Page 10 of Sin Bins and Second Chances
“There’s a veggie tray in the fridge and then an assortment of chips and dips. I kept it simple.” He grabs his foil covered tray. “I’m going to get these burgers on. Connor, come and help me with the grill!” He shouts to the next room, then looks at me. “I just don’t want him eating more of those buns before the burgers are even done.”
I laugh as I watch the two of them go out the door to the back porch. My mind wanders as I go about chopping the lettuce and slicing up the tomatoes. Busy work in the kitchen is my favorite. I think back to the first time I hung out with the team. It was after Andrew threatened to castrate any of them that flirted or messed with me, it went well.
“Daisy?” the voice behind me whispers.
I spin on my heels right before the familiarity of the voice clicks in my brain. Then, it’s too late. A chill creeps down my spine, unlocking memories I want to keep buried. The voice is deeper than I remember, rougher even. I freeze mid inhale and choke on air. A large hand slaps gently at my back, thenrubs it.
“You alright?”
Fuck no. I was not alright. Was I even breathing correctly? I cough to clear my throat, then move towards my bottle of water, farther away from him. I think I gulp half of the bottle down to avoid looking at him. Was he seriously here?
“What are you doing here?” I turn back around.
“Team dinner.” He steps closer. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
“Team?” No.
I refuse to believe what he’s telling me. There’s no way in hell. Andrew would’ve told me. My heart feels lodged in my throat as I hold my breath. We’re family and this isn’t the kind of secret you keep from family. Not something this huge—life altering.
I swallow back my nerves. “Excuse me, I’m going to see if there was anything else Andrew needed before I leave.”
He grabs one of my arms as I move to walk past him. “You didn’t know?”
My eyes narrow on his hand, gripping my arm. He takes too long to release it. Once he does, I take my time looking him over. I can’t handle this rightnow. It feels like I’m just now doing something with my life.
He’s just as tall as I remember, towering over me. But gone is the skinny boy I knew in high school. He’s filled out. His muscles strain against his dark shirt. The tattoos covering his arms look even more detailed up close. Not that I look at pictures of him online.
Not that I think of him.
At all.
It’s not as if he enters my mind at the most annoying moments.
No, Ethan Miller couldn’t be here because he was supposed to be following his dreams. He was on a team up north, not here. He wasn’t supposed to come back. Not after I broke his heart. I know I did, because I ripped mine out of my chest that same day.
Chapter Five
ETHAN
Fuck me.
Those curves.
That ass.
I’d turned the corner, walked into the kitchen, and the sight of her made me pause. My eyes scanned her, taking in every inch. Up and down. Repeatedly. Curves I wanted to grab and hold on to. A body I wanted to crawl to and worship.
As if the last seven years without her had been a figment of my imagination. I knew it was her, even if I hadn’t set eyes on her after all this time.
The need to claim her; the need to mark her. It hit me like a punch to the gut, taking the breathout of me. The only thing I could think of was how much she was undeniably mine.
She’s not yours.I argue with myself internally, even though everything about this girl calls to me.
The thought of leaving the room makes me nauseous. The idea of never being near her again sucks the oxygen from my lungs. She is my breath, my lifeline. I didn’t expect to feel like this when I saw her for the first time again. It only made the need that much stronger. I thought when I saw her again I would feel anger or nothing at all, perhaps a numbness.
I was stuck, and all I could do was wait for her reaction. To say something. Do something. Fucking anything!
The little dress she wears clings to every curve. She’s always been beautiful. Now, she’s a gorgeous goddess. Fuck me, that body. I need to relearn every curve—every dip. Daisy is still a petite little thing, standing nearly a solid foot shorter than me.
