Burn Out *18+*

Chapter 10

I woke up with a graceless stretch and a giant yawn like an old cat. My first thought was the ache between my thighs. Had last night really happened? Had I actually been intimate with Dex? It seemed impossible. We were friends. Sure, he was attractive, but up until recently there had been nothing more complex between us. But he was there, snoring softly beside me with one arm draped over his eyes. I could see his bare chest rising with each breath.

This man couldn't be the same person who held my arms behind my back and took me from behind. There hadn't been an ounce of sweetness in him when he cracked a hand down on my ass or shoved my face into the mattress when I got too loud. I couldn't remember everything, but I could remember my legs trembling and whimpers pouring out of my mouth more often than they had with any other man.

It seemed that Dexter was not the man I had always known him to be. Beneath all of that laughter and all of the kindness, there was a sexual fire that scorched anyone willing to get close enough.

Unfortunately, it would also seem that I was late for my morning session with Alistair.

I climbed out of the bed and dug through my suitcase, not sure if I needed to wear leggings and pull my hair into a ponytail or if I should slip into a skirt and swipe on lip gloss.

"Hey," Dex murmured, blinking sleepily at me from the bed.

"Hi."

"You're up early."

"I have training with Alistair."

"Doing what?"

"God only knows."

"Well, do you want to talk about last night?" he prompted. I had heard the same line fall from multiple men's mouths. It never came out so starkly as it did then. Though, I knew Dex was not the type to mince words.

"What is there to talk about? We had sex," I said tightly. I found a pair of nice jeans. They were stretchy enough to be comfortable and flexible, but still looked somewhat professional if need be.

"We have never had sex before," he pressed.

"Well, not together but neither of us are saints by any stretch and you certainly weren't out of practice. We are adults, Dex. It was just sex." Sex that made my legs quiver and my eyes roll back. But even with all of that, part of me wondered if it had been a mistake. He was my stability, my comfort. It was better to squash any change than to allow our relationship to turn into something I couldn't maintain. I mean, after all these years of casual hook-ups it was clear that commitment was not for me. and once I became a full agent, things would only get worse.

"So that's it?"

I rolled my eyes as I wrestled my way into a bra. Anyone who envied the ample-chested had clearly never worn a real bra that constricted the ribs. "Do you want a song and dance?"

"No."

"Good."

Dexter got out of bed and began tugging on last night's clothes while I finished prepping myself for another day in hell with a Kingsley cousin. We both left without sparing another word to each other. In that moment, I was comfortable and confident with the silence. He wasn't much of a talker and if he had nothing to say, it meant that our issues were resolved.

I had no idea how wrong I really was.

But my attention was consumed with Alistair.

He was the softer of the two, which seemed strange now. I remembered Alistair being the snotty kid, the know-it-all while Jasper had been the more hands-on type. Both had been raised to be agents, there was no secret there, but everyone thought Jasper had been born for it. Optimistic and malleable. He was ready for everything. But when he returned after living through horror, there wasn't a single glimmer of the kid he used to be.