Page 22 of Loving Words
?Chapter 8
?Jack
Kennedy stiffened,drawing my attention to the others. Harrison’s eyes were wide, his jaw muscles clenching. Meanwhile, Gran’s eyes sparkled with amusement I’d have noticed even without the grin that took quite a few years off her.
“How long has this been going on?” Harrison asked, waving a hand in our direction.
The moment Kennedy went to move, I gripped her hips and whispered, “If you move, it will only make it worse.” I pressed my hips forward just enough to remind her of my predicament.
“By the horrified look on your sister’s face, I’d say not long enough.” Gran raised a flask that I’d missed into the air. “Here’s to great-grandbabies!”
“Gran!” Kennedy yelped and covered her face.
While I was nowhere near ready to become a father, the idea of adding a child to their family wasn’t fear inducing. The image of Kennedy’s belly round with my kid sent a possessive streak of emotion to run through me.
Harrison stuck his fingers in his ears. “I don’t want to hear that. Grandbabies means they’d be having sex, ugh!”
Kennedy peered back, her gaze dropping to my softening erection, before she stepped toward her brother and smacked him upside the head. “I’m no virgin, Happy! You realize I’ve had sex? Lots of sex? Sorry, Gran.”
Gran raised her flask again and sipped. “Attagirl!”
“Ugh! Don’t call me Happy! And no, as far as I’m concerned, you have no interest in sex and don’t bump uglies with anyone!”
“Hey! There’s nothing ugly about—” I stopped, remembering Gran was sitting mere feet away.
She studied me with a mischievous grin. “Harrison, there’s nothing ugly about Jack from where I’m seated, and I’m sure our Kennedy would enjoy exploring that man and everything he gave her.”
I pressed my lips together to hold back the laughter threatening to burst free. I’d clearly stepped into an alternate universe. The woman was something else for sure.
“Gran! You’re making this even worse!” Kennedy said into the hands covering her face.
“No, Kennedy Lee Baker. You are. There are no children in this house, and yet all I hear is whining. You and Jack are two grown adults who are attracted to each other. Life is short, and if you two want to partake in hot, sweaty sex... Do it! Harrison, you have no control over anyone’s sex life but your own.” Gran scooted to the edge of her seat, and I hurried over to help her up. “Thanks, dear. I’m going to refill my flask, and when I get back, we’re all going to return to behaving like the adults we are.”
No one spoke while she walked out of the room. I could feel Harrison boring a hole into the side of my head, regardless of Gran’s speech. The moment she was out of sight, he was next to me and giving me a hard shove.
“Seriously? My sister?” Harrison hissed and received his own shove, courtesy of Kennedy.
I stepped between the siblings, not wanting to stir any more trouble between them. Feeling Kennedy step to my side, I reached behind me and pulled her arms around my waist, her breasts pressed against my back. “Hare, Iamattracted to Kennedy, but I was never trying to hide it. I also wasn’t going to talk about something I didn’t understand.”
Harrison pressed his fingers between his eyes and shut them. “This is so fucking weird.”
“Only because you’re making it weird,” Kennedy hissed at my back. “We’re just flirting, and you’re turning it into... into—gah! I don’t know what you’re turning it into.” She tugged her hands free and stormed out of the room.
Torn between following her and smoothing things out with my best friend, I locked my fingers behind my neck and stared at the ceiling. Neither of us spoke, allowing the situation to stew in our minds.
Finding Harrison’s sister sexy as fuck hadn’t been on my radar. But it was more than her looks. The feisty woman was calling to me in a way no other had.
Lighter footfalls returned, and I looked down in time to see Gran’s annoyance broadcasting on her face. In one hand she carried a mug filled with hot tea, and in the other was her flask.
“Harrison, make yourself useful and get the garland up over the doorways and the mantle,” she said, pointing a crooked finger toward the fireplace.
“Yes, ma’am,” Harrison said and made his way to an unopened tote we’d dragged out earlier.
I followed him, and we silently detangled the garland. Once we figured out how many we had and where we’d place them, we got to work.
