Page 30 of Drifting

“You Nick’s girlfriend?” another gorgeous guy asks.

Where do they keep coming from? This one looks familiar, though.

Nick reappears and hands me a cup. He must have gone to get a new one while I was too stunned by Cam to notice. I take it and, out of habit, smell it first to make sure it only holds soda.

Nick looks at the newcomer. “No, Shelby’s not my girlfriend. She’s my stepsister. Shelby, meet our neighbor, Luke.”

Luke’s the hot boy next door. Do they add something to the water? Do they grow them here? And, I guessed right. He has brown eyes.

“Stepsister?” Luke says. “Oh, shit. I bet Hannah’s pitching a fit. She didn’t like it when your mom moved in. Now, she’s got some real competition.”

“She’s voiced her opinion, and I’m not welcome.” I shrug. “I’m used to it.”

“Your name’s Shelby? Like the car?” Dom questions.

“Yep, like the car.” I shrug again.

“That’s cool.” Then, Dom leans down and whispers something in his brother’s ear before he takes off.

I watch him leave. Damn, that man has a fine ass. “I hope I didn’t say something to offend him?”

“Oh, no, you didn’t.” Mav laughs. “He had to piss.”

“Why don’t we head over there and take a seat?” Cam points to a spot closer to the fire and everyone else.

I nod, step forward, then wince.

Dammit, there’s a rock or something in my boot.

When I stumble, Mav slides an arm around my waist, giving me an impish grin. “You know, if you want me to hold you, all you need to do is ask.”

I smack his chest. “Smartass. I got a rock in my boot.”

“Let me get it out for you.” He bends and undoes the velcro.

Trying to balance on one foot while standing on sand isn’t an easy task. Cam wraps his arm around my waist to help steady me.

Mav shakes my boot out and puts my foot gently back in.

“There you go. Rock free.” He stands up.

“That’s better. Thank you. You, too, Cam.”

After we find enough seats for all of us, they start the normal twenty questions I get asked every time I’m somewhere new. Some of the questions I ignore or skim over.

Eventually, Nick changes the topic.

I need to remember to thank him later.

When they start reminiscing about all the trouble they’ve gotten into over the years, I’ve never laughed so hard.

Distracted, none of us see Hannah and her friends slinking up.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Some of the girls stroll straight to the guys and sit in their laps, which isn’t a big surprise.

When a girl with light brown hair sits on Mav’s lap, he doesn’t seem to care. If anything, he welcomes her.

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