Page 14 of Crave Me

The crowd walks ahead and I lean into Blaire’s ear to whisper, “What the fuck? Who marries someone who has a rhyming name? And there’s three sets of ’em!”

She elbows me in the stomach and shoots me a glare. “Shh. Be nice!”

Once we survive the freezing walk to the rickyard, Blaire begins to talk about my family’s business. She’s surprisingly knowledgeable about the history of the distillery and the whiskey-making process and seems to have planned her touraround the steps we take to create our product. Everyone smiles and eats up every single word. I have to admit that she’s infectious.

“The distillery was founded in 1925 by Dallas’ great-grandfather, William Colby Hayes. We’re the largest supplier of spirits to Washington and Oregon but have recently expanded to Idaho and the rest of the Pacific Northwest.”

I can’t help but watch and listen to her speak with rapt attention along with the rest of them. Everyone is drawn to her, and I can understand why. There’s this undeniable aura about her, a magnetism that leaves you feeling tethered, hanging on every word she says. It’s not just how breathtakingly beautiful she is, it’s how she holds herself, how she looks at each person like they matter, like she truly cares about the job she’s doing. She’s captivating and makes it look so effortless. The world fades to the background as I lose myself to watching her work.

Which shocks the shit out of me.

“You need to be on your best behavior for what’s next. I mean it, Dallas, don’t fuck with me in this meeting.”

“Oh, princess. What you’re asking is near impossible. Who are we meeting with anyway?”

Like I summoned them, there’s a knock on the office door. Blaire stands from the chair and wipes her palms down the front of her dress before combing her fingers through her hair.

“Quit fidgeting with yourself. You look . . .” I struggle to find words that are workplace appropriate. Fuckable, sexy, and stunning come to mind, but won’t work. “Presentable.”

She arches a brow at me. I study her for a moment before standing and taking two steps to the door and opening it.

“Oh! My boy! What a nice surprise! I was going to stop in and see you before we left,” my mother coos.

“Mom? Always happy to see you but I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Oh, that’s because we’re meeting with Blaire. Ivy made a pit stop to see Sawyer. She’ll be right in.”

“Ahh. Wedding stuff?”

“Of course. My first baby is getting married! I always hoped they would find their way back to each other. Now here we are. Planning their wedding, and a baby on the way. It’s so good to see him happy again, isn’t it?”

Ivy was forced to run away by her very controlling mother after we graduated high school. She hid herself away for ten years before finally returning. My twin was never the same after she left, and since she’s returned? He’s been so wrapped up in her that I don’t see much of him outside of work. Which, if I’m being honest, hasn’t been the easiest adjustment for me. While we’ve always gotten under each other’s skin, he’s my best friend, my twin, and having him occupied with Ivy means that I haven’t had him around. The alternative isn’t something I’d trade though. I don’t know if I believe in the soulmate bullshit, but those two were born for each other.

“Yeah, Mom, it’s great. Don’t tell me it lit a fire under you to start nagging at the rest of us to follow suit . . .”

“Oh heavens no. You five will do whatever you want to do when you want to do it and that’s all your father and I need. No pressure coming from me.”

I believe her. My parents worked hard to provide a good life for the five of us, only having basic rules and requirements—go to college or learn a trade, be smart with your money, and be happy—they’ve never put pressure on us to do anything but what makes us happy. We hit the parent jackpot.

Blaire comes up next to me, putting her hand out to shake my mom’s, but she’s pulled in for a tight hug. Blaire stiffens momentarily before relaxing and returning the embrace.

“It’s so good to see you, sweetie.”

I have to stifle the groan. Blaire is the farthest thing from sweet, no matter how intoxicating she is.

“You just saw her at dinner yesterday, Mom.”

Blaire shoots a glare my way before returning to my mom.

“It’s good to see you, Mrs. Hayes. Please come in, we can chat while we wait for Ivy.”

“She’ll probably be a bit. Sawyer wouldn’t know a quickie if it bit him in the ass,” I joke.

Blaire chokes on her water, coughing and gasping for air. I smile wickedly at her while I watch her struggle to clear her lungs and breathe. Fuck, if only it was from my cock down her throat.

“Dallas Wyatt Hayes! Don’t be so crass! Blaire, honey, are you alright? He’s feral. I apologize. I can’t imagine what it must be like to work with him. I love my boy, but he is a textbook middle child.”

“I’m your firstborn, Mom. Sawyer and I are twins,” I deadpan.

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