Chapter 12
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
GREER
There’s something so tempting about all of them. But there’s a darkness in Mason that makes me want to do as he says and defy him in the same breath.
A buzzing rings through the house, breaking the spell that held me motionless.
Wyatt taps on his phone and then says, “How may I help you?”
“Let me in, WyWy.” A feminine voice makes me freeze. She giggles and a rock lodges in my gut.
He presses something on his phone and glances at me with a blank face. “There’s no way to prepare you.”
Roarke sets me in the chair next to him as Wyatt heads to the front door. The loss of Roarke’s warmth makes me want to crawl back onto his lap, but I can’t do that. Someone is coming.
Is this a girlfriend? Someone important to them? Would it matter if they all had girlfriends after their proposal to me? They didn’t ask me to go steady. They only want to fuck me.
I don’t tolerate cheating and wouldn’t help someone cheat. But what if I already did? After kissing both Roarke and Wyatt?
Er, WyWy?
Aiden continues to eat his yogurt while watching me closely. I squirm in my chair as I pull over my yogurt for something to do with my hands. Does he already regret hiring me?
“Oh my god! You guys have no idea what kind of day I’ve had already.” Her voice echoes through the house from the front door. “I woke up in some stranger’s house with a pineapple beside me. So fucking surreal.”
The woman strides into the kitchen. She’s tall. Her light brown hair with golden highlights hangs down to the middle of her back in soft waves. Her outfit is airy and flowing around her, like it was made specifically for a woman like her. Her eyes settle on me and her smile freezes.
“I didn’t know we had company.” She slaps the back of her hand against Wyatt’s chest. “Wyatt, why didn’t you tell me we had company?”
She walks past me and Roarke and sits on the other side of me. Her hazel eyes are hauntingly familiar, but I’ve never met this woman before. She’s about my age and gorgeous. She smiles like she’s my new best friend, leaning in conspiratorially. “Who did you sleep with?”
My mouth opens and my gaze goes to Aiden before I can stop myself. I literally slept with him on that couch.
She follows my gaze. “Huh? Yeah, I’m not buying that. Aiden’s not into randoms. So maybe you didn’t sleep with anyone…”
Her eyebrow arches when she looks at Wyatt.
“She’s Aiden’s sobriety buddy.” Wyatt sits and returns to eating. “This is my little sister, Zoe. This is Greer. She’ll be here for the next year or so.”
“Fascinating.” Zoe searches my eyes with hers, which I now recognize as similar to Wyatt’s. “A girl? You know, if I thought you’d hire a girl, I would have applied. I could keep Aiden on the straight and sober.”
“And what were you doing last night, ZoZo?” Wyatt raises an eyebrow.
“I could be sober for Aiden.” She shrugs and her attention returns to me. “I was out clubbing and drinking. The people I party with generally end up at someone’s house party. Sometimes I don’t leave.”
She winks like I should know.
Maybe I should know, but I’m not familiar with the party scene at all. I know it exists. That’s the extent of my knowledge. Bristol asked me to join her on more than one occasion, but I don’t like large crowds.
“Greer doesn’t drink.” Aiden leans back in his chair. His blue eyes remain on me like he’s waiting to see what I’ll do. How I’ll react.
“Why the hell not? You aren’t one of those religious types, are you? The kind that don’t drink?” Zoe rears away from me like I’ll give her a disease.
“It’s not because of religion.”
Zoe grins. “Drinking too much is what being young is all about. Partying, sleeping around, waking up at some random’s house. How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
Zoe glares at the guys before arching an eyebrow at me. “And you’re qualified for this job how?”
“Because I want her here.” Aiden blows out a breath. His words light up my insides. That obsessive need of mine to be wanted is going to lead me straight into trouble like it always does. His gaze flicks to Zoe. “That’s all that matters, Zoe.”
“Hmph.” Zoe pouts at Aiden but then brushes it off. “Fine. If you like her, I like her.”
She turns her gorgeous smile my way and tucks my hair behind my ear. It’s oddly intimate, since we just met. “You and I are going to be besties. If you’re hanging out with this lot, you’ll need a friendly face. Give me your number.”
She pulls her phone out of her purse.
“You don’t have to give her your number.” Wyatt rolls his eyes. “Zoe, behave.”
I’ve never been around someone like Zoe before. She just says whatever’s on her mind. The guys don’t intimidate her at all, while I’m still starstruck just sitting here.
“You can have my number.” I don’t even have my phone with me. It’s still up on my bedside table, charging. I rattle off my number and she puts it in her phone.
“This is going to be so much fun. These guys are barely fun, except Roarke.”
Roarke chuckles, making Zoe smile at him indulgently with a slightly seductive gleam in her eyes. It’s gone when she turns back to me. “Just wait until one of their boring parties. Then you’ll wish you drank.”
She puts her finger in her mouth and pretends to gag.
“Is there a purpose for this visit, ZoZo?” Wyatt looks fed up with his sister already.
