“That makes Piper, what, nine orso?”
“Yeah.”
I looked closer at the older boy in the photo, standing next to his dad with his chin tipped high. “He looks like a little blondshit.”
“Hewas.”
“Cute blond shit,” I muttered. “Worstkind.”
“Yup.”
I stared at the two boys in the photo and their handsome father in his leather jacket and faded jeans, his blond hair kinda ruffled up in the breeze. The deep lines around his eyes from squinting into the sun. Piper looked a lot like him, even at nine. “What the hell was I eventhinking?”
“Huh?”
“You know. When I was all enamored with your brother. I must’ve been seduced by all the badassery. I mean, he had a scar on his face. I don’t think my hormones could see past that when I was ateenager.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Seriously. You were always so much cuter thanhim.”
“I’ve spent my life in Pipe’s shadow. You think I don’t know where Istand?”
“You stand next tome.”
He stopped sorting his papers and stood up, walked over to me and kissed me forthat.
I slipped my arms around him and he did the same to me. “You’re my favorite Grayson brother by miles,” I told him, gazing up into his eyes. “You always were. Don’t ever forgetthat.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
“What about your sexual bucketlist?”
My jaw dropped. “You know aboutthat?”
“I know everything,darlin’.”
“Uh-huh. Well. I wanted him from a distance. It’s not the same thing. When I got close, Piper wasn’t very nice to me,Jude.”
“He didn’t respectyou.”
“Noshit.”
“You know…” He leaned in close, his lips brushing mine. “I gave him a nice fat lip for that. When I found out what he did to you at thatparty.”
Whoa.That surprisedme.
I knew how close Jude and his brother were. Ben used to mention it; how much it bothered Piper that Jude was always on the road with theband.
“You hithim?”
“Would’ve done worse, but all I could land was one blow. He was bigger than me. Always hasbeen.”
“But you’ve got the bigger heart. And, quite frankly, the bigger dick. From what I remember. Though to be fair, I never got quite as personal withhis…”
“Spare me the details or he’s gettin’ another fat lip next time I seehim.”
