Page 133 of The Revenge Plan (Forbidden Descendants 1)

When he glanced over and caught me staring, I darted my attention back to the stove and I finished the no-bakes.

Everyone gathered around and collected a handful, where we returned to the living room. Darcy carried the rum bottle with her, and though she didn’t let anyone else drink anymore, she kept pouring herself glass after glass.

“God,” Wick groaned as he plopped down onto the couch. “It feels good to just sit after such a long day.” Then he took a bite of his cookie and moaned again. “Holy shit.” His gaze shot to me. “These are amazing. You’ve been holding out on me, woman.”

I rolled my eyes. “They’re okay, I guess.”

He sniffed over my modesty and shook his head. “Okay, as in, AKA amazing.”

Charlie nodded. “I gotta say, I might even like them better than our mom’s fudge brownies.” Then she pointed around the room. “But none of you heard me say that.”

“Ummm,” Izzy sang, “I’m calling Mom right now and telling on you.”

Charlie threw a pillow in her face. “Don’t you dare.”

Izzy snorted out a laugh. “You’re such a sucker.”

The conversation continued about favorite foods until Charlie suddenly reached out and gripped my arm as if needing immediate attention.

“And… Wick’s asleep,” she announced, rubbing her hands together with devilish intent.

I glanced over and immediately smiled in awe. He still wore the dreaded T-shirt and had his hair pulled up into pigtails. Slumped sideways on the couch with his shoes still on, he looked like an overgrown version of a child who’d just crashed after a sugar overdose.

“Let’s stick his hand in warm water and see if it makes him pee his pants.”

I gasped. “No way.” Crawling toward the couch to physically shield him from his sisters if I had to, I shook my head. All night long, he’d been my protector; it was time for me to pay him back. Scowling at Charlie for even suggesting such maliciousness, I said, “He’s been burning the candle at both ends all week long, concentrating on nothing but football, classes, and tutoring. The poor guy is exhausted.”

Turning back to take in his sleeping face, I removed his glasses for him and then grew a bit entranced with watching his lashes rest against his cheeks and his lips part ever so slightly with each breath he took. God, he was such a beautiful man. Feeling soft and emotional, I reached out and removed both his shoes before gently laying his legs on the couch so he was lying on it fully. Then I spread one of my own blankets over him.

When I went to remove his pigtails, Charlie hissed, “No, don’t!”

I scowled over at her. “Oh, come on. He’s worn them long enough. His scalp will be sore if we leave them in all night.”

“He’ll live.” She lifted her hands as if talking me off a ledge. “Now, stop touching him already. I don’t want to wake him up.”

Realizing I had been putting my hands all over her sleeping brother, I quickly snapped them away, blushing hard. When I cast a glance toward the other two sisters who were watching me fuss over him, they lifted their eyebrows as if to say, Well, well, look who’s crushing on Wick.

“Good.” Charlie nodded in approval right before her eyes lit up. “Now let’s talk about sex.”

“What?” Darcy cried from the chair where she’d drunkenly draped her legs over the armrest. “What the hell do you know about sex?”

“Nothing,” Charlie said, wrinkling her nose. “That’s why I want to talk about it.”

“Well, don’t look at me,” Izzy bemoaned, polishing off her last no-bake cookie and licking her fingers clean. “I’m still a virgin over here too.”

“Really?” Charlie asked, looking suddenly depressed. “And here I was so sure you’d get some experience as soon as you went off to college.”

“Nope,” Izzy muttered dryly. “Sorry to disappoint, but I know nothing.”

When Charlie turned hopefully my way, I laughed and lifted my hands. “Don’t look at me, either. I’ve only been with one guy, and that ended in a disaster. I’m pretty sure I can only tell you what not to do.”

“So, Pumpernickel’s no good at sex either, huh?” Charlie lamented sympathetically. “Figures.” She turned to her oldest sister. “How about you, Darce? How many guys have you been with?”

Darcy scoffed out a laugh. “What makes you think I would ever tell you that?”

“Fifteen?” Charlie guessed. “Twenty? Oh my God, more?”

“Six!” Darcy cried aghast. “Holy shit, only six. Even though that’s probably still more than all of you put together, including Wick.”

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