A Dose of Pretty Poison: A Brother’s Best Friend Romance (Pretty Poison Trilogy Book 1)

The sound of birds chirping meets my ears as I start to wake, but something is off. My body sinks into the bed too much, and I’m warmer than I would be in my room. As my brain starts to realize its surroundings, it all hits me.

I’m still at Hayes’s house.

His arms are wrapped around me as he sleeps, pressed against my back. It reminds me of last night—the way he pulled me against him as he fucked into me. I’m so ridiculously sore, the feeling of him lingering with every move I make, but I already crave it again.

“H,” I whisper, hoping he’s not mad.

We never discussed me sleeping over. As far as I knew, I was meant to go back to Mali’s at some point last night. Thank God I told my parents I was sleeping there so they didn’t expect me home at a certain time. Otherwise they’d probably be filing a missing person’s report right about now.

I try to wake him again, this time a little louder. “Hayes.”

He groans, removing one arm from around me as he rolls onto his back. Blindly reaching for his phone, he presses the button to see the time, and grumbles.

“Too early. Need sleep.”

His arm drapes back over me, and I spin around to face him. His eyes are closed, and he looks so peaceful, but when he peels one open, I can’t help but smile.

“Hi,” I say softly.

He hums. “Hi, creep.”

The way the corners of his mouth turn upward involuntarily tells me he’s not mad. A little cranky, maybe, but definitely not mad.

“I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t drive here yesterday,” I tell him. “My car would have been outside your house all night.”

He lets his eyes fall closed again, clearly too exhausted to wake up right now, and I almost follow suit, but when I hear the front door open and shut, my heart damn near stops as panic starts to run through me.

“Uh, H?”

He hums in response.

“Did someone just get home?” I glance at the bedroom door, but thankfully it’s shut.

He takes a deep breath and then exhales. “Relax. It’s probably just Devin.”

I prop myself up with my elbow, resting my head on my hand. Hayes must feel my stare because his eyes peek open once more.

“What?”

My brows raise. “You’re just not even a bit concerned about Devin finding out about us?”

He sighs and stretches his back out before cracking his neck. “No. Devin is one of like four people in the world that I trust.”

“Oh yeah?” I ask. “And who are the other three?”

“My mom, Cam…”—he pauses and smirks at me—“…and Barney the Dinosaur.”

I collapse back down onto the bed as I giggle. “Solid third choice.”

“Hey, he’s been around without fail since I was three, okay?”

“Mm-hm.”

Of course, there’s a part of me that hoped he would say I’m the third, but thinking like that is just setting myself up for heartbreak. I’ve known exactly what this is since the moment it started. Just because we spent the night wrapped up in each other doesn’t mean anything has suddenly changed.

“What time is it?” I question.

“A little after nine,” he answers. “You have work at noon, right?”

I nod. “We should probably get dressed.”

He whines, clearly wanting to lie in bed some more, and I don’t blame him. I would like nothing more than to spend all day here, lying with him like this, but that’s not an option I have.

Probably won’t be an option I ever have.

“Okay, fine,” he grumbles, kicking off the blanket.

I stand up and look around for my clothes, and when I spot them on the chair, I turn around to toss them onto the bed. Hayes is looking me up and down with a glint in his eyes.

“What would it take for you to wear only that every time we’re alone together?”

Glancing down at my bra and panties, I remember how he handed me only these two things back last night and refused to let me have the rest of my clothes. Not that I minded. He stayed in his boxers. If I got completely redressed, I would’ve felt weird.

And besides, the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off me was worth it.

Mali and the lingerie store for the win.

I hum and put my finger to my lips. “Do that thing with your mouth again and you can have anything you want.”

“Fucking deal,” he agrees, and tries to pull me back to bed, but I stop him reluctantly.

“We don’t have time,” I tell him sadly. “And besides, Devin would hear us.”

“Let her. I don’t give a fuck.”

Chuckling, I grab his hand and pull him until he’s sitting up. “Next time.”

He looks down at the way his boner tents his boxers. “Look what you did.”

“That was not me. That was all you,” I say. “No one told you to check me out.”

Hayes scoffs. “Oh, yeah. I’m just supposed to have a gorgeous, half-naked girl in my room and not look. Sure.”

I shake my head as I chuckle. “You’re insatiable.”

“I know. I blame you.”

“Me?”

He nods. “I was perfectly fine before you started masturbating in front of me.”

A bark of laughter shoots out and I slap my hand over my mouth. “You mean when you were peeping through my skylight like a total fucking creep? I’d hardly classify that as masturbating in front of you.”

“You see it your way, and I’ll see it mine,” he says, kissing my forehead and getting out of bed.

My eyes roll playfully. “Do you always create your own reality?”

He tilts his head from side to side. “Pretty much, yeah.”

I pull my pants up and button them before slipping my shirt over my head. Hayes grabs a couple things out of his dresser and tugs them on before heading into the bathroom.

While I’m alone, I think about how incredible last night was. I mean, I knew he was good in bed, especially after what happened in his truck, but I had no idea he was that good. There’s no way sex could be that enjoyable with anyone, all the time. No one would ever get anything done.

No. That was all him.

He’s ruined me for everyone else before anyone even got to try.

Coming out of the bathroom, he holds out a tin. “Mint?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you saying my morning breath smells?”

Instead of thinking I’m actually offended like I had hoped, he rolls his eyes and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in and kissing me deeply. He forces my mouth open and tangles his tongue with mine, only to slip the mint he must have just put in his mouth, into mine instead.

