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One
Jeremy
“Fuck, yes, I win!”
God, she was frustrating.
Gorgeous. Smart. Funny.
And frustrating.
Teresa tossed her head back and laughed loud and deep, showing off the innate confidence she had. She was a woman who liked what she liked, who lived big and unafraid.
And she was fucking intense when it came to any form of competition.
Brutal.
As in, she took an opponent down with precise strategy and absolutely no sympathy.
Case in point…
His utter destruction at her hands in Spoons.
“I’m out,” he muttered, tossing his cards—and let it be noted, he couldn’t toss his spoon on the table because he’d lost…again.
Teresa had shown up about the time the board games got really serious and had jumped right in, just like she always did.
During the three years she’d worked for Rafe, his best friend and brother, for all intents and purposes, she’d become an honorary Hutchins.
At Sunday dinners.
At game nights.
At family events and holidays and birthdays and—
She was there.
Always.
And…she was hot and sexy and gorgeous. And he wanted her.
But she was seeing someone.
So, he stayed away, kept his distance, rolled his eyes when she crowed, snarked back when she led with sarcasm, huffed out laughter when she threatened him…and generally acted the part of the annoying older brother.
Inside?
Inside, he’d cataloged enough fantasies to write a dozen romance novels.
“We can play something else,” Kate offered.
He shook his head, smiled at his sister’s friend. “Nah. I’m good. My eyes need a break.” A nod to the fridge. “I’m gonna grab a beer.”
There were offers to join him, but he waved them off, and in the end, he went out onto Cora’s back deck alone, plunking into one of the chairs, holding his bottle of beer by the neck, and staring up at the sky.
He’d finished nearly all of it by the time the slider opened.
Footsteps on the deck.
