Page 18 of When We Were Reckless
Ridge gave her a slow, easy grin. “Whatever you say.” He grabbed her drink and took a sip through the straw.
“What are you doing? That’s my drink. Get your filthy lips off my straw.”
He handed it back, not the least bit apologetic. “Just checking to see if it was a Cherry Cola,Cherry.”
Evie’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “You’re… no.” She shook her head, her voice faint. “No way. It can’t be you…”
Ridge winked at her. “Been in Dallas lately, Cherry Bomb?”
“Oh my God,” Evie said under her breath. I’d never seen her this frazzled before, and I had no idea what was going on.
I looked at Walker, thinking he might have some insight. He was cute and kind of hot, with short dark hair and warm brown eyes, so I was kind of disappointed when his nearness didn’t make my pulse race. Dammit.
But right now, I was more curious about whatever was happening between Evie and Ridge. “Do you know what’s going on?”
Walker laughed and shook his head. “No clue.” He gave me a conspiratorial wink. “But I’m here for it. I can’t wait to see how this thing plays out.”
Neither could I.
Chapter Eight
Jesse
Quinn wasn’t answeringher phone. My calls went straight to voice mail, and my texts went unseen. So I was just going to check on her, make sure she was okay like a big brother would do. That was what I kept telling myself as I rode over to her house at eleven o’clock on Friday night. We’d worked three shifts together this week, but she’d barely spoken to me. So much for our truce.
As I got closer, I saw that the brick courtyard in front of her house was jam-packed with cars.
The fuck? Quinn wasn’t a party girl, but this sure as hell looked like a party.
I parked behind a black pickup truck that looked familiar. It looked a hell of a lot like Brody’s old truck that he’d given to Ridge.
Since when did Quinn hang out with my cousin? Last I’d heard, they ran in different circles and barely knew each other.
Was it any of my business who she hung out with? I rubbed the back of my neck, debating.
I’d always been cool with Ridge, but I knew what he was like. A lot like his older brother Brody had been at eighteen. Before I could stop myself, I strode to her front door and rang the bell.
Minutes later, the door swung open, music blasting from inside, and there was Ridge. Shirtless and barefoot in black swim trunks, his longish hair still wet from swimming.
“Well, shit. Didn’t expect to see you.” He held up his fist and bumped it against mine. “What are you doing here, bro?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
“Just chillin’. This house is sick, man.”
Couldn’t deny that. The Cavanaugh house was ‘sick.’ It looked like a Tuscan villa, stone with archways and a terracotta roof. But I was more interested in his definition of ‘just chillin’. “Are you in charge of this party?”
He rubbed his hand over his washboard abs. Ridge never missed an opportunity to display his bare torso. “You could say that. We’re keeping it low-key. Nobody gets in without getting through me first. Quinn’s cool, and I don’t need any aggro from her brothers.”
That was for damn sure. Thanks to me vouching for Ridge, Quinn’s brothers had given him a job. If he fucked this up, he’d lose it.
“Where is she?” I asked, brushing past him.
“Dunno. The pool, maybe.”
It wasn’t exactly a rager, but about twenty people were hanging out in the kitchen and around the pool. Beer cans, vodka bottles, and mixers littered the countertops, and a girl with long dark hair was mixing blender drinks at the island. I’d met her a couple of times before. Quinn’s friend, Evie. She didn’t notice me because Ridge came up behind her and squeezed her ass. She spun around and smacked his bare chest. I didn’t hang around to see what happened next. I was just relieved he hadn’t gone after Quinn. Because then we’d have a problem.
I stopped in front of the open French doors, and my eyes zeroed in on the tiny blonde, effectively blocking out everyone around her. Her hair flew around her face, her arms in the air, hips swiveling to the beat of the music. For a few moments, I just stood there, hypnotized, watching her dance.
