Page 61 of Falling for the Enemy

“Yeah, the lucky guy kissing the hottest girl in school right in the middle of the hallway.” He pressed his mouth over mine.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

JACK

Iwas nervous. I double-checked my face to make sure I hadn’t left any—I’m not even sure what I would have found, but I knew I didn’t want to walk into the party with something on my face that didn’t belong there. It would be my first time meeting all the sisters and their respective mates. I was the new guy in the bunch, and I expected to be fully scrutinized.

The small driveway was full, so I parked on the road and headed up to the cottage. I’d been there several times now, and it was as amazing as Ava had described. That was due mostly to its almost magical location overlooking a pristine stretch of beach on Whisper Cove. The last few months of the semester had been head-spinning, and not because of the job. Ava and I had grown so incredibly close that we hated being apart. We found times in the day to see each other, even if it meant fifteen minutes alone in the supply closet. We’d joked about being those kids making out in the school hallway, but we’d ended up doing a pretty fair job of playing exactly that part. We had our moments when things seemed bristly, but they always ended with us wanting each other even more. Ava was like no one I’d ever met, and I spent most of my waking hours thinking about her.

It took courage to knock on the door. Ava answered. She was wearing a pale green sundress that looked incredible against her tanned skin. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.” She pulled me in before I could change my mind.

“Took all my courage and a beer. Do I have anything on my face?”

She moved closer and scrutinized every inch. “Nope, all good.” She kissed me lightly, and it instantly made every inch of my body react. “Everyone’s down on the beach. We’ve got ice chests stuffed with food, and there’s music and general merriment.” She took my hand. “Now let’s see, you’ve met Ella, Layla and Isla, but you still haven’t met Aria. She’s the oldest. Aria has the top sister spot, and she wears it like a crown, so you’ll want to make sure to impress her.”

“Oh wow, not sure if I know how to impress a big sister.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll love you.” She slid open the glass door and led me across the patio to the small trail that led down to the sand. In the distance we could see the group playing a game of volleyball. “Now, the tall guy with the gray shorts and perfect posture is Isla’s boyfriend, Luke.”

“Right, the billionaire who owns Green Wave Technologies. Certainly not intimidated by a strikingly handsome billionaire. And, let me guess, the other billionaire is the guy who just whipped Ella around in a circle.”

“Right, that’s Rhett. He owns Grimstone Manor on the hill above town, and he’s simply wonderful.”

“Yep, still not intimidated,” I said facetiously. “And hardly feeling the least bit inadequate, in case you’re wondering. And the third man, the one who looks as if he could tear a phonebook in half using just his thumb and forefinger, also not intimidating.” I stopped. “Are you sure you want to throw this poor old scarecrow into the mix?”

Ava turned to me and threw her arms around my neck. “Yes, you’re my scarecrow, so that makes you cool.”

“Hadn’t looked at it from that perspective.”

Ava hopped on her toes and kissed me. A round of cheers came up from the beach. It seemed everyone had stopped the game to watch us.

“Just like in high school,” Ava said with a wink. She took my hand and led me down to the sand.

Layla hurried toward us. “Great, now my role as third wheel times four is complete.” She hugged me. “Glad you came, Jack. We need you on our team.” Before I could protest, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the volleyball game.

They were in the middle of an intense match, so the introductions were short and sweet, something I was pleased about. And since I’d played competitive volleyball in college, I was able to help bring our side to victory. It was the best way I could think of to score some points as the new guy.

Cold jars of lemonade were handed out after the game, and Aria made her way over for a little chat. Her brow was stern as if she planned on interrogating me. She’d been on the opposing team. “So, I finally get to meet Professor Sinclair. Pretty good with the ole volleyball,” she noted.

“I played in college.”

“I thought that might be the case.” Like Layla, Aria had incredible copper hair. Isla and Ella had light golden hair. Only Ava had black hair. She stood out from the rest in many ways, but it was obvious the sisters were close. “Well, I came over here to grill you about your relationship with my sister, but lately, I’ve been trying to hang up my big-sister-in-charge persona. But there is something I’ve been wanting to say.” She looked at me with a stern brow, which quickly softened and then she hugged me. “Thank you for saving her life, and welcome to the family.”

I chuckled after the hug. “Phew, you had me sweatin’ there for a second, not gonna lie.”

She laughed. “Dex, come on over. By the way, he’s more protective over the sisters than I am.” She said it quickly, and I barely had time to absorb the words when Dex reached us. To say he was massive was an understatement.

He stuck out his hand. “Here’s the man who finally caught the wild one.”

“I heard that, Dex.” Ava walked over—to my relief.

“Oops, didn’t know you were so close.” Dex turned to me. “Seriously, treat her right, got it?”

I nodded. “Uh, yeah, got it.”

“He’s actually a teddy bear,” Ava said as she wrapped her arm around mine.

“Uh, yeah, ‘teddy bear’ wasn’t going through my head just now,” I said.

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