Page 34 of Play It Sinful

I shouldn’t have told Mom I’d be ready in twenty minutes. It takes me half an hour to finally meet them in the parking lot. I feel bad that I made them wait, but on the other hand, that’s what you get when you surprise people so early in the morning. Mom and Chris were never big on common sense.

Kenzie gets out of the car and runs to me. “Ash!”

She engulfs me in a tight hug, and because she’s taller than me, my face gets squished against her boobs, making me feel like a little kid—or a pervert.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” I ease back.

“Me neither.”

I hug Mom and then Chris, and on the way back to the car, I ask Kenzie, “Why are you here? Didn’t school already start in London?”

“I transferred to All Saints.”

“You did? Wow, I thought you loved living in Europe.” Kenzie lets me get into the car first and doesn’t offer a reply.

“There’s nothing in London that you can’t find in Boston,” Chris pipes up from the driver’s seat.

He’s been hoping Kenzie and Sean would move back to the States for years. Something must have happened to make his kids decide to finally return. I don’t buy Sean’s excuse that he wanted to continue his family legacy and be a Warrior. He was asked to play for the Swedish junior hockey league, which is a big deal. I might not follow hockey, but I picked up a few things from listening to Chris talk about Sean’s career.

“That’s true. Now, I can come visit you and Sean all the time,” Kenzie replies.

“Notallthe time,” Chris interjects. “All Saints is a tough school. You can see them next year when you become a Warrior.”

“Dad, I already told you I’m not sure I want to come here.”

“You’ll change your mind once you see what Ash and Sean are accomplishing.”

It’s impossible to ignore the sudden tension in the car. Kenzie never told me about her plans after high school. I assumed she’d go to college. “If Kenzie visits me often, I can convince her that Warrior life is the best.”

She looks at me and grins. Over the years, I’ve become an expert at being a buffer between her and Chris. He’s not as hard on me as he is her about her future. Probably because he never had to worry about me. I’ve always been super responsible, never got into trouble, and kept my grades up.

“Ash has a point, honey,” Mom chimes in.

“I suppose,” Chris grumbles. “We’ll see how Kenzie adjusts to her new school first. I’m not sure what kind of education she got in the UK.”

“Enough about me,” Kenzie replies. “I want to know what Ash has been up to. Did you meet any cute boys yet?”

I whip my face to her, not hiding my glower. I can’t believe she threw me under the bus like that after I saved her ass. As if I want to talk about guys in front of my mother and Chris.

“No, I don’t have time for that,” I grit out.

Mom and Chris were never aware I dated in high school. Thanks to all my extracurricular activities, it was easy to keep that a secret from them. I enjoyed the freedom that the secret provided. No explanations and no judgment from them. They think I’m a saint. Oh, if they only knew.

“That’s right. You should follow your sister’s example, Kenzie,” Chris pipes up, making Kenzie stick her tongue out at him.

“Oh, we’re here,” Mom announces.

I’m glad the short drive is over, but when I get out of the car and see Sean doing the same, my relief vanishes. Butterflies awaken in my stomach and my heart skips a beat. I’m giddyat his presence, which is a huge problem. He’s not supposed to trigger that reaction in me.

Our gazes lock briefly, but I see no sign of anything in his eyes. Either his poker face is excellent, or he really doesn’t want anything to do with me outside of the bedroom. Disappointment makes my chest ache, and when he says good morning in a dispassionate tone, I ignore him and walk into the restaurant.

I didn’t notice the outside of this place at first, but now I’m glad I took the time to polish my look. The restaurant is fancy, with a hostess and everything.

She smiles at me. “Good morning. Are you looking for your party?”

“Oh, my party is coming in a sec.”

With impeccable timing, Chris, Mom, Kenzie, and Sean walk in. I can tell when the hostess notices Sean. She arches her back a little, thrusting her breasts forward. Annoyance takes over.Stop ogling him like he’s piece of meat, bitch.

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