Page 84 of Until It Was Real

I guess we’re going to lunch together. So much for my plans to take Dakota to my house, strip her naked, and make her come twice before returning to the office.

But there’s no way I’m tearing her away from having fun with my brothers. She’s never experienced having siblings before. She can borrow mine whenever she wants.

Maybe forever.

Chapter 26

“Otters are adorable. Fight me on this.” ~ Dakota

Dakota

Icrane my neck to stare up at Rhett’s house through the windshield of his SUV. “Wowzer.”

He chuckles. “Wowzer?”

“Your house has left me speechless.”

“And you went with wowzer?”

I slap his shoulder. “Knock it off. I’ve never been in a house this fancy before.”

He immediately sobers. “Sorry. I forgot.”

“Ugh. Don’t say sorry every time my background growing up in care comes up. It’s not your fault. And I don’t need your pity.”

“Pity? I don’t pity you. How could I pity the strongest woman I know?”

I roll my eyes. “There’s no need to flatter me. I’m a sure thing.”

He reaches across the console and grabs me. I yelp but it doesn’t stop him from dragging me onto his lap and wedging me between him and the steering wheel.

“Is it ‘demonstrate your strength’ day?”

He hits a button and his seat moves until my back isn’t jammed against the steering wheel. He cradles my face in his hands. “I’m not trying to flatter you, Havoc. You are one of the strongest women I know.”

“I don’t feel very strong. I feel exhausted from working for Eli all day long and then working the graveyard shift at theMermaid Motel. And, despite all the work, I’m still barely earning enough money to pay off all my debts.”

“Let me help you. I don’t have to give you the money. You can borrow it.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I can barely make the loan payments I have now.”

“I’ll lower the loan payments.”

“And then I’ll be paying you until I’m 162 years old.”

He chuckles. “Planning on living a long life?”

I lock my muscles before I flinch. I hope to live a long life – I’m doing everything within my power to ensure it – but the cards are stacked against me.

I roll my eyes and feign nonchalance. “I’m going to have to if I pay any less money on my loan payments.”

He leans his forehead against mine. “I wish you’d let me pay off your loans.”

“It’s good to want.”

He grunts. “I’m not going to win this argument.”

He wasn’t asking but I say, “Nope,” anyway.

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