“Play darts with me,” Merci said, smiling widely.
Fucking hell. My pulse hitched, and for a second I forgot how to breathe. Up close, I caught the faint scent of vanilla and magnolia, a soft and sweet smell that didn’t fit anywhere near the smoky air of theclubhouse.
“I’m good,” I grunted, stepping back out of her reach. “Going to bed.”
Her smile faltered. “Oh. OK.”
Her disappointment hit me like a punch to the gut. A strand of hair fell in front of her eyes. I wanted to reach out to tuck it behind her ear, maybe let my fingers trail down her cheek. Down to her—no. I shoved my hands into my pockets, balling them into fists to keep from crossing that invisible line.
“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked, her voice a pitch higher than it’d been a moment before.
I nodded as I walked away. Every step felt like I was moving in the wrong damn direction.
That night, sleep didn’t come easily. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her smile and heard her laugh. I thought about how I might be willing to let everything go to hell just to see what a few minutes in heaven with her might be like.
The next morning, I joined Everest and Merrick for coffee on the back deck of the house that sat on the edge of the clubhouse property.
Merci chattered in the kitchen as Kenna cooked up breakfast. I envied Merrick. Her eggs were buttery gold, and she fried her bacon with a crispy glaze that cracked when you bit it, tasting of smoke, sugar, and sin.
Merci brushed past Merrick as he went inside to refill his mug. She set down a plate piled with cinnamon rolls before us. “I made these from scratch. And, by scratch, I mean I popped open the Pillsbury tube and put them in the oven by myself. You’re welcome.”
Everest grinned at her. “You keep feeding me like this every morning, I’m going to marry you.”
She snorted. “You couldn’t handle me.”
I didn’t realize I was glaring until Everest’s smirk faltered. He looked at me, then back at her, and cleared his throat.
From within the kitchen, Kenna’s laugh rang out, followed by the unmistakable sound of Merrick’s voice, low and teasing.
Merci groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I hate living here. They’re like horny teenagers. I’d better go save breakfast now that he’s in there distracting her.”
As soon as she was gone, Everest whistled low. “So, why aren’t you with Merci?”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” I snapped, setting my mug down hard. “Merrick’ll hear you.”
Everest grinned. “Dude, you’re clearly into her.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can’t.”
“You’re afraid of Merrick?”
“He’s my best friend. And she’s off-limits. It’s against our code.”
Everest leaned back, crossing his arms. “Because she’s his sister? That’s ridiculous. You’re both adults. Kenna dated some of my friends. If they weren’t assholes, I didn’t care.”
“Think of Merci like Maverick royalty,” I muttered. “Her dad was a founding member. A president. She grew up here.”
“So she’s the princess, and you’re the peasant who can’t touch her? Come on. Seriously?”
“I’ve known her since she was, like, fourteen.”
“Not fourteen anymore,” Everest said, staring through the screen door appreciatively as Merci swatted Merrick with a spatula, chasing him away from Kenna.
“You don’t get it.” I rubbed my jaw, looking toward the stairs Merci disappeared up. “Sisters and daughters are off fucking limits. For good reason. When shit goes sideways—and it always does—it tears the club apart. You can’t watch each other’s backs when your brother wants to slit your throat because you broke up with his sister the night before.”
Everest nodded slowly. “Listen, I’m not saying I’m happy when some douchebag breaks one of my sisters’ hearts. But Kenna and Kendall are grown-ass adult women, and I learned a long time ago that their love lives are none of my business. Do you really think Merrick would be that upset that someone he trusts wanted to be with his sister?”
“It’s the principle,” I argued.
