Page 13 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

I allowed my gaze to travel to the front passengers, and I watched as Atlas reached over and ran his finger down the length of Maven’s hand.

My belly clenched, and I had to look away myself.

From the beginning of time, Atlas and I had always been attracted to the same women. It never fuckin’ failed. If I found someone, his eyes would find her, too.

We’d had more than our share of fights over the years because of girls, but we’d settled our differences. Pretty much, whomever saw and went after them first, got them. We didn’t play that kind of game with each other. We valued our bond more than we wanted to fight over women.

At least we had until Maven came into the picture.

I didn’t realize how bad it would feel to have a woman I wanted in my bed and in my life so desperately it was hard to breathe sometimes, get spotted first by my brother.

It was fucking awful.

I tightened my hand into a fist, and adopted Pepper’s stance and looked out the window, trying really freakin’ hard to ignore the two people in the front seat.

I managed it just fine, in fact, until Atlas pulled over at a gas station.

Desperate to get the fuck out of this vehicle, I bailed, not stopping to get Maven’s door like I had been taught by my father.

Instead, I hauled ass into the store, walked right up to the beer section, and pulled out a twelve-pack of Ziggenbach.

Stopping next to the powdered donut section, I snatched up two bags and walked up the cashier just in time for Pepper and Maven to make their way inside, Atlas behind them catching the door.

Atlas glared at me, making me feel like an asshole for not getting the ladies’ doors.

I looked away from him and handed the lady my card.

She swiped it just as Maven came up beside me and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

I gritted my teeth, angry at myself and her.

Me for wanting her so badly, and her for making me want her.

It wasn’t fair, but it was what it was.

“Sure,” I grumbled as I walked out to the truck, holding the door for her, albeit reluctantly.

“I’ll sit in the back with you,” she suggested as she hopped into the seat. “Will you share those donuts?”

“I think Atlas will kill me in my sleep if I eat them in his new truck,” I admitted. “But I’ll share them out here.”

She pointed to the beer, too, and I reluctantly opened the pack and gave her one.

I took one for myself and leaned against the truck with it in one hand. She leaned on the other side of me with her own beer, and together we started to eat the bag of donuts.

“Do you think, uh…” she hesitated.

I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at her.

She licked her lips, and I wanted to lick them for her.

“Do I think what?” I asked a little more harshly than I’d intended.

She looked down at her shirt, and started to swipe the powdered sugar crumbs off her shirt before saying, “Do you think you might want to go out to eat with me tonight?”

Her words hit me like a slap across the face, and I jerked back.

Her eyes widened, mouth opening and closing, before saying, “You don’t have to!”

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