Breed

Chapter Twenty-four

"When you asked if I'd take you to Seattle, I kind of thought we were going shopping," Ben said.

"And kind of hoped we were just taking you to a hotel for a special birthday surprise?" Mira asked with a grin.

"It's not, but I wouldn't have corrected you."

"Your boyfriend's kind of a perv," Rox said.

"Hey!" Mira objected.

"Whoa," Ben said, putting up his hands.

"Boyfriend is a little..."

"Much, right?"

"Exactly."

"Question," Rox began, turning to Ben, "are you trying to see other girls naked?"

"Not trying per se; not objecting, though, if you were offering."

"And that?" Rox asked, turning towards Mira so she knew the question was directed at her. "Are you okay with that?"

"That depends..." Mira said coyly. "Were you offering? Because I might be down."

"I forgot you're a perv, too. So I guess then your girlfriend is also a perv. So that sort of works."

"I... don't know about girlfriend," Ben said. "But she is a total perv. And it's great."

Mira glared at him a moment. "Salvaged," she said, softening her glower, "but only just."

"But now we can officially have angry make-up sex."

"That is maybe my third favorite kind."

"You two seriously need to knock it off," Rox said.

"She's just upset because she only has one kind of favorite sex: the kind she gets to have with another person. And even then I'm not entirely certain it isn't hypothetical."

"But," Ben started, "if any of that is true, maybe, to be sensitive, we should knock it off."

"You're still angling for a threesome, aren't you?" Mira asked suspiciously.

"Not angling," he said. "Open to it. But I can be both shamelessly horny and conspicuously concerned for the well-being of my friends."

"You're definitely shameless," Rox said.

"But don't let my banter fool you. I'm not thrilled you waited until we were in Seattle traffic to tell me why we're here."

"That's because we knew you'd say 'No.'"

"That's actually worse."

Mira frowned at Roxy. "What my friend means is we knew that you would take some convincing, and wanted to be able to do it without hindering the time-sensitivity of what we're doing."

He sighed. "Okay, I am actually a little pissed, but acknowledging that this is both dangerous and probably stupid, I'm glad I'm here to be able to help."

"Because we're helpless little girls who need a man to protect us?" Rox asked.

"Wow, when the mood is over with you it's over," Ben said. "But no. I know the two of you can handle yourselves. But the great thing about bringing a giant Indian dude is basically nobody fucks with me, and by extension you. The downside being that everyone calls me 'Chief' and thinks a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest reference is anything but dated."

"Also, Indian?" Mira asked.

"Yeah, well, 'Native American' is clunky. Better, in common usage, sure. But 'Indian' is kind of our 'N' word, you know, we can say it if we like it. Plus, in that context, it got across the rest of my meaning. The kinds of pricks who are more likely to give two young women crap are also more likely to give me a wide berth, lest I scalp them. You know, cause they're sexist and racist."