Page 98 of The Chase

“Jamie? Yeah, she loves me.”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m talking about Summer Di Laurentis. I remember last winter she had a thing for you. Is that still the case?”

“Yup.”

“I see.” He looks like he’s trying not to smile. “What about you? Do you return the sentiment?”

After a reluctant beat, I dip my head in assent.

His smile breaks free. “Then what’s the problem? You worried about how Dean’s going to react?”

“No. I…” I puff out another breath. “I don’t know if I want to go there.”

Then you probably shouldn’t have let her blow you tonight.

Maybe not, but clearly I don’t possess any control when it comes to Summer. She makes me do the most uncharacteristic things. Well, she doesn’tmakeme. It just happens. I let her blow me in thelocker room, for chrissake. Anyone could’ve walked in on us, and for a dude who hates PDA, drama, and attention, a public hookup definitely doesn’t top my bucket list.

And it’s funny—because wasn’t I telling myself the other night that if Summer was throwing herself at me, then I’d be challenging Hunter’s claim to her? Well, there’s no misinterpreting her intentions toward me anymore. I haven’t been friend-zoned. Her actions tonight proved that.

But rather than stake a claim, I ran away.

I drag both hands though my hair, which is getting too long for my liking. I prefer it out of my eyes when I’m drawing. “Hunter has a thing for her too,” I tell Tuck.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. And she kissed him on New Year’s.”

His reddish brows shoot upward. “Oh?”

“But tonight…” I stop.

“Tonight what?”

“She showed up in the locker room after I got stitched up and we kissed.” I pause. “And maybe a bit more.”

“Define more.”

“She sucked my dick in the showers.”

Tucker jerks in surprise, and the nipple pops out of Jamie’s mouth. She squawks in outrage.

“Aww, I’m sorry, baby girl,” he croons. “It’s okay, keep eating. Daddy was being a big doodlehead.”

“A doodlehead?” I snicker.

“Oh shush. You’re an even bigger doodlehead. You hear that, little one? Your Uncle Fitzy is the king of the doodle-heads.” He nudges her lips with the bottle’s nipple and she latches on again. Then he frowns at me. “This happened tonight?”

I nod.

“And instead of sticking around to talk to the girl who suc—” His gaze drops to his daughter. He promptly rephrases. “—the girl who did stuff to your body, you came here instead?”

Guilt sears into me. Fuck. I’m such an ass. That beautiful, amazing girl knelt on wet, uncomfortable tile for me tonight and rocked my world. I should be blowing up her phone with apologies right now.

To Tucker, I manage a quick nod.

“I never took you for a coward.”

“I’m not usually one,” I say gruffly.

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