Page 35 of Endurance
I run my hand through my hair, my brow furrowed with thought. I pin him with a serious look. “You take this job and I’ll see what I can do for the others.”
Sedg smiles. “You’re a lot more than you seem, Tanner Harris.”
“I could say the same thing.”
By the time our London Eye double date with Camden and Indie comes, I’m more than ready to feast my eyes on the woman I had spread out naked on a table a few short days ago.
Belle strolls into my flat with Indie and there’s a heaviness between us that feels…different than I expected.
After that night at her place, I did wonder if I handled my exit appropriately. I wasn’t sure what to do. I’m not typically one to linger in a bird’s flat after an epic fuck, so once we worked out our schedule, I left.
“Hi Tan, bye Tan,” Indie says as she makes a mad dash for Camden’s room. Christ, they’ve been apart for a few days and you’d think they were dying from separation anxiety.
I shift my gaze to see Belle still standing firm in the entryway. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her posture is decidedly stiff. I gesture to where I’m at in the living room. “You can come in, Ryan. It’s not like you haven’t been here before.”
She rolls her eyes and leans her back against the wall beside the door, crossing one heeled foot over her ankle. “I’m fine right here.”
I frown and point down the hallway toward where Indie just went. “Those two could be fucking in there for all I know. You may as well come in and get comfortable.”
“I won’t be getting comfortable at all, don’t you worry. I’m ready to get this double date over with.” The sneer on her face is unmistakable.
“Did I miss something here?” I ask, looking around me. “Did you take your icy bitch pill before you came over here tonight just for my pleasure?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she snaps, standing up straight and balling her hands at her sides like someone needs to come in and hold her back.
“Well, last time you greeted me in a saucy little nightie. Tonight it looks like you’re dressed for battle.”
I glance down at her all-black ensemble. Black ripped jeans, black top, large black knitted sweater, and camel boots with dangerous-looking studded heels.
“Don’t worry. There’ll be no more of that.” She spears me with a glare. “Everything is different now.”
I smirk. “Is it because I’ve seen you naked?”
Her eyes fly wide and she looks down the hallway. “I haven’t told Indie and I sure as fuck hope you haven’t told Camden,” she seethes.
“Tell Cam what? That you have a sexy nightie, or what we did together as a result of that sexy nightie?” I tweak my brows lasciviously at her.
“Both,” she snaps, completely ignoring my boyish Harris charm that always serves me well. I’m offended.
“Why the bloody hell not? I thought we made a good team.”
“So did I!” she exclaims.
“Then what the fuck is the problem?” I rake my hand through my hair, grateful that I left it down tonight for moments like this that seem so frequent with Belle Ryan.
“You’re the problem! You didn’t call, you didn’t text. I had to get the time and details from Indie for tonight. What the fuck is that about?” She props her hands on her hips like a scolding mother. She reminds me of Vi right now.
My eyes are wide and confused. “What would you have me do?”
“Call! Text! You just fucked me and left. A text was literally the least you could do.”
“I thought we were keeping things casual,” I reply, feeling like I’ve entered the Twilight Zone. “You told me you preferred casual, and I know this might shock you but…I listened!”
She growls, literally growls. “These are extenuating circumstances.”
“I agree.”
“Well, what are we going to do about it then?” Her shoulders heave with heavy breaths.
