Page 181 of Tag

Cloe did a double-take. “You were there?”

“I was,” Cade replied matter-of-factly. “I hard things. I’m choosing to mentally repress all of it now.”

Ari looked far too intrigued. “Oh, wow.”

Cade shot me a sympathetic glance. “Sorry, Sass. I really did try to drown it out with ESPN.”

“Drown what out?” Roxxi let out a sharp little noise that was somewhere between a gasp and a devil’s giggle. “Sanjana Marino. What did youdo?”

“It’s not what any of you think,” I insisted, already regretting everything about this conversation.

Cloe grinned. “Girl, it never is.”

How would she know? Cloe hadn’t been near a guy since junior year of high school. I was almost positive she was as close to being a virgin as Ari was, but that wasn’t important right then.

It was time for me to get off this call. “Okay, well, as informative as this chat has been, I have a paper to finish before I go help set up for tonight.”

Roxxi sniffed dramatically. “Fine, leave me hanging. I need to get ready to head to the Stables anyway.”

Nick perked right up. “Can I come?”

I bit back a laugh. He sounded like a little kid asking to tag along to the park.

“Can you meet me there in an hour?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Sanj, after I get home and finish Nick, I want our girl chat.”

Xander laughed. “Finish Nick?”

Roxxi rolled her eyes. “You know what I meant.”

Nick leaned into the frame, voice smooth. “Here I was getting even more excited, Vixen.”

Cloe made a sound of disgust. “Okay, if our group seriously devolves into a full-blown friendcest, I’m out. Somebody better double up.”

“Poor Arianna,” Roxxi sighed, not missing a beat.

Ari scowled. “What do you mean, poor me? They have Zoe now.”

The guys reacted like she’d tossed a grenade into their lap.

Nick groaned and sank deeper into the couch. “Oh, come on. She’s cool and everything, but we don’t have her. She isn’t you.”

Ari made a face so appalled it sent Roxxi into a fit of laughter. I cracked right along with her.

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “That didn’t come out right.”

Rook leaned into frame, deadpan. “He meant she’s not family.”

Cade added helpfully, “You four are different. You’re, like… special.”

“Aww, stop,” Roxxi drawled. “But we are, aren’t we?”

Ryder laughed, watching them all, bemused.

“Basically, we’d fuck you—.” Xander paused and reconsidered his words. “I mean, notyou,obviously. Never mind.”

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