Page 51 of Play With Me

“No, I wasn’t.”

“It’s nice.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“I thought you hated kids,” I said.

“I don’t hate them, I just prefer to stay clear of them. It’s… easier.”

Easier than what?

“But you got along with Sophie. She really took to you.”

“She’s a special breed. She looks like she’s my kind of people, you know. Just like you, Brook.” She paused, set her glass aside and took in a deeper breath. “I know we have a connection, and I’m sorry if I seem indecisive. But I’m trying.”

I could see that. Whatever demons Lola was struggling with, they had a strong hold on her.

“It’s nice to see that you have that relationship with her. And she took to me because it sounds like she’s suffocating in a world of princesses, tea parties, and tutus when she should be outside, playing soccer, climbing monkey bars, and trying out new magic tricks.”

“She doesn’t have a tutu.”

“That’s not my point.”

“Because she’s more of a tomboy, isn’t it?”

“Is there something wrong with being a tomboy?” she asked.

“No, of course not. Jax thinks she needs a female role model. Living with five grown men hasn’t exactly been easy for Sophie. Her mother brings a different light to the testosterone-filled dynamic.”

“How is that relationship going for Jax? I noticed her mom’s not here.”

“Believe me, you don’t want her here. She’s definitely not your kind of people. Actually, I’m not sure what kind of people she belongs to.”

“Is that the blonde you were with yesterday?”

“I will only answer if you admit that you were spying on me.”

She waited for a moment, thinking over my offer, then said, “Hmm, too bad. I really wanted to know.” Lola sauntered out the hall and into the family room.

This plan of mine could turn out to be disastrous, unless I found a quicker way to reconnect with her.

The first thought that came to my mind was sex.

Lots of sex.

Chapter 12

Lola

Brook had finally introduced me to his brothers, Jax and Dean. Though it was still extravagant, the late fall barbecue at Mary’s house to celebrate Jack’s birthday was a family affair. A man wearing a suit and a bowtie stood by the barbecue in the backyard, flipping burgers. There was another one of those greeting me at the entrance as he helped me with my jacket and took Brook’s car keys to park behind the ginormous house.

A few other friends were mingling around. Brook excused himself to the bathroom, and I went outside on the patio. I bumped my knee against the glass patio panel, which was embossed with a frosted letter M, just like everything else had been in this mansion, and I was afraid for a moment that I’d cracked it.

“Don’t worry, it’s bullet-proof.” Jack Madden came up to stand beside me. He braced his arms on top of the railing and looked ahead onto the perfect backdrop of a lake.

“Oh. That’s good to know. I wouldn’t want to break it.”

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