubt you had any problems when it was just the two of you.”

His nonchalant words make my stomach turn.

“That’s not true. She…” I can’t complete the sentence as I think about all the times she’d express how much she didn’t want guests or to go on vacation, and it was more specifically when Trent was involved.

Because she didn’t mind her parents or friends coming by, or packing up for a quick weekend away.

Trent’s eyebrows rise and his lips are twisted in amusement. “It’s okay. She was possessive of you.”

“Even to my best friend?” I say with a bark of a laugh.

He shrugs then frowns. “Yeah, even to your best friend.” There’s a sadness to his voice that has the humor evaporating and thickening the air around us.

I can’t deny what he’s saying, even if it settles in my stomach like a heavy rock.

Trent clears his throat. “Want to head to the hotel? Or you want to grab some food first?”

“Let’s drop off our bags.”

He nods and then we just take in the city quietly, and I follow behind him after we take a cab to the hotel.

The suite has two twin beds next to each other, and I toss my bag on one before moving to the window. Pulling back the curtain, I whistle at the view of the whole city. “Imagine fucking in front of this.”

Trent’s eyebrows are raised when I look back at him. “You fuck in front of windows often?”

“Do you not?”

His lips quirk. “Not usually, no. I prefer the bed. Something soft to lie on when I get my ass reamed.”

I snort, ignoring the small twist in my gut. “Not even with chicks? It’s fun, pressing them up against the glass and the excitement of possibly getting caught.”

Trent shrugs, flopping onto the bed and locking his hands under his head as he lays down. “I usually have her ride because the best part of fucking a woman is their fucking tits bouncing.”

Laughing, I move back to my bed and shake my head. “I would say the best part of fucking a woman is their wet, tight pussy.”

He smirks. “I can’t argue with that, but you also haven’t experienced a blowjob from a man.”

My cheeks flush with heat and I nod slowly, and lie on the bed. “Right, you would know better than me.” I try to not think about what it would feel like for a man to give me a blowjob, especially the man beside me. He’s the only one I’ve ever imagined when my thoughts have strayed to that kind.

Trent snorts. “Anyway, we got this for a few days and then I’ll talk to a realtor about finding a temporary apartment if we’re going to stay.”

I nod. “Sounds good. Thanks again for doing all this.”

“Of course, buddy.” His smile is a little less forced than the one I give him in return. If I never hear the word buddy again, it will be too soon.

Trent sighs, stretching his arms. “Want to take a small nap before grabbing food? I’m tired.”

I nod again. Now that we’re in the city where I can confront the proof of Lyndsey’s sins, the exhaustion of the past few weeks is hitting me. It’s like my body needs to gear up for the final battle. “That sounds like the best plan.”

He grins, and it’s one I haven’t since in a while. It reminds me of when we used to be up to no good when we were teens, and something settles a little in my soul seeing it on his face again.