Brazen and Breathless (Untouchable #6) - Heather Long Page 0,23

We needed to get more furniture in the living room. The big sofa was fine, but we needed a couple of chairs…

You know what, that was a problem for us next week. Not tonight.

Slice in hand, I cut a look at her. “You want to start?”

She rolled her eyes at me, but the flash of humor glimmering in the green depths promised me she rallied. Exactly what I wanted to see and why we were all here.

“So, Harvard has waitlisted me.”

“Bastards,” Archie mumbled, then pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “They need to take the stick out of their ass and see how fucking awesome you are.”

“Agreed,” I said, but pinned him with a look. He snorted, then took another bite of his pizza. “Just saying.”

Frankie tilted her head and pressed a kiss to his chin. “Do not spend money to get me in.”

He scowled at her but just kept chewing his pizza. Yeah, none of us were buying that look.

“I mean it,” she informed him as she liberated another slice for herself. At least she was eating. When she stopped, that was when things were really wrong. “I want to do this on my merits.”

“Your merits aren’t in question,” Coop said, his tone almost idle, but there was a tension in his hands as he took a long swallow of beer. “Their appreciation for said merits? Yes. And if you really want Harvard, let Archie smooth the way.”

Raising my brows, I stared at him. What the hell was Coop doing?

Then her smile grew, and she bumped his shoulder with hers. “Don’t be an ass.”

“I’m not,” Coop said. “The point is, you wanted Harvard. You deserve it. You’ve worked your ass off. Everyone needs a little help and this is a family effort, so if he can wedge that door open so they can’t slam it in your face, I say let him. Where you lead…we’ll follow.”

Dropping her pizza onto a plate, Frankie twisted and wrapped her arms around Coop. His smile as she buried her face in his throat had me frowning. Why was he pleased about making her cry? When I glared at him, he flipped me off.

I couldn’t take her shaking shoulders. “Baby Girl, it’s going to be fine.”

“I know,” she said in a strangled tone, then lifted her head to look at me. There were tears in her eyes, but her whole face creased with laughter. “Coop’s just teasing me and being a dick.”

Yeah, I didn’t get it either, but sometimes those two had that connection where they got it and we didn’t. Fine, I waved it off and then lifted my own beer. But her gaze was unwavering on me.

“Do you remember when I first decided on Harvard?”

Honestly? I remembered just about everything about her. “It seems like you’ve always wanted it.”

Coop snorted a laugh, even as Frankie elbowed him.

“Okay,” Archie said. “Raise your hand if you want in on the secret.”

Bubba’s hand went up and so did mine.

Coop laughed harder and muttered something that had her whapping him with these little stinging slaps that just made his laughter swell. “You’re such a dick. I can’t believe you’re going to make me explain this.”

His eyes positively danced with glee.

And now I was jealous. “Yeah, he’s a real fucker. Why don’t you come sit in my lap and tell me, Baby Girl?”

Snaking his arms around her, Coop dragged her into his lap—asshole—and buried his face against her hair. “I can tell them…”

“No,” she argued, squirming. “You’ll make fun of me.”

“Only a little,” he teased, but her laughter kept me from wanting to punch him.

“Yep, and now I really want to know.” I drummed my fingers against the bottle like I was annoyed, but as much as I wanted to know, Coop had done the one thing we hadn’t quite managed yet.

He’d gotten her to relax. Some of the tension buzzing the air around her dissipated, and she sagged back against him before grabbing her slice of pizza and mumbled, “Rory wanted to go to Harvard.”

“What?” Archie asked.

“Rory,” she repeated.

Rory. Who the fuck was Rory?

Wait…

“Gilmore Girls Rory?” Bubba asked, incredulity filling his expression.

Frankie squirmed again.

“I thought she went to Yale though,” Archie countered, and it was my turn to stare at him.

“Dude, your panties are showing,” I deadpanned.

“Yeah, fuck off. She loved the show and made me watch it when she found out I hadn’t ever seen it.” Archie dismissed me with a wave. Of course, he couldn’t tell her no. Not that I could blame him.