Page 29 of Séance

Their friendship is something I never imagined was possible, and the fact that they would include me in their circle makes me feel special, almost like I’m one of them.

Being near them is intoxicating and addicting.

It’s everything I hoped to find when I escaped my father, and it makes me more determined than ever to put my past behind me.

I just need to find a permanent way for the dead to stay dead.

Chapter Eight

HICKS

Ismirk as the guys horse around in the pool, but my gaze is drawn again and again to the sexy as fuck next-door neighbor. I’m not sure if I’m a lucky bastard or cursed. It isn’t lost on me that the rest of the guys are drawn to her as well.

I’m conscious of her standing at the edge of the pool with a cute as fuck pink skirt that is begging me to slip my hands under it. As I tread water, I can’t help but wonder if she’s wearing underwear, and it’s all I can do not to swim over and check for myself.

I desperately want to ask her to join us, since we have spare suits in the guest room, but the idea of her wearing a suit someone else wore, even if it has been laundered, is repugnant.

Especially with the girls who normally hang out here.

The other reason I hesitate is because if her face is that battered, then I don’t think any of us would be able to hold ourselves in check if we saw more injuries. As it is, we’re each struggling with our impulse to hunt the fucker down and endhim…along with the alien concept of wanting to comfort and take care of her.

The urge is dangerous, not only to us but to her as well.

Despite what Mrs. Killaghan might think, we are not nice or sweet men, especially to the opposite sex. We’re ruthless when it comes to relationships. We just don’t do them.

None of us can afford to get close to a female.

Fuck, yes.

Friendship, maybe.

Anything more is abhorrent.

Relationships, or lack thereof, weren’t a problem until her.

Rue is different for some reason.

My gaze is pulled toward her again and again, and I’m not sure if I’m annoyed by it or not. The tiny smile playing on her lush red lips has my balls drawing up and me struggling to keep my semi from becoming a raging hard-on. No one needs to see that in the pool. Her lips are so plush that it’s all I can do not to imagine feeding her my cock as I fuck her mouth.

Her shoulder-length hair is bright pink, the curly strands inviting me to sink my fingers into the locks. The bold color should look out of place on her refined features, but it softens her expression, making her teal eyes pop even more.

Something about the way the light hits the sea green colors makes them shift lighter and darker, and I’m fascinated against my will. Even as I joke around with the guys in the pool, I’m unable to look away from her for long.

The guys are almost worse. Jace nearly drowns James when the dumbass is so busy showing off, he misses the way his brother cut through the water toward him before dunking his ass. He comes up sputtering, then takes off after his brother with a shout of vengeance that has a little giggle escaping our guest.

Each of us smiles at the delightful sound.

Even Gunner isn’t immune to her charms, sneaking peeks at her when he doesn’t think anyone is looking. Fucking hell, the way she handled him at dinner was nothing short of amazing. We’ve been telling him the same shit for years, but he finally seemed to hear what we were saying because of her.

The situation would be comical if it wasn’t so hopeless.

She’s so perfect that it’s nearly impossible to resist her allure, tempting me to break my pact with my brothers. Years ago, when we first started noticing tits and ass, we went a little pussy crazy. After months of one disastrous dating experience after another, my brothers and I made a pact to never let a woman come between us.

A splash of water to my face catches me off guard. I blink the moisture away, grimacing when Jameson shoots me a knowing smirk.

The little shit.

The fucker is always pushing boundaries, his own and others’. He loves any type of attention. It’s like a drug to him. My brothers and I do our best to make sure that it’s the right kind of attention, but it’s nearly an impossible mission. Though he might be all smiles and sunshine, darkness festers under the surface. Women and jokes help, but his demons are vicious if he isn’t kept busy.

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