Page 5 of The Baby Bargain

The record speaks for itself.

"Good. You need to get laid. Bad." Holden shakes his headso fucking bad, turns to the banner, reaches for it, stops.

Forest nodsit is pretty bad.

Maybe they're right. Maybe my standards are too high. What is it they say—that perfect is the enemy of the good? Yeah, I can't have Grace. But I can have any number of women.

I can take them home, roll their panties to their knees, lick them until they're groaning my name.

My body is on board with the idea. Even my head is willing to consider it. But my heart?

It's already too fucking heavy. I like Holden and Forest's little sister, Ariel. I do. She's sweet. She deserves happiness.

I want that for her.

So long as I don't have to watch.

"Someone you met at Inked Hearts?" Holden jumps off the counter. He motions to the sashit's staying there. "You have a pic? Taking some tonight?" He raises a browdon't hold out on me.

Forest shoots him a look. Some brotherly thing I don't understand.

I used to have that kind of language with my brothers. But…

I suck a breath through my teeth. Shrug my shoulders. It doesn't break up the tension, but it conveys a certainI don't give a fuckattitude.

"Fuck, dude doesn't realize how good he has it." Holden shakes his head. "I wish Oddball had the clientele you have at Inked Hearts. The girls there…" He presses his hand to his heart. Then to his crotch. "It's not fair. And we—"

"Don't." Forest cuts him off. Shoots him another one of those brotherly looks.

I don't try to understand it. "Thanks for the game." I motion to the backyard. It's huge. A perk of hanging at your rich parents' place. Not that I can talk. My parents have plenty.

Forest nods, sure. "Do you have a minute, Chase—"

The front door creaks open.

Forest turns to his brother. Drops his voice to a whisper. "It's too early."

"Maybe he blew his load early." Holden shrugs like he doesn't care, but concern is written all over his face. Their mom died when they were teenagers. It wrecked their dad for a while, so they stepped up to take care of their little sister. They're more protective than anyone I know.

"Chase?" Ariel's footsteps move into the kitchen. She brings her hand to her cheek. Wipes a tear.

Her eyes are puffy, but they're not lined in smudged makeup. She isn't wearing any makeup, save for something making her lips red and shiny.

It's a faint red, not like the fire engine shade Grace used to wear.

But that dress—

Fuck, she looks good in that tight crimson thing. It shows off her tits. Hugs her narrow waist. Her curvy hips.

Has Ariel always looked like this?

Or is Holden right? Do I need to get laid so badly I'm desperate?

Ariel is like a little sister. She's crying. She's vulnerable. It's not the time to think about her tits.

"What are you—" She looks around the room. The clean oak table. The cake on the counter. The banner readingCongratulations, Mrs. Nguyen.

Her composure breaks.