Brick Read online

  “Do you think he’d be interested?”

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.” That was Zoe’s voice. I turned back and walked toward them, every step I took heavy with trepidation because there was something going on, something odd I couldn’t quite put my finger on yet.

  “For whom? You or me?”

  “I don’t want to get into it right now. Can you just drop it?”

  “But I want to find out what’s so special about him that you left London.”

  “I didn’t meet him until after I came home. You know that.”

  Andy tucked a strand of Zoe’s hair behind her ear, then traced the side of her face, her arm falling when she saw me approach.

  “There he is.” Andy turned to look at me. “You are a big one. Does that apply everywhere?” She touched my arm and I ignored her. She’d had a few drinks and I didn’t know if she was always this ballsy or if she was trying to rile her friend for some reason.

  “I’m ready to go when you are.” My focus was on Zoe and not her friend.

  “We were just having some fun,” Andy chimed in, completely oblivious to the cold shoulder I gave her. “Wanna join?”

  “Andy.” Zoe’s tone was curt. “Don’t.” She stepped away from her and moved around me.

  “I was only playing around, Zo. Don’t be mad.” Andy’s brows creased, and while she tried to play it off, she was worried about Zoe’s reaction to her comments. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Let’s just get back to the table.” She grabbed my hand and tugged, but I still had to piss.

  “I gotta use the restroom first.” We had a bit of a drive back to the house, and if I didn’t go now, I’d regret it.

  “Want me to wait?”

  “No. I’ll be quick.” I hated having her out of my sight, but I couldn’t very well drag her into the men’s room.

  “Okay.” She wanted to tell me something else, but Andy grabbed her arm, whispered something in her ear and pulled her away.

  Zoe reluctantly went with her.

  13

  The ride back to his house was uncomfortably silent, but that probably had everything to do with my guilt over not having been honest with him about certain parts of my life. Our time spent together hadn’t been long, by any means, but Brick wasn’t like anyone else I’d ever known.

  While attraction pushed us together, a longing to be around him all the time kept me coming back for more. I wanted to know everything about him.

  His fears.

  His dreams for the future.

  I’d say his desires, but he’d shown me those already.

  “How did you think everything went tonight?” His voice startled me, and I flinched, but I didn’t think he noticed, the darkness of the interior of his truck shielding my sudden reaction.

  “Good. Andy and Sasha seemed to like you.”

  “Andy may have liked me a little too much.” He chuckled, turning to look at me. “Is she a flirt?”

  Now it was my time to laugh. He had no idea. “Yeah, you can say that. Although she typically flirts with women.” I hadn’t meant to blurt that out, but the words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  “Really?” he asked, elongating the first syllable of his one-word question. He tapped his fingers against the wheel, then suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute. Does she like you?”

  “Of course she does. We’re friends.” I faced front, fearing if I looked at him, I’d give all my secrets away and I didn’t want to be stuck in his vehicle when we ended up having this conversation.

  “You know what I mean. Does she have a thing for you?”

  “Did you talk to anyone from the club tonight? Is there any news?” I couldn’t have been more obvious if I tried, the complete switch in conversation a dead giveaway to the answer.

  “I talked to Jagger earlier. And as far as any information, you know I can’t talk about that stuff with you. Now stop avoiding my question and answer me.” His tone started off calm, but the longer he spoke, the more agitated the tremor in his voice became. Looking at the passing road sign, we’d be back to his house in less than two minutes. “Hello? Are you ignoring me?”

  “No.”

  “Then answer me.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “I don’t want to have this conversation while you’re driving.”

  “Why not? What’s the big deal? You hidin’ somethin’ from me?”

  His accusatory tone rubbed me the wrong way even though he had every right to sound offended, because I was hiding something from him. I wasn’t ashamed of my secret, if it was even to be categorized as such. But I also didn’t want to have to blurt it out simply because he was irritated at my lack of communication right now.

  “Well?”

  “Get us back to the house and we’ll talk.”

  “Oh, great,” he mumbled. “Words every guy loves to fuckin’ hear.” I ignored his sarcasm and focused on every stretch of road that passed, wondering how he’d react to the news.

  Would he be upset I hadn’t told him sooner?

  Would he look at me differently?

  Would he expect our dynamic to change afterward?

  The gravel crunched beneath his tires and my heart picked up its pace. My anxiety over our upcoming conversation shouldn’t be stressing me out as much as it was. If he didn’t like what he heard, he could walk away, and I was strong enough to believe I’d be okay, eventually.

  Brick threw his truck in Park and killed the engine. He didn’t say a word or turn to look at me before hopping out and walking toward the front. I, however, remained inside, counting my breaths, and working up the nerve to join him. He smacked the hood twice and threw his hands in the air, his impatience getting the better of him. In the dark, I couldn’t see his expression, but I certainly heard him yelling for me to get out of the truck.

  I gripped the door handle and finally tugged on it, stepping outside and into the night air.

  “What the hell are you doin’?” He wasn’t angry but he did seem annoyed.

