Page 87 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

18

Angelo

An Announcement

For weeks after Laine’s first meeting with Spence, I close up the garage every afternoon at five on the dot, climb into my Charger, grab drive-thru subs, and come up with a new reason why I can’t hang out with the band.

Almost thirty years of dedicating my time to a band I love – to writing songs with my best friends, of playing sets every weekend, and refereeing idiotic fights because Luc torments everyone with his jokes – the moment Laine’s life turns upside down, I ditch my friends and become the guy they’ll hate.

Not only am I ditching, but I’m ditching for Luc’s little sister.

There are rules about that. There are rules that don’t need to be etched into stone.

Little sisters are off limits!

It doesn’t matter that I haven’t touched her.

It doesn’t even matter that she has no clue I want her more than I want my next breath.

What matters is that, in my mind, I’ve laid claim. In my mind, I’ve thought about her silky flesh in my bed. I’ve thought about what she’d look like beneath me, what her hair would feel like on my bare chest, what her plump lips would taste like, and how it would feel to rest my hand over her heart to feel it racing for me.

In my mind, I’ve dedicated myself to her like we’re in a committed relationship.

The problem lies in the fact she has no clue of my feelings, and if I do something about it, I become a villain in her story. If I make a move, I become the villain that takes advantage of a girl who’s onlyjustcoming out of her shell after a traumatic, life-changing experience.

But even knowing it’s wrong, I send the text to Scotch. I won’t be practicing with the guys tonight. Or tomorrow night.

Or any time in the near future.

Because for as long as Laine works on the Buick in the garage and doesn’t lock me out, I’m going there.

I’m going to stand with my shoulder against hers, and I’m going to help her work on an engine that I continue to sabotage just to buy us more time. For as long as her hair dangles over her shoulder and tickles my hand when we’re leaning close, for as long as she opens the garage door and grins the way she did when we finally got Luc’s bike back together…

I love my brothers, and Ineverexpected to be the kind of guy that’d ditch for a girl, especially a girl I’m not evenwith, but whether I love them or not, I love Laine’s smilesomuch more. I’m willing to trade anything for more of those.

Even my brothers.

I park in Kane’s driveway and climb out of the Charger the same as I’ve done every day for weeks. The neighbors probably assume I live here. I pocket my cell and close the door, and with a new song in my head, a new tune writing itself for the girl locked up in her protective bubble, I knock on the steel door and grin when I’m not met with a startled cry or banging tools.

Instead, I’m met with an excited squeak, running feet, and clanging chains.

Hell if I’m not curious.

Laine tears the door up to reveal a magnificent fucking smile as she jumps in place. “I did it!” She claps her hands together. “I did it, Ang!”

I’m so screwed.

“Hey.” I can’t help the grin that stretches across my face. If she’s happy, then I’m happy. “What’s going on? What did you do?”

“Come in!” She snags my hand and tugs me through the door. She doesn’t turn back to close it again; she allows the afternoon sunlight to filter in as she yanks me to the open engine. “It’s done.”

I narrow my eyes. “What’s done?”

“The car! Wanda’s all done.”

“Um… no.”I stole several important pieces.“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!” She steps to the sink and pumps soap into her hands. For the briefest second, my stomach drops when she lathers the soap right up to her elbows. But as fast as she starts, she rinses them off and snags a hand towel and wipes them off again. “Look.” She points with her elbow and moves toward the mini fridge. “We were missing a timing belt. And the crankshaft cover.”

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