Page 45 of Of Course, Cutie

Burke let out a long, slow breath. “Okay. I’ll start looking for another job.”

“Why?”

Burke raised both eyebrows. “Seriously, cutie? You don’t think your brother is going to fire my ass when he finds out I’ve been fucking you right under his nose for a month?”

I bit my lip. “Yeah. Evan’s going to be pissed no matter how it comes out. But it’s stupid because he was sleeping with Sienna for like two months without telling anyone, and that was fine. It’s a double standard if you ask me.” I slid a hand under his t-shirt and traced Burke’s ab muscles with my fingers. “ I need to get him prepped and in a really good mood, first. He’s protective, but he’s not crazy.”

“So, you think we should show up at his place right after he gets laid and tell him?”

I burst out laughing. “That’s not the worst idea. Sienna should probably be there to keep him from losing his shit anyway.”

“You seem unsure about how Evan will react.” Burke wrapped a lock of my hair around his pointer finger.

I sighed and leaned into him a little more. “I am. The Evan before our dad passed would have been cool about it. The Evan now is stressed and more uptight.” I glanced up at Burke. “It’s like he thinks he has to take care of all the girls or something.”

“That’s a heavy load to carry.” Burke nodded, then gave me a curious look. “Who were you before you lost your old man?”

I paused and considered Burke’s question. I was eighteen while I watched my father waste away and die. “I was too young to even know.”

“And what about now?”

I rested my head against Burke’s shoulder and sighed. “My father’s death aged me a hundred years, Burke. Now I’m a tired old lady in a college kid’s body.”

Burke wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I wish I could carry that for you, cutie.”

I tipped my head back to give him a soft smile. “You don’t need to carry it for me. My entire family carries it together. I just need you to hold me when I get tired from the weight.”

Burke’s eyes traveled over my face, and he leaned down to kiss my lips. “Of course, cutie. You’re strong and incredible. You don’t need me.”

I sat up suddenly and grabbed his face with both hands. “Yes, I do. Yes, I do fucking need you.”

I turned to straddle him, and he kissed me, soft at first, but slowly growing deeper, until we were lost in each other. Burke tugged my shirt off over my head and whispered in my ear. “I need you, too.”

Were we saying we loved each other? We were two strong, lonely people that tried to pretend we didn’t need anyone, and here we were, needing each other.

???

I spent the night at Burke’s, and he dropped me off at school the next morning. We shared a nice long goodbye kiss in the icy parking lot, complete with an ass grab. We didn’t think anyone was around to see, but Simon pounced on me the second I entered the Humanities building.

“Was that old dude groping you in the parking lot your boyfriend? Or do you have a fucked up relationship with your daddy?”

“What would you like the answer to be, Simon?” I gave him a sweet fake smile and kept walking. He could have a pass today because I’d just had a fantastic orgasm, but I’d punch that dude in the face if he ever mentioned my father again.

“I would like the answer to be that you’ll dump his old ass and start dating me instead.”

“Is that supposed to work on me, Simon? Because I happen to be very happy with my current relationship status.”

Simon pouted and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Fine. I don’t need to wait around for you. Any girl on this campus would be happy to date me.”

“Confidence is key, man.” I saluted him and turned to walk down the hallway to my class. I knew all guys my age weren’t as dumb as Simon, but he was proving my point that I didn’t belong with college kids.

I belonged with Burke, though. I could be so fucking happy with Burke and Tess. They were like this little slice of perfection in an otherwise cold and dull world. I wanted them to be publicly mine, and I was almost getting excited to tell my family.

My mom would adore Tess, and she’d like Burke too as soon as she got to know him. Bea would be dramatic about it all for a minute, but she’d get over everything, as well. Evan was the only wild card, but he liked Burke, and he trusted me, right?

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Burke