motion.
“Want me to tell you?”
He stopped in mid-rub and shot her a glare. “You are evil, baby sister.”
She turned her head to see Maverick stroll through the open garage door. “Betcha Mav knows.”
Maverick frowned. “Knows what?”
“Don’t ask,” Travis mumbled.
“Travis doesn’t know what Casey and I do when we’re alone at the house,” she answered.
Maverick glanced at Travis and then back at her. “I’m not sure you should share that information, Annessa.”
Her eyes widened. “You too?”
“We all helped raised you. That’s not information we need at this point.”
Her shoulders shook with her giggles. “Fine. Forget I said anything.”
“Gladly.” Maverick nodded at Travis. “I’ll be upstairs.”
As soon as Maverick topped the stairs, Travis cleared his throat. “Casey loves you, Annessa.”
She lifted an eyebrow, somewhat stunned by Travis’ remark. Not because it wasn’t true, but because the words slipped out of his mouth.
“I love him too, Travis,” she said quietly. “I’m just not sure what that means.”
Travis stopped wiping the truck, squatted in front of her, and pushed a wayward piece of hair over her shoulder. “It means you should forgive him and put the past behind you.”
Now she was shocked. “You know about that?”
“No particulars. I only know that something went insanely wrong and now it’s time to fix it. For both your sakes.”
“Vanessa told you?”
“No. Casey’s my best friend, almost my brother. I can read him almost as well as you, brat.”
She gave her brother a weak smile. “I’m trying, I really am.”
Travis stood and threw the towel at her. “Try harder.”
Annessa caught the towel and tossed it from hand to hand while she digested her brother’s advice. Perhaps holding Casey responsible wasn’t entirely fair. Maybe her juvenile, infatuated brain hadn’t thought things through before she planned to seduce him. Honestly, the timing sucked and even worse, she hadn’t had a clue what to do. Now, however, she knew exactly what turned him on.
“It’s awfully quiet in here.”
Annessa lifted her gaze to see Casey braced against the rear bumper of the truck. Her nipples responded with their usual standing ovation.
Travis snorted. “For a change.”
She grinned and threw the towel at her brother. “Ha, ha.”
Travis wadded the rag into a ball and grinned. “She’s all yours, McIntyre. I’ll see you two after my shift.”
Casey nodded as Travis climbed the stairs then turned his gaze back to her. “Do you still want to see that building?”
She paused a moment to interpret his question. Purchasing the property meant coming home. For good. She wanted that more than anything – as long as he stayed too.
“Why?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “I’ll take you.”
A grin split her lips. He could pretend nonchalance all he wanted, she could read him just as well as he read her. His gesture was the same as handcuffing her to him. Again.
“I’d like that.”
He grasped her hand and led her to his truck, letting go only to open the door. “Inside, short stuff.”
“Thank God for step rails,” she mumbled as she climbed up and into the cab.
“I had them added just for you.”
Although she realized he was probably teasing, she still couldn’t help but wonder if that was another of his sly attempts to show her he was serious about convincing her to stay. Hoping, maybe.
“Seatbelt,” he reminded her.
Once he sat behind the steering wheel, he buckled his own belt then laid an open palm on the seat between them in silent invitation. Without a second thought, she placed her hand there, warmed when his fingers threaded hers.
“Did you talk to your brother about your shadow?”
His question brought sordid reality right back to the forefront of her mind. “No. I promised you I would tonight. I’ll tell everyone, all together.”
“No more running, Annessa.”
“I promise.”
“Want me to tell you?”
He stopped in mid-rub and shot her a glare. “You are evil, baby sister.”
She turned her head to see Maverick stroll through the open garage door. “Betcha Mav knows.”
Maverick frowned. “Knows what?”
“Don’t ask,” Travis mumbled.
“Travis doesn’t know what Casey and I do when we’re alone at the house,” she answered.
Maverick glanced at Travis and then back at her. “I’m not sure you should share that information, Annessa.”
Her eyes widened. “You too?”
“We all helped raised you. That’s not information we need at this point.”
Her shoulders shook with her giggles. “Fine. Forget I said anything.”
“Gladly.” Maverick nodded at Travis. “I’ll be upstairs.”
As soon as Maverick topped the stairs, Travis cleared his throat. “Casey loves you, Annessa.”
She lifted an eyebrow, somewhat stunned by Travis’ remark. Not because it wasn’t true, but because the words slipped out of his mouth.
“I love him too, Travis,” she said quietly. “I’m just not sure what that means.”
Travis stopped wiping the truck, squatted in front of her, and pushed a wayward piece of hair over her shoulder. “It means you should forgive him and put the past behind you.”
Now she was shocked. “You know about that?”
“No particulars. I only know that something went insanely wrong and now it’s time to fix it. For both your sakes.”
“Vanessa told you?”
“No. Casey’s my best friend, almost my brother. I can read him almost as well as you, brat.”
She gave her brother a weak smile. “I’m trying, I really am.”
Travis stood and threw the towel at her. “Try harder.”
Annessa caught the towel and tossed it from hand to hand while she digested her brother’s advice. Perhaps holding Casey responsible wasn’t entirely fair. Maybe her juvenile, infatuated brain hadn’t thought things through before she planned to seduce him. Honestly, the timing sucked and even worse, she hadn’t had a clue what to do. Now, however, she knew exactly what turned him on.
“It’s awfully quiet in here.”
Annessa lifted her gaze to see Casey braced against the rear bumper of the truck. Her nipples responded with their usual standing ovation.
Travis snorted. “For a change.”
She grinned and threw the towel at her brother. “Ha, ha.”
Travis wadded the rag into a ball and grinned. “She’s all yours, McIntyre. I’ll see you two after my shift.”
Casey nodded as Travis climbed the stairs then turned his gaze back to her. “Do you still want to see that building?”
She paused a moment to interpret his question. Purchasing the property meant coming home. For good. She wanted that more than anything – as long as he stayed too.
“Why?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “I’ll take you.”
A grin split her lips. He could pretend nonchalance all he wanted, she could read him just as well as he read her. His gesture was the same as handcuffing her to him. Again.
“I’d like that.”
He grasped her hand and led her to his truck, letting go only to open the door. “Inside, short stuff.”
“Thank God for step rails,” she mumbled as she climbed up and into the cab.
“I had them added just for you.”
Although she realized he was probably teasing, she still couldn’t help but wonder if that was another of his sly attempts to show her he was serious about convincing her to stay. Hoping, maybe.
“Seatbelt,” he reminded her.
Once he sat behind the steering wheel, he buckled his own belt then laid an open palm on the seat between them in silent invitation. Without a second thought, she placed her hand there, warmed when his fingers threaded hers.
“Did you talk to your brother about your shadow?”
His question brought sordid reality right back to the forefront of her mind. “No. I promised you I would tonight. I’ll tell everyone, all together.”
“No more running, Annessa.”
“I promise.”
Similar Books
