Page 29 of Pirate

Fletcher paused. Then Fletcher’s eyes fell on Pirate’s cut. “You’re with the local club, right?” He stuck out his hand to Pirate. “Good to meet you! We’re going to be brothers soon.”

Pirate stared down at the hand but did not make a move to take it. “I doubt that very much.”

Fletcher looked between Pirate and Sophia for a second before lowering his hand. “I’m going to be prospecting. I actually have a meeting with your President tomorrow afternoon.”

Pirate almost snorted at the notion. Steel would take one look at Fletcher’s track suit and keel over laughing. “Is that right?”

“Like I said, we’ll be brothers soon.”

“If you had any concept of the word, you wouldn’t be using it so loosely.”

The douche actually flipped his hair out of his eyes. “I served eight years. I know exactly what the word means.”

Pirate had no interest in having a dick measuring contest with the wannabe biker. He looked over his shoulder at Sophia. “Ask your mom what you came here to ask so we can get out of here.”

Sophia, who seemed to be enjoying the show of watching Fletcher squirm, looked to her mom. “Jasmine said something about me bringing a date to the wedding. If she meant this idiot,” she pointed around Pirate at Fletcher, “then I can guarantee you it’s not happening.”

Mrs. Groveton scowled at her daughter. “Sophia!” She stood up, the sundress that seemed out of place for April in Pennsylvania flowed around her legs. “But to answer your question, yes. When I heard Fletcher was back in the area, I invited him over to see what his plans are in a few weeks. Of course, I checked with Jasmine first. It is her wedding after all.”

Sophia burst out laughing. “Mom, I am not going to the wedding with Fletcher. He’s a pompous imbecile with a smalldick complex. The only reason he even survived his military career is because his daddy pulled strings to keep him stateside at a pretty desk. The biggest thing he had to fight was the copy machine when it had a paper jam.”

Pirate had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from laughing.

“Sophia!” Mrs. Groveton admonished. “There’s no service too big or too small as far as I’m concerned.” She turned to Fletcher. “I am proud that you served our country so honorably.”

“Thank you, Bea.” The man actuallybowedto her.

Turning back to her daughter, Mrs. Groveton said, “Iassumedyou could act like a mature adult, Sophia! The two of you were practically kids when you broke up. It would be nice to see you settled down and Fletcher comes from a good family.”

“Clearly they had a switched at birth incident or it skipped a generation,” Sophia rebutted without looking at Fletcher. “Mom, seriously. I don’t care what his last name is. I don’t care where he served or what he did. I don’t careabout him. Fletcher Montague was dead to me the moment he stuck his baby penis in some stripper’s cunt.”

“Sophia!” her mother reprimanded.

Pirate could barely contain his laughter. Fuck, he loved watching Sophia dish out her just desserts. It shouldn’t have been such a turn on. Really, it shouldn’t have been.

“Now wait just a minute—” Fletcher stepped forward again.

Pirate held his ground. The man was not getting anywherenearSophia.

“Besides,” Sophia continued as if Fletcher hadn’t spoken. “I’m already dating somebody.”

That made both Fletcher and Pirate freeze. They looked at her in equal looks of astonishment.

“Jasmine didn’t say you had a plus-one already,” Mrs. Groveton said, confused.

“Because he’s already in the wedding party.” Sophia took both pointer fingers and aimed them in Pirate’s direction. “He’s my date, Mom. So you can send Fletcher on his merry way.”

Pirate wasn’t sure who looked more surprised: Mrs. Groveton, Fletcher, or him.

CHAPTER 6

Sophia could have punched Pirate for his lack of poker face. Damn, hadn’t the man ever told a lie before? He was just standing there slack jawed, which made her declaration all the more obvious as false.

A snort from in front of them drew her attention to Fletcher. Fucking Fletcher. Sophia hadn’t thought about him in years and now twice in the same day? Fuck. Maybe he was likeBeetlejuicewhere he appears after you say his name too many times. She wondered if there was a way to banish Fletcher too.

“Doesheknow you’re dating him?” Fletcher asked her in the most condescending tone.

Sophia ground her teeth together.You cannot kick him in the balls, you cannot kick him in the balls, you cannot kick him in the balls…Then she amended,at least not in front of Mom.

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