She pouts. “Can’t I come and see my favorite brother?”
“I’m your only brother.” Wyatt doesn’t look impressed.
“Do you have any siblings, Greer?” She turns those eyes on me again and it’s almost like when Wyatt looks at me, like he wants to understand everything about me.
I shake my head. Foster brothers and sisters don’t count. While some of them bonded with each other, I learned to stay away from them.
“See, I should have been an only child.” Zoe shakes her head at Wyatt.
“I’m seven years older than you, you practically were an only child.” Wyatt picks up his bowl and takes it to the kitchen.
“Did you love being an only child, Greer?” Zoe’s attention latches on me again. “It must have been fabulous.”
My mouth opens to tell her it’s complicated.
“That’s enough.” Aiden stops her. “Zoe, this is only Greer’s second day. Maybe leave some mystery in the relationship for later.”
Zoe gives Aiden this smile that makes me wonder if she likes him, but I’m the worst at figuring out relationships. “For you, sure. I’m sorry, Greer, we can get to know each other before I dig into your every thought and feeling.”
Okay, that sounds slightly threatening, but probably only to me. I’m not used to people wanting to know me. After the first few homes, they stopped trying. I don’t think I ever tried. Maybe once…
A shudder ripples through me.
“We should go swimming!” Zoe stands and walks to the open door overlooking the pool.
“Greer doesn’t swim.” Roarke lounges back as his eyes rake over my sleepwear. “Do you even own a swimsuit, poppet?”
“No.” Before I can protest more, Zoe is back at my side, pulling me up.
“You could probably fit in one of mine. I keep a few dozen here for when I show up unannounced.” She towers over me and grins. “You’re pocket-sized.”
“You don’t have to let her drag you around, Greer.” Wyatt leans his hands on the island, making his arm muscles bulge.
I swallow. “It’s fine as long as it’s okay with Aiden.”
Aiden gives me a soft smile. “We can go swimming, little warrior.”
My heart flutters. I could use a break from them for a few minutes, so I don’t resist when Zoe drags me downstairs to the laundry room. It’s a large room with two sets of washers and dryers. There’s a huge table for folding and drawers beneath.
“Okay, let’s see what we want to put you in.” Zoe pulls open a drawer and takes out swimsuits, placing them on the table. “Strip down. We’ll try on a few and see what fits.”
The door to the laundry room is propped open. The guys are probably all upstairs, but anyone could walk by.
“I can take them into the bathroom.”
Zoe smiles knowingly. “C’mon, Greer. We’re both women here.”
She pulls off her top and tosses it on the table. Her bralette is lacy. She shimmies out of her pants, taking her panties with them. “The guys don’t come down when I’m here.”
She tosses her bra on the table, standing completely naked in front of me. “They worry about accidentally catching me naked.”
She shrugs and grabs a black string bikini, tying it on. It barely covers her nipples. Stepping closer, I look at the swimsuits she has out on the table. A few are just different colors of the same one she has on.
I’ll be lucky not to slip a nipple in one of those. There’s a floral bikini with a little better coverage that I pick up.
“That will look great on you.” Zoe leans against the wall. She’s this sexy, ethereal being. Next to her, I feel small and unnoticeable. “You’re not shy, are you, Greer?”
The tone. The words. They strike at something I’d rather keep buried away. No one has to know.
A shiver runs through me as I lock that down. It’s bad enough I cried in front of Roarke yesterday. When Zoe’s face shifts to concern, I tug my pajama tank off and put on the bikini top. Smiling, she settles back to watch me. The bikini has buttons down the front but provides more coverage than what Zoe has on.
When I finish buttoning it, my breasts are pressed up and together, showing a lot of cleavage. Zoe walks toward me and grabs a pair of matching bottoms.
“Here you go.”
I pull off my shorts and panties and put on the low-rise bikini bottoms. Chad liked me bare, and it’s nice to not have to worry about stray pubes sticking out in a suit like this.
“Well, damn, girl.” Zoe grins and takes hold of my hips. “Look at you. You’ve got a sneaky hot bod.”
Heat floods my cheeks. Yeah, I’m not used to someone like Zoe. “Thanks.”
Laughing, Zoe winks. “My brother is going to flip his lid. Roarke definitely will too.”
She grabs my hand and leads me up the stairs and out into the sunlight. When she releases me, I wrap my arm around my waist and pause until my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. I’m not tan like Zoe, but I’m not pale either.
Still, I feel self-conscious standing here, trying to get my vision to adjust.
“Hello, mouse.” Mason’s dark voice wraps around me from behind. “Glad you could come out to play.”
A shiver ripples through me. The heat of his skin warms my back, but I don’t turn around.
“Greer, come on!” Zoe releases a laugh before a splash sounds.
“We need to have a conversation tonight, little mouse.” His fingers graze my hip just above my swimsuit, lighting little trails of fire. He looms over me from behind like a shadow.
