Page 33 of Fire Fight

And those muscles immediately tense as I drag it kitty-corner to the sofa just to fuck with her, extending it until I lie almost vertical, knees bent so my legs don’t dangle inches over the end.

Raelene sits behind a coffee table on the far side of the room where a gigantic puzzle lies in a thousand pieces. She glances over, smiling at her daughter before she returns her concentration to the scattered picture.

“Such a secretive girl,” I murmur. “Anyone would think you were plotting to seduce the neighbour.”

Cadence glares, tipping the screen at an even steeper angle.

I can hardly do more with her mother sat there watching, so put on headphones, switching on the sound system and closing my eyes as tunes from a raucous new-wave band fill my ears.

A half hour passes and I’m close to dozing when Raelene gets to her feet, wandering from the room to see where the old man got to. It’s nice to know his new live-in girlfriend can’t win his attention away from his work either, lessening the blow to my ego.

The moment she’s gone, I peel the headphones away from my head, setting them over the armrest before I launch myself at Cadence, wrestling her on the couch.

She squeals and I clamp my fingers over her mouth, watching her eyes widen in fright, then widen further as I tickle her, releasing her to pluck the phone from her hand.

“You’re meant to try to impress people on your first date,” I lecture her, snorting over her movie choices, most of which are strictly PG. “What are you? Ten?”

Cadence snatches it back, scraping back her fringe while she tips her nose in the air. “Not everyone needs to watch sex and violence to be entertained. I prefer a good story.”

“Have you told your one-handed paperback collection that?”

She shoves her heel into my calf muscle, and I pin her to the sofa, the curve of her hip against my prick, my forearm rubbingagainst her left tit. Her back arches, still fighting, but my body interprets the movement differently, arousal surging until my cock stiffens and I roll behind her, pulling her back against me, grinding my growing erection against her sculpted arse.

“Get off me.”

The words sound earnest, but her nipples harden until they’re poking the soft skin of my inner arm. My hand slides down to cup her breast, pinching and she makes a whimper that sets my brain on fire.

Only the clip of her mother’s shoes drives me to release her, scrambling back into my recliner, headphones on, before she reaches the connecting door.

Cadence pulls herself back together more slowly, licking her lips and curling her knees against her chest. With her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, her face screams pure sex. I bet if I put my fingers between her legs, she'd be soaked.

And am I going to let her loose in a movie theatre like that with Hudson?

Am I, fuck.

A few minutes later, I excuse myself to the kitchen, sending a group message to my friends, asking for help. The contacts are a mix of the boys I knew from Alabaster and the undesirables I clicked with during boot camp.

They’re not much of a network if you want a stock market tip or a helping hand onto the right career ladder from the son of a CEO. They’re not rich like the unwanted acolytes who trail me around school.

What they have are mad skills and low ethics—a handy combination.

I’ve contributed my share to their general delinquency over the years. Being a firebug has its uses.

My request is far different from any I’ve made before, and I huff a relieved breath when Jake comes through with the goods. A reservation for four at the city’s newest and trendiest eatery.

With one favour less in my arsenal, I head back into the lounge, nodding to Arnold who now sits next to Cadence’s mother, working on his laptop while she continues to tackle the puzzle.

I stop in the doorway, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in my stomach.

To outsiders, we look like a normal family. Two parents, two teenagers.

A nice house.

A nice life.

Growing up, this was everything I ever wanted. A father to teach me manly things like how to shave or do odd jobs around the house. A sibling to tease, someone who would always understand who I am because we share the same upbringing.

My ears hum louder the longer I stand there, eyes eating up the scene, wanting more than anything to join and be normal along with them.

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