never had a steady girlfriend or been jealous of a woman in his life. He stood, ready to leave.
Maddie pointed to the rocking chairs. "Sit, all three of you."
Maddie glared at him, and he took the swing again. Did she know they'd been up to the resort—had she seen them get thrown out in such an undignified manner?
"Maddie, we—"
Maddie snapped her fingers, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Chase pushed the swing back and forth, watching in amazement as Lance and Reid did as she said. But he knew his buds well; they folded their arms defensively, their tempers barely in check.
Maddie dropped her purse on the floor of the porch, then planted her small hands on hips encased in a black stretch skirt that hugged her curves, sending his body into arousal again. A dark purple T-shirt molded over her breasts, leading his mind astray with wicked thoughts. He couldn't keep his eye off those long, slender legs. But the sound of her clunky high heels clicking on the wooden slats of the porch brought him back to the moment and the mess they were in.
"I'm sorry I worried you, guys, but I did call and leave a message that I was sleeping over at a friend's."
The three of them simply glared at her.
"I'm a grown woman now, not a little girl, and I can go and do whatever I please."
"The hell—"
"Shut up and listen, Lance."
Chase slowed the swing at the sound of Maddie's husky, angry tone.
"I know you guys care about me, but you're smothering me to death. You don't tell me every time you go off with a woman for the night."
Chase's stomach rolled.
Reid cursed.
Lance's face paled. "You spent the weekend with a guy?"
"I didn't say that!"
Reid and Lance exchanged hopeful looks. "Then who were you with?" Reid asked.
Chase could have sworn he saw steam coming from Maddie's mouth. "That's none of your business. What's important here is that I need some space."
Two male mouths opened to argue but Maddie's quick shush snapped them shut. "I'm not sixteen anymore, I live alone, I make my own money, I'm on my own. I don't have to ask your permission to go out."
"But overnight!" Lance said.
"Without even calling again Saturday," Reid mumbled.
Maddie hitched out her hip and shook her head. "You're impossible."
"We're your brothers!" Lance shouted.
"And we care about you," Reid added.
Maddie's temper faded slightly, but her resolve didn't budge. "Okay, let's set some rules here, boys." She shot Chase a venomous look as if to say he was intruding, but he'd better listen, too. He remembered his comment about her being like a kid sister and figured he deserved her scorn, but he didn't like it any more than Lance. No one had to point out the fact that he wasn't family; the knowledge that no one had wanted him, not even his own mother, had been burned in his brain with his mother's searing parting words. But Maddie and her brothers had always treated him as such and being a part of The Terrible Three had saved his sorry butt more times than he could count. The very reason he had to control his male hormones around Maddie.
Sometimes being a responsible adult sucked.
"I promise to let you know if I'm going out of town again, but you have to promise not to call or drop by unexpectedly and check on me every day like you've been doing the past week. What if I'm entertaining?"
"Just what kind of entertaining do you plan to do?" Lance snapped.
"Yeah, you planning on having a naked orgy?" Reid asked.
Maddie's eyes widened, and Chase's stomach dropped to his toes. Reid was going to give them away.
"That's none of your business," Maddie said in a strained tone.
Reid leaned forward as if to stand. "But—"
"No buts. You're driving me crazy, you can't call every day. And if I do decide to have a naked orgy, I'll have one."
Chase moved to stand. "The—"
Maddie slashed her hand across the air. "Stay out of it, Chase."
Chase's mouth closed into a tight line.
"I am not your little sister at all, Chase, and I'm not your little sister anymore,
Maddie pointed to the rocking chairs. "Sit, all three of you."
Maddie glared at him, and he took the swing again. Did she know they'd been up to the resort—had she seen them get thrown out in such an undignified manner?
"Maddie, we—"
Maddie snapped her fingers, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Chase pushed the swing back and forth, watching in amazement as Lance and Reid did as she said. But he knew his buds well; they folded their arms defensively, their tempers barely in check.
Maddie dropped her purse on the floor of the porch, then planted her small hands on hips encased in a black stretch skirt that hugged her curves, sending his body into arousal again. A dark purple T-shirt molded over her breasts, leading his mind astray with wicked thoughts. He couldn't keep his eye off those long, slender legs. But the sound of her clunky high heels clicking on the wooden slats of the porch brought him back to the moment and the mess they were in.
"I'm sorry I worried you, guys, but I did call and leave a message that I was sleeping over at a friend's."
The three of them simply glared at her.
"I'm a grown woman now, not a little girl, and I can go and do whatever I please."
"The hell—"
"Shut up and listen, Lance."
Chase slowed the swing at the sound of Maddie's husky, angry tone.
"I know you guys care about me, but you're smothering me to death. You don't tell me every time you go off with a woman for the night."
Chase's stomach rolled.
Reid cursed.
Lance's face paled. "You spent the weekend with a guy?"
"I didn't say that!"
Reid and Lance exchanged hopeful looks. "Then who were you with?" Reid asked.
Chase could have sworn he saw steam coming from Maddie's mouth. "That's none of your business. What's important here is that I need some space."
Two male mouths opened to argue but Maddie's quick shush snapped them shut. "I'm not sixteen anymore, I live alone, I make my own money, I'm on my own. I don't have to ask your permission to go out."
"But overnight!" Lance said.
"Without even calling again Saturday," Reid mumbled.
Maddie hitched out her hip and shook her head. "You're impossible."
"We're your brothers!" Lance shouted.
"And we care about you," Reid added.
Maddie's temper faded slightly, but her resolve didn't budge. "Okay, let's set some rules here, boys." She shot Chase a venomous look as if to say he was intruding, but he'd better listen, too. He remembered his comment about her being like a kid sister and figured he deserved her scorn, but he didn't like it any more than Lance. No one had to point out the fact that he wasn't family; the knowledge that no one had wanted him, not even his own mother, had been burned in his brain with his mother's searing parting words. But Maddie and her brothers had always treated him as such and being a part of The Terrible Three had saved his sorry butt more times than he could count. The very reason he had to control his male hormones around Maddie.
Sometimes being a responsible adult sucked.
"I promise to let you know if I'm going out of town again, but you have to promise not to call or drop by unexpectedly and check on me every day like you've been doing the past week. What if I'm entertaining?"
"Just what kind of entertaining do you plan to do?" Lance snapped.
"Yeah, you planning on having a naked orgy?" Reid asked.
Maddie's eyes widened, and Chase's stomach dropped to his toes. Reid was going to give them away.
"That's none of your business," Maddie said in a strained tone.
Reid leaned forward as if to stand. "But—"
"No buts. You're driving me crazy, you can't call every day. And if I do decide to have a naked orgy, I'll have one."
Chase moved to stand. "The—"
Maddie slashed her hand across the air. "Stay out of it, Chase."
Chase's mouth closed into a tight line.
"I am not your little sister at all, Chase, and I'm not your little sister anymore,
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