I took the puzzle box back downstairs and looked for another one. I wanted the next one to be harder so it took her longer, and I knew which puzzle to grab. No one in my family had been able to stick with it long enough. She had plenty of time to work on it, though.

I shook my head when I saw Tim eating the pizza he’d put in the refrigerator the night before. “I left my breakfast here. I had to come back for it.”

“The great thing about pizza is the fact you can eat it on the go.”

“Nope. I want to savor every bite. Plus, I want to hear how it went last night.”

“It was fine. There’s really nothing to tell.”

“Did you talk to him?” Tim followed me to the den.

I put the puzzle I’d just finished back into the storage cupboard underneath the window and pulled out the puzzle from hell. “No. It isn’t something I can just walk up to him and talk about out of the blue. I followed him to see what he does now that she’s gone.”

He choked on his pizza. “You’re giving her that?” He coughed. “Just how long do you think she’s supposed to stay here?”

“Are they out of love yet? Then shut the fuck up.”

“You’ve got to get this figured out soon. Her father isn’t going to let her stay here forever, and you’d better have her second guessing her relationship before he demands her return.”

“I’m working on it. Which is more than I can say for you, you fucking piece of shit.”

“Do you want me to help you?”

“No, stay out of it.”

“That’s what I thought, asshole.” He grabbed the last two slices and left.

He was right about one thing. I needed to speed it up. Following Bryce was depressing. He was completely lost without her, and she was just as depressed without him. Anyone who held on to a soda can just because it reminded them of the first time they met someone wasn’t well adjusted. I should’ve taken it, but I had plans for that can. It needed to stay in the room.

Bryce drove around all night and went into different places with her photo. The only interesting thing he did was go to dinner with some blonde lady. He didn’t look happy going in or coming out, but at least he’d given me a couple of tabloid-worthy photos to start making Laney question things.

I needed to learn more about their relationship. I needed to learn what made them click. Then, I needed to figure out how to drive a wedge between them. It should be easy enough if I could get her to sleep with me. No self-respecting guy would forgive a woman for fucking another man. No matter the situation. Even if he tried, there would always be doubt, and that alone would be enough to send them spiraling.

I wanted to talk to Bryce and put the doubts into his head before she left my house. I had more to learn about the two of them before I could approach him. I also needed a neutral place to start the conversation. If we met at her father’s office, he wouldn’t give me the time of day. It wasn’t something I could bring up when he was working at the bank, either.

It was probably something I’d have to enlist her father’s help. I wasn’t looking forward to that. Aside from the nightly status updates, I tried to avoid that man as much as possible. How she dealt with him all her life was beyond me.

I took a deep breath before I knocked and unlocked the door. I didn’t like working under a deadline, but I felt one was looming with the emphasis on “dead.” I didn’t want to be in those crosshairs when the shit hit the fan.

Laney was on the floor in mid-sit-up when I walked in. She hesitated for a moment, but went back to her routine. I set the puzzle down and went to hold her feet.

“You’ll do a lot better if you have a partner hold you down.”

I watched as her throat bobbed when she swallowed. It made her uncomfortable when I made comments like that. It made me horny. I wasn’t thinking it the way she took it, but when that thought did enter my mind, I became easily distracted and inappropriate. I decided to run with it since I wanted to speed things up a little. Making her uncomfortable might have been the best way to get information I could use.

“Did Bryce ever hold you down? For fun, I mean. I’m sure he never forced you to do anything.”

“Bryce was a gentleman.”

“But all women want a gentleman on the streets and an asshole in the sheets. Isn’t that right?”

“I’m not sure that’s the saying, but no. Not all women want to have sex with an asshole.”

“Well, whatever the saying, how can you stay with someone boring in bed? He can’t do anything for you or give you the orgasms you crave. You do crave them. You can’t deny it. I’ve seen it.”

She didn’t answer, but she did try to get up. I wouldn’t let her. I took her ankles and spread her legs. I got between them before she could get up and held her wrists above her head.

“You’ve never been in this position before?” I moved my hips. “This doesn’t seem a little familiar to you?”

