I can buy my own coat. I just don’t need one yet.”
“Your Gram was our Gram, too,” Jason says, jabbing his thumb into his chest. “The way I see it, that makes you our sister. You’ve got four big brothers, Kira, whether you like it or not.”
Four? I’m not so sure I think of her as my sister. Actually, yeah, no. I don’t. I don’t think of her that way at all.
“And a sister,” Sam says. “Wait until you meet Izzy.”
The guys laugh, and she says, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing’s funny,” I say. Izzy is one of the toughest members of our crew, but underneath it all, she has a heart of gold. She’s going to take Kira under her wing whether Kira likes it or not. It’s clear she’s a girl who can take care of herself—hell, she drove across the country in a rental, and that’s no small feat—but these folks will wear her down, and I get the sense that, deep inside, she might just like being a part of the B&B family. As for me, I’m their roommate and their boss—a Lancaster at heart—which means there will always be a degree of separation.
Kira bites her lip, but there is a wistfulness about her. I have no doubt her layers go deep, and damned if something inside me doesn’t want to peel them away, discover all her little secrets. I’m not about to go down that road, but that still doesn’t stop my dick from twitching, its half-cocked pea brain envisioning those layers as clothes and stripping Kira down to her bare skin. She might be small, but that T-shirt showcased breasts that would fit perfectly in my palms, my mouth.
Shit, get it together, dude.
“We watch out for each other here. If Gram knew I’d let you out of here without a coat…” Sam tugs on his nuts and makes scissor actions with his other hand.
“I think she gets it, Sam,” I say. “We could have done without the visual.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll wear it.” She tucks her arms into the coat, and the three guys fold their barrel arms across their chests and watch.
I give her a small nudge to set her into motion. “Come on, I’ll drive. I know which streets to take to avoid Eddie.”
“I heard about that,” Cody says. “Good thing Bridgette’s boy here was quick on his feet.” He taps his head. “He’s not always so quick up here.”
I eye Cody with a warning glare, and he just gives me a grin, the same one that has the girls around town dropping their panties. But it’s all in good fun. I might be their boss, but I think they appreciate that I’m not afraid to spend a day on the boat, work my ass off with the rest of them.
“More lies,” I whisper into Kira’s ear, and she chuckles as I open the back door for her. I love that the guys took an instant liking to her and seem ready to treat her like a sister. They’d expect me to do the same and probably wouldn’t like the dirty thoughts running around my head.
She steps past me. Once again, I catch her sweet vanilla scent, reminding me of cupcakes. Damn, I might have one for dessert later. Or better yet…
Nope, nope, not going to go there.
I pull out of the driveway. “How long has it been since you’ve been back?” I ask, casting her a fast glance.
She puckers her lips and stares straight out the window. “Eight years. I wanted to come back earlier. I’ve just been busy.” She turns to look out the passenger side window, and I go quiet, sensing she has something on her mind. Something she’d rather not share.
I ease my big truck between two vehicles and kill the ignition. “All set?”
She opens her door, and I circle the vehicle to meet her. I look left and then right and give her a wink. “All clear. No assholes out tonight.”
Wind from the ocean rushes onto the land and swirls around us. A gust catches Kira’s too-big coat and turns it into a parachute. She yelps as