Mercy (Somerset University #3) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,10

up for them next month. I’m not joining them for the entire thing but they’ve got a stop in New York I’m not going to miss. Want to come?”

“Is that even a question?” I popped a kiss on his lips. “Of course I want to come.”

“Mom’s letting me pitch this summer,” Ezra added. “I might even get my own assignments.”

“Has she forgiven you for getting yourself shot?” Jaxson asked.

“Most days.”

“I’ll be on campus.” Maverick reached for the only part of me not covered by Jaxson or Ryder and ran a finger up my ankle. Goose bumps rippled along my skin. “The robotics team has a competition in the fall and we’re behind on building the robot.”

“Oh no,” I said. “If we’re not careful, we may have a normal summer that isn’t plagued by crazed stalkers or lurking secret societies.”

“Give it time, mama. Summer just started.”

I flicked Jaxson’s nose. “It’s going to be great. We’ll celebrate Adam’s birthday, go to concerts, build robots, and do away with the craziness that’s become our lives. We’ve earned it.”

“I hear that,” said Jaxson.

“Yep,” Ezra threw in.

“Sign me up,” Maverick said.

“And no more bodyguards,” I added.

“Nope.”

“No.”

“No.”

“Wrong, baby.”

I heaved a sigh that lifted Jaxson’s head. “I thought I’d sneak that in while we’re all in a good mood. Guess we’ll be arguing about that later.”

“I’m looking forward to you losing that argument,” Ryder said. The jerk took my cider and downed it. “You make the cutest face before you lob something at my head.”

“Caroline should have made you ride a horse.”

“What?” Ryder returned as his mother burst out laughing.

“I love this,” she said. “Let’s do it every night.”

Chapter Three

Maverick

Val pulled up near the south entrance and killed the engine. She didn’t need to chauffeur me around. I had three cars in perfect driving condition. But she offered to drive with one hand and give me a hand job with the other, and thus my ass was in the passenger seat in three seconds flat.

I had a weakness. Her name was Valentina.

“Bye, love.” She leaned over and nuzzled my nose. “Build me a robot that will protect me when the evil ones take over.”

I laughed. “Don’t need a robot. That’s my job.”

Monday brought me back to campus. Val’s next stop was home to pick up Adam and take him to Shea Industries. I had robots to build and a possible pickup game with a few guys from my flag football team. The ones that managed to drag themselves out of bed.

Cupping her cheek, I captured her lips in a kiss that quickly turned hungry. Her tongue wrapped around mine, drawing me in as her soft moans spread through my body. My cock twitched, waking up for another go.

Val was serious about us putting everything aside and enjoying our summer. So serious that whenever she caught me on my laptop, pouring over Aiden’s files, she stripped and gave me something else to focus on.

“What time should I pick you up?” she asked.

“I can bum a ride from one of the guys.”

“Mom and I were thinking the three of us could go out to eat. She wants to catch up with you guys.”

“In that case, we pack it up at one. Too late?”

“Nope. One is perfect.” She kissed me again. “Now go so I can watch that tight ass walk away.”

I shook my head, eyes falling shut. “You gotta stop objectifying me. I’m a man, not a piece of meat.” I barely kept a straight face saying that and Val didn’t try. She laughed me out of the car, landing a smack on my bottom as I stood. I strode off to her wolf whistles.

Grinning, I watched her over my shoulder. Seeing the naughty curve of her full lips clearer than anything on that sunlit day. Trailing the car as it pulled away and disappeared around a bend. The second she was gone, I wanted her back in my orbit.

People questioned everything about our relationship. I questioned one thing:

How she snuck up on me?

One day the new girl pulled up a stool next to me and the first strike was thrown.

I’d built walls for my walls. Cultivating the rep as the silent, brooding one. Hiding inside a helmet. Forcing myself to speak when spoken to and sometimes not even then. The more distance between me and the world, the less likely it would see the scars she left while I was too small and too weak to fight. That a few more years gave me the height, strength, and