Page 36 of Get Even

I shrugged lightly, “Potato, potahto. I’ll delete it once the meeting is over.”

“Just be careful, okay?” Ryan pulled back and held me at arm’s length before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

“Thanks,” I said, “but it’s fine. I’m just going to tell her not to come to the meeting if she doesn’t want a dose of her own medicine.”

“No bitch slapping?”

“No,” I confirmed and then grinned, “well, not unless she hits me first.”

“I suppose I can’t ask for more than that,” he chuckled.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

CRAVE YOU - FLIGHT FACILITIES, GISELLE

Liv was already homeby the time I walked through the door later that evening, still dizzy from the kisses Ryan had pressed to my mouth as we stood at the entrance to the stairwell of my apartment. I wasn’t a huge fan of PDA – sex in public not withstanding – but something about having Ryan’s hand in my hair, his tongue twining expertly with mine, made any hangups I might usually have had fade away. Especially because everything wasnew. Learning the pattern of each other’s breaths, the way he liked to be kissed, that little spot on my neck that made me moan…

Though, other than the physical, I appreciated his ability to go along with my harebrained plans of revenge sex and blackmail –and we’d only been officially together for a day. Did that constitute a keeper?

“Hey,” Liv and Kat called and I smiled as I toed off my sneakers. Normally it was only Liv and I for our roommate dinners, we tried to sit down together at least once a week but Liv had a lot of work to do as her course had a couple of prerequisite units that she hadn’t covered in her first year at St. Agatha’s. Kat often picked up extra shifts atThe Boxand so it became hard for us to find a time that we were all free to eat food and hang out.

I inhaled deeply as I walked into the lounge and threw myself into a chair at the dining table squashed in the corner of the room. Liv was a great cook and it smelled like lasagna throughout the apartment, my mouth watered and my eyes slipped close briefly. Honestly, she was a godsend. I couldn’t cook for shit and would likely be living off of ramen noodles if not for Liv.

Kat grinned up at me from the chair opposite, “Your face is all red.” She grinned and I choked on the water I’d been sipping from one of the glasses Liv had thoughtfully set out, alongside a pitcher.

“What?” I spluttered and Kat leaned forward with a smug smile taking over her face.

“All here,” she said, drawling the words and gesturing to her own mouth and throat before smirking. “Beard burn,” she said decisively and I gaped. “Let’s hear all about it!”

“All about what?” Liv said as she came in from the kitchen with a dish cradled in her oven gloves and set it down on the table.

“Oh, just how nice the dark wood table pops against the pink you chose,” I said quickly and Kat snorted as Liv stripped off the gloves and threw them to one side before starting to dish up the cheesy, saucy goodness to each of us.

“Yeah, right,” Kat laughed. “Just look at her Liv! You look like a kid that got caught making out behind the bleachers.”

Liv looked up and ran her dark eyes over my face, something in her expression tightening before smoothing out and she laughed, “You look…”

“Well-fucked,” Kat grinned toothily and I shooed her away, scooping some lasagna on to a fork as Liv sat down.

“This looks amazing Liv, thank you,” I sing-songed and they both stared at me until

I sighed, lowering the cheesy morsel. “Ryan and I are officially… something.” Then I shoved the food in my mouth and chewed slowly, hoping that might be the end of the questions.

Kat snickered, “Oh hell no, I’m going to need more than that, babe. How big is his dick? Did you guys do it again? Was it good?”

Liv blushed and I speared another piece of lasagna before pointing it at Kat, “I amnotgoing to answer any of those questions.”

“Are you happy?” Liv said a little more quietly than Kat and I smiled when I glanced at her.

“I mean, we’ve literally been together for less than twenty-four hours, but yes. He’s…”

“Swoony?” Kat suggested and I rolled my eyes.

“I was going to saynice,”I bit back a grin and Liv laughed.

“Bo-ring,” Kat sang and I threw a napkin at her. “I didn’t know you’d be into the nice guys, Jamie.”

“Well,” I gave her a slow grin as I scooped the last of the gooey pasta from my plate, “he can be nasty too, when he wants to be.” Liv groaned and Kat whooped as I laughed and waggled my eyebrows. “Though I do have other news about a different type of nasty.” Kat immediately looked focused, ready for whatever gossip was about to come her way, while Liv just looked concerned, perfectly shaped eyebrows drawing together while she watched me.

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