her messing with Flynn like that. He seems like a nice guy.” She pinches her shoulders to hers ears as if she were stressed beyond belief.
“What?” I pull her in and melt a kiss over her lips. “Trust me. Nobody wants to be taken advantage of more than Flynn. He’s anti-monogamy—roaming hands don’t offend him. Now—pots and pans might offend him if they’re used in an effort to stop him from hitting a homerun. I think you should let Flynn worry about Flynn. But that’s what I like about you best.” I run my hand up her cheer sweater and adhere to her heated skin. “You care about how other people feel.”
“You’re right, Wes.” She gives a limp smile. “I absolutely hate the thought of someone being taken advantage of. It kills me to know there are people being used—abused and tortured in this world, especially when I can’t do a damn thing about it.” She buries a hard look into me as if she were wielding that knife all over again.
I clear my throat.
Just hearing those words makes me think of those kids down in the Celestra tunnels. I’ve seen their long faces, their hollow eyes that let you know they miss living—that they’ve already died on the inside.
Laken freezes like she’s having a seizure—probably envisioning Flynn getting his ass kicked by the new chick. Little does she know he’d enjoy it—pay for it if he could.
“Hey”—I change the subject—“tonight you mentioned something about hanging out with Carter at the party.”
Her mouth opens as she glances past my shoulder.
“Did I say Carter?” Her lids rise unnaturally. “I meant Fallon.”
“Fallon.” I give a quick nod. “That’s probably what you said. I was just too pissed at Coop to notice.” I lead her toward the stairwell on the way to my bedroom.
Why do I get the feeling I’ve just been lied to?
I wish I could care right now whether or not Laken was being honest with me, but I’m so tired of waiting for her to come around. That damn fall from the tree house really messed her up, and now my dick and I are left to our own devices as far as alleviating duties are concerned. Although I’d better wait until her memory is fully restored because, with my luck, she’ll wake up one day and realize she’s been sleeping with someone she considers a brother. She’ll probably never speak to me again. And I can count three times tonight her memory has cut out like a bad engine.
Laken and I step into my room, and I wedge the door with a chair in the event Fletch decides to crash our private party. The last time he caught me with his little sister, he turned me into a bruise from the waist down.
“So what are we going to do?” She hops on my bed and bites down a seductive smile. Her ponytail glides from her shoulder like a golden waterfall. “You said you wanted to show me something.” Her gaze falls to my jeans then rides back up again.
“You’re a naughty girl, you know that, Laken?” I pull off my jacket and slip in next to her.
“Is that something you should say about the girl you’re going to spend the rest of your life with?” It comes from her lips soft, not one ounce of sarcasm to back it as an off-handed remark.
“Most definitely not.” I pull her fingers to my lips and kiss them one by one. Spending the rest of my life with Laken would be an honor I’d die to achieve.
“On second thought,” she purrs, “I can be the naughty one in this relationship—in fact, I volunteer.” A wicked gleam flickers in her eyes and sends my body perking to attention in all the right places.
“Mmm, maybe not tonight.” I adjust the hard-on in my jeans. “Laken.” I bury my face in her neck a moment. “You seem willing.” I shake my head. “But I’m not one hundred percent sure you’re fully back.”
“I’m fine. I’m remembering everything.” Her eyes round out with desperation as if she’s overeager to please me.
“I can’t do it.” I swallow hard. Everything in me is screaming we should. “I can’t take advantage of you. I won’t let it happen—but I did want to show you something.” I reach back on my nightstand and pull out a notebook.
“What’s this?” Laken twists into me to get a better look.
“I’m thinking about getting a tattoo.” I hold back a smile as she settles herself