He steps out from behind the counter with a wet red towel in his hand. He reaches forward to press it to my head but hesitates. A dark look crossing his face, before he finally just hands it to me."Thanks." I take it, and gently press it to my head. My head throbs and stings from the wetness."So aside from calling strangers your significant other, how have you been?" he asks coolly. I look away, a blush spreading across my face like the sun on a summer day. I don't know what came over me to tell my mother that hideous lie. "Yeah, about that." I bite my inner cheek a little apprehensively. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure where that came from." I glance back at him with an apologetic smile. He rests his hands on the counter, which draws my attention. They're sexy and look powerful. They have cuts and calluses on them. I can't help but wonder what they would feel like skimming up my body, they portray control and dominance. I can't help but drag my eyes up his arms. They look bigger, m
He laughs, leaning over the counter, his hands steepled under his chin. "That's the best part. I'll be the dreamy boyfriend that gets your mother off your back." He waggles his brows, proud of himself for coming up with this elaborate scheme. "By the time I dump you, your mother will be so caught up on the good child moving forward, and you'll be so distraught and a buzz kill she'll ignore you," he states bitterly. I flip him off, but he's right about Lani being the good kid out of us two.I bite my inner lip, thinking it over. Max is practically a stranger but dead on about my mother and my sister. My mom won't know what to do about me being dumped, and will focus on Lani getting married rather than me. I could really use a break from her hassling me, and who knows, maybe if I'm not going on torturous blind dates the idea of dating might not sound so bad and I will find someone worth getting serious with.I glance at Max, who is looking at me expectantly with those stormy blue eye
I laugh silently. "So what is my type then, please fill me in." I don't have a type... do I? "I don't know, the opposite of Jacob." She flings her hands around, rolling her eyes. "Well, from what Max has told me about his mother she'll never approve of me," I tell her. "Why is that?" Quinn asks with a puzzled look on her face. "She's uptight, I'm sure when she hears her baby boy is dating a veterinarian assistant she'll be over the moon excited." I turn, and make a dorky face. "Hi my name is Rae and I am a veterinarian assistant. Why yes, I do clean up dog poop daily," I swing my arm in and give a cheesy smile."Yeah, maybe leave that part out. But Max said he could help you with all that right? You can make up a profession. Hell, I do it all the time." She lifts her chin confidently. She does do it all the time. Last night she told a guy she helped NASA in launching the rocket. She's very persuasive when she's drinking. "Besides, Max is hot if I remember right. What a
It was Quinn's day to do laundry, and she failed.His eyes rake over me and I feel them as his stare sets on my breasts.Clearing my throat, I cross my arms trying to cover the rips across the mounds of my breasts."What are you doing here?" I ask, lust obvious in my tone. His plump lips slip into a nervous smile. One hand on the doorframe, the other rubbing the back of his neck back and forth."We need to talk, and I was hoping Quinn would know where I could reach you." He lifts his head, glances at Quinn, who is smiling like the damn Joker. She's having too much fun with this."And lucky him, I knew exactly where to find you!" Quinn beams, her thumb hitched over her shoulder. I glare at her. I want to titty punch her right now. I want someone to record it in one of those slow motion apps so I can rewatch it over and over too.They both stare at me expectantly, and my body temperature begins to warm. "Fine," I groan. "You have five minutes."Walking through the living
Taking a breath, I look down. I never knew how dangerous eye contact could be. "Okay," I mutter, pushing him away as I can't breathe with him this close. He turns his ball cap backwards, and my insides warm at the bad boy vibe he gives off. I look away, not comfortable with the direction my mind takes when he flips that damn hat backwards. He holds his hand out, his blue eyes conveying he wants me to shake it.Slipping my hand into his palm it's just like I thought, callused and firm. Solidifying that he does like to get his hands dirty. I wonder what else he likes to get dirty... He squeezes my hand and I shake my head of the thought. "Deal," I murmur, hypnotized by the size of his hand and the way it feels around mine. It makes me small, and vulnerable. Protected."We should swear on a Bible," he arches a brow, as if my word isn't my bond.I cross my arms. "I don't have a Bible."A sly smirk pulls at his lips. "Naughty girl," he whispers. "Now, let's go through my ru
"Seriously though, we need to know things on a personal level. Things serious couples would know," he says. "Things that normally bore me and I avoid at all costs," he continues.I furrow my brows at him and his Neanderthal ways of courting a woman."I agree about knowing some aspects of each other's lives, but some things need to be left out to keep this platonic on our end," I advise twirling the ends of my hair."We need to learn about each other's families, what they like, what they don't like-" "My dad won't like you, I know it." I shake my head, imagining the questions my father will fire at him. "Oh, you have no idea what you're in for with my mother. She's hard to please, and won't like you instantly because she didn't pick you out herself." Skepticism bounces behind his eyes, and my face falls."What happened to she'll go to the ends of the earth for you," I respond sarcastically. "Yeah, if she likes you." His brows rise. "She won't like you," he chuckles.M
"I like it," I admire, turning to see how my ass looks in the mirror. Not that Max will be looking at my ass, but a girl needs to know how her ass looks at all times, I think. "You're not getting this back." I glance over my shoulder at her, and she rolls her eyes. "It's too lumberjack for my taste anyway."I don't think Quinn knows what being mother approved entitles. I haven't seen her in anything more than a skimpy dress since I've known her. Hell, the maid of honor dress she was wearing took work. She kept pulling it down and pushing up her cleavage. She looked like an expensive hooker. But beautiful, nonetheless. "You look good cleaned up," Quinn compliments, her gaze growing soft as her eyes take me in."Thank you," I mutter, turning back around to look at myself again. "Are you going to the BBQ?" I ask on a sigh, hoping to have my wingman with me."Nope, it's lady's night at the Southern Fox. Think I'll go find some lonely schmuck to buy me a drink," she informs c
Then again, Rae is one of a kind. I remember the first time I saw her at that wedding. I was jealous of Jacob and I knew immediately she was too good for him. Especially after he told me he screwed the wedding planner the day before the wedding. Me taking Rae and running away with her was the nail in mine and Jacob's relationship and I couldn't be happier about it. He deserves much worse, and if karma has anything to do about it he will soon.Climbing inside, I start the truck and we head to the BBQ."So, my mom is nosey. Try not to engage in conversation too much," she informs. "She's very good at reading body language.""Mine is too. Keep it simple and follow my lead," I suggest. My mom will have you turned around in your own lie before you even know it. She rubs her forehead with a shaky hand; she's nervous."We'll go, make our appearance, and split. It'll be fine," I try to reassure her. Reaching over, I cup her hand, and her eyes drop to our joined palms. My heart sl