Peyton’s mouth turned up at the corners. “I’m getting picked up today. I’m grounded.”
“Get out!” Vicky smiled in amusement. “Who grounded you?”
They started walking toward the exit, blending in with the other kids. A few guys deliberately bumped shoulders as they passed and one or two said hello.
“I think,” Peyton sighed as she stepped out on the concrete steps and pointed to the Ford Expedition waiting for her, “I’m pretty sure all of them.”
“Oh, that really sucks.” She laughed and then winked. “It must be hell riding around with all of those guys day in and day out.”
“Go ahead, laugh. One day your daddy may send you to live with us and then we’ll just have a scream together. It’s not as fun as it looks.” No, it’s better. So much better.
Vicky whispered in her ear. “There’s a name for it, Peyton. It’s called sexual frustration. You need a vibrator. It will solve all sorts of problems for you.”
Peyton grumbled as she left her friend behind and minutes later, she slid into the backseat next to Evan. Kane didn’t turn around in the passenger’s seat but Braden glanced in the rearview mirror.
“How was your day?” Evan asked.
“Great,” she deadpanned.
“Learn anything new today?” Braden put the windshield wipers on as the raindrops started to bubble and slide across the glass.
“Yep.” She shifted her weight and tossed her books behind her before she kicked the seat in front of her. “I learned a lot.” Kane caught what she meant. She made sure of it and watched as his shoulders squared.
“Like what?” Evan sounded too interested. He’d only been out of high school a couple of years. He probably still remembered everything on the curriculum.
She leaned back in her seat and put her arm over her forehead. “In sex-ed I was the volunteer since I’m the most developed in the classroom, or at least that’s what Vicky thinks.”
Kane turned around in his seat. “What does a volunteer do exactly?”
Evan gritted his teeth. “Do you still have Humphreys in class?”
She nodded, and his jaw tensed even more before she answered. “He’s an ass. He uses some sort of long stick to point out female body parts.”
“Yeah, right, I’d have his job, Peyton,” Kane informed.
She continued her exaggerated story. “It’s really not too bad. He just ran the end over my nipples for a little longer than necessary while talking about arousing a female. I started to toss my head back, lower my hand into my panties and scream for more.”
Evan laughed. “Good grief, Peyton.”
Braden put the break on and stopped at a stop sign. He cleared his throat and dared to inquire further about her day. “How did the co-op go with the art studio?”
“Oh, now there’s a thrill. It’s exciting.” She purred realizing at least one Cartwell was getting ready to blow a major gasket.
“So you like it?” Evan patted her arm and then added, “I told you Braden. She has a knack for art almost as much as sports.”
“Well, I don’t know how good I am at it but once I get to try it, I might like it.”
“What do you mean, try it? You’ve had the class since the start of second semester. Don’t you walk across the street to the studio each afternoon?”
“Yep, but I’m the model. I haven’t drawn anything yet.”
Braden clutched the steering wheel tighter and pulled off on a side road. Kane turned around immediately. “What do you mean, you’re the model?”
“I’m over eighteen, and they needed topless models and I’m the topless model for their adult-ed class.”
Before she said another word, Braden turned the Expedition around and raced toward the school. Kane clung to the door and Evan looked downright mad. She felt the heat of fury radiating off of his skin.
‘Wait, guys. I can explain.”
“I just bet you can, Peyton,” Braden growled. He never growled. He might bark or act like he planned to bite her head off but he never let out a man’s groan of disapproval.
They came to a screeching halt, and all three men barreled out of the truck. Kane turned around and pointed at her. “Don’t you fucking move from this vehicle or I swear I’ll spank your ass all the way back to the ranch.”
She kicked the back of the seat a couple of times and then folded her arms over her chest.
“Great! How did you know this is exactly what I need?” She threw her fist into the side of the door.
Peyton heard them before she saw them. She must’ve dozed off while they attempted to rearrange her life. She shook her head. More like sticking their noses where she didn’t ask them to sniff.
“Evan, get in the front seat with Braden.” Kane sounded furious as all three doors slammed in unison.
“You’re grounded,” Braden said the second he started the engine.
“Yeah, I kind of noticed.”
Evan turned around and smiled. “He’s dead serious. You’re so grounded.”
“Shut up, Evan.”
“You volunteered to take your clothes off for that class. Why?”
She shrugged. “Automatic ‘A’.”
“No doubt. I’ve seen those tits,” Kane sneered. “Still doesn’t excuse it.”
“Grounded,” Braden repeated.
“So tell me something. How is this going to work exactly?”
“Easy,” Braden said as he turned onto the state highway, “You can’t do a damn thing.”
“This is not fucking fair!”
“Language!” Braden yelled back. “I’m not interested in fair, Peyton. I’m interested in keeping you safe. In order to do it, you need to keep your clothes on.”
“Fine, if I won’t have anything to do, take me by the mall so I can pick up a new sex toy.” She smiled innocently at Kane, realizing immediately by his expression and the rigid shoulders of the men in the front seat, every dick in the vehicle twitched when she mentioned it.
“So maybe you can keep phone privileges,” Braden said.
“Really? I can talk on the phone? Sweet! Phone sex really gets me going.”
“Knock it off,” Kane snapped.
“Knock me up with something hard and stiff, I might consider it. Until then-”
“Peyton, damn it!” Braden growled again. He was getting pretty good at the sound effects. Maybe he was watching adult movies or something,
He slammed on the brakes. Peering into the rearview mirror, it was hard to tell if his gaze meant to warn Kane or scold Peyton. “I have a mind to bend you over my knee and let these two here spank you.”
“Oh goodie, spank me. I’ll cry for more, maybe even beg, and the next thing you know, the three of you will try to figure out what you can do to shut me up. An early hint, any one of your cocks should do the trick. I’ll open wide.”
Kane glared at Braden and then Evan. The evil eye left Evan rubbernecking to see where Kane’s hands were, and while they weren’t on her yet, they soon would be and she knew it.
She scooted closer to Kane. “Well I guess everything is out in the open now. Call it an ‘oops’ because now the cat’s out of the bag.”
Kane’s nostrils flared, maybe because some kind of crazy pact existed between brothers. An oath Kane was only seconds away from breaking altogether.
His eyes narrowed on hers, and he tilted her chin with his index finger. He acted like he wanted to kiss her but instead he reached over with his free hand and patted her denim-clad mound. “Oh no, sweetheart. See, it’s more like this sweet little pussy is coming out of hiding because it just got the wrong hound’s full blown attention.”
