“Look, I see Grayson in the pool, cooling herself off with my history teacher. Why don’t you go see if she needs any help closing the deal?”
I glance over to find Marshall lounging in the hot tub with a bevy of beauties floating by his side. He nods in my direction, and a mean shiver runs through my body, starting at that tender spot between my legs before rippling through me.
Crap. He is so doing this on purpose.
Kresley backs away slowly, never taking her eyes off Gage. She bumps into Emma and almost knocks the bowl right out of her arms. She comes to and proceeds to help get the festivities under way. I have a feeling she’s going to be Emma’s new pet, and it has nothing to do with the bond her father shared with anyone at Ephemeral.
“Game’s coming up.” Coop gives Gage a light sock to the arm.
“You tell anybody the big news?” Gage and Coop seem to be having a private conversation.
“What big news?” Laken draws Coop in close.
“I went in for walk-ons and made it as an alternate. If one of these big baboons gets hurt, I might get to taste the field.”
“Sweet!” I give a little jump. “Too bad I’m not in cheer anymore, but I’ll be cheering from the stands.”
“And I’ll be right there with you.” Laken touches her hand to Coop’s chin. “Is this the big secret you’ve been teasing me with? I can’t believe you held back.” They share a sweet kiss. Coop and Laken are one of those sickeningly sweet couples that single people can’t stand to be around, but, since I’m very much taken myself, I can appreciate where they’re coming from.
“So”—Laken leans in, the smile dissipating from her face—“rumor has it Wes spent some time with your dad.” She glances at Gage. Poor Laken can hardly bring herself to look at him. “If Wes is up to something, we need to know.”
“We need to keep two steps ahead of him at all times,” Coop interjects. “He’s vengeful.”
“And power hungry,” Laken adds.
“And”—Coop looks to her—“he’s still in love with Laken. No thanks to me, Celestra as a whole is on his shit list.”
“Yeah, well”—Gage pulls me in until my back warms against his chest—“Wes has been on my shit list for a while now. If he starts sniffing around, I’ll have to kick his ass again.”
“There’s something else we should probably tell you.” Laken looks to Coop for a second.
My ears stop up with the noise from the party, and I lean in. “What?”
“Not here.” Coop glances around.
“All right.” Gage cinches his grip around me. “How about in a little while we head over to the beach.”
“Sounds good.” Laken and Coop take off for the buffet line, and I watch as her gaze hits the concrete, heavy as lead.
“It’s really hard for her to be around you.” I pull him in. I guess if Coop looked like Logan it would be a little awkward, too. He’s close, but Marshall eclipses him in that department. I glance at him, still in the hot tub with some yappy blonde talking his ear off. It looks like Marshall is right back to being Marshall, and my heart wrings out just thinking about it.
His eyes connect with mine, bright and heated. Don’t mistake company for pleasure.
I give a little smile Marshall’s way before spinning into Gage.
“I’ll steer clear of Laken and give her some space.” He nods behind me at his mother and Wesley’s other ex-girlfriend as they laugh themselves into oblivion. They’re hovering over the punch bowl each with a seltzer bottle in hand as the bubbles cascade over the rim and onto the ground.
God, Emma is laughing —like grip your belly, slap your knees, guffawing. She always seems so uptight with me. Hell, with anyone.
Gage nods over to Kresley. “And I plan on giving her a lot of space.”
“I appreciate that.” I rub my fingers over his cheeks. Gage is growing out his stubble, and he looks that much more adorable. “You’re just so damn hot. Once you get out on that field next
I glance over to find Marshall lounging in the hot tub with a bevy of beauties floating by his side. He nods in my direction, and a mean shiver runs through my body, starting at that tender spot between my legs before rippling through me.
Crap. He is so doing this on purpose.
Kresley backs away slowly, never taking her eyes off Gage. She bumps into Emma and almost knocks the bowl right out of her arms. She comes to and proceeds to help get the festivities under way. I have a feeling she’s going to be Emma’s new pet, and it has nothing to do with the bond her father shared with anyone at Ephemeral.
“Game’s coming up.” Coop gives Gage a light sock to the arm.
“You tell anybody the big news?” Gage and Coop seem to be having a private conversation.
“What big news?” Laken draws Coop in close.
“I went in for walk-ons and made it as an alternate. If one of these big baboons gets hurt, I might get to taste the field.”
“Sweet!” I give a little jump. “Too bad I’m not in cheer anymore, but I’ll be cheering from the stands.”
“And I’ll be right there with you.” Laken touches her hand to Coop’s chin. “Is this the big secret you’ve been teasing me with? I can’t believe you held back.” They share a sweet kiss. Coop and Laken are one of those sickeningly sweet couples that single people can’t stand to be around, but, since I’m very much taken myself, I can appreciate where they’re coming from.
“So”—Laken leans in, the smile dissipating from her face—“rumor has it Wes spent some time with your dad.” She glances at Gage. Poor Laken can hardly bring herself to look at him. “If Wes is up to something, we need to know.”
“We need to keep two steps ahead of him at all times,” Coop interjects. “He’s vengeful.”
“And power hungry,” Laken adds.
“And”—Coop looks to her—“he’s still in love with Laken. No thanks to me, Celestra as a whole is on his shit list.”
“Yeah, well”—Gage pulls me in until my back warms against his chest—“Wes has been on my shit list for a while now. If he starts sniffing around, I’ll have to kick his ass again.”
“There’s something else we should probably tell you.” Laken looks to Coop for a second.
My ears stop up with the noise from the party, and I lean in. “What?”
“Not here.” Coop glances around.
“All right.” Gage cinches his grip around me. “How about in a little while we head over to the beach.”
“Sounds good.” Laken and Coop take off for the buffet line, and I watch as her gaze hits the concrete, heavy as lead.
“It’s really hard for her to be around you.” I pull him in. I guess if Coop looked like Logan it would be a little awkward, too. He’s close, but Marshall eclipses him in that department. I glance at him, still in the hot tub with some yappy blonde talking his ear off. It looks like Marshall is right back to being Marshall, and my heart wrings out just thinking about it.
His eyes connect with mine, bright and heated. Don’t mistake company for pleasure.
I give a little smile Marshall’s way before spinning into Gage.
“I’ll steer clear of Laken and give her some space.” He nods behind me at his mother and Wesley’s other ex-girlfriend as they laugh themselves into oblivion. They’re hovering over the punch bowl each with a seltzer bottle in hand as the bubbles cascade over the rim and onto the ground.
God, Emma is laughing —like grip your belly, slap your knees, guffawing. She always seems so uptight with me. Hell, with anyone.
Gage nods over to Kresley. “And I plan on giving her a lot of space.”
“I appreciate that.” I rub my fingers over his cheeks. Gage is growing out his stubble, and he looks that much more adorable. “You’re just so damn hot. Once you get out on that field next
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