AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If I get to that point, for the love of god, just yeet me off the Moore’s Cliffs,” Max hollered back. I laughed and Jameson gave a dark chuckle that did something obnoxiously warm to my insides. There was a crash and clatter from somewhere in Max’s vicinity and Jameson swore, rising off the couch with a groan.
“I got it,” Elora said as the back door slammed shut, buzzing past him and dumping her backpack at his feet. It seemed that the Rhodes had a precise protocol for which family member handled what task during any kind of crisis, even something small they were blowing so far out of proportion it would get lost in the stratosphere. Jameson gave her anumphof approval before his eyes drifted back to me. When she vanished into his room as well, he nodded slowly, bringing a broad hand to rest against his mouth.
“You should have told me.”
“What?” I balked. He’d been suspiciously quiet as the rest of his siblings buzzed about, planning and pretending my protests hadn’t been vocalized, but I’d felt this conversation brewing between us, tension pumping into the air.
“We would have looked out for you. Would have known the moment his pretentious shoes hit the ground. This town is fucking small, and we’ve got friends everywhere—he never should have blindsided you like that.”
“Look, Jameson, I appreciate what you’re offering, but I don’t need anyone looking after me.”
“I beg to differ.”
Rude. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Like I need to explain myself.”
“Clearly, you do.” He rolled his eyes, and I glowered back.
“Everyoneneeds good people to watch their back.” His words—his soft, pained expression—made my eyes burn. “You’re hiding some slimy power player who’s got it out for you?”
“Hidingfromhim, yes.”
“Hiding himfrom us,” he corrected gruffly. “You should have said something.”
There were a million whys on my tongue as I tried not to think about how he’d felt so close to me last night. About what I’d done in that shower with him in mind. About how part of me was curious to know what he would actually feel like. And all the reasons I didn’t want to bring this part of my life with me. But this was blatantly overboard.
“Honestly, with all due respect, I don’t owe you anything.”
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” My temper flared. Look, they were all showing up like angels, ready to seek revenge on my behalf, but I didn’t oweanybodyanything. At least, not before they all came charging in like a rogue drama queen army. That had been the point in starting over.
“You’re Brexley’s only fucking family, my brother brought you into our homes, our lives, so you’remyfucking concern. End. Of. Story.”
I blinked, his words hitting my chest in a way I absolutely didn’t expect. How did anyone respond to something like that? Regardless of his intentions, there was just one minor problem. This was the first time we’d been the two of us since the confrontation on the sidewalk, and I had to point out the elephant in the room.
“Jameson, this will never work.”
“What?”
“This, thisploy.”
“Ploy?”
“Geez,” I muttered, rubbing at my forehead as emotional overwhelm niggled at my mind. “This fake moving-in thing. I’m grateful for the assist out there, but it should have stopped where it started.”
“You don’t think people will believe we’re dating?”
“Do you?” I balked. Absolutely not. We’d done nothing but drive each other crazy, aside from Jameson strutting his masculine excellence around like god’s gift to women and reducing me into utter drooling stupidity.
“People will believe what I tell them to fucking believe.”
The freaking ego on this one. “Please, we can’t get through an hour without biting each other’s heads off.”
“Ahh, but at least we’d have a lot of hot makeup sex.”
My head spun, images of his hand against my pussy as my muscles gave out in a steaming shower bombarding my senses. Images of his eyes heavy with lust as his body moved over mine.Holy shit. Nope, nope, nope.Scandalized by my rogue, horny imagination, heat flushed my face as my useless fingers hovered over my lips. Release with Jameson Rhodes sounded like a painted universe of explosions. Like two packets of hot sauce per taco. Like a pillow that was always cool and a lifetime supply of chocolate.
