Page 21 of Gorgeous

“Theo!” Cade shouts out his warning, and immediately Theo pops his head out, his face glistening under the lights.

Holy shit.

No way was he doing what I think he was doing.

Right?

Theo wipes his face along his sleeve and helps up a shaky—and not embarrassed—Anniston. Then with a wicked gleam, he launches the garter at Cade like a slingshot. Cade catches it easily and balls it up before stuffing it in his pocket like it’s no big deal.

“Everyone happy now?” Theo teases. The surrounding crowd seems to all laugh except for his parents. His mom looks like she would beat him if she didn’t have so many witnesses. His dad just glares. “Well, if that’s all, Ans and I are going to make use of this videographer and have her film something more worthwhile.” He nods at Hayes directly next to me and says, “Find something to do, boys … unless you want to watch.”

Theo’s mom explodes. “Theodore! Stop being so crass! Your grandparents are here for God’s sake.”

Hayes buries his head in my shoulder, smothering his reaction to Theo’s scolding, and I try not to act weird about having a hot guy’s face in my neck.

“Good to see ya, Ma.” Theo pulls himself and Anniston from the crowd, never apologizing for his behavior. “Grandma. Grandpa.” He nods at Cade, and reluctantly Cade smiles and nods back, shaking his head as Theo and Anniston nearly sprint from the barn. The only thing that can be heard in the stark silence is, “Fucking finally! How long does it take for me to fuck you, McCallister?”

I’m in some kind of horror movie. She cannot be serious.

“Come again?” My request comes out a little growly, but it doesn’t faze Anniston in the slightest. She keeps on shoving clothes—and several sex toys I don’t acknowledge—into her already full suitcase.

If this is where she is going to wait me out with silence in hopes I’ll let this tidbit of information go, then she is mistaken. She cannot drop this on me and just assume I won’t have an opinion. I’m sure she expected my reaction, and this silence is her strategy to get her way.

We’ve come so far in our relationship in the eighteen months I’ve been living with her. Even though she’s still the commander and controls almost everything, she respects my opinions and allows my authority since I’ve proven I can be her partner in this foundation instead of her charge. Don’t get me wrong, she still kicks my ass in training and tells me when I’m being a broody asshole, but otherwise we’re more on equal ground now.

“Ignoring me will not make me go away, Anniston.” I try one more time to appeal to her sensible side before I unleash the fury that’s building under the surface. Finally, she lifts her face and meets my stare head-on and … smiles. Mischief and sisterly love smirk back at me.

“Don’t smile at me like that,” I scold her. I am in no mood for her games. Her smile grows, plumping her rosy cheeks in the process.

“I can smile at you however I want to, Major Jameson. You’re just so darn cute when you’re pissed.” She drops the sundress in her hand and approaches me, dragging her hand along my cheek as she’s done from day one. It’s her way of showing affection.

“This little frown line right here” —her index finger pokes at a spot close to my lips—“is so incredibly sexy. You have no idea. You could have the entire county of women—hell, even the men, too—on their knees in seconds, fighting for the chance to suck you off.”

There it is. The real Anniston I’ve grown to love, crude mouth and all. I grab the hand poking at my face and cut her a look. I know what she’s doing. “You’re trying to distract me. It won’t work.”

She sighs and pulls away. “Fine. I asked Breck to come by and check on things while Theo and I are gone.” She shrugs her tiny little shoulders at me and grins. “No biggie.”

Yes, biggie. I don’t need any help, and I sure as hell don’t need Breck, with her distracting ass, lurking around the house, causing all the guys to have wandering eyes. I nearly beat Hayes into an early death last night when he tried licking the pie off her fingers. I don’t think I’ve ever been so jealous in my entire life, watching Breck in her Chef’s jacket, a blush staining her cheeks from the steady stream of compliments and phone numbers being thrown her way.

Having her so close, the smell of apples radiating from her hair, had me hard all night. I’ve never been so miserable in my life and I’ve lived through some horribleshit in the military. Last night’s torture doesn’t end there, though. Oh no. Anniston had to strike a business deal to keep my walking fantasy in thehouse for two weeks. Hayes’ shenanigans last night will be nothing compared to what they’ll do to me with her living here. It’s not a secret I find her attractive. And … that I jerk off to her in the shower occasionally, but I can’t have her, so what’s the point in dangling my addiction in front of me?

Two weeks with her is going to be fucking brutal.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Commander, but I think I can handle it. This isn’t the first time you’ve left us for a few days.”

She and Theo have left several times before. Granted, it’s not been for two weeks, but still … how hard can it be? We have a routine. Most of the guys work, so why the need for Breck unless Anniston is playing some kind of matchmaker game, which is what I suspect.

“Thank you, Major. I thought so, too.” She’s being formal to piss me off, and she is not going to let this go. I can see it in her eyes. “I also asked Breck to cook meals. The guys love her pies and she told me she used to be an aspiring chef before she left her hometown.” She shrugs again, shoving a pair of handcuffs in her suitcase. Looks like their honeymoon of visiting all the ballparks in the US will be from the hotel window. With the amount of toys and restraints packed in her suitcase, they won’t get in much sightseeing.

I scoff. “I see. So, is she going to bring the food over or cook it here?” The thought of Breck damp from the heat of slaving in the kitchen immediately has me adjusting myself so Anniston doesn’t see. I love food, and I love it even more when I don’t have to cook it. Add a feisty brunette with a body of an angel and I’m done. I’ll get a blister with the amount of jerking off I’ll have to do to stay sane.

“I told her she could fix them here and stay in Lawson’s old room.”

I choke. “For two weeks?”

“Yes.”

“Commander!”

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