“I don’t want to intrude.”
Lo throws her head back, laughing, before she walks over to me, throwing an arm around my neck. “She doesn’t want to intrude,” she mocks, putting emphasis on the word intrude. Jesse smirks, but he doesn’t say anything.
“It’s a kick-back, Allie, not a private meeting. And by we, I meant you and me. Jake’s closing tonight. It’s time you meet the family.”
I give her a skeptical smile. Why does it sound like I’m about to be jumped into a gang, or introduced to the mob?
“Unless you’ve got better things to do,” Jess taunts, no doubt sensing my unease. The creases in his forehead deepen as he waits for my response.
Challenge accepted.
“Nope. I’m wide open.” I shrug. “Sounds fun.”
“We’re out of here in an hour,” Lo announces before smacking a kiss to my cheek.
Jesse’s eyes bore into me until Lo’s out of sight, and we’re locked in some silent staring contest. I don’t know what it’s about, but I do know that I won’t be the one to back down. I stare right back, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly. Jesse breaks first, huffing out an amused laugh. He moves past me, his chest skimming my folded arms as he leans in close to my ear. I hold my breath, suppressing the shiver that’s fighting its way through me, but my traitorous heart doesn’t get the message. “See you at home.”
“How do you know my brother?” Lo asks, looking over at me from the driver’s seat.
“What?” I ask, thrown off by her question.
She lifts a shoulder. “I’ve noticed the way you two go back and forth. It just seems like you guys have known each other for a while.”
“We met briefly a couple months ago, but we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.” That’s putting it lightly, but she doesn’t need to know the sordid details.
“Ah,” she says, nodding. “He’s a good kid once you get to know him. The only thing bigger than his ego is his heart.”
I laugh, knowing the ego part is true at least.
“He’s been dealt a shit hand in life,” she goes on, seemingly lost in her thoughts. “He’s sort of in a weird place right now.” She swings into the driveway, cutting the engine and then looking over at me. “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you guys were cool.”
“We’re fine,” I assure her, keeping my tone light.
“Good,” she says with a nod, but I get the feeling that she’s worried about him for some reason. Maybe it’s the fact that he seems to have dropped out of school. Maybe it’s because he disappears for days at a time. Maybe it’s because his mood seems to flip-flop more often than I change my underwear. “Now let’s go inside.”
As soon as I open the door to hop out of her SUV, I hear music coming from inside the house. We make our way to the front door and Lo pushes it open, revealing a house full of people, some I recognize, some I don’t.
“Come on,” she says, pushing me between my shoulder blades and closing the door behind us. A guy with tan skin, full lips, and a mischievous grin notices our arrival first. He breaks away from his conversation with a blonde girl who sits on the lap of a guy who has his hand tucked between her thighs, as if anchoring her to the spot.
“Hey, Lo-Lo,” he says, pulling her into his arms for a tight hug.
“Try again,” Lo says, immediately shutting him down.
He laughs. “Still working on a nickname for you,” he says with a shrug.
“Work harder. Because that one is not happening.”
“Noted. You brought me a present?” he says, looking me up and down with brown eyes so light they appear golden. He’s gorgeous. And clearly trouble.
“She’s too young for you,” Lo says, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “She’s staying with us for a while. Adrian, this is Allison. Allison, this is Adrian. He likes to sporadically show up unannounced to piss Dare off.”
“Allison and Adrian. We already sound good together,” he says, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.
“Oh, you’re good.” I laugh, pulling my hand back. For some reason, his brand of flirting doesn’t put me on edge like Jesse’s does. Maybe because it’s so overt that I know it’s all in good fun. Or maybe it’s because you haven’t been near naked with him between your thighs.
Lo grabs ahold of my hand, tugging me away from Adrian. I follow her lead toward the kitchen. She grabs two beers out of the fridge, handing me one before she’s being pulled into another hug. This time by the blonde girl I saw when I walked in.
“No baby tonight?” Lo asks, leaning a hip against the counter.