Page 30 of Summer Skin

IT’S BEEN THElongest week. Aven thought he’d made the right choice telling Chase they shouldn’t fool around again. Only, he didn’t consider it would be this difficult. He’d resigned himself to thinking of their encounter as one last accidental hurrah, only, instead of attempting to move on by hooking up with someone else, he’s spent his days playing the scene back in his mind like he’s binge-watching porn.

Aven’s jerked off more this past week with his ex-lover sleeping in a bedroom one floor down than he has since he was a teen. He’s already come twice today, but spotting Chase across the room makes his pulse race like it’s go time again.

The guy is simply perched on the couch, talking with Ellie, but the thing is, he’s always been the sort of gorgeous Aven can’t look away from. No matter how much he might want to, need to, his eyes will always find Chase in a crowded room.

“It’s like my sister thinks she has to bang every single rich dickhead within a two-hundred-mile radius until she wins the loaded husband lottery.” Veena rolls her eyes, shaking her head. She takes a short sip from the pink cocktail in her hand. “Sometimes I think I must be adopted.”

It’s the first time Veena’s come to one of their house parties since she moved out, and Aven’s trying his damnedest to tune in to what she’s saying instead of drifting off, thinking about the taste of Chase’s mouth, the way his lips part on a moan, the feel of Chase’s strong thighs wrapped around his hips.

He’s not doing what he would consider to be an excellent job of this.

“I mean,” Veena goes on, “she wants to bring another investment banker home, her call, I guess. But really, why?”

Chase throws his head back, laughing at something Ellie’s said, and Aven feels a smile tugging at his own mouth.

“And then, like, there was that time where no one heard from her for weeks, weeks, because the creepo she was dating decided to whisk her away to an off grid … I don’t know, survivalist compound, on an island he owned? Who the actual fuck owns an island?”

He wonders what they’re talking about—Chase and Ellie. Curious what earned such a bright laugh. And like he can sense Aven’s gaze, Chase turns, and they lock eyes. A warm glow comes to life in his gut.

“She’s a good sister,” Veena says. “She’s just shit with men. Anyway, I’m sorry for ditching on dinner, but I had to take her out and console her over the latest dickhead because, shocker, it turned out he had a wife.” She makes a face of distaste. “It’s a good thing my nani isn’t around to see any of this bullshit.”

“Right,” Aven agrees. Chase glances his way again, and this time, he lets a slow, suggestive smile curve at the corners of his lips.

“Oh my fucking god.”

“Hm?” Aven says, turning toward her.

“You’ve not even heard a word I’ve said, have you.”

“Your sister’s amazing but her boyfriends are shit and she should probably start up a cam show like you’ve got going to make her own cash.”

An eyebrow raises. “You’re making up that last part in an attempt to change the subject.”

“Which is?”

She leans into his space, her pretty brown eyes twinkling. “You’ve got the burning hots for him, don’t you?”

“Your sister’s ex with the wife?” he says. “Pfft, no.”

His eyes jump to Chase and back; he can’t help it.

“You’re blushing, darling.”

“God, fine,” he groans. “I might have the warms for him, okay? Not the hots.”

“Holy shit!”

Another groan.

“Aven Sinclair,” she purrs, “I’ve never seen you with a crush before. What happened to your mantra of ‘no ties, no lies, no long goodbyes’?”

“It isn’t a crush,” he denies, gritting his teeth.

It’s love!his brain ever-so helpfully supplies.

Shut up.

Love, love, love!

“Fucking christ,” he grumbles.

“Oh.” Her expression turns thoughtful. “Ohhh you’ve got it bad. Him, huh? Chase Matthews. That’s the type who’s gonna rope you in and settle you down?”

His features grow tight. “No,” he insists. “I’m not looking for that.”

“Mm, well. Looks like it may have found you anyway?” Her shoulders drop in realization. “We’re not fucking tonight, are we.”

His brows go up. With his fantasies so focused on Chase lately, he hadn’t even considered sex with Vee might be on the table this evening. It’s been a long time coming. Or not coming, as it were. A flirtation that fit hand-in-hand with their friendship. Funny, but he hasn’t even had a micro-thought about having sex with anyone besides Chase since he blew back into town.

The whole ‘fucking your roommate brings complications you can do without’ thing stopped him and Veena from ever seriously fooling around, but that was more her rule than his own.

He thought they might have been able to handle it.

Veena’s aromantic, and there was always a comfort in someone sharing the same beliefs he had on keeping sex casual between strangers or friends. One whiff of any commitment and Aven was off like a ping-pong.

His eyes move to the stairs, imagining leading her to his bedroom. The cam show Veena broadcasts five nights a week has pretty much made her an expert on sex of all kinds, and there’s no doubt he’d be in for a wildly memorable time.

But … but he can’t imagine how painful it would be to watch Chase take someone else to his own room tonight. Not after last weekend and the careful truce they’ve created. Hooking-up with Veena under Chase’s nose would be like throwing a punch after the round had already ended.

He lets out a long exhale. “I can’t,” he admits, helplessly.

“Aven Sinclair,” her eyes go a little wide, “with a boyfriend. A rock star.”

“That’s not gonna happen, Vee. He’s leaving on tour in a couple of months.”

She grins up at him. “Well then, you’ve got an entire summer to make him come around. Listen,” she says, tapping a fingertip to the back of his hand. “I’m looking for a little off-cam sex tonight, so.” Her eyes flick around the room, searching for a suitable candidate. “Talk later?”

“Wait,” Aven tilts his head to one side, “sex was the only reason you were talking to me?”

“Not the only one,” she insists.

“What was the other?”

“You’re nice to look at.” She winks, and she means absolutely no harm, but he gets a sudden flashback to what it was like back in school before Chase. Always about his good looks and money.

“And I do genuinely like who you are,” she finishes. “That’s why we’re friends.”

Oh. It’s possible he needs to unclench. “Same.”

“Aven,” she says, her hand on his forearm, “does he know how you feel?”

You left. You left me! When you were what mattered most. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t believe love exists at all.

“Um,” Aven says, blinking away the words he’d thrown at Chase last weekend. “I think he has a pretty good idea.”

“He’d be silly not to come around for you.”

Maybe.

But Aven wasn’t about to go getting his heart crushed on such a dreamy-eyed wish.

When he looks for Chase again, he’s gone. Like a sign straight from the universe showing him not to let any of the silly fantasies Veena planted grow in his head.