Page 60 of Playful Kris

“What do you think of Lauren?” he asks, looking at Kaleb before slowly looking at me.

“I haven’t spent a lot of time with her to really say, Dad,” my brother tells him.

“I’m thinking of asking her to marry me.” He sighs.

I almost laugh. “Why would you do that?” I tilt my head to the side, and my brother slowly sits his drink down.

“What do you mean?” My father frowns at my question.

He’s got to be playing, right? I mean, marriage doesn’t work. He knows this, we all fucking know this.

“Well,” I lean back in my seat. “You failed miserably the first time, why would you want to go through with it again?” I ask, staring at him.

In my peripheral, I see Kam freeze on the dance floor and I know it’ll be any moment before she’s heading over here to see what is wrong.

“Now, wait. That’s not fair, Kris. Your mother and I–”

“Don’t,” I grit through my teeth. “Don’t bring her up. You don’t get to.” I look to my brother, and lean forward to my dad to not cause a scene. I really don’t want to ruin his night, but I can’t let our father pretend like all of this is okay either. “You sucked so badly as a husband when you were married the first time, why would you go through with it again?” I ask.

He just stares at me.

So I continue, “Marriage with Mom was so awful that you abandoned everything you had and ran. So tell me, Dad. Why would you do it again? Why would you put Lauren through that?” I laugh. “And why would you want to marry someone that’s more interested in your sons than you?”

I let that bomb drop between us all, and then glance at Kameron. Her lips are pulled between her teeth as she looks at me, worry in her eyes. I nod, trying to let her know I’m okay.

“What do you mean?” he asks. “That she’s more interested in my boys than me?”

“Dad,” my brother starts. “You have to see it. The way she looks at us, the way she’s so comfortable placing her hand on either of us, and leaving it there until we initiate the separation,” Kaleb tells him.

I study my dad, watching him work through it all in his head. He nods, as if he understands just as Lauren steps up.

“Oh, there you are, honey.” She presses a kiss to his cheek. “What are you boys up to?” She turns, and her ass rubs up against the side of my thigh. She shouldn’t even be this close to me.

Kaleb’s eyes drop to where she’s touching me just as I scoot my chair away, my dad notices, I know he does. There’s a sudden hardness in his jaw, but Lauren is either good at pretending she doesn’t see it or she’s that delusional.

I glance back up to find Kameron not where she was. Kaleb tips his head toward the bar, where the entire bridal party is doing a flight of shots.

“That’s their second already.” He chuckles, I shake my head.

The beginning tune ofAin’t No Love In Oklahomabegins and all the girls take, yet another shot before rushing to the dance floor. I laugh, watching them all wrap their arms around each other and attempt to dance while singing the words. Kameron stumbles, I straighten a little, but Ruby catches her and both break out into a fit of laughter, causing me to shake my head.

She’s going to be the death of me. I just know it.

My dad leaves the table to order another round of drinks. The girls all saunter back to the bar for what I’m sure will be their fourth and fifth shot of the night. I’m not exactly thrilled to be spending time with my dad, but I’ll take the free beers. It’s the least he could do, really.

“Are you boys having fun?”

I roll my eyes, finishing off my beer, ignoring her.

“It’s been a good time,” Kaleb answers her. He’s always been the nicer of the two of us.

“It has,” she nearly purrs, looking over at me.

My dad has his back to us, so he’s missing the entire thing.

The way she’s staring at me, I should be naked at this point because I’m certain she’s undressed every inch with her eyes.

She steps closer, and to avoid touching her, my legs shift but that gives her access to step right between them.

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