My Cone and Only (King Family #1) - Susannah Nix Page 0,1
the second-best-selling ice cream brand in the country, which had been founded by Wyatt’s great-grandfather here in Crowder. Between the corporate headquarters, the ice cream plant, and the accompanying amusement park that brought hundreds of tourists into the town every day—not to mention all the other businesses that fell under the King corporate aegis—the whole town had basically been built on a foundation of ice cream and King money. Even the dance hall we were in right now, King’s Palace, was owned by Wyatt’s uncle Randy.
“I’d sure like to lick Wyatt King’s ice cream cone.” Megan waggled her eyebrows as the others snickered.
“I’d let him eat my ice cream sandwich any day,” Kaylee added with a dramatic nod, and even I snorted in amusement.
Megan slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening as her attention caught on something behind me. “Holy shit, I think Brianna Thorne just stuck her tongue in Wyatt’s ear.”
Everyone turned to look, including me this time. Sure enough, Brianna had her lips stuck to Wyatt’s ear like some kind of suckermouth catfish. He was laughing as he sipped a beer someone must have given him, seemingly in no hurry to shake her off.
Of course he was enjoying himself. It was Saturday night, and if he was here, it was probably because he was looking to get laid. All the single women of a certain age would be vying to keep Wyatt King company for a night.
He looked just as good as I’d known he would, with his longish golden brown hair hanging down in his face and the sleeves of his midnight blue shirt rolled up to expose the tattoos on both his forearms. The sight of him with Brianna plastered to his side made my whole body clench.
I turned back to my beer, knocking back a mouthful to hide my grimace. It shouldn’t still bother me after all these years. This was exactly who Wyatt had always been, after all.
And yet, here I was, totally freaking bothered.
“Shameless.” Rain shook her head as she tipped back her own beer bottle.
Megan shrugged. “Whatever works, I guess.”
“It won’t work,” Kaylee said, pursing her glossy pink lips. “He likes it better when they play harder to get.”
“How would you know?” Megan’s eyes went to slits.
Kaylee shrugged. “It’s obvious if you watch him. Wyatt gets off on the chase.”
“Don’t all men?” Megan muttered.
“Is that your big plan to seduce him?” Rain asked in amusement. “Hang back and watch him obsessively until he’s so captivated by your cool disregard that he drops to his knees at your feet?”
Kaylee smiled and stuck out her tongue. “Something like that.”
As she shook her head, Rain’s eyes fell on me and narrowed. “I feel like Andie’s been awfully quiet on the subject of Wyatt King.”
“That’s because I don’t have anything to say about him.” I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans and rested the toe of one boot on the floor, trying to look casual.
“Come on, Andie.” Megan gave me a gentle shove. “You’ve spent more time with him than any of us. Tell me you’ve never lusted after that bod.”
“Yeah,” Kaylee said. “You have to admit he’s tasty as hell.”
“No me gusta.” I wrinkled my nose and repeated the lie I’d been telling for years—the lie I could tell in my sleep at this point. “I don’t think about him like that. He’s my brother’s best friend and was over at our house so much when we were growing up, he might as well be my brother too.”
“You’re crazy,” Megan said, brushing her copper brown hair off her shoulder.
Not crazy, just realistic. I’d learned a long time ago not to think about Wyatt like that, because he’d never shown the slightest inclination to think about me that way. Wyatt treated me like another little sister, and he’d made it very clear over the years that I’d never be anything else to him. I was practically the only woman in town he’d never hit on, even jokingly. If that didn’t send a clear message…
Kaylee stood up straighter. “Oh shit, he’s heading over here.” She smoothed her shiny blonde hair, arranging the long locks over her shoulders while Megan scrambled to give her lipstick a quick check in her phone’s camera.
As I watched my friends primp, I wondered—not for the first time—if they’d invited me out tonight for my company or for my connection with Wyatt. Even Rain was swiping her fingers under her eyes to clear away any stray flecks of mascara.