If it was Jackson then life was a bitch and could take a long walk off a short pier.
If it was Declan, then the cunt bag that was life could go tan her ass on the sun for all I cared.
I had no desire to be around either of them.
“You know Hayden Marin.”
Conrad’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“Last time you were here, you followed him everywhere. You drove the poor boy nuts,” Conrad said to Katie.
I struggled to contain a sigh at the chief’s stupidity and to cover the eye roll as he clapped me on the shoulder. For a cop, especially the top brass, he should be able to read the damn room, but he’d been trying to push Katie and me together since she was little more than a skinny girl with pigtails.
Hoping to figure out which Holt I was dealing with, I winked at Katie, raising her hand to my lips.
“You sure did grow up to be a beautiful woman, Kit Kat. Now I wish I hadn’t run away from you all those years ago. I could always make it up to you now, though.”
“The fuck you will!” exploded out of the guy standing next to her, and I had my answer. It was Jackson. Declan’s voice, whether we were fighting or fucking, never failed to make me hard.
The realization barely registered before the kid flew at me, landing a crunching blow to my jaw. Screams and shouts of shock rang through the room as Jackson pummeled me. We crashed through the coffee table, smashing it. Pieces of the table careened into the corner between the door and the fireplace, along with us.
Jackson crouched over me, his fist wrapped in my t-shirt, pulling my head and shoulders off the floor. My head was heavy and lolled back on my shoulders. My eyes were still swimming, but Jackson’s face—both of them—filled my vision.
His nose pressed to mine as he threatened. “You’ll fucking keep your hands to yourself is what you’ll do. Do you get me, motherfucker? Katie is not your plaything, and I’m not the same kid I used to be.”
A moment later, Jackson’s weight disappeared, and I fell back to the floor with a groan. The kid packed a wallop, that was for damn sure, but I’d make myself feel better and blame it on crashing through the wall.
Conrad’s voice pierced the air, but I couldn’t focus. My head throbbed so badly I felt sick and close to puking. A kick to my booted foot forced my eyes to open, and Katie stood over me, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at me like I was a naughty kid.
“I don’t know what that was about, Hayden Marin, but you better believe I’m going to find out because right now, I’ve got enough to deal with without you and Jackson fighting.”
She stood up, planting the other hand on her hips and said, “I’m going out to speak with Jackson, and while I’m doing so, you’re going to clean up this mess because there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve done something to cause this. It may have been a while, but I remember what you were like, no matter how amazing my dad seems to think you were then and are now.”
She walked away, and I dropped my head back to the floor only to jerk it back up when Katie yelled, “Oh, and get out your wallet and give Marion half of whatever she says the table cost. Then you and Jackson can fix the wall.Together!”
8
MARCIE
Katie bounced into the room, absorbing all the attention as usual, and I could relax. I tried to get my traitorous body under control. Only it wasn’t a fan, and my eyes kept straying to the gorgeousness of the big guy in the corner.
“Katie, let me introduce everyone before I talk with Marcie and Glenn.” Katie’s dad said, pointing out people as he said their names. “You guys met Lucia last night, Scott, her brother, and that’s Quinn. Then there’s Ewen, Slone, Cameron, and Priest.”
Conrad patted the big guy on the shoulders as he introduced him. “You know Hayden Marin.”
With his name clasped firmly in its grasp, the fantasy spun out of control. Visions of being taken by the man,Hayden, in whatever position he manhandled me into, which would look ridiculous. He was a foot taller than me, but I didn’t care. My body didn’t care.
Especially not after hearing him speak. Orgasmic. It was the only word that came to mind. A low, sexy rumble. I imagined how a motorcycle felt between your legs—a rumbling roar of vibrations that lit you up inside and out.
In my mind, the fantasy version of Hayden held me down and took me hard and fast while saying the dirtiest, filthiest things like all the book boyfriends I dreamed about.
Face flushed. Heart racing. Oh, Jesus! Wetness soaked my panties. And the vivid imagery continued, assaulting my brain. Pushed and pushed closer to the edge until I was on the verge of getting off.
Fully clothed.
Without being touched.
In a room full of people.
