“You’re no fun.”
I’d show her fun. In fact, I’d show her—
Damn it. No. It’s Maddison.
I reached for my phone with one hand while attempting to hold Maddison up with the other. At this point, she was starting to crash, and she may weigh very little, but right then, she’d become dead weight.
“Dad,” I said when I heard him pick up the other line, “can you have Mom or Garrett drop you off at Lucky’s? I’m gonna need some help getting Rhett’s truck back to his place and him and Maddison home safe.”
My father agreed, and I let Rhett finish his intimate moment with his pal before dragging both him and Maddison outside. While waiting for my dad to show, I sat back and babysat the two of them as they tried to balance on one leg over and over. Rhett looked more like he was walking a tight rope, high in the sky. He even did the wobble, his arms extended out at his side, paired up with an entire, oh, oh, this is it, okay, I got it.
Maddison couldn’t stop laughing, and I did mean laughing hard, on the ground holding her stomach, laughing her fucking ass off, kind of laughing.
I knew I shouldn’t have been thinking it, but even in her drunken state, she was utterly beautiful.
Chapter Five
Maddison
I was exhausted, and frankly, I wanted to go home, run a hot bath, and soak away the ache in my feet. The problem with that was that I had to go over to Raven’s as promised and hang out. Had I not been ordered to bring more wine, I would have made up some excuse.
Who knew, maybe a girls’ night would clear my head. Lately, I’d felt so off, so confused even, feeling things I knew I shouldn’t toward people—one in particular who I definitely should not have been fantasizing about.
I blamed it all on the dry spell I’d been on. Life had been a whirlwind of crazy for far too long for me, and somewhere along the way, I forgot that I needed a little me time. Time to relax, time to forget about work and the upcoming surgeries of tomorrow. Instead, I was the eager nurse volunteering to take the on-call shift for others just for the experience. Fact was, it was because I wanted safe; safe worked for me.
Who the hell was I? This was not the me I’d always been but the me I had become.
Parking along the road, I gathered my bag and the two bottles of wine, climbing out of my car. The sun had just begun to set, and over the apartment building that Raven lived in, there was a glow that cast shadows over the trees.
I paused just outside the door and leaned my ear closer, hearing Raven and AJ’s laughter. It made me smile because, though I didn’t want to come only moments ago, I knew this was what I needed.
“And a little dirty too,” Raven said with a laugh. “I’ll admit, sis, I am a little envious.”
Now I was heavily curious.
“Give it to me,” AJ squealed.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted to know what the fuss was about.
Turning the knob, I pushed opened the door, and they both stopped what they were doing and looked at me. “The alcohol has arrived,” I announced as I held up not one but two bottles.
Suddenly, AJ snatched a phone out of Raven’s hands, and they tussled over it before AJ won, tucking it down the front of her jeans.
“What’s going on in here?” I looked between the two of them.
“Rhett’s sending dirty messages to AJ.”
Intrigued, I needed more information immediately. “I’ve always imagined him to be a little dirty. All dominant and forceful but in the hottest kind of way.” I placed the bottles on the coffee table and stared at AJ eagerly. “Does he talk dirty too, ya know,” I waved my hand out in that go on give me more manner, “during naughty times?”
“He’s your cousin,” AJ said, holding her phone hostage, refusing to allow either of them to see what Rhett was sending her. The continuous buzzing indicated he was still messaging her.
“We’re not really related, so I’m still allowed to wonder,” I declared. “I would never act on my curiosities, so please do tell.”
“No.” She was telling me no but laughing at the same time. “I’m not talking about this with either of you.”
“Oh, he’s dirty,” Raven finally added. “Look at how red her cheeks are.”
“I knew it.” I’d grown up with them, both him and Mike. They were both rugged and strong. “I imagined Mikey to be the same way. After being gone for so long, serving his country and limited access to those wild ways of men his age, I bet he’s all into that take control and demand what he needs kinda stuff.”
See, those were the exact thoughts I should not have been having about the person I should not have been having them about. It was so, so wrong.
“You’re starting to scare me.”
Oh, AJ, I am scaring myself too.
“Like I said, neither of them is actually related to me. I’ve just been around them for so long they feel like brothers.” At least I felt that way about Rhett, anyway. “It doesn’t mean I can’t wonder about those things, but I would never act on them. That would be too weird. But I am not opposed to hearing the details.”
“No,” AJ said sternly and found both Raven and me sharing a devious smile. “Rhett is different from what I imagined him to be,” she started again. “He’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. That’s all I’ll reveal.”
“We’ll just wait until she passes out then steal her phone and have a look