I let out a shuddering breath at the flood of heat rushing through me.
“Fuck, Greer.” The edge to his voice as he digs his fingers into my skin makes me inhale sharply. “I want to do wicked things to your tight little body.”
Need, aching and hot, courses through my veins. A whimper escapes me.
“Greer!” Zoe lurches in the water our way.
Mason’s hand slips from my skin like he was never there. I suck a breath into my aching lungs. Fuck, he’s potent and dangerous. A thrilling combination.
I glance at my skin where his fingers were, surprised I don’t find burn marks left behind. Zoe puts her arms on the edge of the pool and looks at me, jerking her head. “Come in, hot stuff. The water is perfect.”
Stepping out onto the patio, I see Roarke and Aiden talking off to the side. Both of them turn to watch me. Roarke grins and adjusts his cock. I’m not sure why that heats my insides. Aiden’s gaze roams over me slowly, sparking everywhere it touches.
Suddenly, I’m looking at a well-sculpted chest and abs. I swallow and tip my head back to look at Wyatt. He’s currently focused on my cleavage.
He makes a tsking noise with his tongue that does sinful things to my insides. “I can see why you hide under oversized clothes, kitten.”
Not what I thought he’d say, but he has me curious. “Why?”
“You wouldn’t have made it past the front door if I’d known that body was hidden beneath those clothes.” His heated hazel eyes lift to mine, and desire pools hot and thick within me.
“You wouldn’t have let me in?” I wasn’t looking to seduce anyone. I just needed out of my situation.
“I would have been too focused trying to get you out of your clothes.” His large hand curls around the back of my neck.
Cold, wet drops fall on my feet. Surprised, I glance down and see red-painted toenails beside ours. Zoe stands next to me. Did she hear what Wyatt said? My cheeks fill with warmth.
“You can play with Greer later, WyWy.” She loops her arm through mine and draws me into her side. “I have to go to work in a few hours, and I need to make sure we’re besties before that.”
Wyatt draws his hand away, skating along my nerves. A shiver races down my spine.
“Come on. I know we McBrides are sexy beasts, but you can resist Wyatt.” Zoe draws me over to the edge of the pool. My heart trips over itself at the prospect of going into the water.
“I don’t know how to swim.”
Zoe’s eyes light up. “We’ll stick to the shallow end, then.”
I blow out a relieved breath before following her to the steps leading into the pool. There’s no demarcation between the shallow and the deep end, but if I stay near here, I should be fine.
Zoe steps down into the pool and backs away with the water covering her hips. “You know, I’ve never had a girl to hang out with here before. We’re going to have fun.”
“I agree.” Roarke’s voice is the only warning I have before I’m lifted into the air, his arms wrapped around my waist. His hot body presses against my mostly bare back. Alarm swamps me.
“What are you doing?” I grab his hands as he walks down the steps and sinks us into the pool.
“Wouldn’t want you to drown, poppet. You can hold onto me.” He turns me in his arms. My hands go to his shoulders to stabilize myself. “Think of me as your personal floaty.”
“She’ll be fine in the shallow end, Roarke.” Zoe sounds exasperated.
The water level is at my waist, but Roarke holds me up so my feet don’t touch the bottom. His blue eyes twinkle with mischief as his thumbs make circles on my bare skin.
“I’ll be fine. You can put me down.” My voice is breathy, but I try to look stern and not scared to death of the water. I know it’s irrational, but I can’t help it.
Roarke grins. “Nah, poppet. We’ll do your first swim lesson.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I’m trying not to let my fear show on my face.
The water shifts behind me and I look back to see Aiden making his way over to us.
“I’ll be right here if you need me.” Aiden’s blue eyes reassure me.
Zoe comes in closer. “We didn’t come into the pool for a lesson. We came in to goof around and show off our hot bodies.”
“Mission accomplished.” Roarke slides his gaze over her and then over me. His heated eyes return to mine. “Swimming lessons or…”
I swallow because I’ve seen that look in his eyes. Heat blasts through my body.
“Lessons sound good.”
He leans into my ear and whispers, “Chicken.”
His lips brush my ear as he straightens. My fingers tighten into his shoulders.
“Fine, I’m going to do a few laps.” Zoe kicks off the wall and heads to the opposite end of the pool, leaving me with Aiden and Roarke.
“How do you feel about going underwater?” Roarke cocks an eyebrow.
My mind feeds me suffocating darkness, being dragged under and held down. I gasp in a breath and focus on Aiden’s clear blue eyes.
“You okay, little warrior?” His hand holds my chin.
“Yeah, what the fuck was that, poppet?” Roarke’s fingers rub my waist, bringing me back to myself.
“It might be more of a fear of water.” I try to shrug it off. There are things from my life I purposely forget. A little shiver ripples through me. A whole year that I don’t want to remember and that only visits me in the darkness of night.
“How about floating on your back with me holding you?” Roarke smirks. “I get to admire the view and you get more comfortable with the water. Win-win.”