Page 38 of Sugar Rush
“Thanks, Mom. Get the super waterproof high protection one, okay?”
“SPF one million coming up,” she responded dutifully, making me grin. Far from the horror stories about stepmothers I’d heard, we’d always gotten along just fine and enjoyed each other’s company. No weird jealousy about my dad from either end, which was a relief. Maybe because I hadn’t butted up against the idea of having a new mom, and she hadn’t minded the idea of another son.
She sighed a little, looking wistful. “I’m kind of jealous, you know? I’d love to go out to the beach for the weekend.”
“We should plan a trip!” I said. “It would be really fun if we could all go before school starts.”
My dad mentioned that he could find out about getting vacation from work, and we all chatted a little more about the idea before Kieran made his way down the stairs, looking exhausted and half-dead as usual. He was definitely not a morning person, and he never had been.
“Morning, honey!” Mom greeted him, to which he responded with a semi-friendly grunt. Behind us, he started his usual routine of pouring cereal and milk into a bowl before staring at it until it got soggy and eventually eating it.
Navigating this part of my plan was going to be a little tricky, but if anyone could execute it flawlessly, it was me.
“Mom’s grabbing the last thing we need for the trip on her way home,” I commented. “So don’t worry about having to go to the store or anything before tomorrow.”
He raised his head, staring at me like I’d spoken a language he hadn’t even known existed. “You’re going on a trip?” He asked. It was a good thing he was always a little slow in the mornings or that might have looked suspicious.
I blinked slowly at him, tilting my head. “Of course!Ourtrip, silly!” I turned back toward our mom, shaking my head in acomically exaggerated exasperation. “Someone didn’t get much sleep last night,” I commented. She chuckled a little, shaking her head. She was totally buying it.
“Kieran, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us that you were going away this weekend!” She complained, but sounded more surprised than upset.
He stared at her now for a few moments before answering. “You mean…Mytrip? Up to the coast tomorrow?”
“Well, sure, it’syourtrip for work,” I agreed. “But I’m really glad you invited me to come. I haven’t been to the beach in forever!”
I watched the gears of his mind struggling to turn and come to an understanding for a few moments, before his eyes narrowed. As I’d expected, he wasn’t totally thrilled with my genius plan. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been really busy so I forgot to mention it. I’ll only be gone until Monday night.”
“I know, Jordy told us all about it,” she assured him. “I’m so proud of you!”
“… Thanks,” he said, before shifting his gaze to me with a very unamused expression on his face. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I lifted my drink to my mouth to take a long sip, daring him to call me out for lying. If he did, then I’d have to explain why I’d done it. And then he’d have to explain why he was such a jealous psycho who couldn’t stand for other alphas to even glance in my direction. And I was pretty sure he didn’t want to do that. Especially in front of my dad.
As our parents excitedly and cluelessly grilled him about the tattoo he’d be doing for the client, I watched him pick up his phone and start typing. After a few moments, a text lit up the screen of my phone.
Who the hell said you’re coming on this trip?
Me, I texted back, watching in amusement as he alternated between answering their questions and attempting to chew me out via text message.
You’re not coming. The hotel room is already paid for and it’s just one bed.
I suppressed a snort, rolling my eyes.We’ve slept in the same bed before, Mother Teresa.
To my fascination, as he glanced down to the screen at my response, his cheeks colored a bit.
That’s different.
How?I wondered, but I pretty much already knew what he was implying. We’d been younger, and a lot more innocent. At least, I had. Mostly. We’d never done anything inappropriate during those times, but it was pretty much a guarantee that we’d be doing them now. At least if I had anything to say about it.
He didn’t answer my text this time, pointedly putting his phone face down onto the table as he finished up the conversation with our parents. I waited patiently, inserting my own declarations here and there, until he was finished eating and went to head back upstairs to get ready for work.
Hopping up from my chair, I followed him up.
“Absolutely not,” he spoke up when he saw me coming up. “It’s not happening.”
“Oh, okay,” I answered, inserting a peppy, cheerful tone into my words. “Then you go down and tell my dad that you decided not to bring me because there’s only one bed and you don’t think you can control yourself if you have to sleep next to me.”
His eyes widened, and he let out a growl. “That’s… I never said that!”
“So youdothink you can control yourself while we’re sleeping in the same bed?”
