Page 102 of Live for Me

He kissed the top of my head. “And I’m not going to stop touching you just because he’s back in this house. So, whether you need to be the one to break that to him or you want me to do it, let me know.” His hands went to either side of my neck and he used his thumbs just under my jaw to raise my face up to him so he could kiss me. “No cranky old fuck is taking this from me.”

It hadn’t even crossed my mind that he might stop touching me with Jersey back here, but just the thought of it made me feel sick to my stomach.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

memphis

Kyle already made his way into the kitchen to see Jersey too. It was weird watching him interact with everyone again. Nothing in the world would have prepared me to witness these two particular men hug one another.

“He looks good,” I whispered to Triss when she stopped to stand beside me.

“Don’t be fooled. He’s still an asshole.”

“Imagine that,” Utah said and kissed the top of my head before he walked around us.

“What was that? Did he just kiss you? What is this?” she demanded rapid-fire.

“Yeah,” Indy said stopping to stand on my other side. “They’re fucking.”

“Will you please keep your voice down?” I asked with a sigh.

“They’re what?” Triss squealed. “You two bitches will send me pictures of him doing nothing all day, butthatdetail is what you choose to leave out?”

“Did she just call usbothbitches?” Indy asked with a laugh.

“I did. Because you are.”

“Itjusthappened, Triss,” I whispered. I watched her glare at Utah from across the room, but his eyes never left mine and it made all the blood in my body rush right to my cheeks again.

“Mhmm, sure.Just happened, my ass,” she said. “I’ll need details as soon as Jersey’s not around.”

“Seconded,” Indy added. “Let’s leave these three here and go to lunch.”

“That’s a horrible idea,” I said at the same time that Triss said, “Absolutely fucking not, Indy.”

“What are we doing first, boss lady?” Jersey interrupted from across the kitchen. “You want to learn to drive, or are we already too busy for that?”

“Tried that already,” Utah said. “Couldn’t teach her to drive.”

“Couldn’tteach her to drive?” Jersey asked with a laugh before he looked back at me. “Tell me the smitten kitten was too nervous to remember how to do it himself?”

“She’s stubborn. Can’t teach her anything that she doesn’twantto learn, old man,” Utah said.

“Stubborn. That’s the excuse you’re going with?” Jersey asked.

“Stubborn. Yes. She’s short.”

“What?” I asked and laughed. “Those two things are somehow related?”

“Yeah,” Utah said as he shrugged his shoulders. “You even refused to fucking grow all the way to adult-size. Stubborn.”

While I considered how badly I wanted to be a shithead right back at him for that, I also remembered very clearly how that driving lesson had gone, and he was still being nice enough to not tell everyone in the room what had taken place.

“It was that truck, wasn’t it? I wouldn’t want to learn how to drive in that thing either,” Jersey said.

“My fucking God with this thing about my —.”

“Utah, please,” I interrupted him quietly while Jersey smirked.

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