Power Play (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 2)

When she turns back to me, her eyes are wide. “It’s Shelli. Hide!” she whispers, and I look at her incredulously.

“Where the hell am I supposed to hide?”

She throws up her hands in panic and then pushes me—I’d like to take a moment to state how strong my woman is—into the pantry. The pantry that is the size of my whole body. Why didn’t I go into her bedroom? I hear her open the front door, and then she greets her sister.

“Hey, you didn’t call.”

“Well, hello to you too,” Shelli says, and I hear Aiden laugh.

“Shea sent us over to make sure you were settling in okay,” he says, shutting the door. “Since you told them you don’t need help.”

“I don’t.”

“Well, we want to see the place anyway. Show us around,” Shelli commands.

Well, I’m gonna be in here a minute. I grab a bag of marshmallows and snack as I listen to them move through the apartment. Shelli is gushing over everything, and I don’t blame her; it’s a really great apartment. I hear them go out onto the terrace and I almost take that moment to hightail it out, but my shoes, keys, wallet, and bag are in her room. I stuff my mouth with some more marshmallows and then notice the chocolate we bought too. Chocolate and marshmallows go perfectly together, so pieces of that go into my mouth too.

“We found a house, but I’m not completely sold on it,” Shelli says. They’re in the kitchen now, and I should probably stop eating. But instead, I chew as quietly as I can. Posey says I eat loudly. I informed her she has a mental issue. She doesn’t think I’m funny.

“I hear Hoenes might be selling his house,” Posey says, and I grin. For someone who says she doesn’t want to move too fast, she sure is trying to get me out of that house.

“Where did you hear that?” Aiden asks. “He didn’t tell me that.”

“I heard him telling Mac that.”

“Mm-hmm,” Shelli teases, and Posey sighs loudly.

“What, Shelli?”

“I think you guys like each other. At first, I thought it was just him liking you, but I see you checking him out.” Posey snorts. “As your sister, take my advice and lay off staring at his dick so much. You look desperate.”

“I do not!”

It’s really hard not to laugh right now, which is probably why Aiden is chortling. “You do, and he doesn’t even notice. It’s so funny.”

I do notice, and I don’t mind one bit.

“You should holler at him,” Shelli says then. “It obvious you want his dick.”

“What the hell?”

She does. It’s cool.

I hear my phone sound, and I widen my eyes when I realize it’s on the bar. A silence falls over the kitchen, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Surely no one will know it’s mine.

“Aiden, baby, why are you texting Posey, ‘You didn’t tell me you were selling your house’?”

More silence. “I texted that to Boon.”

Posey lets out a strangled laugh. “You must have texted me.”

My phone sounds again. “Nope. I texted Boon. Again.”

More silence, and I know we’re fucked. “Hmm,” Shelli murmurs. “Hey, babe, remember when we were making out at my house that one time and my dad came in, so I pushed you into the closet?”

Aiden’s voice sounds really confused, but he answers with, “Yeah, why?”

The pantry door opens. Posey has her hands over her face, and I look up at her sister, who is grinning like she just scored the game-winning goal. “I guess we Adlers have a thing with throwing the guys we like into closets.”

“Hey, Shelli.”

“Hey, Hoenes. Can I have one?”

I hand her the bag as I walk out, and Posey glares at me. “Those were for later!”

“I got hungry,” I say, looking at Aiden. “Hey, bro.”

Aiden’s eyes are wide, and he’s shaking his head. “Wow, dude. Our coach? She’s so mean to you.”

“She’s not mean in bed,” I say with a sly grin.

Posey reaches across the bar and smacks me. “Boon!”

“What? You’re not!”

“No, but we could have passed this off as just being friends.”

I scoff. “Babe, your eyes stay on my cock.”

“They do not!” she screeches.

Aiden and I laugh, but Shelli is looking between us as she chews on her marshmallow.

“Mom and Dad are gonna freak.”

Posey groans loudly. “They don’t need to know,” she insists, holding her sister’s gaze. “I didn’t tell anyone about you and Aiden.”

She makes a face. “You never knew.”

“I did too, and I never told because it wasn’t my business.”

Shelli shrugs. “But this is my business, because when it comes out, Dad will blame me because he’s one of Aiden’s groomsmen.”

“Then he doesn’t need to be one of your groomsmen!”

“Hey!” Aiden and I say at the same time.

“Posey, I’m getting this sick flask,” I protest.

Aiden gives me a dry look. “And you’re my best friend who wants to support me.”