The Troublemaker - Cathryn Fox Page 0,21
I didn’t follow in my family’s footsteps, and they sort of disowned me. Everyone except my grandmother.”
Anger rips through me, and my body tightens. “That’s pretty fucking shitty.”
Her head jerks up at the harshness in my words.
“You think so?”
“Yeah, I think so. You’re their goddamn daughter. They should be happy for you. Cooking is your passion. Anyone can see that. Why would they want you to spend the rest of your life doing something you don’t want to do? You only get one shot at this life, you know. You should be doing what makes you happy.”
She smiles at me, so bright and startling, so full of gratitude, it seeps under my skin, and my throat tightens.
“Funny, that’s what I said to myself. Those exact words were the reason I quit school and bought an old truck.”
I touch her face, lightly brush my thumb over her flushed cheek. “Beautiful and smart.”
She puts her head on my chest, and goes quiet for a moment. I grab the soap and start washing her up. “I really like that you see this my way. No one else seems to.”
“So, what’s going on with your trust fund?”
“I wish I could do what I want without it, but with no collateral or co-signer, and a truck that is rolling on four tires because I shoot up a prayer every night, I can’t get a loan. My father won’t sign my trust fund over until I can prove I’m stable and not going to blow it on piercings or tattoos. Crazy.”
“It is crazy, and I happen to love your tattoos and piercings. They represent who you are, and you should always be true to yourself, Kins.”
“You always say the right things,” she says, and my heart misses a beat.
A half-laugh half-snort crawls out of my throat. “You’re the only one who’s ever said that to me. Normally, I say all the wrong things.”
“Maybe it’s because we’re friends,” she says. “We both know what’s going on here isn’t about more.”
My stomach drops at the reminder. Why? Oh, maybe some part of me wants to try to work things out with Kinsley. We’re good now, but if we delved into a deeper relationship would I be able to give her what she wanted, say the things she needed to hear?
“Yeah, maybe. What do you need to do to prove you’re stable?”
She laughs. “Oh, I don’t know, remove my piercings, cover my tattoos, dye my hair back. Get married and stay married for at least thirty days.”
I nod at that. “Too bad last night’s ceremony was fake. That would have helped you out quite a bit.” I move her around, until the hot spray washes the soap from her body.
“Well it was, and marriage is definitely not in my future, so I have to figure out some other way.” Once we’re both rinsed off, I grab a big fluffy towel and wrap her in it. I scoop her up and she yelps in surprise.
“Ohmigod, remember last night when you carried me through the door and over threshold of the room, because we were married and about to consummate.”
“Vaguely,” I say, and she laughs.
“That was fun.”
“That’s what Vegas is all about.”
She frowns. “We’re supposed to meet the others for brunch and a tour of Red Rock Canyon.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I wish we didn’t have to go.”
“Really?” Kinsley says. “I don’t want to go either. Do you think they’d be upset if we blew them off?”
“Probably not,” I say. “They did see us putting back the tequila.”
“I was thinking then, maybe we can stay in this bed. The only thing I want to blow off is you,” she says and takes my cock into her small hand. She gives me a light squeeze and I groan, loudly. “I’ll text Jules,” she says. “I have a feeling she thinks there is something going on between us anyway, and since she’s been trying to set me up for ages, she’ll be happy to think we’re spending the day in bed.”
I set her down and her towel falls from her gorgeous, lush body as she goes in search of her purse.
“I didn’t realize she was trying to set you up.”
“Probably because I refuse every time?”
“How come?” I ask and sit on the edge of the bed.
She looks at me over her shoulder. “You were right when you said my ex did a number on me.”
“I’m sorry, Kins.” She pulls out her phone and sits on the other side of the bed, across from me.
“I