A deep noise, another man clearing his throat, pulls me away from her. She gasps for a breath, brown eyes wide with surprise. Behind her, Henna and Bodhi eye us from the sofa.
Fuck my life.
“Still staying out of my daughter’s pants?” her dad asks.
June bites her lips together as if she’s dying to smile but showing restraint. Henna winks at her daughter when June stands in front of me, facing them.
“I, uh …” I rub my eyes. “I’ll come back.”
“No.” June faces me, nose wrinkled.
“Baby, let’s take a walk,” Henna says to Bodhi.
As they pass us, I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes, not opening them until I hear the door click shut.
“What a pleasant surprise,” June says with a little giggle.
I open my eyes. “This is not my day.”
“Did things not go well with the Rawlings after your overly candid conversation with Callie this morning?”
“No. Yes. I mean …” I grumble a few words that make little sense as I park my hands on my hips and gaze at the ceiling for a breath. “I want in your pants.”
When I look at June, her lips part into an O. This is not me. I’m cooler than this. If I could just think of June as a one-night stand, I’d have way more confidence. My dick knows what to do. It’s never lacking confidence. But this girl is in my head, and I want her to like me beyond my dick. But the rest of me isn’t as impressive.
As her surprise settles into a big smile and even bigger blush, she starts to unbutton her white blouse.
“Whoa! No.” I grab her hands to stop her. “No. Not now. Your parents just took a walk.”
“They know how long it takes to have sex. I’m sure they’ll give us plenty of time.”
“What?” I shake my head and chuckle while stepping back to keep a safe distance. “No. I’m not having sex with you and then just pretending like nothing happened while they were sightseeing. No way.”
“Take your clothes off,” she says, resuming her unbuttoning.
“Stop.” I continue shaking my head.
“Ally won’t be home for another hour.” She wets her lips.
My gaze sticks to the cleavage above the cups of her light pink bra.
“The Rawlings had a two-year-old grandson who died on their watch.”
June pauses her hands on the last button as she sucks in a sharp breath. Lines of anguish spread across her forehead. “Oh my god,” she whispers.
The guy Rupert was talking about? The one who will shove me aside and give June what she wants? He won’t care if her parents are just walking around the block. And he definitely won’t bring up the tragic death of a child just as June is ready to shrug off her top.
I have an incurable case of dipshitness. And I don’t know if it’s contagious, but I’m pretty sure it’s terminal.
As she buttons her shirt, I slowly mourn the loss of what could have been and grieve the man I once was.
“What happened?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” I mumble. “I had the best intentions. A screw-it moment.Chivalryno longer mattered. I just wanted?—”
“Flynn, I’m talking about their grandson.”
My gaze shoots to hers. “Oh.” I shake my head. “I don’t know. He didn’t say, and I couldn’t ask.”
