Page 58 of In It to Win It

“You gotta make sure people talk to Grandpa,” I say to him in a low voice.

He sighs. “I know.”

“This family feud is bullshit,” Harrison mutters. “We need to do something about it. Can’t you get your dad to withdraw the lawsuit?”

I grimace and glance at Théo. “I don’t know. They seem pretty convinced that Grandpa stole money from them.”

“Why would he do that?” Harrison shakes his head.

Théo’s lips pinch together, but he says nothing.

“I don’t know.” I don’t want to get into it with Harrison, because I like him and we get along. “Maybe all of us should get together sometime and talk about what we could do.”

“What do you mean ‘all of us’?”

“Like . . . this generation. You, Noah, Asher, Everly . . . us . . . Riley. I doubt if we can get Jackson here, but maybe.”

Harrison purses his lips and nods. “I’ll talk to Everly about it. She’s like the boss of everyone.”

I laugh. “True.”

Taylor and Anthony appear.

“We’re on our way out.” Anthony extends a hand to shake mine. “Good to meet you, man.”

“Yeah.” I resist the urge to curl my lip.

He says goodbye to the others, then tells Taylor, “I’ll get the car, babe. Pick you up in a couple of minutes.”

“Okay, thanks.” She smiles at him as he leaves.

“You had to park in the next county too?” I joke.

She laughs. “Just about.”

“Give me your cellphone number. And we’ll get things sorted out with Byron.” She tells me her number, I enter it in my phone, and I immediately send her a text so she has mine.

“I still can’t . . .” She hesitates.

“It’s fine, Taylor.” Jesus. She sinks her teeth into that plump bottom lip and it’s all I can do not to swoop down and kiss it. I know how that lip feels . . . against mine. How she tastes . . . My entire body heats and tingles remembering. I have to curl my hand into a fist to resist reaching out to touch her. I want to stroke a hand down her silky hair and over her velvety skin. I want to assure her that Byron is going to be fine, even though he’ll be living with someone else.

She gives a small nod and looks up at me through her eyelashes. Electricity arcs between us and I feel a tug of desire in my groin. Oh for Chrissake.

Maybe this isn’t a good idea. I’m going to be tormented every time I see her. I’m being a dumbass, suggesting this. I know it’s for selfish reasons—I want to see her. But I fucking can’t.

Harrison and Théo are watching us.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” I murmur, setting a hand on the small of her back.

Her eyes flicker.

A minute. Just a minute alone with her. In the foyer, we pause. I gaze at her face, my eyes moving over her flushed cheeks and glittering eyes, lingering on her mouth. Heat crackles around us and I feel a tug of desire in my groin.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she whispers.

“Like what? Like I want to push you up against that wall and kiss the breath out of you?” I edge infinitesimally closer, barely at all, and she takes a step back, her breath hitching.

“Yes. Like that.”

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