Page 104 of For the Promise

I yank on her hand and she yelps as she falls over the console toward me. She’s laughing when I capture her lips. I swoop my tongue inside and her laughter changes to a moan. She threads her hands through my hair and tugs as I deepen the kiss until—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Are you done making out?” Miles shouts. “We have a start time in fifteen minutes and we need to get kitted out.”

I release Blossom’s lips and lean my forehead against hers. “Your idea of doing a runner is becoming more attractive.”

The door behind me flies open and I’m dragged from my seat out of the car by Miles. “Happy birthday!”

The rest of the Raider brothers pile on top of me until they’re suffocating me. Blossom shoves them away.

“Your brothers are assholes,” she mutters.

“This is not new information.”

I dust off my clothes, and we walk hand in hand to the entrance where Mom and Stuart are waiting.

“How are you doing, daughter?” Mom asks as she engulfs Blossom in a hug.

“This marriage isn’t real,” Blossom says.

I frown. She was quick to point out our marriage is fake. Was I wrong about her? Does she not want to be with me? Doesshe not want me the way I want her? Am I merely a temporary fling to her?

“Sure, it isn’t.” Mom winks and Blossom blushes.

“Where are Dakota and Paisley?” Blossom asks.

“Paisley is not playing paintball when she’s pregnant,” Eli says.

“And Dakota is keeping Paisley company,” Rhett adds.

Blossom snorts. “In other words, she’s afraid to lose.”

Kai rubs his hands together. “Them’s fighting words.”

“I bet I can win against you.”

Kai extends his hand. “You’re on. What do I get when I win?”

“I thought you preferred not to discuss hypotheticals that will never happen,” Blossom says and Kai narrows his eyes on me.

“What have you been telling your girlfriend about me?”

I wrap an arm around Blossom. “Wife.”

Blossom flashes her ring at my brother and the tension in my shoulders releases. Maybe she won’t leave me after this marriage is annulled after all.

Mom sighs. “I’m loving this. Three of my boys are settled. Three more to go.”

Stuart shakes his head. “Miles, Zane, and Kai aren’t going to be as easy to settle as the others were.”

“Easy?” Rhett mutters. “There was nothing easy about convincing Dakota to take a chance on me.”

“Tell me about it.” Blossom rolls her eyes. “I had to promise this one all kinds of sexual favors before he’d go out on a date with me.”

“Sexual favors?” Mom asks and Blossom’s eyes widen before she slaps a hand over her mouth.

“Shit. I didn’t. Damn. I swore.” She feigns zipping her lips. “No more talking from me.”

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