Wicked Plans

by C. Morgan

  “I can think of a few things that might distract me, but therapy isn’t one of them.” His gaze was suddenly smoldering on mine. “What would you say to putting that mat through a few different paces again?”

  My tongue darted out of its own accord to wet my lips, and I gazed up at him for another second before I glanced at the open door. Down, hormones. Down.

  “Getting away with it once was lucky enough, don’t you think?” I asked, reluctantly taking a step away from him. “I’m willing to compromise, though. A kiss after every rep?”

  Before I could move all the way out of his reach, he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me back to him. My chest crashed into his, and then his lips were on mine. We both groaned at the contact, our mouths clinging to one another like long lost lovers who’d finally been reunited.

  For just a minute, I surrendered to him. I wound my arms around his neck and toyed with his soft hair as I kissed him back. He moved into me, angling my head the way he wanted it to give himself better access as he stole the breath clear out of my lungs.

  When we broke apart, neither of us pulled away. Breathing heavily, we stared at each other as our foreheads touched and my heart raced. In moments like this one, it was so damn hard to remember that he was bad for me.

  But then he let me go and flashed me one of his cocky grins, motioning to the mat as he did the closest possible thing he could manage to sauntering away from me. There he is, the arrogant asshole I know and, well, not love, but kind of like.

  “Come on, Ms. Therapist. If I’m getting one of those after every rep, we need to get through the first exercise fast.”

  I laughed, but dragged in a quiet, deep breath to calm my body and my heart while watching him take his place. It took me a second to cool down before I went to join him.

  My cheeks were still warm, and he chuckled while I bought myself another minute by checking the treatment plan. “Just remember, you were the one who suggested the kiss compromise. It’s not on me that we’re both going to be frustrated as fuck by the time we walk out of here.”

  “I beg to differ,” I said. “You wanted to be distracted and you definitely are that, are you not?”

  “Sure, but now I’m horny and it’s not like blue balls are going to make me overly cheerful,” he retorted.

  “Nothing makes you overly cheerful,” I said. “That’s got nothing to do with me or with you being horny. Moody is your default setting.”

  Amusement broke through the heat simmering in those green eyes as he shrugged. “Fair enough, but that didn’t help.”

  I batted my lashes at him. “Then I suppose we can just forget all about the compromise. Keep your lips to yourself for the rest of the session, mister.”

  “Uh, no.” He laughed and tried to make a grab for my arm, but I danced out his way just in time. “Come back here.”

  “Nope,” I teased, grinning as I kept walking backward to the equipment rack. “If you’re going to keep complaining about the compromise, I don’t think I have any choice but to call it off.”

  “Not happening,” he said firmly, drinking me in as he watched me gather what we needed before I went back to the mat. The air between us thickened with tension again when I stood next to him, but I ignored it.

  We really did have work to get done today. “Okay, so we need to keep working on strengthening your muscles without putting any strain on them. How did your leg feel after our last session?”

  “Not too bad,” he said. “I used that massage technique you showed me a couple times and it worked like a charm.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” I smiled. “It’s nice to know that you actually do pay attention during our sessions sometimes.”

  “Trust me, I was paying close attention to where your hands were when you showed me that.” He winked, but the laughter in his eyes made it seem less salacious. “Come to think about it, I think you should show me again. After the session. In my room.”

  “Keep dreaming, buddy. I’m your physiotherapist, not your massage therapist,” I said. “On a more serious note, if that technique works for you, then keep using it. Just be careful not to apply too much pressure, okay?”

  “I was being serious before too, but okay,” he muttered, grinning as he shook his head at me. “What’s first, drill sergeant?”

  After leading him through a series of exercises and stealing some more steamy moments in between, my mind drifted back to his worries about the fundraiser. The dress code was smart, and Brysen in a tux or even a suit was something I desperately wanted to see. More than that, though, I didn’t want it to be a shitty night hanging over his head like a machete for the next week and a bit.

  “Why don’t we all try to get tickets at the same table?” I suggested before I could stop myself. “For the dinner, I mean. If we’re at the same table, I could be your buffer. I’m really good with parents. They always like me and it might help take some of the stress of the night off you.”

  He jerked his head back in surprise. “You’d be willing to subject yourself and your family to a night with the Burkes?”

  I shrugged. “Why not? We’re all going to the same party. My parents can get along with just about anyone and it’s not like they have friends coming that they were planning on sitting with.”

  The look he gave me was a funny one. There was definitely shock in it, but maybe also just a little bit of awe. A long minute passed while he was staring at me, then he suddenly dropped his chin in a nod.

  “If you’re sure, then I’d like to take you up on your offer,” he said. “Warn your parents, though. You’re all going to be sorry about this.”

  Despite the ominous tone of his voice, I was happy he’d agreed. From everything I’d heard from him about his parents, they wouldn’t be fantastic company but they couldn’t be that bad. They’d be in a room of people at a fancy dinner. The small talk was always awkward at those things.

  Plus, I’d have the opportunity to get to know his little sister this way. While he hadn’t told me very much about her, I got the feeling that he truly adored Emily. Since I was sure she was the only person he felt that way about, I was curious about her. It’d be nice to get to know the one Burke who supposedly wasn’t an asshole.

