Page 49 of Down & Dirty

Cory:What’s that?

Beau: Your girlfriend, you idiot.

Cory: Asshole.

Beau: ??

“What’s that smile for?” Skylar asked as she approached the bench I was sitting on in the OTM gym.

Her gray maxi dress had a pair of capped sleeves that showed off her tanned, strong arms. I hadn’t seen her in anything short since the fight, so I had no idea how bad her knee still looked. But even with 90 percent of her body covered, she revved my engines. In these flimsy black gym shorts, it was work to keep the effect she had on me from showing.

I grinned up at her. “Beau thinks you’re hot.”

Her steps faltered, and I enjoyed the way her mouth dropped open. She hadn’t been expecting that.

“Oh. He saw the photos?”

At this point, it seemed like everyone had seen the photos. “Yep.”

Her cheeks pinked a little as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought you said your family didn’t pay attention to your career?”

I shrugged. “Normally they don’t. Sometimes Beau checks in when he’s overseas for a while. But he’s never bothered to comment until now.” I smirked, feeling something smooth and light settle in my chest. “You must be special.”

Her lips tilted into a lopsided grin as she shot me a look. “Well, you must be too, hotshot.”

I sat up a little taller, flicking my sweat soaked hair off my face. “Oh?”

“Yeah, my parents called this morning.”

“They saw?”

“Fucking Ronnie sent them the link.”

A laugh burst out of me. “Little brothers, huh?”

Sky’s face grew redder, but the sparkle of amusement in her eyes was still there beneath her irritation.

“How’d they take it?” I swallowed, realizing that Sky was far closer with her family than I was with mine. Their opinion of this might hold more weight than I’d considered before now.

She sat beside me on the bench, her eyes out the window of the gym to the trees blowing in the breeze outside. “They’re fine. Curious. Maybe a little concerned. But they’ll adjust.”

I looked at her, careful to not lean too close and get sweat on her. “To you being in the press? Or to you dating me?”

An uneasy laugh tumbled out of her. “Both.” She glanced my way, her eyes tracking the sweat as it dripped down my neck. “They want to meet you.” She found my eyes again, apprehension tinging her assessment.

I hadn’t met a woman’s parents in ten years. But the fear I expected at the prospect failed to materialize. Instead I kind of liked the idea. “Tell me when and where.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Really?”

“Sure, what have we got to hide?” I was reassured by the way Skylar burst out laughing with me.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said before she left me sitting on the bench. I watched her go, telling myself that checking out her ass in that dress was just me playing my part. And it was getting easier every day.

CHAPTER 18

SKY

“You’re sure?” Cory asked the next day, his voice coming through my car’s stereo system loud enough I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

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