Anti-Stepbrother - Tijan Page 0,85

Kiss him? Casual wave? Wink with a sexy suggestion for later? I’d had no clue, so I didn’t do anything. Caden had reached over, but he’d only rubbed my arm.

So. Okay. That was more than he’d done before, less than what we’d done two hours earlier, but okay. And that was it. We hadn’t talked about it since, and I was now sitting in his Land Rover at Dubrois College, watching as the guys took everything inside a house.

Correction.

I watched as Caden took things inside. There were others around, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I bit my lip as he threw two overstuffed bags over his shoulder. His shirt lifted two inches, and I saw the stomach I had reveled in touching earlier. I saw his tattoos too, all the delicious ones that continued past where those jeans began. He shifted, and his jeans slipped down enough to reveal the beginning of the V. I didn’t know the technical term, and I didn’t care. He was breathtaking, and he’d been mine.

A warm sensation flooded me.

I couldn’t hold back a smile, and I sat there, enjoying the moment.

I slept with Caden. I was going to sleep with him again that night—or I assumed.

I frowned. Maybe I wasn’t. Maybe he had other plans. But no, he’d been upset before when he found out I tried to stay in Clarissa’s room.

Now I wasn’t certain.

“Hey!”

I screamed, jerking away from the door.

It was Clarissa. Same dyed-blond hair with dark roots showing. Same perfect white teeth. Same cute little friend I’d been missing.

“Agh!” I threw open the door and lunged for her. “I missed you so much!”

She laughed, hugging me back. “Oh my gosh. This is hot, isn’t it?!” She twisted around, watching all the guys moving back and forth. Some had clothes and bedding, but they were mainly taking booze and food, the two most important essentials for the weekend.

Seeing the excitement in Clarissa’s eyes, I realized how accustomed I’d become to being around the fraternity. It was normal for me. I’d forgotten the awed feeling I experienced when I first became friends with Caden.

“Yeah.”

“Asswipe.” She punched me in the arm. “You were supposed to tell me when you were coming in. We found out from some of the guys. They came up to us in our 10:30 this morning. I felt like an idiot, not knowing when my own best friend was showing up.”

“I fell asleep on the way here.”

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I’ll forgive you if you get us a prime room to stay in.”

“Uh…”

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t have any pull, and it felt weird asking Caden to do that, but Marcus was heading toward us.

When he reached for the back door of Caden’s Land Rover, he saw me looking at him. “What?”

“You owe me.”

An instant scowl appeared. “I distracted Avery before. We’re even.”

“No way. That’s on you. You still owe me.”

Clarissa looked back and forth between us, her eyes wide. I could only imagine what she was thinking. Marcus was big and muscular, and rough around the edges. He was kind of a dick, too. He was exactly her fantasy, and I knew she’d be squealing for him as soon as he walked away.

“Come on, Summer. I’m going to carry your bags in. That’s payment right there.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “My friends want to stay in the house. They’ll need a room.”

“That’s the favor?” He looked skeptical, scanning Clarissa up and down. “You’re the best friend?”

“She’s the reason we came in the first place.”

“Fucking hell. Ask Caden.”

“I’m asking you.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Why aren’t you asking Caden?”

Because it felt weird. I mirrored his movement, tilting my head to the side as well. “Because you’re the one who owes me.”

“You’re serious?”

“As a bumblebee.”

He cursed, opening the back door with more oomph than he needed. “You’re so fucking weird. You’re cool one second, then off the wall the next.” He grabbed for my bag, and Caden’s.

“Are you going to do it?” I pressed.

“I’ll figure something out, yeah.” He nodded stiffly at Clarissa. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she said breathlessly. As he left, she moved to watch him go, bumping into me. “Summer. Please tell me that’s not the guy.”

“It’s not.”

Marcus was on the sidewalk and moving up the front steps when Avery ran over to him, said something, and darted in front of him. He shifted his hold on the bags to free one hand, smacking her on