Too Complicated (The Lewis Cousins 2)

“Just ask her out,” she said, her tone frustrated.

“I tried,” I said, then when she gave me a disbelieving look I replied, “No, really, I did. She came over for dinner, I showed her around the house and the neighborhood, and she put me right in the friend zone.”

“Really?” Jazzy asked, her brow furrowed. “Did you actually ask her out, or were you beating around the bush and hoping she understood your underlying meaning?”

“Uh,” I began, then said, “Hey!” when she punched me in the shoulder.

“You didn’t ask her,” she accused, and I realized Jasmine was right. I never actually asked her out, and said that I wanted to pursue something other than friendship, I’d just taken her lead after Chloe said she needed a friend.

“Not exactly,” I admitted.

“Well, if you don’t man up and get in there, you’re going to end up missing out. I have it on good authority that Zoey planned this little get together to introduce Chloe to Jed and Shane, in hopes of setting her up on a date,” Jasmine said, and I swear, it felt like she’d punched me in the gut. “Looks like someone is taking the bait,” she added, then pointed to where Jed was moving toward Chloe in the water, a smile on his stupid face.

I didn’t know Jed that well, he’d only been in town a couple months, and he’d seemed like a nice guy the few times we’d met, but right then, I hated his ass.

“Easy, Rambo,” Jazzy said with a laugh when she caught the glare on my face. “It’s not like you’ve staked a claim or anything, so you can’t blame the man for trying. Chloe’s a beautiful woman, plus she’s smart and funny. A woman like that won’t be single for long.”

Needing to change the subject, I turned to my cousin and replied, “I guess that explains why you’re still single,” then I braced for the blow that I knew would come, barely wincing when she socked me in the stomach.

“Screw you,” she replied, but she laughed when she did, so I knew Jasmine wasn’t mad. If there was one thing my cousin knew without a doubt, it was her own worth, and she could take shit as well as she could dish it out.

It was one of the reasons Jasmine was one of my favorite people in the world.

“What about you?” I asked, nodding toward where Chloe and Jed had moved up to the shallower water and were talking softly. “He’s new to town, so he hasn’t gotten the chance to get to know you yet. You could have a shot.”

I laughed when she glared at me and said, “If you want me to do you a favor and distract him, you’re going to have to butter me up better than that.”

“What do you want?” I asked, looking at my devious cousin curiously.

“Help Laurel out by being her date on Friday night.”

“What? Why? I thought you were trying to set me up with Chloe,” I asked, wondering what was up with my cousin’s trying to hook me up with our childhood friend all of a sudden.

“I am,” Jasmine replied, then scrunched her nose and said, “Ew, gross, that would be like her dating Dillon or something, just no … I know you don’t like her that way any more than she likes you, but her folks have been giving her a hard time about her ex and why she left Houston, and she just needs you to be there as a buffer. It would give you a chance to catch up.”

“I can do that,” I replied, thinking it would be good to see what Laurel had been up to over the years, and find out more about this ex and whether my cousins and I had to rough him up.

Jazz put her hand out and I shook it, solidifying the deal, then she grinned broadly.

“Watch and learn, cousin of mine.”

Jasmine turned and set her sights on her goal, calling out to Chloe so that both Chloe and Jed turned toward her, then she went in for the kill. Shimmying out of her cut-offs in a way that had me averting my eyes and Dillon audibly gagging from behind me, then sauntering down toward the water with sunblock in her hand.

She was still talking to Chloe, when, without saying a word, she handed the tube of sunblock to Jed, then turned and lifted her long hair to give him full access to her back.

Jasmine continued to talk to Chloe while Jed rubbed her back without protest, then she turned and shot me a wink.

My cousin was one dangerous woman.

Chapter Twelve ~ Chloe

I was about to wade out of the water toward Reardon and ask him how his current case was going, since I remembered he’d said something about a difficult client at dinner, but before I got to him, Laurel walked up and put her hand on his arm.

Reardon turned and his face blossomed with a genuine smile, before he bent and gave the bikini-clad blonde a hug.

Sue me for noticing the way their sun-kissed bare skin touched during the embrace, and for the painful clench in my stomach at the happy way they looked at each other. I also took advantage of the fact that he was distracted, and allowed myself a look at his half naked form.

Holy Hell, he’d been hiding tattoos under his three-piece suit. On his right bicep, the left side of his chest, along his side, and there was even one dipping beneath his board short. Good gracious, it was another facet at him that was unexpected, yet totally hot.