Page 38 of Sweet Temptation
Perfect day for surfing.
“What’s going on, brother? You seem like you’ve got some shit you’re working through.” Lochlan cracks a smile. “Deep thoughts with Lucky Beneventi.”
“Asshole,” I grin. “It’s all good.”
“Bullshit,” the fucker calls me out. “We’ve been friends too long for you to lie, man.”
“Who says I’m lying?” But the truth is he’s right, and we both know it.
And the reason just walked onto the beach with her eyes closed and face turned toward the small glimpse of the sun as it pushes through the clouds. She walks down to the edge of the soft sand and sits cross-legged on a towel. Her blonde hair blows in the breeze, and a thin white sweater covers what’s probablyanother bikini that’s bound to get me shot by the fucker next to me.
“That look right there. That look says you’re lying.” Lochlan lifts a brow, daring me to say he’s wrong. “It’s the same one you had yesterday whenever you looked at my sister. Fuck, man... It’s the same one you’ve had for years. You might not actually be lying to me, but that’s because you’re definitely dumb enough to be lying to yourself.”
There are only two guys in the world I respect as much as my brothers.
And Lochlan is one of them.
But if I were him, I’d want to kill me for the thoughts I have about that woman.
Spectacularly. Fucked.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, letting the waves pass us by.
Waiting them out for something better.
If Linc were here, he’d be filling the silence for us.
“You gonna finally ask her out?” he eventually asks. “I gotta figure you’ve been waiting long enough.”
I turn his way and grip my board, so I don’t fall the hell off as the next wave threatens to knock me over. “How pissed would you be if I did?”
His eyes narrow as he watches me, looking for something.
An answer to an unasked question.
If it were anyone else, the answer wouldn’t matter.
But it’s not just anyone. It’s Loch.
The answer matters, just not enough to stop me. Not anymore.
“You gonna do it anyway if I say I’d be pissed?”
Fuck youis on the tip of my tongue because I’m done asking for permission.
“She’s a grown woman. Pretty sure she’d be pissed as hell if anyone asked for her brothers’ approval before asking her out.” And damn if that thought doesn’t make me smile. Lexie’s always been cute when she gets fired up, and she gets fired up a lot.
The sun slips back behind the clouds, and the sky grows darker. “Good answer.”
This ass. “No shit it’s a good answer. It’s the only fucking answer.”
“You know you can’t just hook up with Lexie, right? She’s not a one-and-done. She needs someone who can take care of her,” he warns me, and I wish I was surprised he thought that, but that’s how he and Linc have always seen Lexie.
“Do you even know your sister at all? The last thing she wants is for a man to come in and treat her like she’s breakable. She doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. She can take care of herself.” I made that mistake before, and it cost me more than she knows.
Loch lies down on his board and grins like a motherfucker. “Yeah, man. I know. I’m just making sure you’ve been paying attention.” He looks behind him at the wave still coming in.
“Oh yeah, Yoda... and have I passed whatever test that was?” It shouldn’t matter what he says, but it fucking does.
