Seeing Red (Bliss Peak #2)

by Shon

What I didn’t know was the next time I saw True St. John, she would be on my best friend’s arm.

Stay calm, Noah. You’ve been around beautiful women before. Stay fucking calm. Unfortunately, calm was not a destination I visited often.

I couldn’t leave him hanging when all he wanted was a familiar body to sleep beside while he battled whatever demons he didn’t speak about.

It was embarrassing how fast I clammed up when Noah made introductions, but he caught me off guard. The next time she came around, I’d do better…be better. I didn’t like the hurt that shuttered her eyes before she masked it and looked away, holding onto Noah like she wanted to get away from me.

I wondered how she’d react if I told her I wanted her there. She was indifferent to me. Not in a cold way, just in a way I knew Noah was the person she preferred.

“Trust me, Red. The last thing I wanna do is babysit you.”

I drank more than half the bottle that night, telling him how much I liked his sister’s taste in wine. The next night, I walked in through the living room behind Greyson and saw a case of it against the wall. When I looked to Noah for answers, he inclined his head toward his best friend.

“Just wanted you to have something you liked here.”

Noah with his attentiveness and need for quality time. And Greyson with his broodiness and silent acts of service.

If you looked up the word “rambling” in the dictionary, there would be a picture of me, grinning like a fool.

True St. John invaded my thoughts from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed. And sometimes, she was waiting for me in my dreams.

I couldn’t think of True without thinking of Noah. And I couldn’t think of Noah without thinking of True.

As much as I wanted True, I wanted Noah to have her too. I wanted to watch them. To study the way they made each other come undone. I wanted her to have us and I wanted us to have her together. I wanted everything with them.

“That’s the whole point of me going on dates, Greyson. I wanna get laid. It’s been a really, really long time.”

“Fine. Then I’ll fuck you.”

this man

“I promise when I fuck you, it won’t be for the hell of it, True.”

“You’re always beautiful, True. But in this dress?” he asked, shaking his head. “I’ll take you on a million dates and buy you a million dresses. Just promise me you won’t entertain another clown like this.”

“I was serious, True. You want dates? I’ll give you dates. You wanna be fucked, I’ll fuck you every night. Whatever you want. It’s always been whatever you want, you just had to ask.”

God, these men were dramatic. So fucking clingy and affectionate. And what did it say about me that I loved it so damn much?

“Nah, True. I’m not upset, but you got me fucked up if you think you’re sneaking out of my bed again.”

“No, but you own me, True. And that’s something you need to come to terms with. Because I’m not going anywhere.“

“I don’t need to put my dick in you to make you come. Or do you not remember what happened at Noir?”

“I think you just fucked up, True. Because I don’t think I’ll ever let you go after that.”

“Or I’ll fuck that doubt out of you and give your mouth something to do besides test me.”

“Your dominance is sexy, Greyson.” Her nails skimmed my skin, igniting electricity that shot down my spine. “I don’t let everybody do the things you do to me, but I love it when you’re in control.”

“If the past year taught you anything, it should have taught you that things don’t go according to plan and that’s okay. Think about all the plans your sister had that never got to happen. Enjoy what you got in front of you right now, lady bug. The rest will figure itself out.”

I knew it was over when I wanted her happiness, her safety and her pleasure in my hands.

“Don’t answer that. Matter of fact, don’t say shit to me at all. I just came here to tell you I’m done. I been passive with y’all for so long that you think this shit is normal and I’m telling you it’s not. I don’t care if you like me. I don’t care if you accept what I do for a living. I don’t care if you think I’m too soft, too freaky, too anything. Because I’m not trying to make anybody happy but myself. Whether you like that or not, it ain’t changing anything.”

“You can run as far and as long as you want, but when I catch you, you’re mine, Red.”

“If I catch you and you try to run from me again, remember it’s just us in those woods, True. The only person who will hear you scream is me, and I’m going to love every fucking second of it.”