Page 45 of Double Dare

“You fucking Laken?” he asks.

“No.” It’s not a sex thing. I mean, it’s totally a sex thing, but it’s more than that, too.

“He will be,” Jed says, coming out with a coat in his hand. He lights a smoke before putting it on, because priorities, and sits with us on the steps. The three of us have always been tight; I love all my brothers, but us three, we mesh.

“You’re good with that?” Four asks Jed.

“Yep.” Jed pops the whole word, not just the P. “We’re in some three-person shit now.”

“Can I join? Always wanted a shot at Lakes.”

“Fuck you, Four,” Jed says, shoving him. “No one but Kade. At my goddamn limit here. I’d kill you if you touched her, and then I’d induct Gen into our fold.”

Four gets Jed in a chokehold. “Touch my sweetie and I’ll skin your nuts.”

“Sweetie?” I scoff. “Jesus, you are soft.”

“My sweet tea,” Four says, no fucking shame about being a collared bitch. Love him for it. “My sexy little Georgia peach. Fuck, her ass, though, right?”

Genny does have a nice round ass. No doubts there.

“Well, come to me with shit, yeah? Both of you.” Four looks at the two of us. “Whatever it’s worth, I know you guys will handle it. Fight about it to blow off steam, but never forget you’re brothers.”

Jed nods but doesn’t say anything, and I finish my smoke, hating that I’m a smoker now.

“Come on.” Four stands. “Let’s get shitfaced and mock Kolt and Bass for hooking up with an entire female hiking crew today,” he laughs.

“They didn’t?” I scoff.

“They did! Zahn and Rem flew over and saw it! They had a mid-day orgy in the backcountry and gave Zahn the finger as he flew over.” Four laughs, busting up. “Fucking twin advantage, I swear.”

Sounds like the twins. Wild and not afraid to be wilder. I laugh, loving my damn family, no matter how fucked up we are.

“Mom’s gonna cut their dicks off,” Jed laughs.

“Damn right she is. Unless they get a good review,” Four says.

“You up for our annual heli trip next month, Lakes?” Zahn throws the offer on the table, and Remy nods to agree. Those two made Laken’s first Alaskan backcountry boarding adventure a trip to remember. Too bad I was a beat-up piece of shit at the time and didn’t get the chance to go. Fucking Fordy.

“Seriously?” Laken gasps, eyes wide, interest piqued.

“We can’t get rid of ya, so we might as well make it a yearly thing.” Zahn picks her up, spinning her around while she laughs and pounds on his ass.

To see Laken on a board is boner-worthy, no doubt. I’ve always loved people who can get down and dirty in the mountains, and Laken is a natural out there. But the best part is that her love for it shines through so hard that she basically glows, infecting us all with her pure delight. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll have a hard dick while watching her shine, but I’ve never minded having to conceal a boner.

“You board, Liam?” Four asks as we all sit around the kitchen island, shooting the shit and drinking whiskey.

“I can, but I’m more of a skier. Never been backcountry, though,” Liam says. “Probably won’t be able to keep up.”

“No one can keep up with Lakes,” Jed says from beside me. “She makes us all look like rookies.”

Laken glares at Jed. She doesn’t like being put on a pedestal, and more than that, she doesn’t like making anyone uncomfortable. She doesn’t give a fuck if you’re good or shit at boarding; she just wants to be out there.

Well, fuck her humbleness. “Rookies with hard dicks,” I add, earning a smack from Laken. She looks at me with those big turquoise eyes, so I lean in before she can say anything. “Get used to it, Lakes. Goddess status on that board. Hard just thinking about it.”

When she looks down and notices that I’m not lying, she bites her lip, and my fists tighten so my hands don’t touch her. We’re in a crowded room full of friends and family, and none of them know about my involvement with her yet. When her eyes meet mine again, I take a drink to calm my nerves. One look from this girl and I’m a goner, both emotionally and physically. For so long, she’s been the ultimate temptation, and now that I’m allowed to have her, I’m buckling under the pressure of it.

“How hard?” she asks, her voice a breathy whisper.

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