There are more people waiting, and almost camped outside my apartment than expected, when I finally drag myself up the stairs in my heels.

Have I missed something, and do they actually not have an apartment of their own anymore??

“Hunnies, I’m home.”

Penny laughs back at me, and inclines her head in my direction, smiling widely.

“Hey baby, I brought you wine for your hard day at work, plus found three gents loitering around that I thought I’d bring home too. You’re choice on who you want to join in fun, sexy times later.”

Laughter bursts from me, as I side step Deacon leaning heavily against my doorframe and shove my key in the lock. I love that woman, she always lightens my mood.

The day was not great, and full of multiple trips to the IT department to get the computer I basically bricked back to life again, or at least able to print the documents my boss needed. I then, unfortunately, ran into David during one trek, and had to do some creative dodging for him not to play hero.

Thankfully, Bill in IT hates him, and half saved my ass on that one.  

“I dunno, they look like high maintenance.”

Ty, Seth and Penny breeze into my place the moment it’s open, and it really has me starting to wonder if maybe I did sign a four way lease with them that I'm not aware of.

“What?.. We need to find out if Carol’s getting the boot tonight, although personally I think Derek should be the one to go.. I mean, that puff pastry was a damn flop.”

I laugh again at Seth, and his deep investment in a show he strongly protested against to start with. A hand grazes my side, the light touch having me leaning towards him, before I can even think.

“Oh, you have no idea how much maintenance they are. They eat and drink everything, but are highly worth it, I promise...”

My eyebrow raises at Deacon’s words, and the way he leans in, his breath lightly brushing my cheek.

“.. I think I was extremely wrong about my previous statement about pantsuits too... If I had known that this particular outfit existed... then I may have never made the comment to start with... I was deeply, deeply wrong, and for that I am truly sorry...”

The corner of my lip comes in to bite, as my head turns to him. Watching his eyes fire up, his chest beginning to drop heavier.

“You should always have all the facts, before you make a... firm.. statement like that.”

I leave him staring at me, the heat bloody easy to see in his eyes, while I strut my ass into my apartment.

I know damn well how amazingly I pull this off.

The fitted, and formed black pants, matching the blazer that shapes every part of me, but it’s the showstopper underneath that’s the star. The gorgeous black laced bralette style bodysuit that runs like silk over my skin.

Utterly gorgeous, beautiful, and know is making Deacon dying to touch me...

More so when I ditch the blazer completely a few steps into my apartment, showcasing the lack of back on the body suit, and flop down on a spare spot on the couch. My leg dramatically extend to cross, and show off the sky high blue heels that are still killing me, but worth it. He’s following behind me, pausing as he eyes linger, before moving across the room to throw himself down next to Ty. My phone vibrates away, and I shuffle to grab it from my bag I’d dropped on the floor, my bottom lip coming into bite as I try not to laugh my ass off at the text.

“You damn little minx, Brooke...”

He’s barely moved, his phone held down, tucked against his leg while he stares solidly at it. The muscles in his arm straining as his thumb flies across the screen.

“.. The moment I have you alone, you are in deep... and hard, trouble..”

Flicking my eyes quickly over to him, I bring my phone up while I nod away to Penny who's arguing with Seth about who should be kicked off this week, and reply to Deacon.

I mean I agree with Seth about Derek, the man butchered that pastry, but Pen has some good arguments towards Anna.

“Oh, really.. Then I better make the punishment fit the crime..”

I wait until his eyes shift suspiciously back over to me, before I move. My legs straighten up as I stand, before I bend and basically cat crawl to half way across the coffee table to reach for the wine bottle Penny set down. Making sure my chest is pointing straight at him. His eyes widen as he stiffens up, and I catch the twitch of a small smile, before I slowly stand to bounce away towards the kitchen.

“.. Just grabbing some glasses, don’t let anything good happen while I’m gone.”

I’m alone for less than two seconds before hands run themselves over my hips. His lips are on mine the moment he spins me, crashing into me with such force, I’m glad I got the bottle down before he grabbed me. He’s fierce, strong, and overpowering as my ass hits the counter, before I’m bent slightly back over it. My hands run through his hair, holding him to me, and rolling my tongue back along his. I can feel how much he wants me, the evidence of that, firmly and strongly shoving me in the leg. He pulls back first, only slightly, and leans his forehead lightly into mine.

