Page 129 of Enemy

He snorts. “Right, gotta please your sugar daddy first.”

I know it’s a joke, but I still groan. Clyde came into possession of a whole shitload of money once he got his house insurance payment and sold the land on top of that. While he’s hardly flaunting it, the guys will find any reason to pull my leg. But I know a way to give them a taste of their own medicine.

“Exactly. We’ve been apart for so long we probably won’t leave the bed until tomorrow. I like to take my time with it.”

Yeti groans and looks away with a flush on his hairy face. “Okay, okay, just go.”

I grab two of his beers anyway so I can have one with Clyde later. And while it does feel a bit weird how much money he has in the bank in comparison to what’s in my dusty wallet, the cash sure comes in handy when renovating our home. Neither of us is particularly materialistic, but it sure was nice to be able to afford all the appliances Clyde deemed necessary for our small kitchen.

I leave the bike by the clubhouse and jog through the middle of the settlement. Being able to stretch my legs is quite nice after hours in the same position, but soon enough I’m at the top of the hill and slam my boots against the grate at the bottom of the steps, to get rid of the snow stuck to my soles.

The cats are likely all in the little shelter attached to the other side of the cabin, but as I approach the door, my jaw drops at the sight of a… cat flap.

I sigh, because I’m not sure this is a good idea, but Clyde must have installed it to surprise me, so I vow to not complain. After all, a cat flap can be closed.

“That you, Road?” Clyde yells from deeper in the house, so he must be in the bedroom.

“Are you ready for me?” I call back with a grin and remove my outer clothes.

“Always. Come and see for yourself!”

I can’t stop smiling. How did I not realize how nice it would be to have someone waiting for me like this, always ready to put their arms around me.

I am a sap and a simp.

So what?

In just my sweatshirt and jeans, I walk straight into our bedroom and fling the door open, but instead of leaping on top of Clyde, as I intended, I’m stuck with my jaw open.

My old furniture is gone.

Clyde sits on the new bed cross-legged, in sweatpants and a T-shirt and smiles at me, spreading his arms. “Ta-dah!”

The king size bed frame is sturdy, made out of chunky timber, with a tall headboard. Matching side tables out of wood in the same color stand next to it. Even the bedding Clyde is sitting on is new, a fluffy comforter in a dark green color. Several more pillows than there used to be decorate the bed, and there’s even a new cowhide rug on the floor.

It takes my throat a whole minute to get unstuck. “So that’s what the ‘sugar daddy’ comment was about,” I mumble as Clyde grabs my hand and drags me onto the mattress which feels… “Whoa,” I whisper, pressing my hand to the surface beneath me. It’s somehow both firm and yields under my touch.

Clyde groans, laying down next to me. “Was it Yeti? He helped me carry in the mattress. We seriously needed this upgrade. It’s fucking heaven, right? I slept on it last night, and Ialmostdidn’t miss you.” He sticks out his tongue.

“It feels like a cloud,” I say, stretching out my limbs. “This can’t be a normal mattress.”

“It is normal,” Clydesays. “It’s just not twenty years old, with permanent dips, like the last one.”

“C‘mere,” I whisper, grabbing his waistband and dragging him on top. Fuck, he’s so warm, and smells like a campfire in the summer. I want to eat him whole and suck all the marrow from his bones. “How do I repay you?”

Clyde rocks against me. He always makes me feel so very desired. LikeI’mthe prize. “You can test the bed with me tonight,” he says with a grin.

This is exactly the cue I’ve been waiting for, and I roll us over, so he’s spread out beneath me.

I’m about to move my knee between his thighs when I spot something in the corner of my eye, and before I know it, Nutter jumps on the bed and starts licking my forehead.

Jeez.

“Have you no concept of personal space, cat?”

Clyde laughs. “It’s Nutter. Of course he doesn’t. Yesterday he licked butter off my knee.”

“You forgot how to use a knife or what?” I ask, settling my forearms on either side of Clyde’s head. Our limbs align so well together, and once again, I’m between his legs, kissing his cheek.