grimaced and headed for the kitchen, finding another pair of gloves under the sink. He pitched in, which was awesome, because Ash was getting nauseous. Together, they finished the job pretty quickly, tossed the paper towels and the sponges into a trash bag and put it out on the back deck. “He was pretty loaded last night.”
“He’s pretty loaded every night.” Ash led the way back to the kitchen and they washed their hands in the sink. Several times. Then he pushed the button to start the coffee pot. The grinder kicked into gear with a loud wail. On the sofa, Richie lurched up and gazed around the room with bleary eyes.
“Where did you disappear to last night?” Parker asked, getting two matching mugs from the cupboard.
Ash shot him a look. “Nowhere.”
“He went out on the Jet Ski,” Richie said, shuffling into the kitchen, scratching his pits and yawning. He wore a t-shirt and shorts speckled with not-so mysterious stains. The clothes clung to his body, damp with sweat. “I heard it start up when I was taking a piss.” He waggled a finger at Ash. “Did you find a chickie?”
“Go take a shower, Richie. You reek.”
Richie’s nose curled. “This whole place reeks.” Ash and Parker exchanged a glance. “Was it that hot redhead? Or the honey with the ponytail? The one with the bangs was cute too.”
“Shut up Richie.” Ash’s pulse throbbed painfully in his temple.
“Which one did you bang?”
Acid curled in his gut. “Shut up, Richie.” Richie was a bonafide asshole sometimes.
Parker stepped between them, which was hardly necessary. It wasn’t as though Ash was going to pound Richie’s nose in. Much. “Come on, Richie. You know Ash doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Richie glowered at him, and then the tension dissolved as he barked a laugh. “No. He never does. Doesn’t fuck and tell, either. Which sucks. Because it would help to know.”
“Know what?” A growl.
“Which one is easy.”
Easy? Easy?
Easy was reaching around Parker and slamming his fist into Richie’s smug face.
It was also gratifying.
Chapter Seven
Emily had stripped off her clothes, dropping them onto a pile on the floor, and changed into her bathing suit and cover up when the soft knock came at the door. She kicked her overalls aside and padded across the room. She’d never wear that outfit again. The blouse was missing all of its buttons for one thing, and for another, everything smelled like him.
She opened the door and peered through the crack at Kaitlin. Her heart wobbled. Somehow Kaitlin always knew when Emily needed a friend.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Is she?” Bella popped her head around Kaitlin’s shoulder. Great. Bella was there as well. “Is she all right?”
“Is she?”
Really? Jamie too?
“Is everyone up here?” Emily asked on a sigh.
“No.”
“Thank God.”
“Cam and Kristi are asleep, and Tara is distracting Drew and Holt.” Bella grinned.
Emily frowned. “Drew and Holt are not coming up here.” That was the last thing she needed right now.
“They’re making bacon,” Kaitlin said in a soothing voice. As though she sensed Emily’s flaring panic. “Can we come in?”
“They’re making bacon?”
“For you.” Jamie pushed around Kaitlin and into the room.
Emily stepped back and let them all in. As though she had a choice. “Why are they making bacon for me?”
“Drew feels bad about yelling,” Kaitlin said.
At the same time, Bella quipped, “Because they want to lure you back downstairs and get the details of…” she trailed off and glanced around at all the glares. “What? It’s true.”
“Shut up Bella,” Jamie snapped. “We’re supposed to be calming her down.”
Kaitlin shot Emily an apologetic look. “I should have come alone.”
“I’m fine. Honestly. You can all go back downstairs and—”
Bella sidled up to Emily and sniffed her. Sniffed her . “Why do you smell like maple syrup?”
“I-I
“He’s pretty loaded every night.” Ash led the way back to the kitchen and they washed their hands in the sink. Several times. Then he pushed the button to start the coffee pot. The grinder kicked into gear with a loud wail. On the sofa, Richie lurched up and gazed around the room with bleary eyes.
“Where did you disappear to last night?” Parker asked, getting two matching mugs from the cupboard.
Ash shot him a look. “Nowhere.”
“He went out on the Jet Ski,” Richie said, shuffling into the kitchen, scratching his pits and yawning. He wore a t-shirt and shorts speckled with not-so mysterious stains. The clothes clung to his body, damp with sweat. “I heard it start up when I was taking a piss.” He waggled a finger at Ash. “Did you find a chickie?”
“Go take a shower, Richie. You reek.”
Richie’s nose curled. “This whole place reeks.” Ash and Parker exchanged a glance. “Was it that hot redhead? Or the honey with the ponytail? The one with the bangs was cute too.”
“Shut up Richie.” Ash’s pulse throbbed painfully in his temple.
“Which one did you bang?”
Acid curled in his gut. “Shut up, Richie.” Richie was a bonafide asshole sometimes.
Parker stepped between them, which was hardly necessary. It wasn’t as though Ash was going to pound Richie’s nose in. Much. “Come on, Richie. You know Ash doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Richie glowered at him, and then the tension dissolved as he barked a laugh. “No. He never does. Doesn’t fuck and tell, either. Which sucks. Because it would help to know.”
“Know what?” A growl.
“Which one is easy.”
Easy? Easy?
Easy was reaching around Parker and slamming his fist into Richie’s smug face.
It was also gratifying.
Chapter Seven
Emily had stripped off her clothes, dropping them onto a pile on the floor, and changed into her bathing suit and cover up when the soft knock came at the door. She kicked her overalls aside and padded across the room. She’d never wear that outfit again. The blouse was missing all of its buttons for one thing, and for another, everything smelled like him.
She opened the door and peered through the crack at Kaitlin. Her heart wobbled. Somehow Kaitlin always knew when Emily needed a friend.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Is she?” Bella popped her head around Kaitlin’s shoulder. Great. Bella was there as well. “Is she all right?”
“Is she?”
Really? Jamie too?
“Is everyone up here?” Emily asked on a sigh.
“No.”
“Thank God.”
“Cam and Kristi are asleep, and Tara is distracting Drew and Holt.” Bella grinned.
Emily frowned. “Drew and Holt are not coming up here.” That was the last thing she needed right now.
“They’re making bacon,” Kaitlin said in a soothing voice. As though she sensed Emily’s flaring panic. “Can we come in?”
“They’re making bacon?”
“For you.” Jamie pushed around Kaitlin and into the room.
Emily stepped back and let them all in. As though she had a choice. “Why are they making bacon for me?”
“Drew feels bad about yelling,” Kaitlin said.
At the same time, Bella quipped, “Because they want to lure you back downstairs and get the details of…” she trailed off and glanced around at all the glares. “What? It’s true.”
“Shut up Bella,” Jamie snapped. “We’re supposed to be calming her down.”
Kaitlin shot Emily an apologetic look. “I should have come alone.”
“I’m fine. Honestly. You can all go back downstairs and—”
Bella sidled up to Emily and sniffed her. Sniffed her . “Why do you smell like maple syrup?”
“I-I
Similar Books
