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Jasmine giggles. “I so know what you mean.”
As we turn to leave, Molly notices us and strides over with a cocky sway to her hips.
“Jasmine,” she purrs. “Is Jace with you?”
My cougar claws are about to make an appearance as I narrow eyes at Molly. Jasmine thinks I’m being protective, and I am just not in the brotherly love kind of way she expects. His name on Molly’s lips or the fact that she’s even thinking about him boils my blood.
“Nope.” Jasmine’s curt answer should hint at our dislike of her and her posse of followers.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Molly pouts.
God, I want to slap her, wipe that smug, I think I’m the hottest thing to walk this earth, expression right off her face. Two seconds away from the best bitch slap of my life, I turn to Jasmine and eye her. She gets the message and turns with me to leave.
“Tell Jace I said hi and to call me,” she hollers after us.
“Jeez,” I moan. “Just her voice begs my hand to slap her.” Jasmine laughs. “Doesn’t it bother you she likes Jace?” I can’t help myself; I need to ask.
“No.” She looks at me funny. “He wouldn’t touch her. He’s told me on multiple occasions and has no reason to lie. She pretty much stalks him everywhere he goes; shows up at parties, by his locker, at his games. Alex and he refer to her as his stage-five clinger.”
I laugh, gaining the reassurance I was seeking. “We better get home. Ma’s going to want some help with dinner and I bet the guys are back from playing basketball, too.”
Jasmine gives me another questioning glance. “Why do you care if they’re back?”
“I don’t. We had fun the other night and I love spending time together; all four of us.” Tossing down breadcrumbs to throw her off my trail is my only option. I’m turning into Jace’s next stage-five.
“Yeah, that was pretty fun.” Jaz laughs her agreement. “We haven’t had a sleepover like that in a while. We should do it more often.” She glances over with a giant smile glued to her face. “Now, let’s get back to the house before the guys eat all the food. If I know my brother, Mexican food is not something he’d save for us.”
The drive back is quick enough that we beat our brothers easily. Now we’re at my house, helping mi madre finish cooking a mean Mexican dinner. My parents grew up in Mexico, moving here before either Alex or I were born, so they enjoy passing down traditions from their native country and cooking is one of mismadre favorite lessons. The twins love her chef skills and come over for dinner more nights than not; especially since our papás work late together most evenings. Secretly, I think Ma loves cooking for a big family because it reminds her of home. None of us mind being ginny pigs to the feasts that are laid upon us each night.
When we get a break from frying fresh tortillas, I hound Jaz again. “Have you thought any more about a date to the dance?”
“Not really.” She shrugs the question off. Girly stuff never being her forte.
“You should consider, Andrew.” My fingers trail through my thick, long hair that’s driving me crazy.
“I don’t know. You know I’m not into dances. I don’t even know if I’ll go.”
“Jaz, we’ll have so much fun! Just think about it, please. I’ll also work my magic with Andrew, so don’t worry your pretty little head about your date.”
“Aww…” she mocks, “you’d do that for me.”
The slamming of the front door and deep voices growing closer with each word interrupts our laughter. When they turn the corner, shirtless, my attention zeros in on Jace, and…abs. Holy baby monkeys! Where had those come from? Don’t remember seeing them the last time we all went swimming at the lake.
“Mare, my eyes are up here.” Jace whispers in my ear as they pass, a peak of his tongue grazing my skin, instantly flipping my stomach. In the background, Jaz was asking Alex how their scrimmage went, and calling him Mr. Bean, a childhood nickname. We’re left in a bubble all our own, electric energy crackling and zapping with any skin to skin contact, creating a magnetism that I don’t know if either of us is ready to accept.
The moment’s broken when my vocabulary can’t stay caught up with emotions, “Abs…”
His chuckle’s deep and quiet, meant only for me. “Mmm…” is his only response before skimming a brief kiss across my cheek and moving past me toward Alex.
A small sigh escapes without permission. With heat floating around in my stomach, heading for the nether region, dinner is going to be a hard sit.