She turned her head but offered no other reaction. I’d thought about letting her up, but she was so beautiful underneath me like that. I wanted to stay just a little while longer. I couldn’t hide my arousal if I wanted to, and hiding it was the last thing I wanted. I pressed it into her to make sure she felt it. I still got no reaction.

I remembered the sex they had in the car before I took her and thought maybe that was her favorite position. I’d figure her out and what got her hot. I had to if I was going to break them up.

I flipped us over with her straddling me and grabbed her hips before she could get up. She was lying on my chest when we flipped, and I couldn’t quite place the look in her eyes when she finally made eye contact. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or anger. It was probably a little of both.

She sat up to get away, just as I thought she would, and I gripped her hips harder. “This is probably how you prefer it.” I moved my hips again, causing her to move whether she wanted to or not. She didn’t know where to put her hands so she put them behind her neck to make sure she wasn’t touching me. I bounced harder.

She leaned forward after losing her balance and placed her hands on my chest to brace herself. “Are you done yet?”

“I can go for hours. Wanna take me for a spin?”

Something shifted in her eyes right before she sat up and took her position. I no longer needed to move my hips to cause her to bounce. She rode me just like she rode him in that parking lot. My arms fell to my sides when she went faster.

She closed her eyes. “Oh, God. Don’t stop.” She rubbed her body against mine, and I didn’t even care that we had clothes on. I was harder than I had ever been in my life. Witnessing firsthand the view he had in that car as she massaged her breasts through her sports bra and ran her hand down into her pants had her in total control of the situation. All I could do was watch.

She placed her hands on my ribs and rubbed harder against my erection. “Oh, fuck. That’s how I like it. Yes, just like that.” She moved faster.

I gripped her hips, making her go faster and pulling her closer to me. I slid one hand to the front and pressed my thumb against her. I would’ve preferred direct contact, but her leggings didn’t give much of a barrier, and I didn’t want to stop to rip them off.

When she closed her eyes again, I knew I’d found her clit and rubbed harder. She bit her lip and rubbed her body against me harder. I couldn’t take much more.

She arched her back and cried out. “Yes, yes. Fuck, yes.” Hearing her orgasm sent me over the edge almost like it did the day I watched her and Bryce in the car.

I gripped her hips with both hands and rubbed her against me a few more times to pull me through my climax. “Fuck.”

We were both out of breath and exhausted. It was the most intense orgasm I’d ever had with my clothes on. I could only imagine what it would feel like to be inside her. She stood before I could sit up and kiss her.

“Hours, huh?”

I opened my eyes, still panting and looked up at her. “What?”

She stood with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. “I knew it would be minutes at the most.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You said you’d last hours. I decided to call your bluff.” She shrugged.

I sat up and looked at my jeans. I didn’t like the feeling of the mess I’d made. “You were just as into it as I was.”

“Get real. Dry humping only works if you know where to find the clit. Aim a little lower next time you’re with someone. It’s part of the pussy, not above it.” She walked to the bathroom and slammed the door.

I lay back onto the floor and put my arm over my eyes. She got me. That bitch fucking got me. It was far from over. I’d have her screaming my name before she went back home—if she went back.

* * *

I slammed the bathroom door and locked it. He probably had a key to that, too, but I didn’t care. I just needed a minute. Probably not even that.

I pulled my pants off and gripped the counter as I put my hand between my legs. I was so close when he started moving his thumb in circles. I had to end it before he got me off. I couldn’t orgasm by his hand. Just the thought of him under me was enough to start the buildup again. I moved my fingers faster.

“Oh, God.” I closed my eyes and moved my hips in rhythm with my fingers. “Fuck.” I needed to keep quiet. I didn’t want him to know I was finishing myself off in the bathroom. The goal was to finish him off and walk away as if I hadn’t been affected by it. I wasn’t supposed to be.

I grabbed a washcloth and shoved it into my mouth to muffle the sounds. I hadn’t allowed myself any stimulation even though I needed it desperately. I couldn’t help myself after riding him.

I bent over and leaned on the sink as the orgasm ripped through my body. I didn’t slow down. I wanted another. It didn’t take long before I had it. Out of breath, I spit the washcloth out, walked over and sat on the side of the tub, and started the shower. I’d never felt so dirty in my life.