Chapter 10
If you’re lucky, you’ll find the one person who will drive you crazy for the rest of your life.
Flynn
I step into the trailer on the job site and collapse on the chair behind my desk. I’m tired, dirty, and hungry. I’m also afraid to go home where my greatest temptation now lives.
I pick up my phone to order take-out but it rings before I can dial.
“What’s up, bro?”
“Hey, Flynn. You home?” Weston asks.
“At the job site.”
“Good.”
“Bro, I’m not meeting you for another round of Mermaid Karaoke.”
He chuckles. “Nah, I’m on patrol tonight.”
“Who did you piss off?” Weston normally ensures he has the daytime shift the entire week of Mermaid Karaoke.
“It wasn’t my fault. If I had known the chief was going to drink that cup of coffee, I wouldn’t have put salt in it.”
“Why did you put salt in it in the first place?”
“Lucas was pissing me off. Making comments about how hot my sister is.”
“You can’t put salt in the coffee of every man who says Sophia’s hot. You’d use up all salt in the ocean.”
He sighs. “Having a little sister every man on the island wants is a trial.”
I growl. Not every man can have Sophia. She’s mine.
What the hell? Sophia isn’t mine. She’s my best friend’s little sister. My best friend who took me in when my father abandoned me. I can’t disrespect him by corrupting his little sister.
“I’m glad you agree with me because I need your help.”
My muscles freeze. “Help? What’s wrong? Is Sophia in trouble?” I’m on my feet and at the door before I know it. “Where am I going?”
“ Rumrunner . She’s there with her friends.”
I jump in my truck and switch on the engine. “What’s happening? Is someone bothering her? Is she drunk? She better not be strip teasing again.”
I grit my teeth at the reminder of when Sophia did a strip tease on the beach at Christmas one year because she thought the mermaids needed entertainment to celebrate the holidays. Why the entertainment was her removing her clothes is a mystery to me.
“Nothing’s happened yet, but it won’t last. They’re drinking shots.”
I groan. “I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, bro. I owe you.”
He doesn’t owe me shit. I’m the one who’ll never be able to repay him for all he’s done for me. He gave me a family when I had none. You can’t repay someone for giving you a family.
The drive to Rumrunner lasts less than ten minutes. I can hear the music blaring when I’m halfway down the alley.
“Trent.” I nod to the bouncer as I walk in.
The place is hopping for a Wednesday night during Mermaid Karaoke Week. I scan the room in search of Sophia. My body tightens when I notice her standing at the edge of the dance floor with Chloe.
She’s wearing the same tight skirt and high heels she had on this morning but instead of the white blouse she’s wearing a black one. I growl when she turns and I realize I can see her bra.
I begin marching toward her but Chloe pulls her onto the dance floor before I arrive at their table.
“Flynn!” Nova waves at me with a big smile on her face. The woman is always smiling. She is the most optimistic person I know.
She’s also beautiful with her long brown hair, dark eyes, and exotic appearance. Too bad my body doesn’t have any response to her.
“Ladies.” I tip my hat to him.
“You’re obviously not interested in us.” Paisley purses her lips. “How would you feel if I put sensors on your brain while showing you pictures of Sophia?”
“Paisley,” Maya urges. “You can’t ask random people to undergo your scientific experiments.”
“Why not? Flynn is not a random person. We play drunk poker with him each month.”
Maya buries her face in her hands. “Stop embarrassing me.”
Maya is adorable with her face flushed with embarrassment. Too bad the shy girl who needs protection doesn’t do it for me either. Although her pen pal Caleb would probably go AWOL if I dared touch a hair on her head.
“Don’t be embarrassed, darling.”
“She can’t help it,” Paisley says.
Maya hits her. “Don’t tell him that.”
“Why not? Your shyness is not a disease to be embarrassed of.”
Maya slithers down her seat until her eyes are barely visible above the table. “I should have stayed home with a book.”
“Don’t be silly!” Nova shouts. “A book can’t compare to an evening spent with friends. Let’s drink more shots.”
I frown. “Maybe you’ve had enough shots.”
She glares at me. “Do not mimic Hudson, the grumpy bear. I actually like you.”
“I’m honored.”
Harper arrives and sets a tray of shots down on the table. “Courtesy of the table over there.”