  It was only when I was on my way back to the dorms after our appointment ended that it dawned on me what his acceptance of my offer meant. Although neither of us had probably thought about it in the moment, our parents would be meeting each other and we’d be meeting each other’s parents. It was a decidedly couple-like thing that would be happening for us—especially when I didn’t even know what this thing was between us.

  He’d started playing a fairly big role in my life since the start of this semester. In fact, other than myself, he was the person I was spending the most time with. Even when we weren’t together, I thought about him.

  Hadley and I didn’t even spend as much time together as Brysen and I at this point in time, and we lived together. Both of our schedules were hectic and with her wanting to spend as much of her free time as possible with Dax while I spent most of mine at the clinic, I hardly even saw my roommate these days.

  I needed her help with this, though. As my best friend, I needed her to help me figure out if I was really into Brysen, or if I only wanted it to be a casual hook up thing.

  Who am I kidding? I’d never been the casual hook up sort of girl, but Brysen definitely wasn’t boyfriend material. If he even knew I was having these thoughts, he’d probably hobble for the hills and I’d never see him again.

  It wasn’t only about him, either. While I really wasn’t sure how I felt about him, my own head was a mess where he was concerned. A relationship with someone like him… Well, it just wasn’t a part of my plans. Or at least, it hadn’t been until it might’ve accidentally started anyway.

  Groaning internally, I realized that it was about time I bounced this off of someone. Please be home, Hadley. I really, really need to talk to you.

  Chapter 26

 
; BRYSEN

  My sister accepted my request to video call with her, sliding into the chair behind her computer even as the call connected. “Well, this is a surprise. The ever-popular Brysen Burke calling his baby sister on a Friday night. What’s going on, Bry? Don’t have a fight to get to or something?”

  I laughed, fluffing the pillow behind my back as I made myself comfortable on my bed. “Nah. I’ve got that scheduled for nine. We’ll be done here in plenty of time for me to go cause some shit before the fight is supposed to start.”

  She laughed, and the sound warmed me even if it was coming over my phone’s speaker instead of from right next to me. “I have absolutely no doubt in your abilities to stir the appropriate amount of shit before it kicks off. That being said, you are joking, right?”

  “Of course I am.” I chuckled. “I’m not so diabolical that I actually plan these things ahead of time. It just kind of happens when I’m around.”

  “Sure it does.” She rolled her eyes before settling back in her chair. “So, why are you calling me instead of being out partying? Considering that the fact that I’m pretty sure you’re wearing a sweater, it doesn’t even look like you’re about to go out.”

  I glanced down at the Edgewater emblem on my chest. “Yeah, I didn’t even know I had this thing. I found it earlier and it was clean, so I put it on.”

  “You do know they have laundry facilities right in your building, don’t you?” she teased. “I know you probably don’t know how to use the machines, but I’m sure you’ll find plenty of girls willing to help you if you just ask.”

  I laughed, resting my head back against the headboard and wishing my sister was still right down the hall. “One of the incredible things about a university is that people learn things here. It might come as a surprise to you, but I do know how the machines work. I didn’t when I got here but again, it’s a learning institution. Amazing, huh?”

  “It must be as good as the hype makes it sound if even you have gotten around to learning things,” she joked. “It’s nice to see that your sense of humor is coming back and that your sarcasm is in tact after the accident. You’re looking better, too.”

  “I’m feeling better,” I said honestly. “Being able to do things for myself and ditching the chair has been good.”

  She smiled softly. “I’m really happy to hear that, Bry. I was worried about you. The last few times we talked...”

  “I know,” I said after she trailed off. “It’s been a while since my head has been in a decent place for more than a few hours at a time. I’m sorry I’ve been so miserable.”

  Her eyes went wide, her long black hair tumbling forward over her shoulders as she leaned down closer to her screen to gape at me. “You’re apologizing? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

  The reaction reminded me about Ruby’s the first time I’d apologized to her. “I’m not that bad, am I? I apologize for stuff all the time.”

  “No, you don’t,” she stated as a matter of fact. “If you’ve apologized to me twice in your life, it’s a lot. What gives?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing. Maybe I’ve just been re-evaluating some things in my life.”

  She snorted. “No, you didn’t, but you can tell me the truth when you’re ready. Are you ready for the Winter Dinner?”

  “No.” I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched my chest. “I think I might just develop a critical heart condition that night that will prevent me from going.”

  “It won’t be that bad.” She giggled at my theatrics, but then rolled her chair away from her desk. “Or what I should say is that it won’t be that bad for you. If you see the dress Mom got me for it, you’ll be glad you’re a boy.”

  She stood up and was back a second later with our mother’s latest choice in pastel draped over her arm. Emily crinkled her nose as she held the minty green, very soft, feminine looking dress out toward the camera.

  My sister’s own style of clothing was much more bold. More of a grunge, rock-star look in dark colors rather than the garments our mother kept trying to force her into. “What do you think? It’s terrible, right? I’m going to look like one of those dolls on top of a kid’s birthday cake.”

