Give and Receive - Bundle (Books 1-2): New Adult Romance (13 page)

“Don’t you have her to scratch that itch?”

She sighed despondently at her popcorn. Such a tragic loss of a tasty treat. She continued eating.

“We broke up. For good this time.” He hesitated.

“I told her I was with someone else. She didn’t take it too well, I guess.”

“Jesus, Ty. Can’t you keep your dick in your pants for five minutes? Who was it this time? It had to be super bad for Sara to actually stay gone. That bitch stuck to you like Velcro.”

“Wait…You’re not…
jealous
, are you?”

“Um. Ok...no. I was concerned for her mental stability. Too much of you is never good for anyone.”

Lena frowned as a piece of popcorn got stuck in her tooth. She worked it out with her finger, balancing the phone.

“There’s no such thing as too much Ty.”

“There is such a thing as too much Ty talking in the third person. Can he stop?”

“Only if you tell him you love him.”

“Isn’t that a given? You still live and walk amongst us. That’s a miracle in and of itself, Ty. Trust me. It is. And again, why did she dump your ass…again? Emphasis on the
again
part.”

“First of all, she didn’t dump me. I stopped seeing her.”

Ty sounded irritable.

“Second, as I recall, we were talking about you and me.”

“As I recall, there 
is
 no you and me. And for the record, we never had sex. 
And
, as I recall, I basically said the shit wasn’t gonna happen.”

“Who exactly do you think I told her I was with?”

“I’m sure I have no idea. Perhaps the bleach blonde salute to silicone, humping your leg at your last show. The one they had to pry off of you with a meat hook?”

“You cared?”

“I 
noticed
.”

“Is there a difference?” Ty chuckled again.

“Well...yes. I didn’t say I cared. I said I noticed. As in to perceive, or observe. Anyone within a five mile radius would notice. It was difficult not to, honey. Her pussy was on display for the entire world to see.”

“Kind of like yours when I went down on you three months ago?”

Lena choked on her popcorn, coughing violently.

“Are you ok, love? Sounds like you got something caught in your throat there, missy. You know, you should be more careful about what you put in your mouth.”

She would never be able to eat and drink properly around this man. It was damn near impossible. Dammit.

Damn him to hell.

Damn, damn, 
damn
.

She grabbed her bottle of water on the nearby end table, taking a long drink. Letting the room temperature water soothe her irritated throat.

“I abhor you, Ty. With the rage and fury of a thousand Hebrew slaves. I truly loathe you. And I wish you would go away.”

“Uh huh. I love you too. And what good use of vocab. Now, are you done?”

“No. But if I hang up on you, I could be.”

“By the way, I haven’t been with anyone else.” Ty paused. “In case you’re wondering.”

“Thanks for that. I’m good, though.”

He laughed again. She wished he would stop and told him so. She put another handful of popcorn in her mouth, crunching loudly.

“Do you have to sound like a barnyard animal, chewing hay?”

“I think you have the wrong girl, my kind sir. That’s Lizzy’s department, isn’t it? Her and the rest of her cloven-hoofed, four-legged friends enjoy the delights of that tasty treat, don’t they?” Lena snorted.

“Maybe it’s cud. What exactly do goats eat? I’ll have to check my 
Farmer Iggy’s Animal Almanac
. Doesn’t it say something like, sow in summer, seed in fall, feed your cow when the wheat gets tall? Never can be too sure.”

“Why, Lena Roman. 
Shame
 on you. Talking about another woman that way. One would think you didn’t care for her.”

“Who, me? The hell, you say, my good man. Bite your tongue. That she continues to draws breath is testament of my never-ending devotion to her.”

“Don’t you mean your never-ending devotion to not going to prison? The place where girls like you become wives to women named Diesel, or Spike?”

“Go to hell Tyler. That is a total fallacy.”

“Is that so? Sure you wanna go that denial route, yet again? This is me you’re talking to. I’m the one you tried to bribe into emptying her gas tank and filling it with cat urine. Where you got it, is something I never want to know.”

“That is indeed entirely so. I know nothing of which you speak. And besides, none of those allegations are admissible in a court of law, anyway. Especially since you tried to extort an extra million for the job.”

“Thought you said you knew nothing about it.”

“I don’t. But it seems like the kind of sneaky, underhanded thing you would do. That must be why I remember it so well. And my Uncle Nicky’s contact in Mexico would have totally killed you if you snitched. Just so you know.”

“Ummm. Right-o,boss.”

“Figured it was the sort of thing you should be aware of. In case you had…ideas.”

“Hey, by the way. You…know you’re not playing with a full deck, right?”

“Fuck You, Ty.”

“Lena, my dear, If I 
were
 fucking you, I promise. We wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

Lena closed her eyes for a brief moment. Fighting a losing battle. Dear god. It was useless. Against her better judgment, she remembered.

The touch of his hand.

The feel of his fingers. Light as a feather. Grazing her clit.

The warmth of Ty’s hot, wet tongue against her skin…

Immersed within the slickened folds of her pussy.

Oh yeah. She remembered.

How he lapped up every bit of her release. Coming once, then twice, into his mouth. Between his sexy, full lips. As they continued licking, and sucking. Like his life depended on it.

The feel of his tongue. Probably etched on her labia for life.

Lena managed to swallow the gasp caught in her throat, exhaling a tiny little squeak. She prayed to God, Krishna, Buddha and Zeus combined Ty didn’t hear a thing.

Ty coughed delicately. Clearing his throat.

Shit. He heard.
Good one, God
.

“Shut up, Ty.”

