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Oh wait... That’s what should have been happening.
“Sorry to make him late, Hud.” She steps around me.
Hudson stretches out his arms to hug her, and I step between them. Not happening. My mouth was just on her naked body. I can still taste her orgasm on my lips, and she’s wearing my favorite fucking shirt. No fucking chance in hell he’s allowed to touch her right now.
“I’ll call you later, Red,” I tell her.
Her hair spills around her shoulders as she shakes her head. “You don’t even have my number, Kingston.”
“Make sure you answer the phone, Davenport.” As if laying down a challenge like that ever stopped me.
She waves at Hudson, then hurries down the stairs and quietly introduces herself to Maddie before she darts for the kitchen and the rest of her clothes.
My shithead brother has the decency to wait until she’s gone before he laughs hysterically. “Oh, this should be a great story. I can’t wait to hear you tell the whole family how you made it two whole days before nailing Wren Davenport. Because this shouldn’t getcomplicated.”
“I really fucking hate you, Hud.” I push open the bedroom door and finish getting dressed.
“Maybe you’ll think about knocking next time you walk into my house,” he answers.
Yeah... probably not.
* * *
I’m sitting in Max’s kitchen later that night, when my stepmother, Ashlyn, joins me. She takes the seat next to me at the counter, throws her blonde hair up in a messy bun on top of her head, then grabs a bottle of red wine from the counter and refills her glass. “Why are you moping by yourself in here, Sawyer?”
I take the bottle from her hand and top off my glass too. “I’m not moping. Just thinking.”
“Tomato. Potato. You’re quiet and none of you are ever quiet.” Ashlyn’s not exactly what you’d expect from a stepmother. Starting with the fact that she’s a year younger than me. Ending with the fact that there was always something odd between her and my dad. She’s more like a sister than a mother, which is kinda strange, considering she’s my youngest sister’s mother.
Damn. I’m not even drunk, and that sounded fucked up.
“Have you ever done something you thought was the right thing to do at the time but regretted it later?” I’m not sure why I ask the question or how I’m expecting her to answer. But what I’m not expecting is for her to laugh, which is exactly what she does.
“You have no idea.” She sips her wine and shakes her head.
“Are you still looking for a job?” I blurt out with absolutely no couth.
Ashlyn coughs and covers her mouth. “Remind me to strangle Becket.”
I lean back on the stool and wait her out.
“Fine. Yes. I’m looking for a job. And before you ask, no, I don’t need the money. I need something to do, Sawyer.” She sips her wine and shakes her head. “Madeline is in school full-time now, and I’m sorry, but if I have to sit through one more charity luncheon with one more stuck-up socialite, I might rip her thousand-dollar extensions right out of her shiny hair. But no one wants to hire a retired Olympic skater whose marriage made the front page ofPeoplemagazine.”
“Want to work with me?” I ask, hoping she says yes.
“At Kingdom? I don’t think so. But thanks for the pity offer.”
“It’s not me who’d be taking pity. Hudson and I need someone to run the lakeside real-estate venture. It’s gotten to be too much for us. Maybe twenty hours a week. And totally flexible. You could work it around Madeline’s schedule.” At the mention of her name, my little sister runs into the room with fairy wings flapping in the wind on her back.
Ashlyn runs a hand over Madeline’s blonde ringlets. “No more sugar tonight for you, baby. It’s a school night.”
“Okay,” Madeline pouts. “But Lenny said I could have a piece of cake if you said yes. Please say yes, Mom.” My hyper little sister dances in a circle, and I hide my laugh behind my glass.
“Fine. One piece.” She stands and picks Madeline up, then turns to me with my sister resting on her hip. “And you.” Her pale blue eyes crinkle at the sides. “Can I start tomorrow...? Please?”
“How about you come to my house after you drop Madeline off at school?” I offer.
“I want to go to Sawyer’s too,” Madeline pouts.
