“You’re crazy.”
Goosebumps fly down my side as he holds there, his breath warm on my neck and making me ache against my will, heat pooling between my thighs. “Crazy, huh? That’s what people always say when you catch them after they’ve fucked someone they’re not supposed to.” He takes a sensually firm hold of my head to add, locking eyes with me, our mouths so close I can smell that he just had a shot of tequila, “You know what really pisses me off? Not that you weren’t supposed to do it. I’m jealous you chose him and not me. And I’m even more pissed that now it’s too late.”
He releases me and walks off, strides more emotional than before. Running a hand through his raven-black hair, he shakes his shoulders out like he’s trying to erase arousal, put me and that hot moment behind him.
I’m stunned, and confused. Because he just called out my secret and gave me a new one…his. I don’t know how deep it goes but from the reaction I’ve had to it, I’m not sure I want to. Everything could change, and I want it to stay the same. I love this home, our home, just as it is.
And yet I’m staring at Luke like I can’t stop.
His doorknob gets the turning it was promised and Atlas’s dream-filled snores drift into the hallway. But before Luke Martinez vanishes into their bedroom, he throws me one last hungry glance like he might come back. His dark gaze slides down my body and slowly up again, lighting it up as if he were touching me. My lips are parted, breath held. His thick eyelashes fall as he shakes his head, disappears, and locks the door.
It feels impossible to move. I have to force myself to break from the frozen position he left me in. My hands are weighted down as I reach for our antique doorknob and walk into our room.
Inside, covering my mouth so I don’t wake Ceels, I gasp for air.
The tiny nightlight we’ve had since we were little girls illuminates her beautiful profile. She must have changed the bulb because it was dark for a month plus. Seeing her sleeping only makes this harder than if I crawled into bed in pure darkness. I wish I could tell her the trouble I’ve caused. Share what Luke just confessed to me. Ask her why it upset me so much!
My fingernails are impotent claws on the back of our door.
What did he just do to me?
For the first time in my life I feel regret for my actions.
CHAPTER 7
L UKE
“What’re you guys giggling about?” I asked Soph and Celia when I discovered them on a couple of old chairs behind the garage.
They straightened up, lost their teenage grins and eyed me.
Ceels tugged on her messy braid. “None of your business!”
But Soph cocked an eyebrow and leaned toward me with mischief in her grey eyes. That gave me a deep view of her cleavage that seemed to have grown overnight. At fourteen she was almost three years older than me, and never let me forget it. “You’re too young for this, Luke, go away!”
“Nah, think I’ll stick around,” I smirked, shoving my hands in my pockets, t-shirt baggy around my flat chest and small shoulders, puberty taking its sweet damn time to get to me. Didn’t mean I couldn’t admire soft curves when they looked as good as they did on her.
She’d become my every waking thought lately.
No coincidence that I’d found them back here.
I’d noticed she hadn’t come back inside after the trip to town she’d taken with the women of the house. When they all filed in, she and Ceels were missing. I waited as long as I could, but curiosity took over.
“Just tell me,” I half-heartedly shrugged, leaning against the old building, weeds crushed under my feet.
Ceels sighed, “You’re as stubborn as your dad.”
“But not as built as him,” Soph laughed.
With a shocked slap, Celia cried, “Don’t talk about the Badger like that! He’s like our uncle.”
With a sexy glint in her eyes, Soph shrugged, “I’m just making Luke squirm.”
“Not squirming,” I muttered, kicking the dirt. “Don’t care what you think about who.”
“You’re so stupid,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“You’re stupider.”
“You are.”
“You are!”
She got up and threw a punch, knowing I’d dodge it. We started sparring, grinning our asses off as we successfully evaded kicks, too. When we started panting, heartbeats racing, I laughed and backed off. “Okay, that’s enough.”
“Chicken?” she sneered.
“Nah, just don’t want to hurt a girl.”
Her beautiful eyes went wide and she lunged at me with a fierce, high-pitched, girly-growl. I slipped out of the way and she hit the ground.
“Fuck!” she frowned at the deep scrape on her arm. Picking herself up she kept staring at it.
“What do you care if you get scraped? Never bothered you before.”
She went to Celia, speaking with a private tone not meant for me, like I wasn’t here anymore. “You think he’ll care if I’m a bloody mess?”
Ceels looked closer, humming, “Mmm, it’s pretty ugly, but who cares?”
“I don’t want to tell him that I’m a fighter yet. He seems…book smart, you know?”
Confused I asked, “Who’re you talkin’ about?”
Over her shoulder, Sofia made a face at me.
But Celia was too excited to keep it a secret. “The cutest guy in town kissed Sofia today! It was her first kiss, and with Thatcher Martin! She snuck off while the moms were gettin’ their hair dyed, made out with him behind Krogers!”
Jealousy twisted in my chest, but I kept my face blank. Voice, too.
