AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jackie smacked him on the shoulder and burst out laughing. “I was kidding. I showed up a day early. You shouldn’t have to cancel any plans because of me.”
“Okay.”
Oops. He probably should have waited at least a couple of seconds before jumping on her offer. Though at this point, he and Chris would be reduced to the tent idea. It was a really nice tent, but...
“So tell me about her.” Jackie shook her long hair to one side and tipped her head to look up at him. “How long have you been dating?”
“I know exactly how long.”
“Aw, how sweet.” She looked vaguely ill.
Zac pretended to count. “No months, no days and no hours.”
“Oh, so this is totally new?” Jackie put her hands on her hips, stern again. “Does she know how you feel about her?”
“Of course not,” Luke chimed in. “If I hadn’t yelled at him, he’d still be sitting there sucking his thumb, waiting for her to show up with a box of condoms.”
Jackie burst into her great deep belly laugh. “I can totally picture that.”
Zac knew looks couldn’t kill, but he gave it a good try, anyway. They both deserved the effort. The short version was that Jackie had practically had to drag his emotions out of him when they’d started dating.
“Go.” Jackie made shooing motions. “Go have fun with your ‘friend.’ I’ll watch TV and get to know your gorgeous brother.”
“Cool.” Luke moved to make room for her on the couch, looking half thrilled, half terrified. As he should.
“We’ll wait up for you!” Jackie chirped.
“Oh, no.” Zac tried not to sound desperate. “I wouldn’t do that.”
Jackie settled in beside Luke, whose eyes resumed their popping. “Planning to stay out late, are you?”
“Actually, yes. I won’t be back until late.”
Jackie shrugged, looking way too innocent. “I don’t mind staying up late. You, Luke?”
“Not at all.”
Zac glared at them both. “Really late.”
“Like I said, not a problem. Luke?” She nudged him with her elbow. “You mind staying up really late?”
“Not a bit.” Luke smiled sweetly at his brother. “We’ll be here waiting for you to see how all that ‘talking’ went with Chris.”
Zac clenched his teeth. “I mean like late morning.”
“Well, Zachary.” Jackie folded her arms over her chest, face in a familiar deadpan. “I myself am shocked. Luke? How about you?”
Luke gave him a thumbs-up. “I’m definitely apologizing to Summer first thing in the morning.”
“Luke, this isn’t about—”
“I know, I was kidding.” He looked to Jackie for approval—or at least to her breasts for approval.
“Does she have a place in Carmia?” Jackie calmly turned Luke’s face back toward the TV.
“She’s staying at her sister’s.” He thrust his hand through his hair. “Unfortunately, as of tonight, so is her sister.”
“Aw, man, that sucks.” Luke kept his eyes fixed on the TV, his face bright red from Jackie’s intervention.
“No problem. Remember the friend’s cabin I told you about? Where I’m going next to do my hermit thing? It’s empty. You want to use that?”
Zac stared at her. Come on. No sneaking in and out of his bedroom? No tent? Perfect solutions didn’t just drop into people’s laps like that. “Are you serious? You don’t think she’d mind?”
“Of course not, or I wouldn’t offer. She told me I could bring friends if I wanted.” She jumped off the couch and headed for the guest room. “Hang on, I’ll get the directions and keys, and you can be on your merry way.”
Zac turned from staring after Jackie to staring at Luke, still trying to figure out how something had finally gone really right today.
If Chris agreed to go with him...very soon they’d be friends getting all the benefits they could handle.
* * *
“SO? TELL, TELL! What was Zac doing here?”
Chris snorted, half tempted to tell her sister exactly what they’d been doing. Maybe she and Ames would be horrified at having intruded and would check themselves in to the Carmia Court Motel for at least one night. Her female bits were aching and wistful, having come so close to satiation—no amount of meditation was going to help relieve this stress.
