Flock (The Ravenhood)

Tyler claps his hands together, joining us at the loungers. “Cool, Mom and Dad made up. Time to celebrate.” He grabs a beer from the cooler, shakes it up and sprays us with it.

“You shit,” I smile, just as Sean lifts me honeymoon style into hi

s arms and jumps us into the pool. When we emerge, I’m grinning, no doubt the goofy one that tells him far too much. He gazes down at me and kisses me before he sends me flying. I shriek as I come up, his sunglasses half-on/half-off.

“You ass, I wasn’t ready!”

“Then I guess you better up your game,” he taunts when I charge him. We frolic in the water as Tyler makes himself comfortable in a lounger, turning up his radio. Sean’s phone rings and he gets out of the pool, holding up a finger to me that it’s important before answering. “Hey, Dad.”

I make my way over to Dominic who sips a beer. I can’t see his eyes behind a pair of classic black Ray-Bans, but I know they’re on me as I wade through the water toward him.

“I guess you want an apology,” he flips his glasses to rest on his head, his thick black hair cradling them easily. Soaking wet, he’s even more deadly, his lashes darker, everything darker. It’s impossible not to note his appeal. And his venomous smirk makes breathing around him no easier.

“I won’t hold my breath.”

He holds up a finger, downing his beer and I roll my eyes. “Okay, I think I’m ready.” He exhales as if he’s about to give a grand speech. “I’m sorry I told Sean I caught you staring at my dick.”

I can’t help it. I burst out laughing.

He gives me his first genuine smile and it knocks me for a loop.

“You are a rare bastard.”

“I prefer motherfucker. At least then, it would be somewhat factual. Isn’t that right, Tyler?”

Tyler doesn’t flinch from where he lays basking in the sun. “Fuck you.”

Dominic grins and I shake my head.

“You had your door open. I was shocked, to say the least.”

“And the other five minutes?”

“Do women actually sleep with you?”

“No, never. They’re too busy screaming my name,” he says without a trace of humor. “Except the last girl, she was a corpse.”

“You are unreal. Psychiatrist’s dream, indeed.” Briefly, I wonder if violence does make this maniac hard. If it’s the only thing that makes him hard.

“What you thinking about?” Dominic asks, his lips twitching as he lowers his sunglasses.

“Nothing.”

He smirks before pulling himself from the pool and heading toward the back door.

“What are you doing?”

“Have to use the can.”

“You could ask.”

He turns from me, and his swim shorts dip slightly, revealing the top of his toned ass as he positions himself on the side of the house.

I cover my eyes. “Oh my God, through the door past the study, down the hall on the left. Savage.”

“Oh,” he tucks himself back into his pants, “I might like that better than motherfucker.”

I palm my face as Sean chuckles, rejoining me in the pool. “You’ll get used to him. I swear.”