puts his hand around my shoulder and brings me close. “I promise to grow up right after you marry me. Before then I’m a bad boy who occasionally warns people off.”
“Bad boy,” I scoff, and he laughs, bending down to kiss me just as Scott and Willow come out of their room.
I make sure to kiss him deeply. He blinks at me. “Naughty girl,” he whispers, kissing my temple before pulling away. He puts his mouth over my ear. “I know what you’re doing. And I’m not sure I like it.” He gives me a tight look when he pulls away. “Don’t.”
Forget whatever reasoning he has. He’s mine and Willow is going to know it. I grab his hand and pull him along down the stairs, feeling both their eyes on us as we take them down to the foyer.
“They let anyone in this place,” Scott sneers.
“I’ve noticed,” Willow agrees.
Kent tenses.
“Don’t,” I order.
“Oh look. Someone to tame the beast,” Scott mocks.
“I tamed him once,” Willow plays along.
I tense up.
“Don’t,” Kent orders. “You wish you tamed me. I cheated on you, Will. Remember? You weren’t that good.”
“I cheated on you with Scott in your apartment before we even broke up. In your bed,” she adds, “while you were at school. Scott never came down to see you. He came down to see me.”
Oh no.
The realization of her comment hurts even me.
All this time Kent thought he ruined this relationship. He couldn’t even give himself to me because of the things he did and what he thought he’d lost because of it. But Kent didn’t ruin everything. Willow did long before he even got a chance.
I let Kent’s hand go. “Just once,” I allow him.
Before I know it Scott is laid out on the stairs. Willow is screaming at Kent, but Kent won’t stop. He’s pounding into Scott’s face like a crazy person.
“Kent!” I snap. “Enough.”
He freezes and shoves Scott’s face away. “I wish you luck, big brother. I wish you all the luck in the world with this thing you picked to marry. I got me a girl who’s better than you could ever get. She’s going to make me one happy son of a bitch. And all you’ll have is Willow. Who won now?” Kent rises, stares down at his brother in disgust, and then he grabs my hand with his bloody knuckles and leads me downstairs to where Brent and Mr. Greene are talking near the front door.
They both look up as we come in and then frown when they get a look at the blood on Kent’s shirt.
“Round two was much more successful, Dad,” he says, grinning easily.
I, on the other hand, feel slightly sick.
Brent looks heartbroken. “What am I going to with my children?”
“Don’t start. He did it. Not me.”
“Do you love her at all?” he asks, nodding toward me.
Kent doesn’t miss a beat. “I do.”
“Then you have every reason in the world to let it go. Do you want to deal with this forever?” Brent asks me.
“No. In fact I’m over it.” I look up at Kent.
He looks impassively at me. “Let’s go play golf. Scott’s not coming. He’s probably nursing his wounds.”
“No. I’m feeling fine.” Scott and Willow come downstairs. “Barely felt it, bro.”
“Maybe I’ll try a 9 iron next time.” Kent glares so darkly at his brother I shrink against him.
“Whatever you got, bro.”
Brent sighs. “We’re taking separate cars. Kent and Raina will ride with me. Scott, get there when you get there. I wanted to play golf with my sons like we used to. I think that’s a lost cause at this point.”
Scott’s face is raw and swollen, but even I can see the sadness from his father’s comment. “Don’t be like that.”
“Yeah, I mean, you’re going to lose anyway.” Kent smacks his dad on the shoulder.
Brent is over it. “Let’s go.”
Willow shoots me an icy look when I reach for Kent’s hand, so I interweave our fingers and bring it to my lips, kissing the back of it.
Kent looks down at me crossly.
Before we follow his father into a dark blue Audi he pulls me to a stop. Willow and Scott stop at a Mercedes and disappear inside.
“Stop it,” he orders.
“Stop what?”
“You know what. Don’t touch me to make her jealous. Touch me because you want to. Don’t kiss me to make her mad. Kiss me because you can’t help it. I’ve never done anything with you with Willow in mind. I expect the same from you. I don’t want her. I