“Awesome.” Logan grinned like a stupid fool, practically bouncing on his heels, and I wanted to put my fist through his face. “You need directions, or…”
“She’s not going,” I growled, my fist clenched at my sides.
Everyone went still.
Harlow turned back to me slowly. The anger was back, burning bright, but underneath it was… Surprise, maybe. Or satisfaction. Like she was waiting to see how far she could push me.
“Who’s going to stop me?” She stepped closer, tilting her chin up, a cocky, arrogant smile playing at her lips. She pressed herchest to mine, and heat radiated off her body. Every instinct in me screamed to pull her close and…
“Harlow.” Her name came out as a warning.
“Owen.” She threw it right back at me, mocking me.
“I said you’re not going.”
She laughed, and the sound scraped against every one of my nerve endings. “Last time I checked, you don’t own me. You don’t get to decide where I go or who I talk to. That’s not how this works.”
“That’s not…” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration boiling over. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what? Having fun? Making friends? Moving on with my life instead of waiting around for someone who can’t figure out what he wants?”
“I’ll see you guys there,” she said to my teammates, not breaking eye contact with me. Then she swirled around and walked away, ponytail swinging; every single step she made radiated defiance.
I watched her go with my hands clenched at my sides.
“Dude.” Stanley let out a low whistle. “What the fuck was that about?”
I whipped around. “What the fuck? Harlow Cruz is off-limits.” There was an unspoken rule between teammates: you don’t fuck their exes, and you didn’t mess with each other’s sisters. Everyone knew it.
“No, she’s not.” Stanley laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. “Jax is gone, man. Harlow’s fair game this year.”
Anger raced through my veins. Harlow was off-limits regardless of Jax’s location.
“I won’t lie,” Brandon said, oblivious to the murder in my eyes. “Harlow’s fucking hot. I’ve wanted to ask her out for a few years now.”
“Good luck.” Logan elbowed him. “She’ll never go for you when she could have me.”
Apparently, none of them could read the room.
I stepped up to Logan, bumping my chest against his hard enough to make him stumble back. “Let me make this very clear.” My gaze shifted through all of them, making sure each one understood. “Harlow is still off-limits, and if I find out any of you so much as look at her, I will put my fist through your fucking face. Do you understand me?”
Silence.
“Whoa, man.” Brandon held up his hands and backed away. “Our bad. We didn’t know you had a thing for her.”
“What?” My face scrunched up. “I don’t. Harlow’s like a…”
I trailed off.
I couldn’t say it. Couldn’t force the word sister past my lips because Harlow was nothing like a sister to me. I would never look at a sister the way I looked at Harlow. My body would never react the way it did around Harlow with a sister. I would never fantasize about fucking my sister.
“Just stay away from her,” I finished lamely.
I didn’t wait for their response. I twisted and ran after Harlow, hoping to catch up with her before she got to her car and drove off to meet up with a bunch of guys who would fall all over themselves trying to get her attention.
The possessiveness burning in my chest made no sense. I had no claim on her. No right to feel this way.
But I felt it anyway.