  I moved toward him, my hand brushing his arm when I passed, but I didn’t get far before he snatched my wrist to stop me.

  “What?” I asked, looking back at him.

  “You gonna ignore me now?”

  “I just want to get inside.” I tried to pull myself free, but his hold tightened. Several seconds passed before he released me, and I heard him mumble something behind me as I walked ahead and waited for him on the porch.

  “Are we gonna end up fightin’ about somethin’?” He fiddled with the door lock before looking at me. “I get a bad feeling what you wanna talk to me about isn’t good.”

  “It’s not bad.” I wasn’t lying.

  Once we cleared the entryway, Brick headed for the security panel and punched in his code, resetting it once he locked the door. He then tossed his keys on the counter before grabbing a beer from the fridge.

  “Want one?”

  “No, thank you. I’ve had enough.”

  The clank of the glass hitting the countertop after he took a few sips made me jump, even though it shouldn’t have. I was simply on edge. Nervous.

  “Okay, what is it?”

  “Can we sit down?” I moved toward the living room and sat on the far end of the sofa. Brick followed, sitting close, almost too close. He was practically on top of me, the proximity of his body making me even more anxious.

  I fiddled with the hem of my dress, toying with the material and stalling for time.

  “Enough, Zoe. Just tell me.” He picked me up and repositioned me, so I straddled him, my dress practically rising to meet my waist.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want to look at you when you talk.”

  “And you couldn’t do that sitting next to me?”

  “I prefer you like this.” The quirk of his grin relaxed me, albeit marginally. “Now, out with it, woman, before I concoct some crazy story in my head.”

  I closed my
eyes for a beat, then met his stare. “Remember when you asked me if Andy liked me? If she had a thing for me?”

  He frowned. “Of course.”

  “Well… the thing is… um… Andy and… well… you see—”

  “Holy fuck, Zo! Spit it out.” His hands found a home on my waist and his fingers dug in. I wanted him to look anywhere but directly into my eyes, but he held steady. I didn’t even think he blinked the entire time I sat on top of him.

  The lump that started in my throat spread, suffocating my breath and any sense I still had left that this conversation was a good idea.

  Say it. Blurt it out and let the proverbial chips fall where they may.

  My inner demand did nothing to quell my pounding pulse, but it was now or never. He deserved the truth so he could decide if he wanted to stay with me or move on.

  “Andy’s my ex.”

  14

  I had so many damn questions but the first one I needed to start with was “How long?”

  She shifted around on top of me and the only thing she managed to accomplish was making me hard.

  “How long were we together or how long ago did it end?”

  “Both.” I managed to keep my voice even keel so as not to make her think I was upset. I was shocked, yes. Worried, even, but I wasn’t upset.

  “We were together for a year, but we ended things about three months before I came to California. Although….” She stopped talking and tilted her head from side to side, like she was contemplating something else to tell me.

  “Although what?”

  “We still messed around after breaking up.”

  “So, you continued to have sex even though you weren’t together?”

  “Yes.” She dipped her head and tore her eyes from mine. “Can I get up now?”

  “No.”

  She continued to look away and it pissed me off. “Look at me, Zoe.” She refused. “Please.” Still no movement. “I’m not mad if that’s what you’re worried about.” The confirmation I wasn’t upset over her reveal finally made her pick her head back up. Her green eyes shimmered with unshed tears. I cupped her cheeks and pulled her close. “Why are you gonna cry, baby?”

  “Because I was worried you wouldn’t want to be with me anymore.” One lone tear escaped and drifted down her cheek.

  “Why would you think that? Because you’re bisexual?” She nodded, another tear following the first. “Why would you think I’d care?”

  “Because some people don’t understand. Or they don’t agree.”

  “Fuck ’em.” My retort made her smile. “Who cares what anyone thinks? It’s your life. You do what makes you happy. Although, I do have to ask you somethin’.”

  Her breaths came faster, and her bottom lip trembled.

  “What’s that?”

  “Do you prefer men or women?”

  “I prefer you,” she answered, placing her hands on my chest. “Before I met you, I’d only been with two other men. The rest were women. I don’t really have a preference, it’s whoever I feel the connection with.”

  “Do you think you’ll get bored of me eventually and want to be with a woman?”

  “That’s like asking me if I’ll get bored with you and want to be with another man. The gender doesn’t matter. All I can tell you is that I’m drawn to you on some level I can’t explain. I want to be with you.”

  “Did you love her?” While trying to process what she told me, I needed to get as many answers as I could before she decided to shut down or get annoyed with my questions.

  “I did.”

  “Do you still?”

  There was a pause before she answered, one which made me nervous. “Not that way. I care for her, but no, I’m not in love with her anymore.”

  “But you still had sex with her after you broke up?” My question was rhetorical, of course, because she’d already told me she had.

  “Haven’t you ever had sex with an ex?”