He continued like she never spoke.

“But to answer your original question. I suspect even if Elizabeth was still Danny’s wife, he would be hard-pressed to disagree with you. About the hay part I mean. Maybe not so much the cat urine thing, though? Then again, who knows? He might have helped. Hell he might have offered another mill to see the job to completion. Hypothetically speaking, of course.”

Lena’s throat dropped to the pit of her stomach.

She sat up abruptly. “Who did you-what did you say?”

“Must I repeat myself? Surely you aren’t as hard of hearing as you pretend to be.”

“Stop trying to sound intelligent, Ty. It’s not a good look on you.”

“Neither is assuming the mating position every time you hear Blake’s name. But you do it anyway.”

“I do not-”

Ty cut her off. “So, let’s suppose we both allow each other these small indiscretions and ignore them. No matter how much it grates on each other’s nerves, eh?”

Lena grit her teeth, holding her tongue. She knew he loved knowing something she didn’t. If she said anything else, he would just be the annoying little dick he so thoroughly was, and keep needling her.

She counted to ten and as usual, amazed herself at the patience and grace she was able to bestow on his lowly person. Not killing Ty was an urge many people fought, and resisted, every day. Her included.

“Ty.”

“Lena.”

“Please repeat what you previously stated.”

“Which part?”

“Ty.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you an ass?”

“That’s easy. Because I can be.” He chuckled.

“Why do you want to know so much? And you heard me the first time. Stop trying to act like you didn’t. He left the Wicked Bitch of the West.”

“Well. I’ll be a son of a one-legged stripper named Brandine.”

“What. In the hell. Does that even mean. You fruity little pebble.”

“Never mind all that.” Lena waved her hand dismissively, like he could see her.

“You mean to tell me the Dark Prince and Slutty, the Fuck My Kinfolk Twice On Sundays Barbie, are no longer married in wedded, nightmarish bliss? Why’d he decide to divorce her now? I know she didn’t leave him. That shit was never gonna happen.”

Lena cheerfully warmed to her subject.

“Did hay become too expensive? Was the barn starting to smell? I tried being helpful when I mailed that book on potty training feral farm animals like horses, pigs and goats. But was it appreciated? Nary a thank you. No appreciation at all. Nothing. Not one pint-sized bit.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

“Oh my god…right? Me too. So rude. And I’d like to know where my gift is since they’re no longer together, thank you very much.”

“Are you talking about that t-shirt that said, ‘Help control the farm population, have your horse spayed or neutered,’ with Elizabeth’s picture on the front?” Ty snickered.

“Yeah. I think Elizabeth cut it into tiny pieces and burned it. Besides. Who takes gifts back after five years of marriage?”

“I do. Especially when it was a gift close to my heart. Besides, she knows I was playing with her. Who takes things like that seriously? Pfft. I kid. A simple funny.”

“Apparently she took it extremely seriously. She essentially hates your entire existence, love. Probably more than ever.”

“Does she, now? That is tremendous.” Lena was thrilled.

“I am forthrightly delighted to hear it. Not sure why she would give a shit about me now, particularly. But whatever.”

“Uh huh. You know, the snarky, clueless combo is so unbecoming, Lena.”

“That would be true…if it weren’t so stupidly false. Proven by the simple fact I am both awesomely becoming…and becomingly snarky.”

She crunched on more popcorn. Dusting off some crumbs landing in her lap.

“So seriously. Why’d he leave, Ty?” She kept her tone casual. “Especially after all this time. It had to be something big and I know your ass knows.”

“Why are you asking?”

“Because I wanna know, that’s why.”

“Why do you wanna know?”

“Why do you fucking care? It’s not any of your business either way.”

“Maybe it is.”

“Maybe it isn’t.”

“Maybe it is.”

“Maybe it’s-Wait…what are you, twelve?”

“Only if you mean inches.” Ty sounded smug.

“Tall?” She rolled her eyes, snickering.

“Inside you. And trust me.” His voice darkened and lowered. “You’ll feel every…single…inch.”

That was unexpected.

Lena stopped chewing, swallowing hard. Her body tingled, down to the very core of her essence. Bastard managed to reel her in again. She needed to put the brakes on this little scenario. Before she found herself right back where they started, three months ago.

“Tyler. Stop. We’re not doing this again. Why are you giving me shit over this?”

“I could ask you the same question. But I won’t. Maybe it’s time you started being honest about why anything concerning Blake, matters to you. Maybe it
is
 my business, Lena. Maybe we should discuss what happened three months ago. Once and for all. I think I owe you an explanation, and I think you should hear it. But every time I try to give you one, you change the subject.”

“Whoa. Pause. Gotta stop you there. Not wanting to do this with you right now, Ty. Now, please tell me what I asked. I’m saying it nicely. I even said please.”

“So if I ask you nicely, will you tell me why you let me go down on you?”

Lena sighed. There was only one way to ever deal with Ty when faced with the option of actually being honest.

She’d figure out later why this was the first place she went for a solution in handling Tyler. In the meantime, she lowered her voice. Making it kitty cat soft. Almost a purr.

The things she was forced to engage in.

“So, Ty.”

“So, Lena.”

“When you put your mouth on me…how did I taste?”

Ty was sure he hadn’t heard her correctly.

If he were truthful, he probably hadn’t heard Lena correctly since he met her.

Did anyone?

“I’m…wait-what?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t hear me? I asked how I tasted. To you. You know…when you went down on me, as you so eloquently and succinctly put it. Must I repeat myself? Surely you aren’t as hard of hearing as you pretend to be.”