Read Online Hard Tackle (A Stepbrother Warriors Novel) by Celia Loren - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Celia Loren
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interesting."
"He came last week, too," I reveal. "Also by
himself."
"So he likes you."
"No. Wait, really? Do you think?"
"Oh, definitely," she says nodding sagely, then
smiles. "I was wondering when you were going to start dating."
"Mom…" I sigh, though it is nice to be able to
discuss a boy with her. I can't very well bring up what's been going on with
Jack.
"Well, he's in your section," she says, handing me
a menu.
"On it," I reply, heading out from behind the bar
and over to Miles. I take a deep breath as I approach, but I actually feel much
less nervous than I used to. "You're becoming a regular," I say with
a smile.
Is it my imagination, or do his cheeks turn a little red?
"Oh, well, it's…um…" he trails off.
"No, I'm glad," I assure him. "We, ah, we
never really got the chance to talk very much in high school," I add,
feeling my confidence building rather inexplicably.
"Yeah, that was too bad," he murmurs, glancing up
at me.
"Well, it's never too late," I reply with a smile,
holding his gaze. Holy crap! Who is this brave new Bree?
He pauses for a moment, staring back at me. "You want
to go out sometime?"
"I'd love that," I say briskly, like my heart
didn't just skip a beat. "In the meantime, can I get your drink
order?"
* * *
"Bree has a date!" my mom crows as we walk into
the kitchen together after our shift.
"Mom!" I admonish her as Jack and Ray look up at
us. My newfound sense of womanliness comes crashing down as I squirm under
their gaze.
"Who's the lucky guy?" Ray asks.
"Just this guy I went to high school with, Miles,"
I answer as I walk over to drop my bag on one of the counter stools.
"Stud!" Jack says, reaching out to high-five me. I
slap his hand automatically, though I want to laugh at how surreal it feels.
"Sylvie left dinner on the stove," Ray says,
referencing their housekeeper and sometime cook.
"Oh, great," my mom replies. She told me she felt
odd about having a maid at first, but quickly realized the sheer size of the
house and her responsibilities at the diner would have made taking care of
everything way too much.
"OK, I'm headed out," Jack says, waving goodbye
and turning for the foyer.
"Where are you going?" I ask, then wince as I hear
myself. Did that sound needy?
"Dinner with Shaun," Jack answers.
"Try to stay out of trouble!" his dad calls after
him as he walks down the hall.
"Oh, you know I will!" Jack yells back. I frown.
He clearly wasn't being serious. And I met Shaun, and can't imagine he and Jack
are really going to have a quiet little dinner.
Pull it together, Bree . I need to stop myself from
thinking these kinds of jealous thoughts now, before they become any more
serious. Besides, Jack is…Jack. I mean, the guy just high-fived me. The only
reason I feel jealous is because of our nightly shenanigans, not because of any
real feelings.
And Jack did warn me that this might happen. I'll have to
watch myself very carefully to make sure I trim any emotional attachment in the
bud.
Later, in bed, I find myself tossing and turning. I'm so
used to my day ending with a sexual release. I have too much energy! I drum my
fingers on my bare stomach for a moment, and then slide them down. I give up
after a minute. It's just not the same anymore, now that I know what Jack can
do.
I sigh and get out of bed. I wander over to my balcony and
open the French doors. The humidity tonight is stifling, so I don't much feel
like going for a run, but the glittering water of the pool looks inviting. I
head back toward my bureau, quickly pull on a suit, and head downstairs.
As I grab a towel from the linen closet on my way out to the
patio, I think about how used to these little luxuries I'm becoming. Midnight
swim in my private swimming pool? No big deal. I toss the plushy towel on one
of the lounge chairs and step into the shallow end, walking slowly down the
steps and then sinking into the water, letting the cool water envelope me.
I dolphin dive up and down the
"He came last week, too," I reveal. "Also by
himself."
"So he likes you."
"No. Wait, really? Do you think?"
"Oh, definitely," she says nodding sagely, then
smiles. "I was wondering when you were going to start dating."
"Mom…" I sigh, though it is nice to be able to
discuss a boy with her. I can't very well bring up what's been going on with
Jack.
"Well, he's in your section," she says, handing me
a menu.
"On it," I reply, heading out from behind the bar
and over to Miles. I take a deep breath as I approach, but I actually feel much
less nervous than I used to. "You're becoming a regular," I say with
a smile.
Is it my imagination, or do his cheeks turn a little red?
"Oh, well, it's…um…" he trails off.
"No, I'm glad," I assure him. "We, ah, we
never really got the chance to talk very much in high school," I add,
feeling my confidence building rather inexplicably.
"Yeah, that was too bad," he murmurs, glancing up
at me.
"Well, it's never too late," I reply with a smile,
holding his gaze. Holy crap! Who is this brave new Bree?
He pauses for a moment, staring back at me. "You want
to go out sometime?"
"I'd love that," I say briskly, like my heart
didn't just skip a beat. "In the meantime, can I get your drink
order?"
* * *
"Bree has a date!" my mom crows as we walk into
the kitchen together after our shift.
"Mom!" I admonish her as Jack and Ray look up at
us. My newfound sense of womanliness comes crashing down as I squirm under
their gaze.
"Who's the lucky guy?" Ray asks.
"Just this guy I went to high school with, Miles,"
I answer as I walk over to drop my bag on one of the counter stools.
"Stud!" Jack says, reaching out to high-five me. I
slap his hand automatically, though I want to laugh at how surreal it feels.
"Sylvie left dinner on the stove," Ray says,
referencing their housekeeper and sometime cook.
"Oh, great," my mom replies. She told me she felt
odd about having a maid at first, but quickly realized the sheer size of the
house and her responsibilities at the diner would have made taking care of
everything way too much.
"OK, I'm headed out," Jack says, waving goodbye
and turning for the foyer.
"Where are you going?" I ask, then wince as I hear
myself. Did that sound needy?
"Dinner with Shaun," Jack answers.
"Try to stay out of trouble!" his dad calls after
him as he walks down the hall.
"Oh, you know I will!" Jack yells back. I frown.
He clearly wasn't being serious. And I met Shaun, and can't imagine he and Jack
are really going to have a quiet little dinner.
Pull it together, Bree . I need to stop myself from
thinking these kinds of jealous thoughts now, before they become any more
serious. Besides, Jack is…Jack. I mean, the guy just high-fived me. The only
reason I feel jealous is because of our nightly shenanigans, not because of any
real feelings.
And Jack did warn me that this might happen. I'll have to
watch myself very carefully to make sure I trim any emotional attachment in the
bud.
Later, in bed, I find myself tossing and turning. I'm so
used to my day ending with a sexual release. I have too much energy! I drum my
fingers on my bare stomach for a moment, and then slide them down. I give up
after a minute. It's just not the same anymore, now that I know what Jack can
do.
I sigh and get out of bed. I wander over to my balcony and
open the French doors. The humidity tonight is stifling, so I don't much feel
like going for a run, but the glittering water of the pool looks inviting. I
head back toward my bureau, quickly pull on a suit, and head downstairs.
As I grab a towel from the linen closet on my way out to the
patio, I think about how used to these little luxuries I'm becoming. Midnight
swim in my private swimming pool? No big deal. I toss the plushy towel on one
of the lounge chairs and step into the shallow end, walking slowly down the
steps and then sinking into the water, letting the cool water envelope me.
I dolphin dive up and down the
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