Getting to her bedroom is tricky, given that the entire back of the house is a wall of windowed doors that open to the veranda and the pool just beyond. On stealthy feet I move, low and quiet. A quick glance has me relaxing a little. From what I can tell, they’re sitting under the stone pergola at the far end of the pool, which takes me out of their direct sight line. With that in mind, I book it down the hall.
On my heels comes the sound of Pen’s voice. “Anyone want anything?”
“Chips!” May cries.
“And dip!” from June.
I roll my eyes and slip into the bedroom, slowly pulling the drapes across the set of French doors facing the patio and pool.
Pen scrambles in a second later, closing the door and leaning against it like she’s been chased by wild dogs. “August!”
I close the distance between us in two steps and wrap my arms around her. Pen jolts as though surprised but then relaxes against me with a sigh. For a moment, I don’t think about anything other than how good she feels: soft and warm and delicate. The back of her neck, where I cup it, is hot and damp, and I know she’s been stressing.
“Pen,” I murmur, pressing my lips to the top of her head, and smell the sunlight in her silky hair. “I’m sorry.”
At that, she gently but firmly steps from my hold. I mourn the loss but let my arms drop and run a hand through my hair to keep from reaching for her. If I touch her again, I’m going to be angling for a kiss. She was very clear about how that will be received.
More to the point, she deserves to be treated with honest intentions. I’d been sending mixed messages and leaving her uncertain how to act. That isn’t cool. Maybe later I’ll think about how bad this is for my heart. For now, I take the moment to fully look at Pen, because it’s been a whole day and, sisters or not, I’ve missed her.
God, but she’s cute. She’s wearing a retro white-and-yellow flower print bathing suit. With her swerving curves and slim legs, she could be a classic pinup girl. My head goes a little muzzy at the way her breasts swell upward as if fighting to break free of the suit. They look so plump and soft. I could rest my head there and...
“We’re both guilty here,” she’s saying. “I feel like such a jerk.”
I give myself a mental shake and focus on a spot just above her head. “No, it was my idea. This one is on me.”
“I’m going around pretending to be your fiancée. I think I’m a little in it.” The dryness of her tone is unmistakable.
My skin feels too tight, my fingers itching to breach the distance between us. “I put you here. I only thought of the moment.”Of being close to you.“It was stupid. I should have thought of how they’d react.”
Her nose wrinkles in that cute way that makes me want to kiss it. “We both forgot.”
I know why I forgot, but for a fleeting instant, I want to ask her why she did too. Was it for the same reasons? But I bat that aside and blow out a long breath. “Okay, tell me what’s happened so far.”
Pen wrings her hands. “Where to begin? Okay, let’s see. They showed up at my apartment. Jan paid for their tickets as soon as they found out the news. According to them, he wants to know what’s up too.”
I wince. “I guess we should be thankful he didn’t come with them.”
“There’s that.” The way she gives me a sidelong look makes it clear Jan is the least of her worries. Then again, Jan wouldn’t kickherass the way he would mine. Pen leans back against the door. “When they found out I’m moving back into Pops and Pegs’s house, it was suggested that the reason we’re doing this is so you can pay my debts—”
“What the fuck!” I cut in sharply.
Her expression turns so dry, I feel it in my throat.
“What are they supposed to think?” She lifts a hand in exasperation. “This is exactly why I didn’t want your help— What are you doing?”
Obviously, I’ve taken her hand in mine, so I don’t answer. Yanking back the drapes, I head for the patio through the French doors, a protesting Pen in tow. My fingers link with hers, securing my grip but keeping it gentle when I’m feeling anything but.
My sisters, lounging by the pool in bikinis, see me almost immediately.
“Oh, look, the happy couple is holding hands!”
“They don’t look happy to me.”
“True, June. True. Trouble in paradise—”
“Enough!” The use of my field voice has them shutting up. “Not another fucking snide word out of you two.”
At my side, Pen grimaces like she wants the ground to eat her up. I did this. They did this too. The Lucks strike again. Guilt crawls over my skin, but I ignore it in favor of staring down my sisters. We don’t usually fight—bicker, sure. But they don’t see me angry often. It’s enough to make them squirm now.
