I’d never been a violent man, but I’d sure as hell make an exception where Daryl Jeffers was concerned.
My brother had also told me I’d be a fucking idiot to move back in with him instead of staying with Lana. But I just neededsomething.Some reassurance that he’d stay.
Falling asleep with my girl wasn’t a hardship, but I still couldn’t make the ache in my chest go away. One incredibly bright spot in all of this had been when Holland presented Bodhi with a friendship bracelet to match the one on her own wrist. She’d been downright giddy watching him put it on, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t taken it off since.
Apparently, I’m gonna owe her a car on her sixteenth birthday for that one.
So worth it.
And once I chilled my ass out, I was able to let some of the other good fill my cup. Lana had gotten her real estate license, Beck had been in an art show at school, and Holland’swrite your own storywas chosen to be published and featured in the library with a handful of others from her class.
“I got an email requesting my resume from Sundown Realty,” Lana says, her voice bringing me back to the present. “Isn’t that crazy? I haven’t even applied anywhere yet.”
“I know that Bea works there, and that Montana and Archer do some maintenance. Bodhi and I have done some work for them when they’ve had big contracts. Maybe they put in a good word?” I lean in and press my lips to hers. “No matter how they found you, they’d be lucky to have you.”
She grins, cupping my face and deepening the kiss in a way that makes me want to cancel on my friends and start that getaway vacation now.
“Dream Girl,” I warn and she snickers, pulling away but letting her palm slide down my body like she’s not ready to let me go. Hell, I’m not either, but when she gently squeezes my dick through my jeans, I grunt and have to bat her hand away. “You need to behave.”
“I really don’t want to,” she purrs and I slam her door closed before we’re late. Cursing under my breath, I round the front of the truck and get in the driver’s seat. She’s laughing but there’s nothing funny about the way my cock is trying to punch its way out of my jeans.
“Half hourtopsand then I’m finding some deserted back road and you can show me just how uninterested you are in behaving.”
She gives me a wicked grin, her cherry red-painted lips curving up on one side. She’s a fucking wet dream, and if she keeps this up, I won’t even make it to the bar.
“You’ve got yourself a deal.”
She turns up the radio, granting me reprieve from being so hard I won’t be able to walk from the parking lot to the table.
“Look What God Gave Her” by Thomas Rhett plays and she hums along, and there’s no way tonight could get any better than this. We drive in silence, her fingers tangled with mine in her lap, and I could do this for the rest of my life.
The ride is short, and all too soon, I’m pulling into the parking lot and stealing a kiss before prying myself away from her.
It’s a special kind of torture, and I have half a mind to throw her over my shoulder and put her back in the truck so we can get the hell out of here.
“Stop making that face,” she says, pressing a kiss to my cheek and giggling when she has to wipe the lipstick away.
“No.” I pout for her benefit as she pushes me through the door. Her hand squeezes my ass and when I gape at her, she just shrugs unapologetically. The woman is asking for trouble.
And I fucking love it.
“Over here!” Montana yells. He and Archer already have beers in front of them, and I can’t put my finger on it but something seems…off.
“Hey guys,” Lana says, taking the seat I pull out for her and smiling. “The girls aren’t here tonight?”
“Let’s get you guys a drink,” Archer says, and now my blood is pumping a little faster in my veins because this isdefinitelyweird.
Lana squeezes my hand under the table as Jude places a beer and a wine down in front of us.
“Congratulations on getting your license. That’s incredible, Lana,” Montana says, and my girl blushes, her smile wide and relieved.
“Thank you. It’s exciting getting back out there to do something I love. I actually got an inquiry from Sundown Realty today asking if I’d send my resume over. Mason said you do some work for them?”
Archer grins behind his beer and Montana leans forward in his chair with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
“We’d like to formally offer you that job. The resume is a formality—we know you’re perfect for the job.”
She blinks at them and I do too, my mind whirring as I try and put the pieces together.
