because she never quite trusted that Lorna would be around for the long haul."
Dean's muscles tensed. Lorna had a lot to answer for— more than these people, or his sisters,
realized.
"But Jacki's just the opposite," Mark said. "Not a care in the world, always the center of attention, no matter what's going on. She teases and flirts, and wherever she goes, there's a crowd around her.
People gravitate to her."
"And that's scary?"
Mark shrugged. "No. not usual y. Intimidating maybe, but. . . lately she's been real y outrageous."
"Meaning?"
Mark started to speak, and Eve said, "Give it a rest. Mark." She turned those big blue eyes on Dean again. "Jacki's fine. Cam's always made sure of it. Right now, she's just going through growing pains or something."
Dean frowned. "She's twenty-one and nearly six feet tal ."
"She's five-ten," Eve corrected. "And it's just a figure of speech."
"Either way, she's done growing. And that's not what your brother was talking about anyway."
When Eve started to speak, Dean hushed her. "No. I want to hear it from Mark."
Everyone turned to look at Mark, and his face went red in discomfort. "Wel , that is..." He cast a quick guilty look at his sister. "Eve's right. I, uh, didn't mean anything by it."
"Now look what you did." Eve turned on Dean, playful y punching him in the shoulder. "You've got him shaking in his boots."
Dean's brows shot up. "I didn't do anything."
"Ha!" Her expression chal enged and teased him. "You used that tone."
"What tone?"
"A tone that says you're feeling protective."
How many times did he have to tel people that he wasn't that type of brother? Her assumption
irritated him, so he leaned closer to say, "I was not being protective. That's not it at al ."
Ted quickly interrupted. "Hey, no big deal. Eve, quit fussing at the man."
"Yeah, Eve." Mark looked back and forth between the two of them. "Knock it off."
"Oh for crying out loud." Rol ing her eyes, Eve deliberately popped Dean again before saying to her father, "He's got shoulders like boulders, Dad. There's no way I hurt him."
Hurt him? Did she mean physical y? Ready to laugh, Dean glanced up and saw that Ted actual y
looked concerned. "How the hel could you hurt me?"
Now she looked disgruntled. "By punching you. Heaven only knows what a big bad SBC fighter like
you wil do when riled."
Of al the idiotic ... Dean knew what he wanted to do to her, and it had nothing to do with anger.
"You punched me?" he teased, pretending he hadn't noticed. "When was this?"
"Why you ..." Feigning outrage, Eve swung again. But Dean automatical y caught her wrist and pul ed her off balance. She landed facedown over his lap and almost tipped off onto the floor.
Dean tried to catch her, but he held his beer in one hand and Eve was flailing, trying to find her
balance. The skirt of her dress somehow ended up twisted to her hips.
For only a scant second, Dean got a glimpse of lacy, lavender panties.
With a yelp, Eve shoved herself away and tumbled onto the floor. Her face was beet red as she
slapped down her skirt to cover herself.
Mark roared with hilarity. Ted snickered.
In walked Crystal. She took one look at her daughter and threw up her hands. "Eve, for crying out
loud. What are you doing on the floor?"
Eve scampered back to her feet, threatened Dean with a shaking fist, and plopped back down next
to him.
"Are you okay?"
She made a face at him. "With you smiling like that, your concern doesn't seem at al sincere."
"Sorry." Dean smoothed her tousled hair. "Want me to teach you a few moves so that it doesn't happen again?"
To his surprise, she nodded. "Yes, I do." And then to her brother, "But you can wipe that look off your face right now. Mark. You're obnoxious enough already. You don't need special moves to make
you more so."
Knowing Mark would press the issue, Dean asked him, "So what has Jacki done?"
He drew back. "Nothing." Face blank. Mark added, "Real y."
Dean turned to Eve. "Give it
Dean's muscles tensed. Lorna had a lot to answer for— more than these people, or his sisters,
realized.
"But Jacki's just the opposite," Mark said. "Not a care in the world, always the center of attention, no matter what's going on. She teases and flirts, and wherever she goes, there's a crowd around her.
People gravitate to her."
"And that's scary?"
Mark shrugged. "No. not usual y. Intimidating maybe, but. . . lately she's been real y outrageous."
"Meaning?"
Mark started to speak, and Eve said, "Give it a rest. Mark." She turned those big blue eyes on Dean again. "Jacki's fine. Cam's always made sure of it. Right now, she's just going through growing pains or something."
Dean frowned. "She's twenty-one and nearly six feet tal ."
"She's five-ten," Eve corrected. "And it's just a figure of speech."
"Either way, she's done growing. And that's not what your brother was talking about anyway."
When Eve started to speak, Dean hushed her. "No. I want to hear it from Mark."
Everyone turned to look at Mark, and his face went red in discomfort. "Wel , that is..." He cast a quick guilty look at his sister. "Eve's right. I, uh, didn't mean anything by it."
"Now look what you did." Eve turned on Dean, playful y punching him in the shoulder. "You've got him shaking in his boots."
Dean's brows shot up. "I didn't do anything."
"Ha!" Her expression chal enged and teased him. "You used that tone."
"What tone?"
"A tone that says you're feeling protective."
How many times did he have to tel people that he wasn't that type of brother? Her assumption
irritated him, so he leaned closer to say, "I was not being protective. That's not it at al ."
Ted quickly interrupted. "Hey, no big deal. Eve, quit fussing at the man."
"Yeah, Eve." Mark looked back and forth between the two of them. "Knock it off."
"Oh for crying out loud." Rol ing her eyes, Eve deliberately popped Dean again before saying to her father, "He's got shoulders like boulders, Dad. There's no way I hurt him."
Hurt him? Did she mean physical y? Ready to laugh, Dean glanced up and saw that Ted actual y
looked concerned. "How the hel could you hurt me?"
Now she looked disgruntled. "By punching you. Heaven only knows what a big bad SBC fighter like
you wil do when riled."
Of al the idiotic ... Dean knew what he wanted to do to her, and it had nothing to do with anger.
"You punched me?" he teased, pretending he hadn't noticed. "When was this?"
"Why you ..." Feigning outrage, Eve swung again. But Dean automatical y caught her wrist and pul ed her off balance. She landed facedown over his lap and almost tipped off onto the floor.
Dean tried to catch her, but he held his beer in one hand and Eve was flailing, trying to find her
balance. The skirt of her dress somehow ended up twisted to her hips.
For only a scant second, Dean got a glimpse of lacy, lavender panties.
With a yelp, Eve shoved herself away and tumbled onto the floor. Her face was beet red as she
slapped down her skirt to cover herself.
Mark roared with hilarity. Ted snickered.
In walked Crystal. She took one look at her daughter and threw up her hands. "Eve, for crying out
loud. What are you doing on the floor?"
Eve scampered back to her feet, threatened Dean with a shaking fist, and plopped back down next
to him.
"Are you okay?"
She made a face at him. "With you smiling like that, your concern doesn't seem at al sincere."
"Sorry." Dean smoothed her tousled hair. "Want me to teach you a few moves so that it doesn't happen again?"
To his surprise, she nodded. "Yes, I do." And then to her brother, "But you can wipe that look off your face right now. Mark. You're obnoxious enough already. You don't need special moves to make
you more so."
Knowing Mark would press the issue, Dean asked him, "So what has Jacki done?"
He drew back. "Nothing." Face blank. Mark added, "Real y."
Dean turned to Eve. "Give it
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