Page 14 of Love Bites (Timber Creek #2)

CHAPTER 14

SUMMER

“What do you say, Max? Up for a friendly game?” Terran’s grin was all teeth as he casually tossed a small axe between his hands. Coop stood beside him, arms crossed but clearly on board with Terran’s plan.

I rolled my eyes at my brother and put a hand on Max’s arm. We’d all gone outside after cleaning up lunch, enjoying the cool spring afternoon around the fire pit. Up here in the mountains, spring could easily still see snow, but today we had blue skies in every direction. “You do not have to play.”

Max frowned. “Play?”

To demonstrate, Terran pivoted and hurled the axe — hitting the bull’s-eye of the target nailed to a tree. Much farther away than humans would have been able to throw, but I had a feeling Max could handle it with ease.

“Daddy! Cornhole!” River stomped her foot by the yard game, a handful of beanbags already in her fists.

Terran hesitated for a minute, but Leif hopped out of his chair, headed for her.

“We have a score to settle from last time, River,” Leif said, juggling three beanbags with a taunting smugness.

River grinned viciously. “Game on !”

Terran turned an expectant look back on Max, and Aspen snorted from nearby. “T, even for you, this is low.”

Max gave a resigned sigh and went to stand. “It’d be quicker to get a tape measure, but if you’d rather lose this way, I’ll play along.”

I chuckled at Terran’s scowl, then froze as Max leaned down over my chair. Time stood still when his fingertips tilted my chin up, his scent overwhelming me as his lips pressed to mine. The rest of the world faded away, until there was only us, until I wanted more, wanted him to push this kiss deeper.

Then Cruz’s catcall cut through the air, and Max pulled back.

He gave a wink and a smirk before whispering, knowing full-well every shifter out in the yard could hear him, “Root for me, sunshine.”

Of their own volition, my fingers rose to trace my lips where his had been as he turned and strode towards Terran and Cooper. I definitely did not notice the way his black jeans clung to his ass, or how his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders when he shrugged out of his leather jacket. My head was spinning with the riot of emotions the smallest kiss elicited from me. Warmth floated through my cheeks as a blush crept over my face, especially when I looked up at my brothers across the yard.

Terran gripped that axe like maybe it wasn’t the tree he wanted to hurl it at, and Coop actually growled.

Maybe Max was better at improvising and faking it than I had anticipated. That was all this was, and I had to keep that in mind. If anything, this was just proving my point that we could and should keep up this dating ruse to hunt vampires.

Win-win. Right?

“Are there rules to this, or what?” Max called, picking up another axe and flipping it in the air several times to get a feel for it.

Grumbling, Terran and Coop quickly talked him through the rules while Aspen sidled over and took Max’s vacated seat beside me, scooting it a little away from the fire pit.

“So,” she began, drawing out the word and looking pointedly over at Max while she swirled the ice in her drink. “This is interesting.”

“Right?” I chuckled, diverting. “You’d think even Terran would be smarter than this.”

“Heard that!”

“I didn’t whisper!”

Terran turned away but held a middle finger up behind his back at me.

“Max just doesn’t seem like your usual type,” Aspen continued. Prodding. Fishing. Interrogating.

Subtlety was not my sister’s strong suit.

“What’s my usual type again?” I asked, because there wasn’t one. I hadn’t dated much, and when I did, I rarely told anyone about it. For exactly the reasons Max was facing tonight — my family, all up in my business and treating me like a child.

Aspen pursed her lips. “You do know he’s done some… not so above-board things, right? I mean, I know he helped Jade and her sister out and all, but he might be a bit…”

I turned to face her. “A bit what?”

She threw a hand up. “I don’t know. Dangerous? Shady? Is he even an angel? Why are his wings black?”

“I’m a big girl, Aspen.” I took a long sip of my seltzer, ignoring all of her questions. “I can take care of myself and form my own opinions.”

Her jaw ticked, gaze swinging back over to the guys. “You say this is serious, so where do you see this going?”

I hummed in thought, not letting it show how much her questioning bothered me. “Maybe Aruba for the honeymoon, then who knows?”

