Page 133 of Endgame

The other guy laughed. “Yeah, he’s just breaking her in for you first, man.”

“Who are these jerks?” I whispered, keeping my eyes locked on Rourke. Whoever these guys were, they were seriously pissing him off.

“Some assholes from Jefferson,” he replied tightly, his fists curled around the steering wheel.

Awareness dawned on me. “One of the guys Britt slept with?”

He nodded stiffly.

I looked out the window to where the two morons were standing, clearing trying their best to torment Rourke. “Are they trying to goad you into a fight or something?”

“Yeah,” Rourke growled, jaw clenched, nostrils flaring. “If I get caught fighting again this year, I’m off the team. Permanently.” His jaw ticked again. “And they would fucking love that.”

God, he looked so enraged. I had a feeling he was two seconds away from exploding. It was that very notion that caused me to do what I did next.

Reaching across the console, I grabbed his neck, and tugged his face towards mine. He came willingly, surprise etched on his beautiful face. “Don’t even think about letting those bastards get to you,” I told him, my lips inches from his; a huge swell of possessiveness flooding my body, the urge to defend Rourke overwhelmingly strong.

“They just insulted you,” he bit out, breathing hard.

“So?” Forcing him to look at my face, I locked my eyes on his. “Stick and stones, Rourke.” Reaching up, I stroked his cheeks with my hands. “I don’t give a crap about those guys and neither should you.”

“I’m not fucking letting them…” His voice broke off and he growled. “Goddammit, I’m gonna fucking kill them.” He was shaking with restrained violence. I knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to get out of this car and kick their asses. Part of me wanted him to do that, too, but the other part, the sensible side, knew that these creeps didn’t deserve his time.

“No, you’re not,” I announced, climbing onto his lap. For the first time in my life, I was happy of my size; it made straddling Rourke so much easier. “You’re going to kiss me instead.”

His brows shot up in confusion. “What?”

“You heard me,” I whispered, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “You need a distraction.”And I need you safe. “Kiss me.”

He hands moved to my thighs, clamping down on my flesh possessively. “Six…”

“Just shut up and kiss me, Rourke,” I ordered before covering his mouth with mine.

And he did just that.

God, I felt powerful.

Mercedes

BY THE TIME SUNDAY evening rolled around, I had resigned myself to accept the fact that I was head over heels in love with my stepbrother, and it was allhisfault.

Seven weeks.

That was it.

Seven weeks and I was in love?

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Rourke.

Ocean Bay was a temporary pit stop for me. I was leaving this all behind me. Rourke wasn’t part of the plan. And now, I was gravitating towards him.

Of course, I would never tell him that. No, I would bury my feelings. I was good at that; pretending I was fine when I was far from it. I’d seen enough of my mother’s failed relationships to know that it was a really bad idea to live your life around a man because when he left, and they always left, you would be on your own again.

I was turning into my mother…

“That was Amelia,” Rourke announced, walking into his bedroom with his cell in his hand, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts. “She’s staying at the Kings again tonight,” he added, drawing me back to the present.

“Again?” I asked, looking up from the biology textbook in my lap, eyes immediately honing in on his bare chest, taking in every ridge and groove on his stomach.

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