“You drive me insane, Brooke.. completely and utterly.”

A soft smile spreads across my face at that, and watch as his eyes widen slightly before returning it. I find he does the same thing to me...

I know I shouldn’t, but I loose my mind whenever he’s near. Needing him, wanting him, craving every part of him. Not just his body, but his mind too.

I have no idea what’s going on with us. Neither one of us has made the move to speak about it. Neither one of us wanting to shatter the fun we’re having with any shred of reality... I don’t know what I am to him, but I know I’m more than just a friend. More than just someone he’s having fun sexy times with.

The way he doesn’t think I catch the endearing looks, the halts in his breaths when I speak sometimes, the uncontrollable smile...

Even unspoken, I know I mean something more to him.

I can hear Penny shriek from the lounge room, and roll my eyes, the smile returning in an instant as I catch Deacon’s spread.

“You better hurry up with my wine in there, our show’s about to start. This woman needs her liquor!”

The night flows on with drinks, a disagreement about what constitutes as appropriate pizza toppings to order, and Deacon and I watching each other from across the room. God, I’m dying to have his hands on me again.. The heat flows off him in waves, almost feeling it drag over my body the way his eyes do.

Penny leans into me, ripping my eyes from Deacon as she shoves her phone in my face, and it’s at this moment I realise I’ve made a rookie mistake with her in not having heard a single word she’s said.

“.. so it’s this one here, and I really think you should give it a go.”

My eyes adjust to the screen while my brain plays catch up, trying to decipher exactly what I’ve missed.

“Pen, I don’t need a dating app.”

Her face changes in an instant, pulling into something that resembles severe and stunned shock, like I have just announced I now worship the Pineapple sitting on my bench in the kitchen.

“Why not? It’s tons of fun.. Oh, just use it as a little something to clean out the old cobwebs, before finding the next worthy one.”

Sighing, my eyes dart over to Deacon and find he’s paying more attention to us that Ty, who’s nattering away to him. I know we’re not dating, but I also know we aren’t just friends with benefits either. I know there is something very real between us.

“Pen, I really don’t..”

“Look it’s easy, see I’ve already created a profile for you, and added the app to your phone...”

Of course she has, how helpful of her. I really need to add a lock to that thing..

“What picture did you use?”

She flips away at the screen ignoring me, and making me more suspicious. She has so many damning photos of me on her phone alone. Our show’s completely forgotten as she remarks on every profile, before swiping them away.

“.. Oh, what about him? He’s not bad..”

“Pass, I don’t do Colonel Mustard moustaches.”

Her eyes roll as she swipes his picture away, the phone once more being thrust in front of my face, as soon as she finds another suitor.

“Oh, oh damnn, he’s a bit hunky. Ok, it says he’s a...”

“Pass. Those glasses scream, serial killer.”

I don’t mean to, but my ears prick up and hone into Ty and Deacon’s conversation, as it veers into a topic that deeply peaks my interest.

“..So what man, are you gonna give her a ring? I saw her slip you her number, before she handed over the pizzas. She was fucking nice too. I mean that ass I would wear as a hat, and that rack, hell...”

“You take way too much interest and investment into who I’m fucking, than having your own sex life.”

Wait, someone handed him their number?

Was this before or after he had me sandwiched in the kitchen, his tongue down my throat for the second time, or the third?? God I'm loosing track now..

“You’re seriously not going to call her?”

“I didn’t say that, I mean don’t I always? I just said you need to get laid, man. Have your own fuck buddy like me, that’s always up for a bit of fun, and just bang it out once in a while. It's more therapeutic than you think.”

My world stops a little upon hearing the words come from Deacon, even more as I catch the horror on his face as his eyes rise up, and find mine staring back at him.

Ok, I’m more than staring.

I’m glued, hooked, riveted, boring a big damn hole into his head.

What did he just say...

Well shit, Brooke. What was that you were soo fracking sure of a moment ago...

My eyes tear away finally, and glance down at Penny’s phone. It may not be my smartest move, but the moment I see his picture I swipe ‘yes’ with my finger.

“He’s cute, I like that one. Are we done now? Can I return to watching the telly?”

I may be bold at times, but I’m not game enough to raise my head as I already know, Deacon is still just staring at me.

Whether there’s truth in what he’s just said, and implied to Ty or not, this is bull. A fuck buddy, really? That he can just bang? That mother fracking... Oh, I'll give him ‘therapeutic’.