She looked back at me. “I’m serious. He doesn’t live here, who even knows where he lives, and you’re —”

“I’m stuck here?” My tone came out a little harsher than I meant, so I laughed. “Have you ever heard of fun ? Some of us like to have it. You should try sometime.”

“Someone’s singing my favorite tune,” Cruz said, conjuring a camping chair from thin air and sitting with us. “You need a fun times tutor, Aspen? Estoy aquí .”

Aspen scoffed. “Pass.”

Cruz grinned, then held out his fist to me to bump. “Way to score the bad boy angel. He’s hot as hell.”

“See? Support.” I gestured at Cruz, but looked at Aspen. “How hard is that?”

“Not as hard as your boyfriend was last n?—”

“Dude, are you making sex jokes about my sister’s boyfriend? For him?” Terran called over, then chucked a stick at the back of Cruz’s head.

Without blinking, Cruz’s demon magic incinerated the stick, the resin crackling as it caught fire and fell harmlessly to the ground. Aspen shifted in her seat and scoffed at the display.

“Who’s making sex jokes?” Jade asked as she and West joined us, setting a tray of s’mores supplies on the table by the firepit.

River and Leif appeared immediately, and he helped her spear a handful of marshmallows onto a skewer and find a good spot to roast.

“No corrupting my daughter,” Terran shot over.

West tilted his head and rested a hand on my shoulder, speaking into my mind, “You’re really good?”

I resisted the urge to sigh and instead gave a small smile. For all my family was overbearing, I knew they were just looking out for me. “Really. He makes me happy, and isn’t that what matters?”

He nodded, then took the stick River handed him and began dutifully roasting a backup batch of marshmallows for her.

“Who’s ready to try my blue ball?” Dad came over with a stack of bowls and what looked like a giant blue exercise ball. “This is my new rolling ice cream maker. Makes ice cream and gives my Willies a fun way to play with themselves out in the field! Turns out, Willies and balls are the perfect match.”

“Dad.” Terran shuddered, and West made a gagging noise. Cooper just walked away. I held back my laugh at my dad’s innuendo, until I saw the shocked look on Max’s face.

“Is that why it has what I can only assume is buffalo shit on it?” Aspen pointed to a suspicious smear of brown on the outside of the ball.

Dad turned the ball over to look, then shrugged. “Well, there’s none in the ice cream.”

Aspen’s nose wrinkled. “I think I’m good.”

Resigned to my fate, I stood and made my way over. “I’m sure it’s fine inside. Let’s see how it came out.”

Dad beamed, unscrewing the ball to reveal ice and a smaller container inside. He scooped out what looked like peach ice cream, handing over the first bowl to me and waiting expectantly for my reaction.

As usual with Dad’s creations, the first bite was fine. A little too sweet, maybe, but not bad. But then things took a turn.

I blinked away my watering eyes, trying to stifle a cough. “What’s that secondary flavor, Dad?”

“So unexpected, right? I thought, what’s something someone would never put with peach ice cream? And it just came to me — spicy dill pickle!”

West, Leif, and Jade hid their chuckles behind fake coughs. Unexpected was right.

“Hmm, yes. You are so creative with your flavor pairings, Dad.” I put the bowl down gently, then grabbed a marshmallow and stuffed it in my mouth to chase the taste. It was possibly the worst of his concoctions yet, but the joy spreading across my dad’s face each time I volunteered to try his food was worth the momentary pain to my taste buds.

My eyes snagged on Max’s dark silhouette as he approached, his head tilted to the side, but his expression unreadable. When our eyes met, one dark brow rose, a small smirk playing on his lips. I swallowed, trying to rid myself of the sensation that he saw me more clearly than anyone here, and turned to my dad. “Maybe a little less pickle next time, though.”

Back at my apartment later, Max went up on the roof to make a phone call, leaving me and Aspen — who always stayed in my guest room when she came into town — alone.

Until Indi flickered into my living room, plopping onto the sofa with us.

“You rang?” She smiled, pulling one of my many pillows into a hug.

