Page 37 of Before It Was Love

She bends down and removes her shoes. “There! Problem solved.”

“You can’t walk halfway across this island on bare feet.”

“It’s an island, dumbass. You’re supposed to be barefoot on an island.”

“I’m not letting you walk barefoot and hurt yourself.”

“Not letting me?” she screeches. “Not letting me? Since when are you my keeper?”

I slam on the brakes. I’m done with this. I get out and round the vehicle until I’m standing in front of Sophia. I point to the truck. “Get in or I’ll make you get in.”

“Sorry, strange dude in a truck, I only let men who fuck me tell me what to do.”

Heat rushes through my body. Sophia lets men order her around in the bedroom? How far will she let me go? Will she let me tie her up? Will she let me spank her?

“Typical man. A woman says the f-word and you go mute.” She shoves at my chest. “Now get out of my way. I don’t want to be late to work.”

“Oh, darling. You’re going to be late.”

Her eyes narrow. “Don’t you darling me. I’m not some woman you picked up at the bar.”

“No. You’re my best friend’s little sister and Weston will kill me if I let you walk to work.”

She throws her arms in the air. “Weston. Weston. Weston. It always comes back to my big brother. I wish I was an only child.”

“You give me no choice.” I squat down and wrap an arm around her waist before throwing her over my shoulder. She punches and kicks at me but I don’t release her until she’s sitting in my truck with her seatbelt on.

“Don’t make me come after you again.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Whatever.”

I expect her to jump out of the truck while I hurry around to the driver’s seat but when I open the door she’s still sitting there. She’s angry as hell but she’s here.

I switch on the engine and begin to drive. “You can control the radio.”

“Your olive branch is not accepted.”

“I guess I’ll listen to my music then.”

I turn on the radio and country music blares. She cringes. Sophia hates country music.

“Remember the time Weston and I tricked you into attending a country music festival.”

“Oh my god. Enough. I can’t listen to thisandhandle your walk down memory lane at the same time.” She switches the station to pop.

I chuckle. Sophia never could keep quiet for very long.

“You may now continue to lambast me with stories to remind me we grew up together and you’re my brother’s best friend, which for twisted reasons inside your mind means we can never be together.”

My reasons aren’t twisted. They’re fucking serious.

I am not good enough for Sophia Milton and her brother Weston knows it.

Chapter 13

Who slapped your salmon this morning?

Sophia