Chapter 15
You call it eavesdropping, I call it a fact finding mission.
Sophia
“C ome on, Soph. We’re going to be late,” Flynn hollers from the front door.
I wonder if I can ignore him. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hide under my covers and pretend the world doesn’t exist for an hour or two?
“Don’t make me come up there to get you.”
So much for hiding under the covers.
“I’m not going to drunk poker!”
Flynn knocks on my door but doesn’t wait for me to answer before poking his head in.
“Are you sick? Did today’s pitch not go well?”
“I’m not sick. I’m tired.”
He frowns. “You didn’t say how the pitch went.”
I can’t help the smile creeping onto my face if I wanted to. “It went great. Gourmet Corner loved my marketing ideas. We’re still waiting for the final contracts, but they promised to put us in fifty stores.”
“Fifty stores!” He whoops before rushing to me and lifting me off of my bed to throw me in the air. “Awesome, Little Lamb.”
“I’m not a little lamb anymore.”
And I hate the nickname. Weston and Flynn started referring to me as little lamb when they were in high school since I followed them around all the time. Of course, I followed them around. I was obsessed with Flynn, and they were always doing cool stuff.
“Did you or did you not follow Weston and I to the bar when you were home for Christmas?”
“Weston stole my car keys. I had to follow you to get them back.”
“You could have gone home and gone to bed.”
I roll my eyes. “Because I’m a good little girl.”
He growls and I feel the reverberation in my chest. Shit. His arms are still around me. Awesome. My plan to ignore Flynn is failing on its first day.
I shove at his chest and his hands flex on my waist before he releases me. I feel cold and empty without his arms around me but I ignore it. The way I should be ignoring this man.
“Proud of you,” he murmurs as he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. His gaze catches on my mouth. My tongue flicks out to wet my lips and he groans.
My phone beeps with a message and he steps away from me. “Saved by the bell,” he mutters before raising his voice. “I’ll wait for you in the truck.”
“I don’t need a ride.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You’re not going to get drunk?”
“You make it sound like I have a problem.”
“Your problem is you suck at poker.”
I gasp. “I do not!”
“And you didn’t drop a bowl of popcorn all over the cards last time we played.”
“It was an accident.”
“Accident?” He snorts.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not going.”
“Okay.” He calls my bluff. “Phone your parents and tell them you’re staying home because you’re afraid to lose at poker again.”
I growl. “I am not afraid to lose.”
“Then, why aren’t you going? Afraid you’ll get drunk and remove all of your clothes?”
My face heats with embarrassment. “I don’t always take my clothes off when I get drunk.” But it wouldn’t be the first time either.
“Go on.” He nods to the phone in my hand. “Ring them now or get your ass in my truck.”
I swipe my phone to open it and notice there are several messages from my friends.
Sophia’s a chicken.
Please, come.
Bwak! Bwak!
Do not make me endure drunk poker without you.
Ugh. I never should have told my girls I was skipping drunk poker tonight. I shove my phone back in my pocket.
“Fine. I’m coming.”
Flynn grins.
“But if you gloat, I’m switching all of your notifications to Barney singing he loves you.”
He smirks. “Good thing my phone is password protected.”
“Good thing my best friend is Paisley,” I say as I pass him. Paisley can do anything she sets her mind to. She’d figure out Flynn’s password in no time.
We arrive at my parents’ house in less than ten minutes since the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway isn’t big by anyone’s standards. Judging by the bikes piled on the front lawn, we’re the last to arrive.
“Hello!” I shout when we enter. The living room is crowded with all of my girlfriends plus my brother.
Mom rushes out from the kitchen to give me a hug. “I’m glad you didn’t chicken out.”
Of course, my friends told Mom I wasn’t going to come tonight. My girlfriends wouldn’t know how to keep a secret if it showed up on their doorstep with a step-by-step guide on secrecy.
“Whoo hoo! It’s drunk poker time!” Chloe yells.
“Someone started drinking without us.”
“I’m allowed to be excited the band’s back together.”
Paisley frowns. “Is she referring to us? We’re not in a band.”
Nova smiles. “But we could be. Girl bands rock.”
“But none of us play instruments or have any talent.” Paisley’s not letting this go.
Chloe points to Maya. “She can sing.”
Maya’s cheeks darken until they’re a deep, dark red.
