Claimed (For Her 3)

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I wake with arms wrapped tightly around me, my legs tangled with his. I never dreamed of having Jordan stay the night with me. I feel warmth all over as I let myself sink deeper. Turning a little, I kiss the arm that’s wrapped around me, and I hear him whisper my name in his sleep.

But instead of drifting off to sleep again, I feel his whole body go rock-solid. Before I know what’s happening, he’s jumping out of bed.

I sit up, not sure what’s happening and not sure I really care, because now I see he’s only in a pair of boxer briefs with his thighs on full display. I never thought thighs could be sexy but with the morning light flooding in the windows I can see every inch of them. Heck, I don’t think I ever really thought about thighs at all until this moment. Right now, though, I’d like to sink my teeth into his.

I watch as he picks up a gun I didn’t even know he had, making my eyes almost pop out of my head. “What the hell, Jordan?” I say as my bedroom door flies open. “Summer?”

I see my sister standing in the doorway to my bedroom with a surprised look on her face. I haven’t heard from her in months, but I’m not surprised to see her here. That’s how Summer works. She floats around from place to place and will pop up out of nowhere. She says it’s because she’s a free spirit, but I think it’s just an excuse to not get a job.

“Oh my!” she says, her eyes trained on Jordan.

I look over at him, not liking that she’s seeing him like this. I don’t want anyone seeing him like this. Plus, my sister is pretty. She’s actually more than pretty, and like always, she isn’t wearing much in the clothes department. If it was up to her, she’d always be naked.

“Sister” is all Jordan says, and I nod.

I pull the sheet up more, realizing I am, in fact, completely naked. Jordan walks toward Summer, and she takes a step back.

“She’ll be out in a minute,” he tells her, before slamming the door in her face.

Chapter Thirteen

Jordan

I see the lines of tension around Jay’s mouth, and I have to use all my strength to keep from saying something.

Summer has been floating around the apartment for the past hour, moving things and leaving a trail of clutter as she goes.

“I think the energy of the space would feel so much more open with a water feature in the corner,” she says, assessing the layout.

“If there’s a water feature over there, it means the toilet is leaking from upstairs,” Jay says in return as she sets down a book a little too firmly.

Summer gives Jay a patronizing look, and again I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from telling Summer to pick another face.

“How long are you planning on staying here for?” Jay asks in a straightforward tone that anyone could pick up on. Summer, however, isn’t just anyone.

“Didn’t you get my postcard from Sedona?” she says airily, laying out a blanket in the middle of the floor in the living room and crisscrossing her legs. She sits like she’s about to meditate with her hands on her knees and her back straight.

“No. I haven’t heard a word from you in months.” Jay twists a towel from the kitchen in her hands until I think it may rip in half.

“I’m sure you just misplaced it.” Summer makes a waving motion around the pristine apartment, where everything is in order except for what she’s moved. “Anyway, I’m coming to stay with you for a while. I’ve finished my recent healing journey, and I’m going to live here with you in New York until I find my next guide.”

“Your next what?” I can’t help the question that pops out of my mouth. I look over and see Jay shake her head and roll her eyes.

“My next spiritual guide,” Summer answers, like I’m the idiot.

Jay is steaming. I can almost see it coming out of her ears. Not only has her sister come in and disrupted her order and peace, she’s made a statement to move in without a single question asked. I might be an only child, but that seems like a pretty dick move from a sibling.

“Jay, can I talk to you in the bedroom?” I ask, seeing her hands clenched in fists as her face gets red.

“Summer, are you serious right now? I don’t hear from you for months, and then you show up saying you’re going to live with me?” Her voice is getting higher, and though I should stop this, I think she kind of needs her moment. “The last time you did this, you took over my place for almost a year without paying me a dime for rent or groceries or anything. I’m not doing it again. You’re my sister, and I will help you in any way I can, but I can’t enable you to act like this. I’m not a last resort. If you need help, I’m sure there’s room at the farm with Mom and Dad.”