Cole grinned at me. “They’ll make a cute couple.”
“Do you think they might like a third? I do love making a mess of an innocent virgin.” Zach wiggled his brows.
Cole chuckled. “They’ve been flirting around for years. Let them figure this out on their own.”
“Pity. I do like having fun with boyfriends who enjoy a third.” Zach pouted. “What? They’re fun to deflower. Teaching them new things. They way they just come undone. It’s been a long time for me.”
I suppressed a groan. “Sometimes I can’t believe you’re my best friend.”
A huff of laughter behind me caused me to turn around again. “Something about this amuse you, Cole?”
I tried not to stare at him, but I couldn’t help myself. He had scruff on his face that I wanted to drag my tongue over. Rub my cheeks against him until they left red scratches on my skin to remember him by. He was larger than I remembered, with packed on muscle that hadn’t been there before. His pink lips curved up into a smirk as I stared at him.
“Just remembering.”
“Remembering... Don’t you dare!”
Zach snorted. “Oh, I double-dare you.” He clamped his mouth shut when I glared at him. “I’m just going to...I need some fresh air.” He jumped from the counter and rushed outside.
The moment the door slammed shut, I turned back to Cole. “You need to stop it. Zach doesn’t know much about what happened between us, and I’d like to keep it that way. That stays between us.”
“Is there a reason you haven’t told your bestie?” He popped a dark brow at me. “Hmmm? I mean, if he’s the person you tell everything to, then why wouldn’t he know everything? That rain-soaked first kiss? The way you jerked us off in the foyer of my parents’ house? The way you let me fuck you on the breezeway with all those candles?” Cole’s eyes darkened with heat as he spoke.
I bit back a whimper. “I just...That’s private.” I let out a gasp as he spun me around to push me back against the wall.
“Private, right... But you told him about the others.” Cole’s nostrils flared angrily as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “The nameless men you’ve let touch you since you disappeared on me. The ones you let inside of you to try to give you what you needed.” I shivered as his breath ghosted against my skin. “Did you wish it was me, baby? Did you close your eyes and pretend it was my cock inside of you instead? Stretching that sweet, little hole? Filling you until you came, my name on your lips?”
All the blood in my body rushed south.
“Stop it,” I heard myself say.
Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t push him away. I deserved this. I had hurt him when all he had done was love me.
“Mm, I bet you did.” Cole ran his tongue over the shell of my ear. “All those summer nights we spent exploring each other. Fingers, hands, lips and tongues. God, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever done with anyone.”
I shook my head. “Liar.”
“You calling me a liar, baby?”
“Yes. You’ve been with so many others.”
Cole growled. “Now that’s the lie.” He pulled back, his blue eyes stormy. “You think you know me? You think because we spent one summer together, you know who I am? I thought I knew you, but that was a fucking lie.” He pushed away from me and stomped out of the kitchen.
I took a second to gather myself together. I brushed the tears from my face and took a shaky breath. I shouldn’t have come back. I wouldn’t have come back if my brother hadn’t asked me to. I had stayed away on purpose. But Silas had called me, the excitement in his voice contagious, telling me he was going to have his first Cup start for Brooks Racing, and I couldn’t say no. I was so proud of him. And so, here I was. To watch my little brother achieve his dreams. Because he had earned them.
“Reed, are you all right?” My eyes popped open to find Cole standing before me, his brows dipped in worry. “I just...You’re crying.”
I sniffed. “I’ll be fine.” It was a lie. I would never be fine again. “And don’t apologize. I deserve the things you said to me. I was the asshole.”
“I wasn’t about to.” We both turned when the door opened.
“Is it safe to come back in? I’m getting swamp ass out here in these pants. It’s disgustingly humid in this state,” Zach called out.
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “Babe, it’s fine.”
“Oh, thank God. I didn’t want to walk in on you two hate-fucking. Although it would be super-hot to watch.” He wiggled his brows. “Oh, please. Don’t act like you’re not going to get back together.”
“We’re not,” I insisted.