When he smiles at me like that, it’s like I’m basking in the most heavenly sunshine. It’s like a luminous light that shines only for me. My heart pumps faster, my breathing stops and starts, and my resolve weakens. His face draws me in, like it has on countless other occasions, and I’m leaning toward him before I’ve even registered the movement.
“Baby.” Standing, he cups my face. “I’ve waited five long weeks for this.” He lowers his mouth, and his lips are mere millimeters away from mine when I wake up.
I duck down at the last second, slipping out of his embrace as he kisses air.
Holy shit.
I’ve seriously got to keep my distance from him.
Because his sexual allure is like a spell. One I’m powerless to resist.
And I’m determined to be stronger this time. He doesn’t get to betray me and have me again.
This time we’re playing by my rules.
And he’ll learn that lesson the hard way.
CHAPTER TEN
“Stop getting your panties in a bunch,” I tell Sawyer. “I called Xavier on Sunday night when we were in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. I had no clue where we were heading because the guys refused to tell me. Xavier doesn’t know where we are,” I huff out. “Unfortunately.”
“For his sake, I hope he doesn’t,” Sawyer replies.
“Are you threatening him?” I lower my voice, stepping up close. “Because I’ll fucking end you if you harm one purple hair on his head.”
“There’s the sass I’ve missed so much,” Jackson says, finally making an appearance. He saunters toward me with that infamous shit-eating grin of his, his messy blond hair tousled all over his face and those mischievous blue eyes raking me in from head to toe.
I fling my arms around his neck, stretching up to nuzzle my mouth into his neck. “I missed you too. So, so much.” I cling to him, pressing my body flush against his, feeling imaginary daggers embedding into my back the more I hold onto him.
It takes Jackson all of point five seconds to notice the obvious change to my silhouette. “Holy fucking shit, beautiful.” He holds me at arm’s length, his eyes almost bugging out of his head as he ogles my boobs. “Your tits are fucking fantastic.”
“I had a feeling you might like,” I tease, gripping onto his waist as I shamelessly flirt with him.
“Can I feel?” he asks, making a cupping motion with his hands as he waggles his brows.
“If you want to eat shit for the rest of your life,” Kai replies, injecting himself into our conversation.
“You can feel,” I blurt, wanting to take back control. Before Kai can protest, I grab Jackson’s hands, planting them firmly on my chest. His heated gaze meets mine for a split second, and then he’s gone.
In the blink of an eye, he’s thrown to the floor, landing unceremoniously on his butt. He curls into a ball, clutching his stomach and cracking up laughing.
“You’ll pay for that,” Kai says, pulling me back, and he’s practically dripping in rage.
“Bite me.”
“I’ll do more than that,” he says, and my body hums with expectation.
“Oh, God.” Sawyer emits a frustrated sigh. “I can’t believe we’re back to this.” He shakes his head.
“She’s a fucking handful,” Rick agrees, and I swing for him. This time, he’s ready, and he holds my fist in his hand, halting my punch before it makes contact.
“It’s his fault too!” I protest.
“And now, you sound like a whiny three-year-old.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Don’t forget you’re on my Anderson shit list too.”
“And let me guess. The only one not to make the list is Harley.”
“Harley’s sweet and hot as fuck,” I say, purely to get a rise out of Kai. Plus, I know I’m about to lose that angle, so I want to piss him off first.
Kai tugs at his ear, like he can’t believe what he just heard. “Come again?”
“Now, it adds up,” Rick says, grinning. “You didn’t hook up with Harley. That was an excuse so—”
He’s cut off when a meaty hand wraps around his throat, restricting his air supply. Kai is puce in the face as he slams his older brother into the wall. “You have two seconds to explain before I dig a pit outside and bury every fucking one of you!” he yells, his gaze bouncing between the three guys in the room.
“What the actual fuck…” Joaquin says, rushing into the room, his words dying out when he spots Rick smashed against the wall with Kai’s hand around his neck, “is going on?”
Harley races in behind him, sending panicked eyes in my direction, and guilt churns in my gut.
“That’s what I’d like to know.” Kai bores a hole in the side of Harley’s head, and his cheeks darken. “Over here now,” he commands, slapping Rick’s cheek before releasing him. Rick punches him in the gut, but it’s lacking power because Kai doesn’t even flinch. He just smirks. That horrible smug smirky thing he does that makes me want to claw my nails down his face.
“Asshole,” Rick spits, rubbing at his neck.
Kai ignores him, slinging his arm around his younger brother’s shoulder in a threatening manner. “Spill. And hold nothing back, or I’ll know.”
“I’m sorry, Kai!” Harley says, his voice quaking. “I shouldn’t have drunk the tequila because I got wasted, and I don’t remember any of it, but I didn’t mean to do it. I know she’s your girl, and I’d never have touched her if I wasn’t so trashed.” The confession spews from his mouth like projectile vomit.
“What did you do?” Kai locks eyes with me as he asks his brother the question.
“I don’t know,” Harley wails, and his lower lip wobbles. “All I know is they found us in our underwear in bed.” He pins sorrowful eyes on his brother. “I’m sorry, Kai. And I promise it won’t happen again. Please don’t hate me.”
Fuck this shit. I’ve got to end this before poor Harley cries. “Nothing happened,” I admit, because I can’t stand to see the anguish in Harley’s eyes. “I just made it look like that.” Harley’s head whips around to mine, his eyes splayed wide. “I’m sorry. It was a shitty thing to do, but I had to cover my tracks and there wasn’t time for anything else.”
“Because you snuck out and bought the cell phone,” Rick says, joining the dots. I nod. “How? You had no cash.”
“I sweet-talked Harley into giving me cash for snacks, made a deal with the girl in reception so I could borrow her ride, and then got him drunk superfast so he passed out and I could leave.”
Jackson chuckles. “Resourceful as ever, beautiful, and my offer still stands.” He palms his crotch, giving it a quick stroke. “Whenever you ditch the caveman, I’ll be right here waiting.”
“As will my fists,” Kai cuts in. “I’m fucking warning you, Lauder. You’re on thin ice with me, so quit that shit. She’s carrying my baby, and I’m fucked if I’ll sit by and let you drool all over her. That goes for all of you.” His gaze bounces between his brothers and his friends. He lets Harley go. “You too, Har.”