Page 105 of For the Promise

I chuckle at how adorably embarrassed she is with her bright red cheeks.

I kiss her hair. “I’m still waiting on some of those sexual favors.”

She slaps my shoulder. “You’re supposed to pretend I didn’t say anything embarrassing. Your research on how to woo a woman is a complete failure.”

“As much fun as this is.” Miles herds us toward the entrance. “I don’t want to miss our time slot.”

“In other words, he has a date later and is on a time schedule,” Zane whisper-shouts to the rest of us.

“Time schedule?” Kai’s nose wrinkles. “Why would you want to be on a time schedule?”

I moan. “Birthday rule. No complaining about time today.”

Kai sticks his tongue out at me. “Fine. But I’ll be thinking it.”

“This is convenient,” Blossom says as we enter the ship. “You can make up a rule for your birthday and it has to be followed?”

“Yep. And I have a few ideas for later.”

Her eyes flare. “Tell me more.”

“I’ll tell you more.” She leans close to me. “Tonight.”

“Tease.”

“This is not new information.”

“We’re in the Kraken’s Hold arena,” Miles announces and we follow him through the pirate ship to the changing room next to the arena where we don protective gear.

I’m happy for the protective gear when I stumble into the changing room thirty minutes later covered from head to toe in paint.

“I’m never celebrating my birthday with my brothers again,” I grumble.

Blossom giggles when I pull my goggles up. I glance in the mirror. My entire face – except for where the goggles were – is covered in paint.

“Don’t you start.”

She holds up her hands. “You can’t get mad at me. I defended you.”

“Defended me? You barely got hit at all.”

“But I never shot at you.”

“Drinks are on Jaxon,” Kai declares.

“Because he’s the loser,” Miles adds.

“Don’t worry.” Eli slaps my back as he passes me by. “I’m buying. I need to get Paisley. I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

Blossom places a hand on her stomach. “I’m starving.”

“Hurry up and change, sis,” Zane says. “And we can eat.”

Her smile lights up her face at the term ‘sis’. “I love your family.”

I nearly say I love her in return. But I don’t. I can’t possibly love her. It’s too fast. Too soon. Except I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Not even close.

My stomach knots like it’s bracing for a hit. There’s no universe where someone like Blossom – so warm, so alive – looks at someone like me and sees forever. I’ve been the odd one out my entire life. She’s the kind of person who makes friends in line at the grocery store.

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