Game Saver - BJ Harvey Page 0,54
me coming today?” I ask Abi, reaching across the center console of my car and lacing my fingers with hers.
Her head turns slowly towards me, her eyes wide and panicked. “Of course. Did you not want to come? I know Mom put you on the spot and everything, but I figured since you said yes and didn’t mention it since then, you were alright with it?”
“Is that why you’re so nervous? You think I don’t want to be here?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re twitching more than a junkie looking for their next hit.” I give her hand a—hopefully—reassuring squeeze.
“I am not,” she replies indignantly, trying to pull out of my hold.
“Sweetheart, do you know how adorable you are right now?” I reply, one corner of my lips curling up.
“I’m not adorable. Puppies and babies are adorable. I’m a hot, sexy smartass who’s sometimes cute, but never adorable.”
“Totally fucking adorable,” I say, lifting the back of her hand to my mouth and placing a gentle kiss there. Her eyes go a sexy mix of soft and hot, and I’m suddenly thankful for the need to watch the road otherwise I’d be doing things we’d likely be arrested for. Needing to distract myself from that particular thought, I decide to change the topic.
“So tell me about Jamie. Should I be scared of the big, bad older brother?”
She snorts, and I see her shake her head out of the corner of my eye. “Jamie is a big softie.”
“He might be to you, but to the man her other three brothers caught defiling said sister, not so much.”
“I thought it was me defiling you. Besides, it’s perfectly natural. Defilement all ‘round, I say.”
“Stop making me think of sex when I can’t have you for at least another . . .” I look at clock on the dash, “six hours?”
“Is that a statement or a question? Because I’d definitely be up for some road defilement while you’re driving. I could totally defile the shit out of you right now,” she says with a giggle.
“Not helping, Spitfire.”
Walking through the door of what was once Abi’s family home, the stark difference between my world and hers slams me in the face. The biggest change—and the best—is the fact it’s a home. Immediately I can tell that it’s warm and welcoming, the complete opposite to the perfectly poised museum of a mansion I grew up in.
“Precious!” Marcy cries, rushing down the hallway towards us, her arms out wide, followed by a man who could only be Abi’s father.
“Mom . . .” Abi says with a groan, albeit an amused one.
After hugging Abi, Marcy turns to be, lifting up on her toes and wrapping her arms around my back, squeezing the life out of me.
“Do you mind letting Cade go so he can breathe again, Mom?” Abi muses.
With a loud smacking kiss on my cheek, Marcy releases me and moves back to stand next to Abi’s dad who holds his arm out to me.
“Rick, Abi’s father. You must be Cade.”
I step forward and shake his hand, meeting his eyes as I do. “Hi. It’s good to meet you.”
“You too, son.”
“Son?” Abi whispers, sounding horrified and making her mom giggle.
“Rick, you’ve only just met the guy,” Mom says.
“He’s looks the same age as Jamie, he’s like a son, therefore—son,” Rick replies with a wink and a shrug just as a younger version of Rick walks out to greet us.
“Jamie,” Abi says, rushing forward and hugging her brother.
“Hey Sis.” He turns my way as soon as Abi moves back to my side and holds out his hand.
“I’m Jamie, the only brother you haven’t met yet,” he says with a guarded smile. When he gives me a firm—okay, very firm—handshake, I’m in two minds about whether to bolt out the door or face the music and await my untimely death at the hands of the brother who may or may not know I was face-fucking his sister on her couch a few weeks ago.
“Anyway,” Abi announces, wrapping her arm around my waist and obviously trying to change topics, “are the rest of the guys here yet?”
“You two are the last to arrive.”
“Dammit, that means they’ve already started eating.”
“Not yet . . .” Marcy says, her lips twitching.
“You’re full of it. Maybe if you invited their dates, they’d get the welcoming committee at the door like this, and I might just have a chance of hitting the table first,” Abi says haughtily, but her heart isn’t in it. I’ve seen Abi pissed