Page 52 of The Fangirl and the Grump

Keegan is here.

I straighten as the door flies open and she pops out, looking downright edible in a black knit sundress. Her bright blue gaze zeroes in on me, and I only have a second to brace myself as she charges forward, leaps at the very last second, and wraps herself around me like a monkey. My hands land on her ass to hold her up as her mouth seals to mine, and fuck, I could get used to this kind of greeting.

A high-pitched whistle grates against my eardrums just before my darling sister lets out a wolfish howl. I break off the kiss to glare at her, but she only laughs and shakes her head.

“Hi,” Keegan whispers, her lips brushing against my cheek with the word.

I turn my head to meet her eyes, and I can feel my expression softening as I return the sentiment. “Hi.”

She pecks another quick kiss against my lips before wriggling to get free. I set her back on her feet, and she takes my hand to pull me toward her blonde friend.

“Trace this is Pressley Glade. Pressley, this is Trace, and that’s his sister and my boss, Willow.”

“Boss and friend,” Willow says, moving forward to bump her hip against Keegan’s before stretching out a hand to Pressley.

“And I think you’ve met Bram,” Keegan says with a devilish lilt to her voice.

Pressley turns a bit pink as she nods in Bram’s direction, then quickly looks away from him. Willow immediately takes charge in her classic ‘Willow’ way, hooking an arm through Pressley’s before doing the same with Keegan.

“Come on, girls. Let’s cool off in the water while the boys finish setting up.”

“How is that fair?” Bram complains, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You get to watch us get all half-naked and wet,” she quips.

“Willow,” I grunt impatiently, but the little imp just blows me a kiss and drags the other two to the water’s edge.

Releasing them, Willow whips her cover-up over her head to reveal a skimpy white bikini. I flinch, making a mental note to gift her with a more substantial bathing suit for her next birthday. My gaze shoots to Bram to make sure he’s not checking out my sister, but his eyes are focused on someone else.

I follow his line of sight to see Pressley pulling off her t-shirt and shorts, revealing a red string bikini with even less coverage than the one my sister is wearing. She’s pretty, I guess, though a little too slender for my tastes. Bram seems to be entranced, though.

Interesting.

Movement catches my eye, and I glance over to see Keegan staring right at me as she slowly pulls that black sundress up, revealing her perfect, juicy thighs. My mouth goes dry as she snaps the dress up and over her head, revealing a high-waisted two-piece that accentuates her hourglass shape while revealing only a thin strip of skin between the top and the bottom.

My dry mouth floods with saliva as my eyes trace every inch of her. She looks like a fucking pinup model, and I have a sudden urge to grab her, drag her away, and peel that damn swimsuit off her to reveal every carnal delight hidden beneath it. I can still feel those thighs wrapped around my face as she sucked me into her mouth, and the thought makes my dick twitch with need.

She doesn’t move until my gaze moves back up to her face. Her grin is full of mischief as she shoots me a wink, then turns and chases the other two into the water.

Shaking my head at her antics, I turn back to the grill. Making sure it’s solidly put together, I bend over to grab the bag of charcoal and pour some into the basin. Bram heads over with a bottle of lighter fluid and a long lighter, laughing as Pressley and Keegan squeal over the coolness of the water. I hear Willow call them a bunch of babies before splashing them, causing them to squeal all over again.

“So,” Bram says, moving around the grill to turn his back to the water, “that was quite the greeting.”

“Shut up,” I grunt.

Ignoring my outburst, he goes on. “Seems like things have progressed between you two pretty quickly.”

“We’re just having fun,” I say, feeling a bit defensive. “We agreed to keep things light and casual. When she leaves town, it’ll be over.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asks, and my head snaps up to meet his eyes.

“What does that mean?”

“Trace, I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve never seen you look this…lovestruckbefore.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I grumble. “Lovestruck. Please.”

“Okay,” he says, holding up his palms in supplication. “It’s casual and meaningless. Got it.”

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