Page 66 of Tempt Her

Shirts? Pointless. Shorts? Necessary.

Or we wind up fucking instead of working out.

“That I want to fuck her ass?” I laugh. “Who doesn’t? That’s not the point.”

“What is?”

“Embrace the suck.” I use the daily motto in the Army. “Because I can’t stop y’all from fucking her, so now a bomb’s headed this way that’ll make our lives suck.”

Tires crunch over gravel outside in the driveway lined with azaleas.They’re here—on my ten acres. Well, one belongs to Mateo now, and Luke’s also bought one.

This was my grandmother’s family’s land. Back then, no one wanted to live by “the swamp,” as uppity assholes called it. But now it’s romantic and highly valued, living in the Lowcountry.

This is our sanctuary with my house and Luke’s and Mateo’s down the drive. We’ve got this gym we’ve built. It’s one of the large outbuildings we also use for company trucks, vans, and supplies. All our homes are elevated for when a hurricane slams through. But most of the time, it’s peaceful here. Each home has a screened-in porch, or we kick back on the massive dock we’ve built on the marsh with our boat that can take you down the river, out to the sound, and to the Atlantic.

Fuck, I don’t want her here.

And yet…

“Hey, y’all.” Mateo appears in the open double-sliding doors of the gym. Most buildings look like this one—modern barns from the outside painted navy with white trim. But this one has extra skylights, illuminating Mateo’s pussy-eating grin and the happy twirl of his truck keys around his finger. “Whatchy’allupto?”

He even sounds pussy-whipped.

I snarl, “Starting a quilting bee. What the fuck does it look like we’re doing?”

I’m still huffing from killing a heavy bag. Luke’s still wary of me, sitting on the bench to my right. We’re both sweating through our gym shorts as Stacey comes strolling up behind Mateo. Her eyes suddenly light up, sparkling at Luke’s half-naked body like he’s on a stage, about to dance for horny bachelorettes… andthis is some shit.

Grade-A Angus shit.

Light the grill.

I order her to answer, “What do you want?”

Patience is overrated. Patient people act like they ain’t gonna die one day. I am, and it won’t be over her.

“Well, a fine day to you, too, Mr. Alexander.” She even fucking curtsies.

Mateo laughs, Luke grins, and I got a shred of barbecue still in my teeth from lunch. Sucking it out, I don’t answer her.

Luke gets up, strides her way, and kisses her cheek. “Don’t worry. He won’t bite.”

“The fuck I won’t.”

She ignores me. Pressing her hand to Luke’s bare chest, she aims for his lips next. She kisses him like I’m not here, but Mateo sure is. Like she’s ready to take them both right before me, and I don’t blame her.

Mateo looks sexy as fuck, and Luke’s about one minute from getting his dick sucked. By her.

Or me.

“Later, y’all.” But Mateo’s calmest head prevails. Yep, told ya. He fucked her an hour ago, so he can wait.For another hour.“You two need to talk.”

But I swear… Luke’s like a puppy, chewing on her neck. Scratch that; he’s maturing. His hormones have him about to mount her.

“Hey,” I bark at him, “make a hole.”

His lips lift from her flesh as they cock a grin my way, and whoops, that pun’s on me. I want him to get out of the way, and hedefinitelywants to make a hole in Stacey.

“Yes, sir,” he taunts, pressing into Stacey.

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