Page 45 of Deal Takers

I set my keys and purse on the kitchen counter. “If we do this, it’s strictly a friends with benefits arrangement.”

“Go on…”

“Well, I know our friendship is…different, but I definitely consider you one of my only real friends. I don’t let a lot of people in, yet you somehow wormed your way onto that short list.”

“At least you’re finally willing to admit it.” Brody winks.

I roll my eyes. “Anyway…like I said earlier, it’s not just our friendship on the line. We spend a lot of time with Drew and Devyn. And now that Riley’s back, I have a feeling it will be even more so, once Devyn gets over the shock of his return.”

“Agreed,” he says with a smile. “What else?”

“I don’t want complications,” I explain. “We’re just two people scratching an itch. Once either of us has had enough, we pretend like it never happened.”

He scowls. “I don’t know if?—”

“I’m not done.” I hold my hand up. “No one outside of this condo can know about our arrangement. And I mean that, Brody. If I find out you’ve said anything to Drew or Riley, I will end it immediately.”

He crosses his arms over his chest. “Anything else?”

I think about it for a moment. “If we do this, I expect monogamy. You can go back to being a Casanova once we’re done.”

“Hey!” he protests. “I’m not that bad.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Did you forget how we met?”

Now he rollshiseyes. “That was years ago. My dating…habitshave changed significantly since then.”

Have they?When I think about it, he really hasn’t dated much. Not that I know of, anyway. Huh. Strange, I hadn’t realized that before now.

“Regardless,” I say, breezily waving my hand. “I have no interest in sleeping with someone who’s sleeping with someone else. After what Adam put me through, I hope you can understand.”

His face softens. “Trust me, Rainey. You have no worries there. You’re the only woman I’ve wanted since the day we met.”

What?

I clear my throat. “So…do we have a deal?”

I don’t think Brody’s grin could get any bigger. “I willdefinitelytake that deal. Shall we seal it with a kiss? I’ll even let you choose. The lips on your face…or the lips on your?—”

I slam my hand over his mouth. “I get it, perv.” I pull my hand away when he nibbles my palm. “Nothing’s happening tonight, stud. I have to be at work in six hours, and medicine requires being alert.”

His jaw drops open. “Seriously?”

I bite back a laugh at his shocked expression. “Seriously.”

“Are you sure?”

This time my laughter breaks through. “I’m sure, Brody. Do you have plans tomorrow night?”

“I’m watching football at Drew’s, but I will definitely skip out early if you give me a reason to.”

“Okay. I’ll be starving by the time I get off work. Can you meet me at Tang’s Wok over on Third and Pike around seven?”

“I will meet you at the fucking Eiffel Tower if you ask me to.”

“You’re not playing very hard to get, are you?”

“Fuck, no!” he says. “And I don’t give a rat’s ass how pussy-whipped that makes me look. I’m still not convinced this isn’t a dream. I’m sure as hell not going to do anything to screw it up, in case it’s not.”

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