She turned back to Amber. “Are you going to tell Talon what she said?”
“No.” Amber wrapped her arms around her knees, closing herself off. “He probably wouldn’t believe me, anyway. Plus, I don’t want him to think I’m lusting after him.”
“But you are.”
Amber’s cheeks flushed a darker red. “Am not.”
“Girl, you can lie all you want, but you’re practically wearing a sign.”
Horror filled Amber’s expression. “You don’t think Talon knows, do you?”
“Nah.” Scotty glanced over at Talon. “Males are oblivious when it comes to shit like that.”
“I hope so.” Amber took a drink of her soda and replaced it on the table. “I’ll die if he finds out.”
“Why?” Scotty watched Talon fetch a beer from a cooler and toss it to his skanky girlfriend. “Maybe he’d feel the same about you if he knew.”
“Yeah, right.” Amber rolled her eyes. “He treats me like I’m his little sister.”
“Well…duh. He’s besties with your brother. He’s never had a chance to see you as anything but his BFF’s tagalong sis. Honestly, hon, you’ve never given him any reason to.” Scotty raked her gaze over Amber and revised her statement. “Until now. I can’t believe you’re wearing a bikini.” Normally, Amber was all baggy shorts and tees.
“Do I look stupid?” Amber curled in on herself even tighter. “I didn’t want to wear this. Leilani made me.”
“You look amazing! Lei’s always right when it comes to fashion and girly stuff. You should listen to her.” Scotty reached over and forced her cousin to sit up straight. “Show that shit off, girl. Talon can’t ignore it.”
“He wished me a happy birthday when I got out of the pool, but he didn’t notice my bikini. He didn’t even look.”
Which, Scotty suspected, meant that hehadnoticed but was tryingnotto look. So maybe he realized Amber was no longer Logan’s annoyinglittle tagalong sister, but a beautiful, shapely woman ready for all the things that came with being an adult.
Like hot, sweaty sex.
Warmth flushed through Scotty as she remembered her time with Blade. The feel of his sinewy muscles under her palms lingered in her mind, and so did the sounds they’d made. The gasps, the moans, his deep, masculine roar that first time he came.
He’d called out her name.
She shivered with feminine appreciation, and her heart fluttered.
Then it came to an abrupt stop when she saw him crossing the lawn. Gods, he was perfection. His long, muscular legs, encased in worn jeans, carried him smoothly toward a gathering of people from work. Like that hussy werewolf, Nikki, who practically drooled as he approached. In the past, she’d been casual bedmates with both Blade and Mace, but Scotty suspected that she desired way more than casual sex. That ho-bag totally wanted to land one of them as a mate.
Over Scotty’s dead body. Those males were hers. Not hers in the romantic sense, of course.
Liar.
She swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat. Until Scotty and Blade came clean to Mace, it would remain a lie.
Blade smiled at Nikki and gave her a hug, but as they pulled apart, his gaze shifted somewhere behind her and grew stony.
Scotty tracked his gaze to his brother, Stryke, who was talking with their parents, one arm slung around his pregnant mate, Cyan’s, waist.
Now might be a good time to go over and…and what? Say “Hi” as if nothing had happened between them?
Damn, this sucked. Which was exactly why they’d made their pact. Sex changed things.
We’ll get past this. We will.
We have to.
“Hey.” Amber tapped her on her arm. “You’re being summoned.”
