Chapter 18 Taevin #2
After the game wraps up, I go to grab a bottle of water and get pulled into watching Katie and Carson play a game of beer pong.
They’re hilarious together, one minute fighting like cats and dogs, the next gazing at each other curiously making me wonder if they’ve ever crossed the line I know McKenna wants to cross with Griffin.
Speaking of said line, when the three of us walk out onto the back porch a bit later, we find them talking together by the fire.
“Aw, look at the two of them, lost in their own little world,” Katie points out.
My confused expression must be written all over my face because Katie laughs when she sees my pinched brows. “Oh, we’re well aware of their not-so-secret feelings for each other; however, the two of them remain clueless to the fact that their feelings are mutual.”
I look to Carson for confirmation, and am surprised to see him nodding in agreement. “And you’re okay with that? With one of your best friends wanting your sister?”
Carson’s nose wrinkles in response. “Easy . . . I don’t need to be thinking about the likes of anything nefarious happening between them. But as far as guys my twin sister could date go, Mack couldn’t find a better guy than Griff.”
“That’s so far from the reaction I thought you’d have. But what would I know, I don’t have any siblings. It’s just that typically when I read a book with a brother’s best friend trope, the couple usually sneaks around in secret.”
“Shut the fuck up! Are you a romance reader?” Katie squeals.
“I am,” I admit somewhat bashfully.
“That’s it. You need to text me all of your fave recs so I can stock up on what to read at the cabin. Kenna and I love to read too. She likes more of the dark romance books and I’m a slut for a good age gap. What’s your favorite?”
“Um, I like to be emotionally traumatized by whatever I’m reading,” I tell her and she throws her arms around me, squeezing me in a tight embrace.
“We’ve just become besties, bitch.”
Carson chuckles at the two of us and shakes his head. “What the fuck is happening right now?”
“We obviously just discovered we’re about to become the best of friends, duh.” Katie rolls her eyes at Carson before fixing her attention on something going on behind Carson.
Katie gasps. “Be so for real, are you going to let Rosie freaking Phillips be all up on your man like that?”
“Katie . . .” Carson admonishes.
“What?” Katie questions in a haughty tone.
“Looks like I don’t have much to worry about,” I tell them, gesturing toward where Jax is standing on the other side of the deck.
They both turn, and together we all watch Rosie try to move in for a hug just as Jax yelps like he’s on fire and backs away from her in such an exaggerated way, he damn near falls over the railing of the back porch.
“Aw, look at our little Jaxy growing up and falling in love,” Katie coos.
“I could’ve told you both he’s smitten as hell over you, Taevin. My guy has been a goner for months now,” Carson assures me.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, but he gives me all the reassurance I need,” I say as a blush heats my cheeks.
“What do we have here?” Katie asks, pointing to where McKenna is straddling Griffin on one of the Adirondack chairs by the firepit.
Carson turns to Katie. “Should we mess with them a bit, Kitty?”
“I’d love nothing more, Carsey-baby. Let’s go!” Katie and Carson take off down the steps just as strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I love when Jax holds me against him like this.
“There you are. Are my friends done stealing my gorgeous girlfriend away from me?” Jax murmurs the question against my neck before sucking the sensitive skin into his mouth, likely leaving a light mark.
Spinning around in his embrace, I answer, “They sure are. They’ve moved on to messing with their siblings instead.”
He looks over my shoulder to where Carson and Katie must be and he lets out a snort. “That’s epic. It’s about time G and Mack Attack get together.”
“Am I a distraction for you? When it comes to hockey, I mean?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind since Griffin brought up that they hadn’t seen him at training lately.
Jax rears his head back, looking completely taken off guard. “What? No, of course not. Why would you ask that?”
“In the kitchen earlier Griffin had mentioned he and Carson had been training on and off the ice and they hadn’t seen you around. And we’ve been hanging out so much lately, I can’t help but assume it’s because of me.”
“T, it’s the first week of summer. So what if I took a few days off for the first time in years?
I already made plans with Carse and Griff to train with them next week.
” Stepping impossibly closer to me, he grasps my head in his hands and bends so he’s at my eye level.
“Listen to me when I say this: you’re not a distraction, baby.
If anything, you make me want to work harder than ever to make all of our dreams come true.
The draft is in a few weeks, but after that you best believe I’ll be prioritizing spending as much of my summer with you as possible.
Make yourself a list of things you want to do together this summer, and I’ll do my best to check them all off. ”
“Are you sure?” I ask him, worrying my lip between my teeth.
He releases my bottom lip and pulls it down with his thumb. “Am I sure that I can’t wait to get lost in a summer haze with you for the next few months? Yeah, I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Swatting his chest halfheartedly, I tell him, “Be serious, J. Promise me I won’t become a distraction for you. I’ll be damned if your father is right about anything when it comes to us.”
“I promise, baby.”
I let out a squeal when he lifts me into his arms bridal style. He chuckles, telling me, “Okay, now that we’ve established you’re my motivation, not a distraction, it’s time for me to take my girl inside so she can have her way with me like she promised earlier.”
As he carries me up the steps leading to his bedroom, I can’t wipe the splitting smile from my face at yet another one of his loud displays of affection.
“Easy, caveman. I’m pretty sure everyone here already knows I’m yours. If anyone needs to mark their territory, I think it’s me,” I tease him.
“I’m just making sure everyone knows we’re both taken. I think they all know now that I’ve got my claws sunk into you, baby.”
Rolling my eyes, I hold onto him tighter and whisper in his ear, “If anyone’s going to claw the other in this relationship, it’ll be me Jackson Charles.”
“Fuck, I love when you’re demanding. It turns me on so much.”
Before I can respond, he tosses me onto his bed before locking his door, and next thing I know his lips are blissfully on mine, right where they belong.