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“Uh,” the amusement slowly left his eyes, and he took a deep breath. “I used to be a firefighter. I lost a close friend. My firehouse was called to a fire on a Saturday evening. When we arrived, the fire was already out of control. Anyway, long story short,” he said as his eyes glazed over with sadness. “My friend Evan Greer saved a little girl and got caught by a steel beam on the way back out. He tossed the kid to me and was gone. I fell apart for a long time. Then, not too long after that, this seventeen-year-old kid who was being bullied set a fire in his room and then hung himself. By the time we got to him, he was gone. Years of seeing that kinda of pain every day became too much. I thought the lives we saved would keep me together and help me through the tough ones that we didn’t get to save. But one day, I felt like I was drowning, so I left. I’d already gone to school to be an appliance service technician, so I got back into that. After a few years, I wanted to start a business, but not there. I realized that I was unfulfilled and unhappy. The idea of starting over fresh somewhere was the only thing that eased my uneasiness. Small-town living has always piqued my interest since I was a child. I had no ties other than my parents and brother, so I left. I miss them, but they love to travel and will no doubt be to visit me soon. So, relocating became my laser focus until I found what I wanted. The rest is history.”

“Well, though you’re a pain in the ass. I’m happy you found the piece you were looking for. I genuinely hope your experience in Pleasureville fulfills you.”

“Whoa, who knew you could be so nice? I appreciate that. But I’ve actually been contemplating on whether or not I should stay.”

“Hearing that news, even though she didn’t truly know Trey, really bothered her. “But I thought you said you were happy.”

“I am, but I’m not the nice dude everybody thinks I am. I will hurt these broads’ feelings and fuck these niggas up. I came to Pleasureville for peace. Not to deal with insecure niggas and horny-ass single and taken women. I was screwing broads in the next town just to avoid the drama near where I lay my head.”

“Most of the people are harmless. Now, you do have your few bad apples, but you’re gonna get that anywhere. If you can get them to believe you're taken by someone, they will leave you alone.” She shrugged. “So you just have to find a willing lady and bam, problem solved.”

“A’ight,” Trey nodded as he let every word sink in. “So I need to find a lady.” He mumbled more to himself than to Bleu.

“Yup,” Bleu repeated as she now filled the paper bag with their discarded food wrappings.

“Cool,” He fingered his goatee and said, “So, can you pretend to be my lady?”

“Me?” Bleu asked as her eyes widened and shot up in shock. She immediately became flustered as she shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t think that’ll be a good idea. You’re really gonna have to sell your relationship for folks to leave you be. And I don’t think we’d be able to⁠—”

“Bleu, calm down and take a breath,” Trey chuckled as he watched her nervously fidget and mentally search for reasons that the shit wouldn’t work. The shit was turning him on something serious because she was hot and bothered like a muthafucka. “I ain’t asking you to marry me and bear my children. It’s just a little acting. We can even do a fake breakup in public and everything. You know, just how folks do in them chick flicks and rom-com movies. Until we do our fake breakup, I’ll fix and or replace all the appliances in your home. Free of charge. I’ll start by buying and installing your dishwasher. Also, I’ll keep your lawn maintained for the rest of the year. And I’ll make sure the appliances and the lawn are also taken care of at the bookshop.”

“I don’t know, Trey,” Bleu turned away from his heated gaze and began nibbling on her bottom lip. “This shit just seems like drama just waiting to⁠—”

“Bleu, be honest with me. Are you really concerned about drama or that you won’t be able to handle being around me when ya pussy get wet the way she does for me?”

“Definitely concerned about the drama.” She blurted out, holding back a grin.

“Bullshit,” He chuckled. “You’re worried about ya pussy getting a crack-like addiction to my dick.”

“I am not,” She lied before quickly turning away from his gaze so he couldn’t read the truth in her eyes.

“A’ight then, what’s the problem?” His brows rose in question as a smirk spread across his lips. “If it ain’t my dick that got ya panties in a bunch, why the hesitation? Especially when we’re both benefiting from this exchange.”

“Well, because you and me as a couple,” She quickly blurted out. “No one would believe that. “Folks know I can’t stand you.”

“So what?” His brows crashed together in confusion. “Folks love a good enemies-to-lovers love story.”

Sighing, she shook her head and questioned her sanity before she finally gave in. “Fine, Trey, fine. I’ll be your fake girlfriend, but we only act like a couple when absolutely necessary, and we⁠—”

“One other thing.” Trey cut her off with a smirk.

“Don’t push it, Trey.” She mugged him and rolled her eyes. “No, hell no. This idea is already bordering on insanity.”

“Listen before you automatically start assuming shit, Bleu.”

“Fine.” Frowning, she knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “Spit it out.”

“Since you’re my woman now,” He licked his lips before they curved into a smile so sexy her nipples started throbbing and waving hello. “Whenever I need some pussy you gotta give it to me. It’s gon’ look bad if someone sees me with someone else getting my rocks off.”

“Nigga, you ain’t slick,” She laughed at his damn audacity. “Learn to be discreet. And if you can't, then I guess you're gonna blow your own cover ‘cause I am not going there. Shit! You better use your hand if it’s that damn serious.”

“Bleu, my hand ain’t gon’ do shit but piss me off. Plus, I need to feel pussy, and yours is the only one that I can’t stop thinking about and the only one I fucked raw. Something I’ve never done. So you might as well ride this dick and give us the release we both need. And you lucky doc told me I still had a clean bill of health; otherwise, you’d be six feet deep by now.”

“No nigga you’d be six feet deep if the doc hadn’t told me that I was okay. Hell, you put your dick in me, asshole.”

“You damn sure wasn’t fighting it. You wanted the dick as much as I wanted to give it to you. And like I said, I’ve never fucked ever in my life without a gold wrapper protecting my dick.”

“All of my exes and jumpoffs and I got checked together before we ever made the decision to screw without protection because I don’t prefer a condom.”