Page 67 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

She narrows her eyes at me.“Why is Seth sending you signed books that I’ve never even heard of?”

I think fast.“Because he asked me the name of my favorite author the other day, and I didn’t even think.She writes dragon romances as well.Remember her stuff?I bet he didn’t realize I liked the other ones.”

Abi nods, flipping open to the front page.“I think we’ve found our new genre.Look at that.Seth was being useful, and he didn’t even know it.”

Her phone buzzes, and she glances down.“Gotta run.”

“Wait.You’re coming with me.”

Seth’s been wanting to get some good night shots for a while.In particular, he wanted the starry sky over the river.Abi’s always too busy with her boys at night to bother.After the incident with Bryan, it seems like she’s out every night.And she won’t talk to me about it at all.

She pulls a sweatshirt over her tank top.“Look, it’s cloudy.No way the stars will be visible at all.”

She’s not wrong, but Seth made us promise to meet him tonight.He’ll be pissed that she’s bailing on us again.

I send him a quick text and glare at Abi again.“Who’s the lucky guy tonight?”

“Jonathan.”

My mouth drops.“The one I went on a date with?”

“Yep.He’s so sweet, and his kisses are toe-curling.”

I want to think that maybe I judged him too quickly, but then again, I got a toe-curling kiss myself from Seth, so I can’t complain.

“Seth’s not responding.At least come with me to tell him that you can’t get the shots.Jonathan will wait for you.”

“You’re a big girl.Besides, you’re always looking for an excuse to be alone with him.”

I climb up onto my bed.“I’ve actually been avoiding alone-time with him.My dad’s been more suspicious than normal lately.At least you’re coming with us to Vegas.”

“Girl, I’m abandoning you as soon as we get there.You two will get lots of lip-locking time.”

I throw a pillow at her, and she dodges it.The pillow hits Kristy, and she throws it back, nailing Abi in the head, which messes up her hair.

Abi growls and tosses the pillow onto the bed.

“Go and kiss him under the clouds.No one else will be around.The storm tonight is going to be epic.Everyone will be locked up tight in their cabins.”

“And you?”

“I’ll be at Jonathan’s.”She smirks and walks away.

It’s already dark, but the clouds do look ominous.I almost grab a golf cart, but there’s a shortcut through the woods that the golf cart wouldn’t make.I hurry down the path, hoping that I can manage to get there before the rain starts.

I reach the edge of the woods and see Seth standing on the cliff, looking out over the river.He’s dressed casually today.Well, as casually as he can.He still has on slacks and a dress shirt, but the sleeves are rolled up, and it doesn’t look like he has a tie on.

If he were mine, and we didn’t have to hide, I’d sneak up behind him and wrap both my arms and legs around him.I’d kiss the back of his neck.He’d laugh and piggyback me to his cabin, where we’d strip off our clothes and listen to the thunder roll as we made love, and we’d fall asleep in each other’s arms.

But that’s not my reality.

As long as my dad gets his way, it’ll never be our reality.

Still, I’m not sure I could be happy with anyone but him.

I shake my melodramatic thoughts out of my head so I don’t do something stupid, and I step out of the woods to stand beside him.

“Abi’s not coming, is she?”

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