Page 84 of Beyond the Hate

Maya clutches her stomach. “Don’t remind me.”

Eli chuckles. “I didn’t figure Paisley would be the one of this group to sneak alcohol into school.”

“It was revenge,” I explain. “Darcy was home from college. She had a stash of moonshine she didn’t think anyone knew about. I stole it but she couldn’t accuse me since she’d have to admit to not being daddy’s perfect little princess.”

He growls. “I seriously hate your family.”

My stomach flips. No man has ever defended me to my family before. I’ve never had good luck with boyfriends and my family. The last boyfriend I introduced to my family dumped me for my sister.

Regan thought it would be easy to steal Eli from me. After all, all Darcy had to do was crook her finger and Ryan tripped over himself to get to her.

But Eli’s different. He’s not easily deterred. He doesn’t run away from my crazy friends. He doesn’t put up with my shitty family. He sticks around and holds my hand the entire time.

Maybe love isn’t so scary after all.

Chapter 25

“It’s been confirmed. Three is a crowd.” ~ Eli

Eli

Paisley stops at her door and glances over her shoulder at me. “Do you want to come in?”

My cock twitches. Hell, yeah, I do.

I whirl her around to face me. “Yes,” I murmur before molding my lips to hers. I thrust my tongue into her mouth and she melts into me. She fits perfectly against me. As if she was made for me.

I explore her mouth while enjoying her sweet taste. The bite of exotic is perfect for Paisley. She’s sweet but she’s exceptional in every way. She’s unique. She’s my Lace.

“Lace,” I whisper against her lips. “We need to go inside.”

She startles before pulling away from me. She scans the street. “It’s a good thing my nosy neighbor isn’t home.”

“Isn’t Maya one of your neighbors?”

“Exactly.”

I chuckle.

She unlocks her door and leads me inside. “Do you want a nightcap?”

I maneuver her until she’s pressed up against the wall. “I want you.” I press my hard length against her stomach and her eyes flair.

“This is convenient since I want you, too.”

I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. As usual, her curly hair has escaped her ponytail. I love how uncontrollable her hair is. The same as she is.

“But we need to have a talk first.”

She squeezes my ass. “Must we?”

“We must.”

“If you’re going to whine about losing at poker, can we skip it?”

I tweak her nose. “I don’t whine.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Do you prefer the word grumble? Grouse? Gripe?”

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