My mind automatically turns to revenge plotting, digging through everything I know that will make him hurt as much as I am right now, before tossing each and every idea away. Every part of me refusing to let myself go that low with him.

Besides the pick I made on Penny’s phone is a safe bet.

I know for a fact that, that’s my old landlord's son and a dinner date I can have without a ton of strings, or the assumption that we need to take it any further. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, and I know he’d be willing to play along with me, or be fine to cancel if I change my mind later.

Deacon’s left seething, and I swear I can feel the anger rippling off him, while I solidly keep my eyes on the telly.

Don’t look, Brooke, whatever you do...

For the love of all you have, do not look...

“So, seems it’s all set up for Friday night at seven. I don’t like to give options, and just tell them when you’d expect them to be here... Oh, I’m so excited for you. I mean if you can still remember sex with your ex, it’s definitely time to move the hell on.”

“Brilliant advice as usual, Pen. I’m going to get snacks, anyone want to raid any more of my food while I’m up?”

I move fast to escape the glaring mountain in the lounge room, just needing a moment to digest what I’ve apparently gone and done. And the brass one’s I obviously have down there for challenging Deacon back like that.

Ah, hell...

I, however, should have known better.

He’s on me in the moment I pause round the corner, and my back brushes the long cupboard as his arms come to box me in.

“What the fuck was that, Brooke?.... You’re going on a fucking date?”

I don’t like being cornered, and even less when someone uses that accused tone of voice, particularly as I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong here. Words fracking hurt, and that was beyond low, degrading, and a severe gut punch to me..

I’m not sure what he expected me to do, but both his eyebrows fly up, as I straighten up and lean in to get in his face.

‘Seriously? You have the right to ask me that?..”

My voice is a harsh whisper, but still full of the venom I’m feeling raging inside me.

“.. What the person you ‘bang things out with’, can’t have an actual date with a guy who wants to be with her? One half of the ‘therapeutic fuck buddies’, doesn’t deserve that?”

I expect him to look maybe slightly ashamed with how he acted, but what I see is so, so much worse. His eyes close as if he’s in pain, his breathing stuttering for a moment, before his hands clench into fists beside me.

“Brooke, shit, I’m so sorry you heard that. I've got to learn to fucking think more. I didn’t mean it even remotely about you. In the past, yes that’s what women have been to me, but you.. this..”

He trails off, looking like he’s utterly lost for words, while I wait for him to continue on. The silence grows, the struggle on his face clear, and I snap.

I can’t do this any longer. I can’t be patient when what I really want is right in front of me. I need to know...

“Right, that’s it. I’ve tried to be patient Deacon...”

My hand wraps around the back of his neck, sharply pulling him in to meet me. He could more than stop me, but he doesn’t in the slightest, his arms bending immediately to allow himself to almost crush me. From the moment my mouth meets his, I throw everything I have into it. I’m against him, coming forward to really lean in as his hands stay on the wall beside me, tangling my tongue along his while I keep a good hold on the back of his neck. He groans lightly into me, and I groan back in answering. I’m breathless, and honestly a little light headed when I pull back, watching as he takes an involuntary step forward at my absence.

“.. Tell me you felt nothing just then.. That I’m just like everyone else.. and tell me you don’t want to do that again, or hell, way more than that with me.. Tell me that I’m the only one who craves this, who feels like they need it deep in their bones...”

He freezes up, his whole body seizing, and solid as he doesn’t move an inch. I give him a moment, a bit to think and to come back to life, but he stays still. My eyes close as I lean back briefly against the cupboard behind me. Finally having my answer, and when really called out on, this was all just fun.

Brooke, you’re an idiot.

What were you expecting? Him to just break, and admit everything he’s feeling inside? For him to grab you, and scream from the roof tops that he’s fallen head over heels deeply in love with you..

You know Deacon...

You know there are scars inside him that he hasn’t let you in on, something that haunts him dearly when it comes to relationships, and you now know you’re not enough to break through that for him to really care about you...

As much as I don’t want to say this, the annoying, frustrating pain inside grips at me, and forces the words out anyway.

“This game we’re playing... is over, Deacon.”

I duck under his arms, and manage to twist successfully away when I feel him grab for me. The tears in my eyes half blinding me, as I mumble about having to pee to the others before escaping to the bathroom.