Dump and Chase (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 1)

I laugh out loud. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. Your breath is kickin’,” she says, her eyes playful.

I smack her thigh. “In romantic movies, the girl never says that. She just goes down on the guy.”

As I get up, she laughs. “Don’t confuse a romantic movie with porn, Aiden.”

I laugh as I head into the bathroom. As I put my toothpaste on my brush, my phone rings.

“It’s your mom.”

“I’ll call her back.”

I brush my teeth and then wash my face before coming back to bed. I take Shelli’s phone and put it on the nightstand before covering her body with mine. “Maybe we should act out our own porn?”

She giggles as our lips meet. “That’s exactly how I want to start my morning.”

I close my eyes as we kiss, and I fall between her naked thighs. I move my hand down her chest, taking her breast in my palm as I press myself against her wet center. I groan against her mouth, and she does the same.

But then, Asher is knocking at the door.

“Hey, Aiden.”

I tear my mouth from hers and groan loudly. “Die, Asher.”

He laughs. The fucker laughs. “Dude, I’m just trying to help you out. Mom is downstairs and on her way up.”

My eyes fly open just as Shelli’s do. “Oh shit.” We scramble out of the bed and hurry to get dressed. She kicks her bag under my bed and then rushes out of the room with her laptop and notebook. For what reason, I don’t know.

“I was going to throw you in the closet.”

She gives me a dirty look. “No one throws me in the closet.”

“But you can throw me?” I toss back at her, but she’s already out of the room. When she sets up her laptop, she crosses her legs, but then she looks at me with a panicked expression. “My hair? Do I have sex hair?”

“Totally,” Asher says, and if looks could kill…

“Dude, shut the hell up!”

“What? She does, and FYI, I feel for your neighbors. I heard y’all down the hall.”

Shelli’s eyes widen, and I shake my head as she tries to do something with the mess that is her sex hair. “He’s lying. You weren’t even that loud.”

“But you were,” he says, and lucky for him, there is a knock at the door.

I go open the door to my mom. “Hey, I didn’t expect you.”

She gives me a dry look. “Well, you would if you would answer your phone.”

“Oh, I didn’t hear it,” I lie.

“We’re working,” Shelli says then, and Mom’s brows pull together.

“Shelli? Honey, I didn’t expect you here.” She goes to Shelli, hugging her tightly. “It’s early.”

“I know. We’re working on the Assassins Foundation’s spring fundraiser and gala. I’m an early riser.”

Mom smiles. “You must be. How’d you get him up?” she asks, hooking her thumb toward me.

With a straight face, Shelli replies, “He’s scared of me.”

Mom and Asher laugh. “Well, you are your mother’s child.”

“I am,” she agrees with a grin.

“I can’t wait to see what you put together.”

She grins. “Thanks. I’m hoping it’s great.”

“It will be,” she says before handing me a plate. “I’m only here to drop off these cookies I made. They’re vegan.”

I put them on the counter, already planning to toss them. The last time she made these crap cakes, I almost puked.

“Please eat them.”

“Mom, they taste like dirt. Like you literally pulled them out of the ground like a carrot. I’m good,” I complain as Asher comes over and grabs one.

He takes a big bite. “Best cookie ever.”

She pats his face, and I want to call him an ass-kisser, but I don’t trust him. “My sweet boy. You two will be over for dinner, right?”

Asher throws his hand over my shoulder. “We sure will. Shelli and Aiden have a lot of vigorous work to do, though. They’re working on it constantly. It gets loud too, but they’re really passionate about it.”

I twist a piece of his skin, and he cries out, smacking my hand. “Mom—”

But before he can finish, Shelli’s phone starts to ring.

In my room.

Silence falls over us all as Shelli looks at me in utter panic. Mom glances toward my room and then back at me. “You gonna get that?”

“I sure am,” I say, rushing to get it. I hit decline on a call from Elli Adler and tuck it into my pocket. “Sorry.”

“I didn’t know you were a Taylor Swift fan,” she teases, and I plaster a huge grin on my face.

“Yup, Swiftie for life.”

Asher is practically falling over himself laughing, but Shelli, she’s beet red, and I’m pretty sure she wants to die.

“Well, I’m leaving. I’m actually meeting your mom,” she says to Shelli, and she smiles brightly.

“For brunch?”

“Yup. Mimosas. You know…”

Shelli grins. “I do.”

“So what’s your plan for the fundraiser? I’m sure you’re hiring Grace Justice for the party.”

“I am. She’s basically the best, and I’m not partial since she is my aunt.” They both share a laugh as Shelli leans back in the chair. “But for the fundraiser, I think I want to do a calendar of the guys with puppies.”