Power Play (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 2)

“Posey, honey, where did you stay last night?” she asks, not looking at me.

I stop midstep and try not to give myself away. “With a friend.”

Shelli tsks. “Well, is that a friend a man? ’Cause that’s a man’s sweatshirt.”

If I kill her, I don’t think I could survive conjugal visits. I’m new to sex—I want it all, all the time.

“I thought the same,” Mom adds, and when I turn, my dad is looking at me with wide eyes. His hand slowly slides up his chest, and I’m the one groaning.

“This is my sweatshirt, thank you. And no, just a friend,” I throw back at her, and my dad goes to lay his head back down.

Thank you.

“Liar,” Shelli sings, and of course, my dad whips his head back to me.

I am going to kill my sister.

“I agree, but for shits and giggles, who is it?” my mom asks.

I swallow hard. “You remember Andie? From college? She was in town. We stayed in a hotel.”

Ha, look at me go.

“Andie Maddox? Um, no. She’s in Paris.”

Why, God, why? Stupid Instagram! “No, Andie Powell.”

Oh, that sister of mine knows I’m lying through my teeth. Looking at my mom, I can tell she knows too. But Dad, he isn’t sure. His hand is at his chest, watching me.

Mom clears her throat. “It’s okay if you were at a guy’s house, Posey. You are twenty-one, and you’ll need a date for the engagement party.”

Dad jerks his head to Mom. “The hell it’s okay!”

“She’s an adult, Shea.”

“I don’t give a shit. She’s my baby!” He looks to me and asks, “You weren’t at a guy’s house, were you?”

“No, Daddy,” I lie, and I hate lying to him. He’s my hero.

“Oh good,” he says, and then he turns to stare at my mom. “What the hell? An engagement party? You’re killing me, guys. Killing me. If there is an engagement party, then the guest list will need to be at five hundred. I’m poor.”

Shelli screeches in horror, and Mom follows suit before they start yelling at each other. The Wedding Book from Hell causes this kind of carnage. Devil book, it is. I feel Shelli staring at me, and when I meet her gaze, her eyes are playful. When she mouths Liar, I flip her the bird and hurry out of there before Mom and Dad stop arguing and come back to me. I don’t want to lie to my dad, but I also can’t admit I have something going on with Boon yet. I gotta make sure it’s truly real. I feel it is, but I don’t want to send my dad into an angina fit until I’m sure. So Boon and I will stay on the down-low, and I’ll start packing a bag.

Because I’m pretty sure I’ll be staying with Boon more often than not.

Chapter Eighteen

Boon

“So, I’m thinking I’ll come down the second week in March. Does that sound good?

“Sounds great to me. I miss you.”

“Aw, sweetheart, I miss you,” my mom gushes, and of course, I grin like a fool. I’m a momma’s boy through and through. I lean back in the driver’s seat in my car, stretching my legs. I have ten minutes before I have to be in the locker room for our morning skate. My bag is in the back for our twelve-day trip, and I’m all ready, which means maybe I can talk Posey into lunch, depending on her schedule. We don’t leave until four this afternoon, but she said they may have more meetings today. Posey and I spent all night together. We went to a movie and then a late dinner. I took her back to my place, where we made love for hours. I tried to convince her to stay, but she couldn’t. She had to pack and didn’t want her parents asking more questions. I almost want to tell her parents we’re together just so I don’t have to see her leave.

I hate that she has to, but man if I don’t love watching that ass sway in such a seductive way as she goes.

“So, I met someone,” my mom says then, and I open my eyes. That was my line, my reason for calling. “Now, before you get all puffy, he’s a super-sweet guy. He’s been my bridge partner for a couple months—”

“Wilbur?” I ask incredulously. “I thought you thought he was a dork?”

She laughs softly. “He is, but he’s my dork. I love him, honey, and I really want you to meet him.”

I make a face. “You love him? How did this happen?”

“I don’t know. It was all so fast, and then we moved in together.”

My jaw actually drops. “He’s living with you? I’m paying for some dude to live there? For free?”

“No. I swear, he pays the rent. I haven’t even been cashing your checks, Boon.”