With one more peck, he pulls away and grabs another mint, popping it between his lips with a wink.

I look down and smile to myself as I follow him out of his bedroom and down the hallway. But just as we get into the living room, his mom’s voice calls out.

“Honey, is that you?”

My eyes widen and I turn to look at Hayes, but before we can even turn around, his mom comes around the corner. She seems pleasantly surprised to see me.

“Oh, Laiken. I didn’t expect to see you,” she says. “How have you been?”

“Really good,” I answer honestly. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know. Just spending three-quarters of my life at work as always.” She pauses and looks at Hayes. “That and trying to keep this idiot in line.”

I look up at Hayes, and it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to smile like an idiot. “Well, whatever you’re doing, I think it’s working.”

“That’s good to hear, because sometimes I wonder.”

Hayes sighs exasperatedly as he rolls his eyes and looks away, making his mom and I laugh.

“So, did you come by with Cam?” she questions, and starts looking past us. “Where is he? I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages.”

Ugh. This is not what I expected when I woke up this morning. Not with the way Hayes didn’t seem to care when I heard the door shut.

Hayes coughs. “He’s not here, Mom. I was just about to bring Laiken home.”

I pinch my lips together and look anywhere but at her as she catches on.

“Oh. Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you when you get home.” She steps backward toward the kitchen again. “It was nice seeing you again, Laiken.”

“You, too!” I answer kindly.

With a hand on my lower back, Hayes leads me out the front door and we climb into his truck.

There are so many emotions running through me, but the biggest one is dread. His mom catching us so soon into this is bound to scare him away. He’s going to call it off, once again telling me he can’t risk it. Or Hayes’s mom could let it slip to Cam.

Or even worse—to my parents.

I’m biting my nails anxiously and staring out the window when Hayes reaches over and pulls my hand away from my mouth.

“Relax,” he tells me.

I turn to look at him, and he glances over at me for a second but stays focused on the road.

“Don’t act like you’re not freaking out,” he says. “I can see it all over your face.”

It’s honestly a surprise, how calm he’s being, but it helps me breathe a little.

“I was not freaking out,” I specify. “I’ve just never been caught with a guy that I’m secretly sleeping with by his mother.”

He smirks in a way that threatens to melt me on the spot. “Look at me, stealing all your firsts.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes, but I feel better knowing he’s not mad. A weight lifts off my chest. If he’s not panicking, there’s no reason I should be right?

Everything goes quiet for a minute before he breaks the silence again.

“You were so freaking out.”

And I can’t even deny it as I huff.

MY CAR SITS AT the end of Mali’s driveway. Hayes parks in the street in front of her house and takes off his seatbelt. My brows furrow as he turns to face me.

“I, uh…” He rubs the back of his neck. “I want to give you your birthday present.”

Wait, what? “You’re not coming to the party?”

Mine and Mali’s annual birthday party is even more of a tradition than our summer bonfires. It’s the biggest party of the summer at my house, and I don’t think Hayes has missed a single one in six or seven years.

“No, I’ll be there,” he assures me. “But I didn’t get Mali anything, and I don’t want Cam to think too much into me only giving you a present.”

Reaching into the glove compartment, he pulls out an envelope, and I’ve never been more confused. At first, I hopelessly think it’s a love letter—handwritten and telling me everything he said about not wanting a relationship is a lie. But as I open it, what I find inside is surprisingly better.

My eyes widen as I gasp. “You got me tickets to a Thomas Rhett concert?”

Thomas Rhett is my favorite singer, only second to Kurt Cobain, but obviously I can’t see him in concert. I had no idea he was even putting on a concert anywhere near here. And the seats are incredible.

“Holy shit,” I say in disbelief. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

He smiles as I kiss him. “Now that I think about it, I could’ve just given you one and Mali the other.”

I freeze, thinking of an idea that may be crazy, but it’s worth a shot.

Nibbling on the inside of my cheek nervously, I force myself to ask. “What if I want you to come with me?”

He instantly looks unsure, telling me he never even considered the idea when he bought the tickets. “I don’t know, Lai. It’s in public.”

“Yeah, but it’s over an hour away,” I point out. “The chances of seeing anyone we know there are low. And besides, Cam doesn’t even like Thomas Rhett.”

“Neither do I.”

“Yeah, but you like me.” The words spew out of my mouth before I have the chance to stop myself.

His brows raise, and I’m about to take it back or apologize, but I decide against it. He has to like me, whether he wants to admit it or not. You don’t sleep with someone you don’t like at least a little bit.

Instead, I take a different approach.

Puffing my bottom lip out, I pout just slightly. “Please?”

He exhales all the air in his lungs. “Now that’s just unfair.”

I smile and lean across the center console, putting my lips next to his ear.

“Please?” I say again, lower this time.

Repeating the word like a prayer, I nip at his earlobe and his breathing starts to get heavier. Just as I slide my hand over his leg and toward his dick, he grabs my wrist to stop me.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” he warns.

I back away just enough to look at him. “Say you’ll come with me.”

He narrows his eyes at me and we stare at each other for a moment before he sighs. “Okay. I’ll come.”

Beaming happily, I thank him and kiss him once more. I open the truck door and climb out, but when I go to close it, I see him glaring at me playfully.

“You play dirty,” he says.

I chuckle. “I know.”

And with that, I shut the truck door and head into Mali’s to get my keys—only looking back once to watch Hayes as he drives away.