Page 53 of The Temptation
Liam tried to interject, but I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling off my tongue as I paced down the hallway toward the living room. “We’ve had sex, and let me tell you, it was fucking amazing. Five stars. Highly recommend. Want to do it all the time. But I…”
All the words I needed to say became lodged in my throat as I stopped on the threshold of Rome’s living room. Liam was right. Rome wasn’t at home. However, Sebastian, Declan, Parker, and Byron were seated in there, staring at me like I’d just announced that I was an alien from outer space.
Or stated that Pierce and I were fucking.
Liam slowly walked up beside me, gripping forehead so that his palm nearly covered his face. “I was trying to tell you that the others stopped by for drinks and trivia,” Liam mumbled.
The silence stretched for a beat as I scrambled to pull my panicking brain cells into some kind of order.
Parker launched to his feet and pointed at Byron across the coffee table from him. “Ha! I told you! Pay up!” He thrust his hand out, palm up, at the slender man while everyone turned their attention to the two of them.
Byron groaned and dug his wallet out of his pocket. “I can’t believe you called that right,” Byron grumbled while pulling aten-dollar bill out and putting it on Parker’s palm. “I was sure it was an old childhood feud, not attraction.”
“I’m confused. You knew that Pierce and Simon were fucking?” Declan asked, sounding incredibly calm.
“No, sweetie.” Parker dropped into his seat on the large footrest they were sharing and kissed his cheek as he folded up the bill. “I suspected it based on how they acted around each other.”
“How long have you had this bet going?” Liam demanded.
Byron shrugged, but it was Parker who answered. “We set it up the night of Sebastian’s dinner party. The first time I met everyone.”
Declan let out a groan, but he still wrapped his arm around Parker’s back, pulling his fiancé in closer.
Rome chose that exact moment to walk in. He greeted me and then seemed to freeze as he took in the strange vibe of the room.
“Something happened. What’d I miss?”
Liam growled and dropped his hand to his side. “Pierce and Simon are sleeping together. Simon needs help convincing Pierce to move from fake dating to real dating.”
Rome blinked and swiftly swung about to face the room. “Parker! You were right!”
Parker cackled until Declan tugged on his arm.
“Why did you discuss your thoughts with Byron and Rome but not me?” the stoic blond inquired with the slightest pout in his voice.
Parker’s grin softened, and he leaned into Declan. “Because you and Sebastian have this ridiculously overprotective attitude toward Simon. It’s like you still don’t realize he’s an adult and he can make his own decisions about his life. He’s not your baby brother.”
Thank God for Parker.
“Whoa.” Sebastian exhaled. He shook his head, and I tensed until he flashed me a crooked smile. “Sorry, Simon. Never meant to be so shortsighted with you. Of course, you’re an adult, and you have the right to date whomever you want.”
“Yeah, but Pierce?” Rome teased. “You can do so much better.”
“Or at least someone less complicated,” Liam added.
I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and smirked. “The heart wants what it wants.”
“So very true,” Sebastian agreed, snagging Byron’s hand.
“When you walked in, you were saying something about Pierce and dating,” Byron said. He motioned with his free hand for me to come into the room. “Sit and tell us what problems you’re having. Maybe we can help.”
And just like that, the giant guilty weight that had sat on my chest for so long was lifted.
Liam took my coat while Rome hurried off to fetch me a drink. Within a couple of minutes, I was seated in the living room, catching them up on what had happened between Pierce and me so far.
As soon as I was done, Byron turned to his boyfriend. “What do you think? I don’t know Pierce all that well.”
“I’d say it’s fairly clear that Pierce is half in love with Simon already,” Sebastian replied.
