4. The Trouble with Skirts
The Trouble with Skirts
Braden
Y ou can do this, Braden. How hard can it be?
This is my new personal mantra, one I’ve replayed countless times in my brain over the last several days.
Ever since I opened my mouth and invited Mina to live with me.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret helping her out. Not in the slightest. But I have two heads and they’ve been arguing since that fateful day. One reminds me she’s young— too young. The other? Well, he’s far more inclined to celebrate this domestic bliss and fuck the rulebook.
But it’s deeper than that. I already offered her the spare bedroom, so I can’t yank it back now, when she’s packed and her mother is ready to close on the house.
I’m a man of my word, always.
Then there’s Ash and Ori. They may be spectators in this game, but they’re very vocal fans.
Ash trusts me and my motives, but he’s no fool.
He’s seen Mina plenty of times and knows she’s temptation squared.
And Ori? She might be a foot shorter than me, but I’d be a fool to piss her off, and she is mama bear protective of her friend.
I’m stuck in the middle of this melee .
Swigging down the dregs of my coffee, I heave out a sigh and open the truck door, steeling myself for the day. Helping a friend move has always been the bane of my existence, but isn’t that the case with everyone? Who the fuck enjoys moving?
But I have some mighty fine eye candy to occupy my thoughts today.
Sure. A beautiful woman you can’t touch. Have fun with that one, buddy.
I walk through the open front door, peering around at the stacks of boxes and draped furniture. Although small, the Tudor exudes warmth, evident in the jewel-toned rooms and the artwork still hanging on the walls.
Funny, there’s a familiarity with this house, but I swear I’ve never been here before.
“Mina?” I call up the stairs. “Where are you?”
“You made it,” Mina exclaims from the upstairs level. “Come on up. I’m in the bedroom.”
And just like that, my mind dives straight into the gutter.
Mina. Bedroom. What could go wrong?
I follow the sound of her voice up the stairs, grinding to a halt at the door to her bedroom.
Let’s just say Mina has an interesting idea of moving attire. Most people opt for jeans or sweats. Not Mina. She’s wearing a skirt just this side of legal, which showcases the most perfect pair of legs on the planet. And her ass? Jesus. I thought I was in trouble before. Now, I know I’m a dead man.
“You’re wearing a skirt to move?” The question flies from my mouth before I have a chance to reel it back.
Mina turns, a bright smile coloring her face. “It’s actually shorts. Super comfy.” She lifts the hem of the micro mini, revealing the shorts underneath.
Not helping my situation at all .
“Looks comfy,” I mumble, shoving my hands in my pockets as I try to put some space between my jeans and my ever-growing cock. I force out an exhale and rock back on the balls of my feet. “I brought along the enclosed trailer, so we should have room for most of your things. Where should I start?”
Mina bends down, giving me another criminally hot glimpse of her ass—unintentional, I’m sure. Probably. Maybe.
She nods toward a stack of boxes in the corner . “Those are ready to go. Then I have my nightstand and bed frame. Beyond that, I don’t have much furniture. Do you have an extra dresser I could use? Or closet space at the house?”
“You’re in luck. The bedroom has a dresser and a walk-in closet. Plenty of space for all your clothing. I’m sure you have way more than I do.”
Mina shrugs as she wipes her hands on a towel. "You’d be surprised. I don’t own a lot outside of dance gear, which is kind of pointless now.”
There’s something about her tone that pulls at my heartstrings. She truly believes that she’s washed up, finished at twenty-five. Doesn’t help that her aunt is making her play this ridiculous game to prove her worth.
Although, if it weren’t for her inane demands, I wouldn’t be Mina’s new roommate.
Not sure if I should lecture her aunt or send her a bouquet of roses.
Closing the small distance between us, I pull Mina into a gentle hug. “Hey, none of that negative self-talk. You’re going to be running a dance studio soon, remember? You’ll need all that dance gear.”
She tips her head up, shooting me a sunny smile before pressing her lips to my cheek. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re the nicest guy in the world?”
“I have my moments, but I’m also grumpy in the morning.”
Her grin widens. “Don’t worry. I have ways to cheer you up. ”
“Mina? Are you up there?” Her mother’s voice carries up the stairs, breaking into our moment.
For the best, really, because I was about two seconds away from a second helping of her lips, and this time, I would take full control.
And that would only muddy the situation further… right?
“Up here, Mom. Braden just arrived.” Her sky-blue eyes sparkle at me. “I better go see what she needs. Are you good here?”
“Yeah. I’m great.”
