Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,106

she wants to disembowel my relationship with you?” I openly glare at Sabrina. It feels good, warranted, and a long time coming. “Well, I’m not letting her. This relationship is, and will, be kept under the covers.” I pull Rex in by the collar as a forced grin comes to me. “There’s no reason our parents need to find out. It’s not like a wedding is imminent.” I glance to my sister. “Unlike some people, I don’t plan on chaining myself to the first serious boyfriend I have. Oh, wait, you side-swiped the first serious boyfriend I had.”

“Now, now.” Rex pulls me in, his warm, thick hands finding a home over my back again, that budding grin of his struggling to take over. “You can’t be too broken up over that loser taking off. If he were still in the picture, we would never have made our way to one another. Ain’t that right, Muffin Top?” He brushes his finger over the tip of my nose.

Sabrina gasps at the not-so idyllic nickname lover boy here thought up on the fly. Apparently, spontaneous acts of cognition are not his strong suit.

“That’s right, Goober.” I smear that last word with a genuine grin I’m proud to call my own.

“Muffin Top? Goober?” Sabrina seems equally affronted. “What is this, the insult hour? You two are just kidding, right?”

“Nope.” I wrap both arms around my own personal Netflix and chill partner in adulterating crime and give him a life-threatening squeeze. “The Goobs and I are head over heels in love with one another. It’s just something Daddy and Lynette will have to get used to—yourself included.”

Sabrina lets out an exasperated breath, her hand pressing into her chest as if she might fall over. “You know Daddy has had a rough time ever since Mom remarried. Why can’t you give him a little slice of peace? Stop this madness, or I’ll tell you off in six different languages. We both know you and what’s-his-name are never gonna last.” She’s right back to glaring at him.

“It’s Rex,” he corrects. “Your soon-to-be brother.” That smug grin of his finds a home over his face once again.

“Aaaargh!”

A dull laugh pumps through my chest. “Is that ‘I approve’ in Swahili?”

Sabrina lets out a series of incoherent words, expletives in six different languages I’m assuming, as she speeds out the exit.

Before I can enjoy a moment of Sabrina-free silence, Cassidy pops up.

She jumps back once she spots our limbs still entwined, and we quickly free ourselves, lest Cassidy surmises the worst. “Oh my word. What in the?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” I wipe down the top of my thighs as if Rex were beach sand I was looking to be rid of. “We were just—”

Cassidy clicks her tongue with delight. My countrified best friend would like nothing more than for Rex and me to be the real deal. She’s already convinced we’re traveling in that direction. Obviously, her couple’s radar is way off the mark. “I know what you two are up to!”

Cade, Cassidy’s other, far saner half, comes up and wraps his arms around her from behind. “What’s up?”

“These two are up.” Cassidy wastes no time in outing us—albeit falsely. At this point, it’s just rumors and speculation. Although, I’m guessing Cassidy will be the last to accept the truth. “I saw them locked at the hip, wrapped up in one another’s arms, and just about to share a hot, wet kiss!”

“Nope!” Rex holds up his hands in protest. Apparently, my fake other half has his limits.

“No way.” I’m quick to join in on the protest. “Besides, our parents are getting married in a few short weeks.”

“What!” Cassidy shrieks so loud both Daisy and Piper appear by her side with a look of fight-or-flight. “So, like, you’re going to be related?” Her blonde curls spill to the side as she tries to put the misshapen family pieces together.

“Yes,” I assure her. “So you can see why it would be totally disgusting for Rex and me to ever—”

“Date,” he finishes for me.

I give a tiny wink his way. I may not be Rex Toberman’s biggest fan, but I can appreciate his understanding in keeping the blurred lines of our fictitious relationship way the hell off the radar.

“We’re just friends.”

“And hardly that,” he grunts while folding his arms tight across his chest, and my panties melt at the bicep-laden sight.

Damn, he gets me every time with that. I shoot him a look that could slice his balls off for merely inducing the sexual