  I had to think about that for a moment. It’d been years since my last serious relationship. Her name was Kim. My working as a bouncer at the strip club finally got to be too much for her and she gave me an ultimatum. It was either my job or her, and since I didn’t honestly see myself ending up with her in the long run, I chose my job. Since then I’d only engaged in casual sex because I hadn’t met anyone I wanted to wake up next to the following morning.

  Until Zoe.

  “Does a high school girlfriend count?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then yeah.” My right shoulder bounced with my answer. “I think Andy still has feelings for you.” I was all over the place, switching from one thing to another, although everything was all related.

  “Maybe,” she answered quickly. Too quickly.

  “Wow. You’re not even gonna try and tell me I’m crazy?” My laugh died on my lips when she appeared tentative to continue talking about her ex.

  “Why would I lie to you?”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “I’m not.” Her fingers worked at the buttons of my shirt, undoing each with slow and calculated measures, gliding the tips of her nails over my skin. “But feelings might be a stretch. She’s still attracted to me, but I doubt she’s still in love with me.”

  “Are you trying to distract me?” I pulled her closer and shifted my hips beneath her.

  “No.”

  “Getting back to Andy, is—”

  “I don’t wanna talk about Andy anymore. Yes, she still desires me. In fact, before you walked up on us in the hallway at the restaurant, she asked if you and I would be interested in a threesome with her. She commented on the way I kept looking at you and she knows I won’t fuck around with her behind your back.” Now it was her turn to shrug. “It’s her way of getting to be with me again.”

  So much for not talking about her anymore.

  “What did you tell her?”

  Again, she paused, and I wasn’t sure what to think. “I told her I didn’t think you’d be down for something like that.” I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. “I know I should’ve told her no, but by putting it on you… I don’t know. I thought it was the better choice.” I must’ve unknowingly made some sort of expression because she leaned back and narrowed her eyes. “Have you ever had a threesome?”

  “A few,” I answered honestly. “But never with anyone I truly cared about.” I pinned her with my gaze. “Have you?” She nodded. “With Andy?” She nodded again. “Have you had a threesome with two guys?” That time she shook her head, and it was then I remembered she’d told me she’d only ever been with two other guys, the rest being women. And unless those two slept with her at the same time, I had the answer before I asked that question.

  “Have you?”

  “Have I what? Had a threesome with two other guys?”

  She playfully slapped my chest. “No, have you had one with a woman and another guy?”

  “No.” I shook my head vigorously. “No other guys were ever allowed.”

  “That might be hot, though,” she teased, pinching my nipple, and making me flinch. How the hell had our conversation gone from her being timid about telling me she’s bisexual to her telling me it’d be hot for me to be involved with a threesome, where one of the other participants was a man?

  “Not gonna happen.” Once she unbuttoned my shirt, she separated the fabric, running her palm between my pecs, then lower, stopping at the waistband of my pants.

  “What if I said pretty please?” She unbuckled my belt and pulled the leather strap through the loops, drawing the zipper through its teeth.

  “Still no.” Then it dawned on me that I didn’t know if she was asking me to fuck another guy or for her to fuck me and another guy. “Wait, are you asking because you want to be with two guys at the same time?” I didn’t know how I’d feel if she answered yes because I wouldn’t be able to give that to her. I’d never allow another man to touch her, kiss her, stick his cock inside her.

  “No, I was thinking it might
be hot to see you dominate another man.”

  “You can keep imagining that because it’ll never happen. Not for me. Now, if you’re talking about you and another woman, I might be down for that.” A smile spread over my face at her widened eyes, the way she licked her lips telling me the image just might have hit the target.

  “Really?”

  “Possibly.”

  She slipped her hand into my boxer briefs and gripped me, the force of her touch making me gasp. “Then let me ask you this. Are you attracted to Andy?” Zoe shifted back on my lap so she had more room to torment me, running her thumb over the drop of precum.

  “I can’t think about the answer while you’re doin’ that.”

  With her hand down my pants, she leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “If you want to have a three-way with me and Andy, I think I can arrange it. But you can’t fuck her. This dick,” she said, gripping me harder, “is only for me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to fuck her. But I’d wanna watch her go down on you. I wanna watch you come on her tongue while you’re suckin’ me off.” The thought alone made me want to thrust into her hand and spill my cum over her fingers, but I restrained myself.

  “Do you think she’s beautiful?” she asked, sucking on my lobe, then biting down.

  “Not as beautiful as you.” Andy was attractive, but she didn’t hold a candle to Zoe. No one did.

  “Aren’t you sweet?” she teased, rising off my lap before I could stop her. I reached to pull her back down, but she was too quick, and I’d been distracted. “Take down your pants.” I did as she asked, my cock springing free and hitting my stomach. I kicked everything to the side so she could move between my legs. At first, I thought she was gonna sit on top of me, but she lowered to her knees instead, pushing my knees further apart.

  She stared up at me when her tongue glided over her lips, then onto the head of my dick. “Do you want to see me kiss her?” Her question took me off guard because I’d been focusing on not pushing to the back of her throat.

  “Yeah.” I grabbed a section of her hair and thrust upward the same time she wrapped her lips around the first few inches.