Page 20 of Complete Me
“Hey you,” I offer as a greeting as his thumbs slowly swipe back and forth on my bare skin before dropping away. “Off to meet Carter’s boyfriend, Finn, for lunch. Have you seen him since he confused you for Sawyer?”
Reid barks out a laugh and rubs his thick fingers through his beard before moving to his heavily tattooed neck, rotating his hand back and forth like he’s loosening an invisible noose.
“Still can’t believe that happened. Don’t think Sawyer will ever let the poor guy forget it either.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. When Carter brought his boyfriend to family dinner to meet us all for the first time, Finn may have been slightly overzealous and saw Reid standing next to Ivy. Assumptions were made, and he’s lucky Sawyer didn’t knock his head clean off his shoulders.
“Eh. He’ll get over it. Finn is awesome, and I desperately need a friend who isn’t trying to get into my brothers’ pants.”
Reid arches a brow at me, and I throw my head back in a laugh. “Pretty sure he’s well acquainted with what’s in your brother’s pants, Kins.”
“Eww! Reid Knight! Did you just make a joke? Gross! I don’t need to think about that. Finn and I are saints, both virgins and pure as freshly fallen snow.”
Reid’s face morphs from amused to something much fiercer that I can’t decipher. His dark pupils are blown, making his eyes look almost black. It’s not like he didn’t already know I was a virgin. He’s the one who kept me from losing it in February. Maybe he assumed I would have checked that box by now, but sadly for me and my inexperienced girl parts, I’m stilluntouched by anything other than my own fingers and my trusty vibrator. Whatever. If he’s uncomfortable with my joke, that’s on him.
I reach forward, patting his chest with the flat of my hand. Jesus Christ, he’s hard; muscular in a way that I’ve never felt before. What the hell is he made of? Steel?
“Alright, big guy, I’m going to head to lunch, I’m starving. See you later?”
“Yeah, Kins. I’ll see you later.”
As I walk away from Reid, I can’t help but shake how he said his last words to me. They almost sounded like a promise.
Finn is standing next to the steps that lead down to Barrel House—the only real sit-down restaurant in Aspen Ridge—as I arrive. He’s deep in conversation with another man I’ve never seen before, and I slow my steps to give them time to finish talking, not wanting to interrupt.
As I approach, the mystery friend glances over Finn’s shoulder, his eyes slowly perusing my body from head to toe. It’s flattering, and a smile pulls at my lips.
“Hey, Finn!” I chirp as I sidle up next to him, giving him a friendly mini hip-check. He slings his arm around my shoulders in a quick side hug.
“Hey, glad you made it!”
“Aren’t you pretty? I’m Trey, this one’s best friend, although, since he spends all his time with your brother, I’m looking to replace him,” he says, his voice smooth like butter. He must get along well with the ladies. His name rings a bell, though, I just can’t place why. I put my hand in his outstretched one to be polite.
“Kinsey. But I guess you already know that?” His smile stretches across his face. I’ll give it to him, Trey is cute as hell and seems like a mega flirt.
“I do. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
That surprises me, and he must read that on my face because he clarifies.
“Your brothers hired me at the distillery. This was my first week.”
My shoulders relax, but the tension doesn’t dissipate. I’m sure those four goons have already drilled it into his head to stay far away from me. That’s what they do. Last year, when they hired their intern, Marcus, he was thoroughly warned not to even look in my direction. Not that I was interested in Marcus, which they never seem to take into consideration.
We move indoors, ordering our food, and I start to relax a little more. I haven’t spent much time with Finn yet, but the few times I’ve been around him, I can’t help but smile. His personality is infectious, and I get the appeal he had to my brother.
“So, how’s living with my brother?”
Finn’s eyes get all mushy—like fairytale sparkly in love kind of mushy, and I laugh at him. “That good, huh?”
“He’s everything, Kinsey. My favorite person in the world.” He says the words so ardently, and my heart pangs in my chest, both from happiness and jealousy. To be loved like that is such a gift. I chew on my bottom lip and wonder if I’ll ever meet someone who falls in love with me in a way that nothing else matters. To be the center of someone else’s world must be a heady feeling.
Lunch goes amazingly well. Finn and Trey together are quite a duo, and it makes me miss Piper so much. We laugh so hard tears pour from our eyes, share appetizers, and eat way too much. The food at Barrel House is incredible. My sister-in-law, Ivy, is the head chef here, and even though she is still on maternity leave with my niece, she’s clearly trained her staff well. The conversation between the three of us is easy, and I really hope I’ve found some new friends here.
As we’re walking outside, Trey grasps my elbow, pulling me to a stop to talk. He’s average height, but like most people, taller than me, so I arch my head back slightly to look at him.
“I know we just met, but is there any chance you’d let me take you out for dinner?”
“You want to take me out? Like on a date?” I ask, surprised. Even though Trey wasn’t holding back by flirting with me before and during lunch, I thought it was just playful, harmless flirting.
