“I can't really remember what came out of my mouth, but my eyes were rolling back in my head and my toes curled. But then, like most men, the batteries died and I was done for the night. My vibrator did the equivalent of rolling over and going to sleep. Another disappointing experience much like the rest of my sex life, I’m afraid.” She looks away, but a cheeky grin crosses her face. “Apart from that one night in college...”
My eyes are back on the road, but a smirk crosses my face along with a twinge of jealousy hitting me in the gut. I ignore it and play the game.Okay, let’s see who can’t take the heat first.You won’t scare me off that easily, Miss Harlow.
“Oh, do tell?” I try and keep it light, hoping she’ll play along. We have a deadline, and I’m much too professional to fuck with it by pulling over, no matter how badly I want to, but it’s kind of fun to keep the sexual tension going.For research purposes, obviously.
She must agree because she takes the bait. “Well, I had two friends with benefits in college. I didn't have the time for a relationship, nor did I want all the drama that would come with it when I wasn’t able to commit as much time as they wanted, due to my studies. So that kind of arrangement suited me well. But I was a little flustered during exams, and I found out I’d accidentally arranged to meet them both on the same night.”
I snort as the story takes an amusing turn. “Oh, I bet they loved that.” I can see her shrug out of the corner of my eye, and her smile is one of pure satisfaction.
“At first, they were a little annoyed, but after I invited them both in and made up for my mistake, I can tell you they weren’t complaining.”
Holy fuck! My foot slips off the accelerator for a moment, and I can’t help that my mouth drops open. She giggles next to me, obviously happy with my reaction.
“Damn, Harlow. Knowing what you want and not being afraid to take it. That’s sexy as fuck. I love it when a woman doesn't play games with sex. It’s annoying as hell when they do.” And I mean every word of that. Threesomes are almost a collegiate rite of passage, so I can hardly judge her for that. Honestly, finding out that she’d experimented and enjoyed being shared between multiple partners just makes my dick hard. Definitely ups the possibility that she won’t mind being shared between me and my brothers.
“Declan, the one thing you will learn about me is I don't play games about anything. I learned very early on that I didn't want to be anything like my mother, and game playing was the most used weapon in her arsenal. Did you know by the time I was ten she had told me my dad was about twenty different people? I gave up asking after that, and I learned that every promise to tell me his name if only I did whatever new thing she wanted was completely false. So no, one thing I don't do is play games, and I hope that you all will realize that eventually.”
And just like that, the sexual tension dissolves as she throws my and my siblings’ bad behavior back in my face. I guess we’ve got a lot of making up to do, but I can't say I don't relish the challenge. Harlow is going to see a completely different side of us and hopefully Jacinta as well. When the Summers go all in, there’s no escaping us.
Chapter Six
Harlow
It’s hard to hide my internal squirming after having such an intense conversation with Declan. Jesus, my eyes just about popped out of my head when he started asking about my books, and then having a civilized conversation turn dirty... What the fuck has gotten into the man? I needed to add in that reminder of their previous behavior just to catch a break.
What has made his attitude do such a turnaround? Is it because I almost fucked him in the stables last night? Or did it start before that, like when I called him because Princess was having her kittens?
“How's Princess?” I ask him, and a worried frown crosses his face.
“She’s good, but I’m a little worried about one of the kittens. It doesn't seem to be doing as well as the other three. I might take them to the vet when we get back if it hasn't picked up by then.”
Fuck! Well, I’ve been having fun hiding that secret from them all, but it would be irresponsible for me not to say anything now that something is wrong with his babies. No secret is worth compromising their safety. Based on what he shared about his college years, he basically confirmed what I already thought. There’s a very short list of who and what Declan Summers passionately cares about. I mean, the man asked his father to buy a house so that he could have his siblings and hiscataround him because he was lonely. If that doesn’t show his priorities, I don’t know what does.
“If you want, I can have a look when we get back,” I offer.
I laugh internally as he frowns and shoots me a confused look before turning back to the road. “What would you be able to do?”
“Declan, did Nana and Poppy never mention what I studied in college? You all have been so busy assuming that all I do is ride horses for the Bostons. In fact, none of you have really taken any time to ask me anything about myself. All of you jumped on Jacinta's bandwagon, assuming I'm some gold digging whore out for Dad’s money.” He shakes his head, looking a little embarrassed that I’m calling him out, and I sigh. “Idohave a real career, you know. I’m a veterinarian, Declan.”
The look on his face as it swings toward me again is hilarious. In fact, it’s so extreme the truck lurches to the side, a squeal escaping my mouth as I grab the handle above the door. He quickly corrects the truck, but the look of disbelief remains.
“I was hoping to specialize in exotic animals, but I’m not limited to them. The interview I went to the other day was for an internship with a private zoo, but unfortunately, due to your sister's billboard, I am no longer considered a suitable candidate for their program. Something about loose morals not being the image they want to portray.” He starts to sputter some kind of response, but I wave them off.
“To be honest, I don't want to work for a place that's so damn judgmental anyway. Back to the actual topic, I'm happy to have a look at the kittens for you. Princess is a first-time mom, so maybe she’s just a little confused about what she needs to do. A lot of people assume that it’s instinctual for all animals, and for many it is, but it’s not unheard of for new animal moms to struggle sometimes just like new human moms do.”
Declan’s mouth is still open and closing like a damn goldfish. There isn’t much I can do about that, so I just settle back and watch the world go by. I have no clue where we are, but the scenery is pretty.
“I’m sorry, Harlow. It seems we were wrong in so many ways.” His voice is low and apologetic, and he has the grace to look embarrassed, but I don't plan on letting him off the hook that easily. He deserves to squirm.
“Yes, you were. You all were.”
“Aren’t you a little younger than normal vet school graduates?” He’s moved from being apologetic to curious, so I shrug my shoulders, not opposed to giving him more information now that the secret’s out.
“Yeah, I started college courses early and completed a few AP level classes in my junior and senior years that fill some of the basic prerequisites, so I had a head start before I enrolled in college. Once I was there, taking the absolute maximum number of credits every semester, as well as winter and summer courses when they offered something I needed, helped me keep up a competitive pace. I love animals and learning about them, but I was pretty eager to get out in the world and get started, so it wasn’t a hardship to finish as quickly as I could. I had every intention of looking for an internship on the East Coast, and I also had a job offer from the local vet that Chuck has used for years. When Mom died, I was kind of in limbo, not having made any decisions, and then I found out about Brad. I also had the option of starting my own practice with Melinda and Chuck’s backing, but I thought getting some experience under my belt might be a better idea. Plus, I know that I’ll always have them as a safety net, so there was no rush to begin something that I felt I hadn’t truly earned, ya know? If I wind up needing their help, I know they’ll be there, but I want to try and make my own way before I lean on them.”
“So, zoos?’ he pushes, not touching the subject of Melinda and Chuck and their money. Smart choice, given how much turmoil there’s been thanks to their assumptions about my intentions. If he focused on that part, I think our current peaceful atmosphere would have blown up.
“Yeah, I love exotic animals, but I'm a big cat freak. Tigers especially. I want to be involved with the conservation of such a magnificent and endangered species. Andnotlike that crazy online show. I want to help them for real.”
