Page 66 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even go number two,” I lied.

Maven snickered and was just about to open her mouth to counter my words when my dad walked over, a worried look on his face.

“Good news and bad news,” he said when he got close enough. “Good news, I still have my job. Bad news, I’m expected in a meeting tomorrow at the butt crack of dawn to discuss this situation. Oh, and the chief expects you and me both.”

Maven stiffened.

I caught her hand, squeezing it lightly. “It’s okay.”

She looked at me worriedly before saying, “I’m not sure that you’re right, honey.”

“I’m just gonna go water my plants,” I said. “Make yourself at home.”

Everyone had left twenty minutes ago, and I was in desperate need of a shower and a beer. But I’d already missed watering everything early this morning, if I missed today completely, I’d have to get up way earlier than I wanted to get it done.

I’d held off on the beer while everyone was here, but I needed something to calm me down.

If I didn’t get control of my shit, I would be doing something with the woman across the room when I knew she wasn’t ready.

“How about I do that?” she suggested. “I saw you eyeing the shower earlier.”

My brows raised. “You wouldn’t mind? It takes forever.”

“I would love to,” she admitted. “Go.”

I caught a beer and headed for the shower while she headed outside.

It took me ten minutes to get through my shower and my beer, and by the time I came back out, she was watering the lilies next to my driveway.

I watched from the window, sipping another beer, and fully admitted to myself that I got irrationally happy seeing a woman I’d had a thing for forever at my house, watering my freakin’ plants.

I was such a damn weirdo to find something like her watering my plants to be so goddamn sexy, but she was barefoot, scrunching her toes into the dirt. The sway of her hand watering the plants was making her tits, which were obviously bare underneath my t-shirt, sway with her movement.

I was so lost in thought as I watched her that I didn’t realize she’d turned and was now surveying me through the window until she started heading my way.

I forced my eyes up from her tits to see her staring at me with hunger in her gaze.

I swallowed hard and placed my half-empty beer down on the counter before turning to watch her walk inside.

She came in, a smile on her lips.

“What are you staring at, Auden Carter?” she asked curiously.

She and I both knew damn well what I’d been staring at.

I swallowed hard before saying, “Sorry. I have no control.”

Her lips tipped up at the corners as she said, “Is it horrible that someone who was supposed to be close to me died today, and all I can think about is licking those veins on your forearm?”

I looked down at my forearm, and sure enough I had a few veins popping.

“I think that our mind does whatever it needs to during the coping process, and nothing is inherently wrong as long as we express it in a healthy way,” I admitted.

Her eyes went to my chest, then down to my bare toes.

“Where am I sleeping tonight?” she asked. “You took me to your room earlier but…”

I crossed my arms over my chest then leaned my hips against the counter. “It’s early yet, isn’t it?”

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