Nova hits Chloe. “Don’t embarrass Maya.”
“How is it embarrassing to say she has the voice of an angel?” Chloe scans the room. “I’m being serious. How?”
“I believe because you’re bringing attention to her in front of a large group,” Paisley states.
“This isn’t a large group. This is our family.”
I wrap my arm around Maya’s shoulders. “Chloe isn’t wrong for once. These people are your family. There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”
“Unless you have a crush on Weston and want to make him your sugar daddy,” Chloe says.
Weston grimaces. “No offense, Maya. But I’d prefer not to get the snot beat out of me by Caleb.”
Maya rolls her eyes. “Caleb’s just a friend.”
“An overprotective friend.”
“He’s in Afghanistan now anyway.” I didn’t think it was possible, but Maya’s cheeks darken further.
“Are you going to stand around all night or are we going to play drunk poker?” I ask to get everyone’s attention off my shy friend.
“Drunk poker!” Chloe squeals as she rushes for the dining room table.
The table is laden with snacks since drunk poker is Mom’s way of getting everyone to come over for a meal once a month. She claims when it was Sunday roast people would cancel at the last minute. No one cancels for drunk poker. Or, at least, no one gets away with cancelling for drunk poker.
Everyone hurries to the table, and I straggle behind. I realize my mistake when I notice the only chair available is next to Flynn. Nova points to the empty spot with a big smile on her face.
My friends think they’re matchmakers. Too bad they suck at matchmaking since Flynn and Sophia is not a love story waiting to be written.
“Sophia said she’s going to kick everyone’s ass tonight,” Flynn claims.
I glare at him. “I did not.”
“Oh, sorry. You said you were scared to lose. My bad.”
If looks could kill, he’d be toast. “Don’t be a jerk.”
He smirks. “No promises, little lamb.”
“Oh, it’s on.”
Mom pours shots of moonshine into everyone’s glass. “You remember the rules. You lose a hand…”
“You drink!” everyone shouts in response.
“You fold…”
“You drink!”
She lifts her shot glass in the air. “To smugglers, bootleggers, rumrunners and the mermaids who loved them!”
“Mermaids!” The women shout while the men shout, “Smugglers!”
The moonshine burns my throat and doesn’t stop burning until it hits my stomach. I suck air in through my nose before I vomit my shot all over the chicken wings.
Flynn leans close. “Don’t start removing your clothes yet,” he whispers.
His breath against my skin causes goosebumps to arise. I want his breath against my skin as he slowly undresses me. As he touches me. As he…
I clear my throat and glare at him. “I can handle one shot. I’m a Smuggler.”
“We’ll see.”
Thirty minutes later I’m not as confident in my ability to handle the local moonshine as I weave my way to the bathroom. I slam my hands on the vanity and lean close to study my face in the mirror. My head hits the wall and I nearly topple to the ground.
Water. I need water.
I pour myself a glass from the sink and gulp it down. I stumble to the door before I realize I forgot to pee. Oops. I whirl around and catch myself on the side of the vanity. I manage to steady myself and sit on the toilet.
“What is going on?” Weston hisses.
I open my mouth to tell him I’m peeing. What else would I be doing in the bathroom? But Flynn speaks before I can.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re flirting with my sister.”
“I’m not flirting with Sophia.”
“She’s gorgeous.”
“I know Sophia’s gorgeous. I have eyes.”
Flynn thinks I’m gorgeous? I pump my arm and nearly fall off the toilet.
“You better not add Sophia to your list of conquests.”
List of conquests? Flynn has a list of conquests? My stomach sours and I wrap an arm around my middle.
“Nothing is happening between Sophia and me.”
“Nothing?”
“I’m not attracted to her. She’s a little sister to me. You know this. You know what happened the last time she threw herself at me.”
“Last time? She’s thrown herself at you since then?”
“No. It’s a phrase is all.”
“We’re good? You’ll keep your hands to yourself?”
“Told you, bro. I’m not attracted to Sophia.”
I wait until I hear footsteps traveling down the hallway before flushing the toilet.
Who the hell does Flynn think he is? Toying with me this way? He kisses me and calls me a mistake. He flirts with me all night and then says he’s not attracted to me.
Asshole. I’ll show him.
Just as soon as I figure out how to open this stupid door.