Page 53 of When We Were Reckless
“What’s it about?”
“None of your business,” I muttered.
He laughed and took a sip of his water. I ate my hummus and tried to ignore him, which was virtually impossible. He was sitting right next to me, so close that I could feel the warmth radiating off his skin. See the tendons in his arm flex when he speared his fork into the greens. God, I loved his hands. I loved how big they were with these thick veins that were obviously so fascinating I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“There’s somewhere I want to take you after work.”
“Where do you want to take me?” I dipped a carrot stick into the hummus and studiously avoided him.
My stupid heart was thrashing, just as if he’d said he was in love with me and couldn’t live another day without me.
God, I needed help. I needed to stop looking at his veiny hands and his lean, muscular arms. I needed to stop noticing the way his throat bobbed on a swallow when he took a sip of water.
All my best intentions to avoid him and play it cool were being shot to hell just because he wanted to take me somewhere.
“It’s a surprise. Mason said he’s cool with letting you leave work early.”
“You discussed this with Mason?” My gaze snapped to my brother again. He flipped the caps on four bottles of pale ale and set them in front of Carly, too busy flirting with her to notice me staring at him.
What the hell was going on? Obviously, Mason assumed Jesse was just being a good friend, looking after his little sister while our mom was away. Maybe that was exactly what Jesse was doing.
“Is it a good surprise?”
He smiled. “You’re going to love it.”
So arrogant. So sure of himself. I needed to shoot him down. “I’m busy tonight. I’m going to Walker’s party. So I’m not free.” I stood up from the table, ready to make a dramatic exit.
If I’d expected him to look forlorn, I was sadly mistaken. He smirked at me. “Walker isn’t throwing a party. And even if he was, it wouldn’t matter.”
“It wouldn’t?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Because you’re coming with me.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, racer boy. It’s not happening.” It was my turn to smirk.
Ha! That would show him. When I walked away, I had a smug smile on my face. I gave myself a mental pat on the back.Good going, Quinn.
Evie would be so proud.
* * *
“Why is this movie so funny?” I asked, laughing as I grabbed another handful of kettle corn from the tub in my lap.
Okay, so I’d ended up doing exactly what Jesse had wanted. But for the record, it was Mason and Holden’s fault. They’d threatened to come over to the house and babysit if I didn’t hang out with Jesse. And yes, they’d used the word babysitting.
Little did they know what they’d gotten me into. If my brothers knew, they’d be trying to keep me away from Jesse instead of pushing us together.
“The Dude abides.” Jesse mimicked The Big Lebowski’s voice and had me cracking up.
“That rug really ties the room together.”
We went back and forth, reeling off quotes we’d committed to memory, laughing at each and every one as if it was the first time we’d ever heard them.
I’d watched “The Big Lebowski” so many times with my brothers and Jesse when they were in their teens. I was just a kid, and I was supposed to be asleep, but I’d sneak out of my room so I could hang out with them in the den and watch movies and eat pizza.
Declan was always trying to get rid of me, and sometimes Holden and Mason did too, but Jesse always told them it was cool. He let me sit next to him on the sectional and always shared his popcorn with me. And nine times out of ten, I’d fall asleep, my cheek pressed against his chest, and he’d carry me up to my bedroom and tuck me in.
Sometimes I’d pretend I was asleep so that he’d pick me up and carry me.