  “You won’t,” I said without skipping a beat, having had this exact conversation with her many times before. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, you always look beautiful. Plus, it’s only the window dressing, remember? You know who you really are.”

  “Sure, but it’d be nice if they knew who I really was.” She tossed the dress down on her bed and went back to her chair. “Do you think Mom’s ever going to accept me for who I am? Her head still just about rolls every time she sees me in any of the clothes I’ve chosen for myself. Thank God it’s winter at the moment. At least that means I can layer to cover up what I’m wearing underneath the ridiculous coats she insists on making me wear.”

  “I don’t know if that’s ever going to change,” I said honestly.

  A long time ago, I’d promised both her and myself that I’d always be honest with her about this, and I planned on keeping that promise. “Alison is a difficult woman to get to know. You know that as well as I do. It’s not easy to predict how she’s going to react to anything, so there’s just no telling. If it helps, I hope she’ll accept you for who you are but if she doesn’t, fuck her. You’ll always have me.”

  “Thanks, Bry.” She sighed and tried to smile, but her eyes didn’t light up when her lips curved. They never did when our mother was the topic of conversation. “I just don’t know what the right thing is to do. I want to tell them, but I’m scared. I’m tired of hiding, but I don’t think I’d be less tired if I ended up fighting with them all the time like you do.”

  “You’d survive,” I said. “It’s not fun, but it’s not like you’re going to be living with them forever. Once you’re out of that house, the fighting becomes less frequent. It’s not like either of them have the time to or the will to call every day. I don’t even know if they’re still pissed at me after the accident.”

  “I don’t know either,” she said. “They don’t really talk about it or about your recovery.”

  “Well, that’s not surprising. They don’t talk about it because they just really don’t care. Out of sight, out of mind, right? That’s what I was just talking about. It’s up to you to tell them now or to wait, but they won’t care as much if they only find out once you’re out of there.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” she argued. “They’re not the best parents in the world, but it’s not because they don’t care about us. They just don’t even know how to show each other that they love each other. Literally the only way they can express love or show it is when it’s tied to monetary value. Like a new Bentley parked in the driveway.”

  “What did Dad do that he had to make up for this time?” I asked, joking but also not. “He doesn’t roll out the Bentleys for just anything.”

  “I’m not sure what happened, but it was actually the other way around,” she said with wide, incredulous eyes. “Mom got Dad the Bentley this time. I heard them arguing one night, and two days later, the thing showed up.”

  I chuckled, but I was a little confused too. Alison never said or did anything against Tommy. It made no sense that she’d buy him the Bentley to make up for anything. I hadn’t been lying to Emily earlier when I’d said she was a difficult one to get to know.

  Our mother had never gotten close to us, nor had she allowed us to get close to her. She could be a social butterfly at parties or events but in her own home, the woman was quiet and withdrawn. Emily and I had speculated once that it was because of her upbringing.

  She’d been born into this world, and it was no secret that she’d been raised to be the perfect lady. The perfect wife. While both of us considered the way she was to be far from perfect, it sure seemed like she thought that was the way to be. She’d even tried to turn Emily into a mini her, but neither she nor her husband was having much success with us.

  Emily sho
ok her head. “I don’t know what’s going on with them, but it’s tense around here.”

  “What? Because the house is usually such a loving, cheerful place?”

  She laughed before lifting one of her shoulders. “I know, but it’s been tense even for our house. Anyway, enough about them. What’s been going on with you?”

  I weighed my answer silently, then decided to just go ahead and say it. Emily and I didn’t keep stuff from each other. Even the weird stuff.

  “I, uh, I met a girl,” I said, aware of just how fucking awkward I sounded.

  “A girl?” My sister pretended to fall off her chair. “You’re not really the meet-a-girl-and-tell-someone-about-it type, so she must be pretty special.”

  “What type am I, then?” I asked, even if I couldn’t really argue with her.

  “You’re more the slept-with-her-and-didn’t-know-her-name type,” she said. “Now tell me about her. What’s this girl like?”

  “Well, for starters, you were right when you said she must be pretty special. She is,” I said. “She’s only a freshman, but she’s already working at the campus clinic. I’ve asked around and apparently, it’s really not easy to get a spot there. She’s on my physical therapy team already, even though she’s only been at Edgewater for the same amount of time I have.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Emily said incredulously. “You’re actually gushing about this girl. What’s her name?”

  “Ruby.” I didn’t respond to her accusation about the gushing, because I might just have been doing exactly that.

  My sister narrowed her eyes in thought, then snapped her fingers. “Wait a second. Ruby as in the girl who was on the accident scene with you? The one from your hospital room? I didn’t meet her at the time, but I remember you mentioning that name after.”

  “Yep. That’s her,” I said.

  She smiled and gave me a knowing look. “She’s pretty.”

  “She is pretty,” I agreed, not about to try to deny it. No one who’d ever seen her would argue against that point anyway. The girl was objectively gorgeous, regardless of how much she tried to downplay it. “It’s not just that, though. There are plenty of pretty girls on campus. It wouldn’t have been enough to make her special.”