Page 44 of Love, Utley

“Shoulders back, Utley.” Maddox’s voice is loud inside the photo box.

“This is stupid, Lovelace,” I mutter.

Maddox lets out a loud bark of laughter, making me jump just as the photographer takes another picture.

Oh boy, that’ll be a good one.

I’m about to drop my arms when Mrs. Roberts steps in front of the box. “Over here!” She waves her entire arm like we might miss her.

“That’s the wife,” Roberts explains. “I’ll introduce you in a moment.”

Maddox grunts, and we all stay in our Angry Mutt pose while Roberts’s wife takes a photo with her phone.

She holds up a finger. “One more, but fun.”

“Fun?” I repeat, like I’m unfamiliar with the word.

Roberts calls something out to his wife, but I miss it because Maddox has leaned toward me. “Fun, Babe. Still remember how to have it?”

My mouth drops open.

This prick.

Maddox spreads his arms and rests one on my shoulder and the other across Roberts’s. Doing it to both of us makes it seem innocent. Humorous. The giant man between the normal-sized mortals.

And if I let myself relax against him.

If I lean into his side.

If I tip my head toward him… If I smile.

It’s just for show.

TWENTY-FOUR

MADDOX

I feel it. The way she sinks into me.

I wrap my fingers around her upper arm and pull her into my side a little tighter.

“Wonderful!” Roberts’s wife calls out.

I drop my arm from around the man’s shoulders. “Introduce me,” I tell him. But I don’t drop my arm from Hannah’s shoulders. Not right away.

I can feel her hand pressing against my lower back, just to the side of my spine, where her hand rested when she hugged me.

Roberts hurries over to his wife, who is already holding her phone out to show him the pictures and not looking at us. So, keeping my hold on Hannah, I turn her with me and step out of the box with her tucked into my side.

I tip my head down to her as we approach the Roberts. “Don’t you dare leave me alone with them.”

The hand on my back shifts, and she pokes me. “Be nice.”

I huff as I release her. “I’m always nice.”

She lets out a puff of air. “You called Brandon a dipshit.”

I bite down on my urge to laugh. She’s right. I did do that.

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