Page 88 of Pirate

“Put your damn shirt back on,” Pirate growled at his club brother.

Cage took off his hard hat and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. With a shit-eating grin on his face, he unhooked a water bottle that had been attached to his tool belt, uncapped it, and then poured the damn thing over his head.

Jasmine and Sophia both sighed wistfully as the water dribbled down Cage’s face, to his throat, and onto his finely toned chest.

Both Jumper and Pirate started forward at the same time, having every intention of forcing a damn shirt onto their club brother and maybe using a staple gun to keep it there, but Cage dodged their advance. He bolted around them until he came up behind the girls.

“Save me!” he begged of them. “Your evil men want to take away my gorgeous body from you for your viewing pleasure!”

Jasmine and Sophia laughed, leaning against each other. Sophia asked to see Cage’s water bottle. He handed it over to her and then bent his knees so his head was more easily accessible to her.

Sophia opened the bottle. But she didn’t pour the contents over Cage’s head. Instead, she held the bottle out for Aerial to lick and stick her tongue inside as she awkwardly tried to drink from the too small mouth.

Then Sophia put the cap back on the dog-slobbered bottle, sealed it tight, and shook it like a cocktail mixer. When she was done, she handed it back to Cage.

He took it, slowly, and with an open mouth. “That was mean,” he whined.

Sophia just smiled at him. “I’m aware.” She turned her head to the right and met Pirate’s eyes.

He winked at her. “That’s my girl.”

Now moping like someone had taken away his favorite toy, Cage reached into his back pocket and put his t-shirt back on. “Follow me,” he sulked.

The four of them, plus Aerial, followed Cage up to the structure. There, Cage opened up a metal cabinet that looked out of place enough to most likely be part of the construction crew’s equipment and not a permanent fixture. He pulled out a hardhat for each of them.

“Aerial’s got to stay out here,” Cage informed Jumper. “I don’t want her to step on a dropped nail or anything.”

Cage took out another hat, turned it upside down, and poured the remainder of his water bottle into it. Then he placed it on the ground next to Aerial. “We’ll be quick but that should be enough to hold her over while she waits.”

And get rid of the rest of his dog-slobbered water, Pirate thought wryly.

“So this is the left house,” Cage said as he brought them through the doorless entryway. “Which side is whose is up to you guys. I’m just building the damn thing.”

“Wait,” Jasmine said. “I’m still a little lost. What is this place?”

Cage turned. “Mr. and Mrs. Groveton didn’t tell you?”

The four of them shook their heads.

“Well, this is awkward,” Cage said with a dry laugh. “Okay, we’re changing course. Follow me this way now.”

He took them through a hollow wall and over to where an architecture table was set up. On it, Pirate recognized the blueprints of a house.

Cage moved to the other side of the table so the four of them could get an unhindered view. “Mr. and Mrs. Groveton commissioned my crew to build Jasmine and Jumper a house as their wedding gift. We’re on the backside of the club’s property and a drive will be added so you can reach the house from crossing the property from the clubhouse entrance or coming down the drive you just did. However, this isn’t just a standard home. It’s a duplex.” He pointed to the identical side of the house. “House A on the left is where we’re standing. House B is on the right. They are completely separate homes that are connected into one structure by a shared living room and balcony.” In the center of the two peaks, Pirate saw the outline of a second story roof balcony with a living space on the schematic of the first floor. “Both homes will have a master bedroom with a master bath, two spare bedrooms, and a full guest bath upstairs. First floors will be individual living rooms, dining rooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, and offices with the communal living room that has a wet bar connecting the two sections. Exterior will have a shared four-car garage, patio, and a fenced in gate.”

Pirate was seriously impressed.

“I can’t believe this,” Jasmine breathed out. “I mean, it’s so generous. I never expected… I mean, they’re giving us ahomefor a wedding gift.” She was squeezing Jumper’s hand so hard her knuckles were turning white. “But why the duplex?”

Cage’s eyes flicked to Sophia and then back to Jazz. “Pretty sure they knew your bestie was going to be moving into whatever house you moved into, so they gave her a home here too.”

Sophia and Jasmine exchanged excited looks.

Sophia slapped Jasmine’s arm enthusiastically. “The keys! There was one for each of us.”

Jasmine pulled out the keyrings. “Pirate too!”

Jumper and Pirate looked over the girls’ heads at each other. “Some detectives these two are,” Pirate commented adoringly.

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