I shake my head and walking to the chair he’s sitting on, I place my hand on his shoulder and press a kiss to his cheek. “Daddy, just tell me I look pretty. It’s not like I’m going to a club. I’ll be with the group at Jase’s house, so you have nothing to worry about.”
My group of friends consists of my cousins and family friends. We’re a tight-knit group of sixteen kids who grew up together.
Dad lets out a hopeless sigh. “As long as you and Brady don’t go sneaking off.”
Sometimes Dad’s sixth sense is scary.
“Daddy,” I begin to worry I somehow gave away that I plan on losing my virginity tonight. I hope none of my emotions show on my face as I say, “You know Brady is sweet and caring.”
Dad locks eyes with me, his expression saying he doesn’t care much for what I think of Brady. “He’s a boy, and you’re a girl. No amount of being sweet and caring can overrule hormones.”
My eyes widen, and I glance at Ryker and Mila, who look like they’re seconds away from cracking up, then I turn my shocked expression back to dad. “Are you seriously going to give me the birds and the bees talk in front of everyone?”
“That’s enough, Rhett,” Mom scolds Dad. She gets up and comes to give me a hug. “Have fun, Bean.”
Playfully, I narrow my eyes at Mom because she still calls me by the nickname they gave me as a baby.
With a loving smile, she murmurs, “You’ll always be our little bean.” Then she turns to Ryker. “Drive safely and no drinking.”
“Yes, Aunty Evie.”
I lean down and give Dad a hug. “Love you, Daddy.”
His arms wrap around me, and he pulls me down until I’m sitting on his knee. Giving me a worried look, he says, “I worry about you, Bean. Boys only have one thing on their minds.”
“Rhett, I’m certain Brady’s mind doesn’t work anything like yours did when you were a teenager.”
Mom gives him a stern glare, which has Dad looking chastised. “If I knew I’d be paying for my sins…”
“What? You’d walk the straight and narrow? We both know that’s impossible when it comes to Rhett Daniels and his friends.”
“Mhh…” I tease. “I feel like there’s an interesting story I want to hear.”
Dad pushes me up. “Nope, nothing interesting in my past.” He rises from the chair and walks toward the front door. “Have fun, guys. Ryker, have Jade home by midnight.”
I grin, and when I reach the front door, I press another kiss to Dad’s cheek.
He gives me a warm smile and whispers, “Love you, Bean.”
The drive to the Reyes’ Mansion is a quick one, and when I walk out onto the veranda, Hunter calls out, “Bean’s finally here.”
Grinning at him, I break out into a run. Hunter catches me in a big bear hug, and asks, “How’s my favorite girl?”
“Good.” He waits for me to press a kiss to his cheek before setting me down on my feet. Glancing over his designer jeans and t-shirt, I say, “I like the new clothes. You always look good in black.”
“Because it fits my dark soul,” he teases.
“Yeah, right.” Turning to Jase, I say, “Happy birthday, Jase. How does it feel to be twenty?”
“No different from yesterday.” Jase gives me a warm smile. “I still can’t legally drink, which sucks huge hairy donkey balls.”
I scrunch my nose. “Eww.”
As I step closer to Kao, he gets up and gives me a hug. “Hey, Little Bean.”
Smiling, I hug him back. Every day, I thank my lucky stars that I have such a big group of friends. Our parents are either related, best friends, or business partners.
“When are you going to stop calling me Little Bean?” I ask Kao.
Frowning at me, he asks, “So, it’s okay if Hunter calls you Little Bean, but not me?”
Shaking my head, I step forward and wrap my arms around his waist. Resting my cheek against his chest, I mumble, “He calls me Bean. Lose the little, and I’ll stop giving you lip.”
Pressing a kiss to the top of my head, Kao replies, “You’ll always be Little Bean to me.”
“Jade!” Mila calls from the sliding doors. “Brady’s here.”
“Can you send him out here?” I’m about to walk to the veranda, but Hunter grabs hold of my hand and glares down at me.
“How’s Brady treating you? You’re not doing anything stupid, right?”
My eyes widen at his words. “Gross, Hunter. You sound like my dad.”
“Unlike your dad, I’ll fuck Brady up if he tries anything with you.”
Shaking my head, I hold Hunter’s intimidating gaze. “Yeah, you and every other man in my life. Give it a rest already.”
The blue of his eyes darkens around the pupil, which is a clear sign he’s dead serious. Not wanting him to give Brady a hard time, I close the distance between us and take hold of his jacket. Giving him a pleading look, I say, “Let it go, please. I won’t do anything irresponsible.”
Hunter tilts his head to the left, his features not softening at all as he stares at me.
Damn, he’s just like his father.
“Trust me, Hunter,” I whisper.
He lets out a deep breath, then says, “I trust you, but I’m still going to kick his ass if he tries anything.”
Forest, Fallon’s younger brother, comes to stand by us and pats Hunter’s shoulder. Even though he’s a year younger than me, the older boys in our group never treat him like a kid. Nope, they keep the special kiddie treatment for the girls.
“Dude, chill. Brady’s the shy wimpy kind. Jade could knock him out with one punch.”
“Forest!” I chastise him. “You don’t have to be mean. Brady’s just sensitive. Unlike the lot of you.”
Deciding I’ve had enough lectures for one day, I go to greet the rest of my friends, and when I’m done, I turn to the most important people in the group.
My girls.
Smiling, I walk to where Mila, Fallon, and Hana are standing with Brady.
When I reach them, I hook my arm through Brady’s and grin at my friends. “Thank you for keeping Brady company while I did my rounds.”
“Shouldn’t I greet everyone?” Brady asks, his eyes scanning over my group of friends. Brady, being an introvert, is always anxious around my friends.
“No, it’s okay.” I glance up at him, and when we make eye contact, my stomach flips, and the sensation makes my heart beat faster. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
More people begin to arrive, and soon music is blasting as the party gains momentum. Uncle Julian and Aunt Jamie, Jase’s parents, have gone out for dinner and will be back in a couple of hours. Knowing my time is limited, I glance up at the mansion. The house has eight bedrooms, and I intend to borrow one of them tonight. I know the east wing is quiet and that Jase’s parents only use that part of the house for guests. It’s also the furthest point from the party.
My girls said they’d cover for me if anyone asks where I am.
Turning my eyes away from the house, I look at my friends. Mila leans closer to me and whispers, “Are you sure?”