“Did I?”

“Not you.” Indi smacked me with the pillow and nodded to Aspen.

“Yes.” Aspen leveled a discerning stare onto my best friend. “Tell me, Indi, were you aware Summer has been dating Massimo Russo?”

Indi froze for just a second and glanced over at me. I smiled, unblinking, in a look that hopefully said, Play along and I’ll love you forever.

Indi raised a brow in a Do you even have to ask? sort of way, and turned back to Aspen. “Of course. Good ol’ Max.”

Aspen’s eyes narrowed. “How long have they been dating?”

Indi and I looked to each other and answered in unison, “Since Christmas. Getting serious.”

“And you approve?”

Indi patted my knee. “Summer likes him, so I like him. I trust my girl.”

My heart swelled knowing, whatever other lies we were spilling right now, that at least was the truth. And damn if it didn’t feel good for someone to trust my judgment. To believe me capable of making a good decision for myself, even if all of this was fake and a cover for the actual things we were doing in the vampire underworld. And I refused to think about if that was a good decision.

I was also starting to get tired of all these assumptions everyone made about Max. Sure, he might have killed that vampire on our escape from Boston, but they attacked first! It was self-defense. So even if he had done some shady deeds in his past, I had no doubt that deep down, Max was a good guy and had good reasons.

“All I’m saying is this seems short-sighted and impulsive, even for you, Summer,” Aspen continued. “You know there can’t be a future with him, so what are you doing? You’re just going to get yourself hurt. Life isn’t a Disney movie where everything magically works out because love conquers all, you know.”

“How do you know?” I shot back, my adrenaline rising at her challenging words, and I could tell by the shocked look on Aspen’s face she was just as surprised as I was that I pushed back like this.

“What?”

Indi bit her lip, glancing between us.

“How do you know it won’t work out? You don’t. You can’t know I’ll get hurt, or anything that will happen in the future. I’m happy now, I’m happy with him , so let it be, okay? We’re happy, we’re having fun, and for now —”

“This is your problem. You only ever think about ‘for now’ —”

I let out a bitter laugh. “As opposed to you? Because you’re so happy with Matthew?”

Indi let out a low whistle. “Yikes.”

“How is only thinking about the future working for you, Aspen?” I threw my hands up, frustration getting the better of me. “When was the last time you felt actual happiness? Felt present and in the moment and content, rather than just safe?”

Aspen’s hard glare was familiar enough, but not something I usually experienced targeted at me . She stood, shaking her head. “When this crashes and burns, don’t come crying to me.”

I jerked back, but she was done, already heading to the guest room and shutting the door with a crack .

An awkward, heavy silence settled over the living room in her wake. Indi’s brows lowered in concern at my chuckle, but what else could I do?

“That was a bit harsh, Summer,” Indi said, keeping her voice low.

I waved a hand. “She shouldn’t dish it out if she can’t take it. Besides, like I’d go crying to her anyway. I love my sister more than just about anyone on this whole earth, but no one likes an I told you so , which is exactly what I’d get.”

Indi grimaced. “Right.”

Above us, the rooftop stairwell door opened as Max headed down to us, and I gave Indi an apologetic smile. “Listen, I know we need to catch up, but maybe not tonight?”

I nodded subtly towards the guest room, where Aspen could probably still hear our every word, and Indi got the message.

“Of course,” she said. “As long as you don’t keep me waiting. Girl, you have some piping hot tea to spill and I am your sponge.”

“I think you took the metaphor too far there.”

Indi chuckled. “Whatever. You love me. And maybe think about apologizing to your sister.”

I mock-gasped. “Traitor.”

With a coy finger-wave, Indi flickered away right as Max opened the apartment door.

The minute his tall frame filled my view, his dark wavy hair messy like he’d been running his hands through it, I knew just how to silence any future remarks from Aspen about our relationship.

If there was one thing that could make me double down on an idea, it was someone — especially my effortlessly competent sister — doubting me. Spite was the greatest motivator.

“You. Me. Bedroom.” I pointed down the hall as Max blinked rapidly. “ Now .”