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I laughed again, shaking my head.
“I have no idea what’s going on right now.” Ashton popped another cookie into his mouth. “But I do know that these are so motherfucking good.”
“Thanks, guys.” Meadow grinned. “You’re the best. But you know, eating a dozen cookies defeats the purpose of them actually being healthy.”
Ashton patted his stomach. “That’s what all the sex is for.” His eyes flicked my way.
I opened my mouth to say something when I felt Zach’s hard body press up behind mine. He placed his hands on my shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.
Leaning down to my ear, he brushed his lips along the shell of it. “I don’t give a fuck who he is. Whether he’s your friend, my friend, a fucking stranger. If he so much as even thinks of kissing you again, I’ll gut him where he sleeps, leaving him to bleed out.”
My heart hammered. “Possessive much?” I whispered.
Zach chuckled, the sound dark. “Baby, you have no fucking idea.” He released me and joined Meadow in the kitchen. “Need any help?” I heard him ask.
I shook myself and headed to my bedroom but not before I caught a look from Ashton. I wasn’t sure what that look meant, but I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before any of us found out.
Zach
WHILE LUNA WAS GETTINGready for our weekend at my condo, I helped Meadow prepare some more cookies. Or I pretended to help. She would slap my hands away every so often and scowl. Someone clearly liked being in control in the kitchen.
“Have you thought of opening your own bakery? Or…” A thought came to me. “I could put your desserts in the restaurants at my dad’s hotels.”
Meadow stopped what she was doing and turned around. Her dark brows narrowed. Blowing a loose curl out of her eyes, she opened her mouth and then snapped it shut.
“What?” I frowned.
“You would do that?” she asked. “No. I can’t,” she said before I could respond. “It would ruin them.”
“How would it ruin them? Your desserts would be in half the hotels in the city. And more. It would take some time, but I can help you—”
“I appreciate that, Zach. I really do but I think right now, I just want to keep things local and make desserts for people I know.” She took a step back. “Although, I could use a bigger kitchen,” she said more to herself. She tapped her chin, her dark eyes moving around the area in front of her. “I would give my left arm for one of those industrial ovens where I can stock them with dozens of cookies and pastries.” She sighed. “One day.”
I knew when not to press. Meadow was different than the other girls. She was younger, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t headstrong and determined. She wanted something. But she never told us what that was. Hell, I wasn’t even sure ifsheknew.
“Stop staring at my pretty face and go to your girl, Zach.”
I chuckled. “You are something else, Meadow.”
She blew me a kiss. “I know.” Her gaze flicked behind me. “Hey…uh…I heard Ashton’s been causing some problems.”
“It is what it is,” I mumbled, leaning against the counter. Luna really needed to hurry up.
“Listen, I know he can be an ass. Hell, we’ve all seen how he goes through women. But I think he’s doing it just to get a rise out of you. Shock value and shit.”
I passed a glance at her. “Why though? He’s never shown interest in her. Why now?”
“Why does he do anything?” Meadow shrugged. “But if you need me to distract him, I can.”
I hesitated. “And how are you going to distract him?”
She laughed. “You’re a guy, Zach. How else do us women distract you? It’s either with beer, food, or sex. I’ve given him food plenty of times. And beer.” She scoffed. “He can get that whenever he wants. We always have beer. But sex…no one else here will have sex with him and I know Piper isn’t riding that anymore.”
“I…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t—”
“Holy shit balls,” Ashton yelled.
Meadow and I glanced at each other before we left the kitchen.
