Page 104 of All Along

I giggle. He deserves to be hard and horny. He’s the one who planned the party.

He snatches my hand and leads me to the door. “You’ll pay for that giggle.”

“Promises. Promises,” I taunt as I open the door and my friends pour into the house.

My cheeks ache from how big my smile is. I did it. I got everything I’ve ever wanted.

Chapter 35

“Next time I host a party there will be a password to gain entrance.” ~ Caleb

Caleb

Iscowl as Sophia, Chloe, Nova, and Paisley invade Maya’s house with their partners and children. I start to shut the door after them.

“Hold on!” Lily shouts as she rushes up the porch with her husband, Jack. Weston and Scarlett are right behind them.

“Sorry, we’re late,” Scarlett apologizes. “Getting Weston out of the house on time is a chore.”

Weston smirks. “If you weren’t so sexy, I wouldn’t have to attack you first.”

“Hey, Sis!” Hazel hollers as she runs toward us. She greets Scarlett before smiling at me. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

She bursts into laughter. “You’re cute. You think you can keep a party on Smuggler’s Island small. We are smugglers!” She shakes her fist in the air.

Crap. How many people are coming to this party? It’s supposed to be a small, intimate affair.

Maya clasps my hand and leans in close to whisper to me. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” I try to shut the door again but more people push their way inside.

“I can kick everyone out if you prefer.”

I frown. “This party is supposed to be for you.” She lifts an eyebrow and I quickly correct myself. “For us, I mean.”

“Remember our signal if it gets to be too much.” She tugs on her earlobe three times. “Or we could go hide out in the bedroom.”

“No sneaking out on your own party,” Chloe yells and I nearly jump. I should have better situational awareness but this large group of people has me off my game.

She places a hand on a young girl’s shoulder. “This is my daughter, Natalia.”

“Nice to meet you, Natalia.”

She stares up at me. “Were you really in the Army?”

The past tense of her question nearly has me growling but I swallow it down. No matter how upsetting being discharged is, it’s no excuse to growl at a child. Some day I hope the urge to growl when someone mentions my Army past is gone. But today is not that day.

“I was.”

“Did you kill people?”

“Natalia!” Maya admonishes. “You can’t ask him that.”

“Why not? How am I supposed to decide if I want to enlist if I don’t know?”

“You are not enlisting in the Army,” Chloe orders.

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