Never Been Kissed

Desire licks through me thinking about Precious carrying our baby. I’d never thought about having kids before, but now it’s all I’m going to be thinking about. For all we know she could be pregnant now. She’ll make a hell of a mom.

“You’ve got this all planned out, I see.” Precious laughs but doesn't disagree. I’ll take it.

“She’s known him for five minutes.” Mason isn’t giving up that easily. I have to respect him for that. I would expect nothing less. He wants to make sure I’m serious about his sister.

“Is this the asshole that was blowing up your phone?” Jameson wraps his arm around Bunny, holding her close.

“I was trying to get ahold of my sister. She has a problem with keeping her phone on her lately.” This is true. I might have shoved it away. I wasn't hiding it. If she’d asked about it I would have handed it over. I put it in my dresser for safe keeping.

“You don’t call another man’s woman.” Jameson is looking more than a little irritated.

“I stopped calling the last time you threatened to kill me.” Mason throws his hands up. “Everyone has lost their goddamn minds around here.”

“Isn't it hot when they get all possessive?” Bunny says to Precious like no one else is around.

“Really hot,” she agrees. I tuck that fact away. I can be all kinds of possessive if that’s what she wants. I won’t even have to try, but she just gave me a free pass.

“You having dinner with us, Mason?” I ask, wanting to get this show on the road. “Precious has been in the sun too long. She either needs to come in or get more sunblock.” Can’t have her delicate skin getting hurt. Not on my watch.

“He is,” Precious answers for him. “He can make pasta salad. His is actually better than mine.” She turns to me and mouths not really.

“I love pasta salad,” Jameson drawls.

“You’re not eating his pasta salad.” Bunny snorts a laugh.

“Oh what’s the surprise? You got cake in the basket?” Precious goes for it, but Bunny pulls it back.

“I got something better.” She opens the lid and two little kitten heads pop out. “Kittens! You want one?”

“No can do. I’m the only kitten around here. Isn’t that right, Duke?” She turns to look at him, letting him know that she’s loyal and would never betray him by getting a kitten. I swear he barks in response. Those two are going to give me a run for my money.

“Thank God. I wanted to keep them both but I thought I’d offer.”

“Come on.” I walk over to Precious, wrapping my arms around her. “Make yourselves at home. Precious and I are going to get cleaned up.” I need to get her out of those shorts for more reasons than one.

“We’re not done talking about this,” Mason shouts from behind us but I hear him following us in.

“Didn't think we were.” I look down at my kitten. “This is far from over.”17PJI sit on Bow’s lap in the backyard. We built a bonfire and pulled out some chairs. I told Bow next week we need to go buy some yard furniture if we’re going to be having people over. He grunted in agreement, saying we would do anything I wanted.

My brother has calmed down some. I think getting to see Bow and me together is settling his nerves. I get him being overprotective. I’m not only his little sister; in some ways I’m his daughter, but he has to let me go at some point. I think he holds on to some responsibility of making sure I end up with the right man. I can’t blame him for trying to do right by our parents.

“I’ve missed your cooking.” Bunny chomps down into a rib, getting barbeque sauce all over her face.

“I cook.” I snort a laugh. Jameson actually sounds wounded.

“I love yours too.” She kisses him, getting her barbecue sauce on his face.

“It’s nice out here. You think you can do country life, PJ? The storms. The bugs,” Mason asks as he takes a swig from his beer. I wiggle in Bow’s lap thinking about bugs.

“She knows I’ll keep her safe.” Bow pulls me tighter to him.

“God knows she can handle her own. Remember Cory Seaman?” I glare at my brother. Of course I remember that little shit. “He told everyone in the school that he and PJ had fooled around.” Bow’s fingers dig into my skin. Yeah, that never happened. The making out at least, but he did spread that shit far and wide. I know what my brother’s about to say and to my defense, that jerk was asking for it. “She walked right up to him in the middle of school and punched him.”

“This is not shocking.” Bunny holds up her hand and I give her a high-five.