Page 144 of Cross the Line
He drinks my giggles with breathy laughter while Finley burrows closer, like she’s trying to climb under my skin.
As infuriating as Eli’s new giggle-weapon is, I love this—the three of us wrapped up in each other. His breath on my lips, and hers on the curve of my neck. His fingers making me squirm, and the friction of my body over hers reciprocating.
I could stay like this forever.
Unfortunately, my family has other ideas. The swarm of kids stumbles out of the kitchen with Tank, my uncle’s half-blind German shepherd, bumbling after them. He plows straight into our cluster of legs and gets wedged.
“Oh no, he’s stuck!” One of the brats—sounds like Kian, one of the twins—screeches. “Quick, Kairo, save him!”
Kairo wriggles deeper between our legs as Tank weaves around Finley’s. It’s a miracle we don’t all fall to our asses when the baby of the pack dives between Finley’s knees and nearly head-butts my balls. I grab her by the braces of her snow pants and lift her into the air.
“Kinan, it’s rude to crawl between a girl's legs,” I tell her.
I’m so flustered by the clusterfuck the swarm has created that I don’t even realize what I’ve said until she reminds me, “I am a girl, dummy.”
Fuck me.
At least Finley and Eli think it’s hilarious. Most people would duck and run. Not these two. They step back, laughing so hard that Finley snorts and Eli clings to her for balance.
“Tank, chill,” I groan, setting Kinan down.
Her twin, Kayla, is rifling my pockets for the puck I promised from our Sacramento Warriors game. Unlike the rest of us who root for my team—or Vegas—she’s pledged herself to Sacramento because the jersey has the most pink.
Isla 2.0.
“Where is it, JJ?” she growls. For a five-year-old, she’s terrifying.
“Upstairs.”
“In your room?” Her smile goes sharp.
“No. They’re in my dad’s office.” I’m not stupid. If I say my room, she’ll be in my drawers in seconds, and those are not childproof in accessibility or contents.
“Can you get it? Can we go slap it around? I’m dressed for it.Brought my stick and face shield. My helmet, too, and I’ve been practicing with Kayden. I can take him down like a sack of s?—”
“Potatoes.” Speak of the devil.
“What havoc are you heathens causing now?” Kayden asks, scooping both sisters onto his shoulders. They grunt and whine while he nods to me. “What’s up, Jay?”
“All good, dude.” I bump his fist.
He’s almost as tall as me—maybe an inch shorter than Eli. Shy enough that all he manages is a wave at Finley and Eli when I introduce them.
“Bibi is waiting for you,” he says in a deep, raspy voice that goes with his broody, dark, and ridiculously handsome appearance.
He’s going to break more hearts than I ever did.
“She’s made you gaz with the cranberries you like.” He flushes. “Even added heart sprinkles. Anyway, I’m going to take these demons outside to burn some energy. Good luck.” Red-faced from the twins dangling off his neck, he gives Fin and Eli another wave. “Nice to meet you.”
The swarm follows him through the living room toward the yard.
“Wow, he looks so much like you,” Finley marvels.
“Those kids are intense,” Eli chuckles.
“Yeah. Wait until Bibi sugars them up. They literally climb walls. Little monsters.” I lace my fingers with Finley’s while Eli’s arm stays draped around her shoulders.
“Cute monsters,” she hums, and I catch myself wondering about mini Finleys.