Nova waves at the table but I block her. She glares at me. “Stop doing the big brother act, Flynn.”
Paisley motions to Chloe and Sophia. “We have shots!”
Chloe drags Sophia to the table. Sophia’s mango scent hits me and I inhale a deep breath. I love the smell of mangos. I have since the first time I showered at Weston’s house and got a whiff of Sophia’s mango-scented shampoo in the bathroom.
“The guys at the table over there sent these over.” Nova points to the table and Chloe whirls around to salute them with her glass.
The men stand but I glare at them until they sit back down again. Good thing Weston rang me tonight. Sophia and her friends need a keeper and I just volunteered for the job.
They lift their shots in the air. “Here’s to the bootleggers. Masters of sneaky sips and secret stashes. Thanks for keeping the party alive!”
“To the bootleggers!” The rest of the bar joins in.
“Yummy.” Sophia sets her glass down on the table and I follow her tongue as it catches a drop on her lip. I barely stop myself from groaning. I want her tongue on me. I want her lips on mine.
“Weston sent you to check up on me, didn’t he?”
Damn. There’s the reason I’ve been denying myself. Weston.
“He’s your brother. He worries about you.”
“What about you?” Chloe asks. “Do you worry about Sohpia?”
More than I care to admit.
“I worry about all of you,” I say instead.
“Ah.” Nova pats my hand. “He loves us.”
“How many shots have you had?”
Chloe holds up three fingers.
I lift an eyebrow. No one who grew up in Smuggler’s Hideaway gets tipsy from three shots of moonshine. We’re raised on it.
She shrugs. “Maybe four.”
I grab a chair from a nearby table and settle at the end of the booth. Sophia frowns at me.
“What are you doing?”
I motion to Harper to bring me a beer. “Having a beer with my friends.”
She fists her hands on her hips. “You’re not having a beer with friends. You’re babysitting me. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“At least he has good taste in beer,” Paisley says as Harper drops a Five Fathoms Summer Ale on the table.
The band starts a new song and everyone immediately cheers. “This is my jam!” Chloe yells as she drags Sophia back on the dancefloor.
“I don’t think she’s using the phrase ‘my jam’ correctly since every song is her jam,” Paisley mutters.
“Come on, nerd. Let’s dance.” Nova herds Paisley and Maya out of the booth and onto the dance floor.
“Sorry, Flynn,” Maya mutters as she passes.
They join Sophia and Chloe and soon enough the group has taken over the center of the dance floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the group of men who bought them the round of shots stand and make their way to the dance floor.
I set my beer on the table and wait. If they approach Sophia, they’re done. No one touches her but me.
Sure enough one of the punks places his hands on her waist and begins to sway to the music with her. Sophia glances over her shoulder at him and gives him a big smile before whirling around into his arms.
I’m on my feet and pushing people on the dance floor out of my way before I know what’s happening.
I shackle Sophia’s wrist. “You’re done.”
She tugs on my hold. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“And you’re not sober enough to make good decisions.”
The man she was dancing with blocks her so she can’t follow me. “I was here first.”
Sophia rolls her eyes so hard, she loses her balance. I steady her with a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m not a prize.”
The man rakes his gaze up and down her body. “Sorry to disagree, but you are definitely a prize.”
“Ugh.” She glares at me. “You’re ruining my fun.”
I tug on her wrist. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride. We can discuss this back home.”
“Back home?” The man glances back and forth between us. “Do you two live together?” He holds up his hands and backs away. “I don’t want to get involved in your couple’s games.”
“We’re only roommates,” Sophia shouts at his receding back.
While she’s distracted, I pull on her wrist and manage to haul her off the dance floor. I motion to Chloe to let her know I’m taking Sophia home and she winks at me. I don’t bother to tell her it isn’t how it seems.
How I’m not dragging Sophia home to ravish her. My cock stirs in my pants. He’s up for ravishing Sophia.
I force those thoughts out of my mind as I help Sophia into my truck. I expect her to blast me once I get behind the wheel but I’m met with a snore instead.
I dig through my backseat until I find a sweatshirt. I tuck it underneath her head. She sighs before hugging the material to her.
I push her hair off her face. It’s as silky soft as I remember.
Too bad I won’t be touching it again.