And the truth is, I mean it. This offbeat situation might be exactly what I need.
Or maybe Mina is.
I’m organizing boxes like Tetris in the trailer when I hear a woman’s voice behind me. “Thank you for doing this.”
Pivoting, I catch sight of Mina’s mom and offer a courteous nod. “No problem. I’m happy to help. Mina’s a sweetheart.”
"That she is."
But instead of walking away, she fiddles with the locking mechanism on the trailer. Uh oh, she’s stalling, which means one thing. We’re about to have the talk.
Am I surprised? Hell no. Her mother doesn’t know me and let’s be honest, although I might not have a reputation like my older brother, I’m still well-known amongst the ladies of Sparkwood.
Plus, there’s a giant age gap between Mina and me. Twelve fucking years, to be exact.
So, do I make a preemptive strike and reassure her mom that I’m not planning anything untoward, even though Mina and I are now engaged and about to be living under the same roof?
Yeah. I wouldn’t buy it, either.
But I never get the chance.
"You don’t remember me, do you?" she asks.
For a split second, I panic.
Please, for the love of everything that is holy, don’t tell me I slept with Mina’s mother.
No, I haven’t engaged in a ton of drunken one-nighters, but there have been a handful of fuzzy mornings in my years.
I pause and lean against the wall of the trailer. “We met the other day. I might be getting older, but my memory isn’t that bad yet.”
Her mom snorts out a laugh. “I watched you and your brother years ago, when your parents went away for a long weekend. Ash was none too happy about it—he was fourteen and the last thing he wanted was some nineteen-year-old taking care of him. I think he had plans for a party.”
“Yeah, I think I remember.” I mumble the words because, to be fair, I can’t place her. Mom and Dad traveled quite a bit during my teen years, and there was a revolving door of babysitters, mostly because us Hammond boys were hellions.
Some things never change.
“It’s okay if you don’t remember me, Braden, but I remember you.
Fondly, too. While Ash spent the weekend giving me grief, you were the peacemaker.
You kept reassuring Ash that everything was going to be fine, and he needed to give me a chance.
We spent the weekend playing poker. By the end, you’d cleaned me out of matchsticks. ”
Just like that, the memory of that fateful weekend floats up to the present time. “That was you ? Therese, right?”
She nods. “You insisted on calling me Terry, which I hated.”
“Sorry about that. I was a teen boy. Idiocy couldn’t be helped. But you were so cool. You taught me how to play Texas Hold ‘Em, which comes in mighty handy on my Vegas trips. That was a good time. I didn’t realize you were only nineteen. You seemed so grown-up.”
A rueful smile plays on her lips. “I had eloped with Mina’s father a few months earlier. Your parents knew I needed the cash and figured it couldn’t hurt to have someone watching over you two.”
But the laughter dies on my lips as I realize that Mina’s mother is only seven years older than me.
I’m closer in age to Mina’s mother than I am to Mina—by a lot.
Holy shit. What am I doing?
Yep. Braden, once again—this is a disaster.
Seems Therese picks up on the sudden shift in my demeanor. “I’m not here to give you grief. Quite the opposite. I want to thank you for stepping up to help Mina. I always knew you’d grow up to be an amazing man.”
Wonder if she’d agree with that statement if she knew the thoughts flitting around my brain about her daughter, because they are the furthest thing from holy.
“Do me a favor, Braden?”
Here it comes.
“Sure,” I reply, steeling myself for her demand.
“Look out for her, okay? No matter how tough Mina acts, she’s the most sensitive soul. She’s been hurt enough by people who were supposed to love her.”
“You both have.”
Therese’s eyes fill with tears. “See? I knew you’d get it.”
“Is everything okay in here?” Mina asks as she climbs into the trailer, a look of concern crossing her face when she sees her mom.
“Everything is perfect,” Therese says, wiping her cheeks. “You’ve got a great guy here, Mina. Take care of each other.”
Therese walks off, but Mina’s gaze tracks her into the house before turning to me. “Is she okay? ”
“She’s worried about you. About moving so far away from you.”
Mina sighs, running a hand over her brow. “I know she is, but I’m going to be fine. I’ll be with you, and that makes me feel safe.”
She tears her gaze to the far wall, but I see the pink in her cheeks. Hard to know if it’s because of the exertion or her admission, but I’m going with the latter.
Her mom is entrusting me with her daughter and that’s no small ask. Even though we’re living together as friends and the engagement is a temporary solution to Mina’s problem, the lines are blurring.
I’m not sure how much longer I can maintain this neutral facade without cracking.