Page 11

A smile spreads across my face as I walk into the kitchen and see Bellamy standing at the island, making three plates of food. Our parents went on a little getaway, and she insisted on cooking lunch for Mav and me when we returned from hockey workouts today.

“Smells good,” I say as I walk up behind her, and she greets me with a warm smile.

“I made your favorite.” She turns around and beams up at me, and that’s when I notice the meatloaf and potatoes.

My stomach dips at the thought of her doing all this for me.

“Thank you, Bella,” I say, gently sliding the pad of my thumb over her freckles, reminiscing about this past week and all the nights we’ve spent holding each other.

With our parents being gone for the past couple of nights, it’s be nice not to worry about the early morning tiptoeing out of her room and back into mine. But at this point, I don’t plan on stopping; I just have to make her want that too.

“I loved not having to sneak out of your bed this morning,” I whisper in her ear, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before Maverick comes in.

Though, he knows there’s something going on, Bellamy wouldn’t want me to kiss her in front of him.

“Me too.” She smiles as I wrap her in a quick hug before letting out a little laugh. “As for the food… I may have had to FaceTime Gigi multiple times.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t come down here.”

Bellamy nods, then steps away, giving me a pointed look. “Oh, trust me , she offered. But I told her I wanted to figure it out.”

Maverick’s footfalls sound as he approaches and stops in front of the kitchen island. “Damn, Amy. This looks awesome.”

“Thank you,” she grins proudly at Maverick. “And it should be plenty for us tonight too, since they won’t be home till after dinner.”

We take our plates of meatloaf and potatoes over to the kitchen table.

Maverick groans at the same time I take my first bite.

It’s really fucking good.

“Thank God. I thought I was going to have to pretend it tasted good, like I do when Mom tries out Gigi’s recipes,” Maverick praises, and I love the pride that shines on Bellamy’s face.

“Come on. Your mom’s can’t be that bad.” Bellamy laughs.

“For once, he isn’t exaggerating. Our mom can’t cook for shit, but thankfully, her new husband can.”

“She’s cool as hell, though. Our mom is the one who taught us how to play hockey. She played in college.” Maverick smiles, and I see the sadness wash over him for the briefest second. I know he misses her. I do too.

“That’s awesome.”

“We’re going to see her again next weekend. You should come with us. Charlotte’s a lot of fun.”

At his suggestion, I try to see her facial expression out of my peripheral. I’ve been dreading going into the city and being away from her, even though I would love to see my mom.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.” Bellamy waves him off.

“She wouldn’t care.” I shrug, acting nonchalant about it, like I wouldn’t beg her to go with me.

Bellamy thinks for a minute before asking, “Y’all don’t think it would be weird for her since my mom is dating her ex?”

Maverick answers before I can, “Not at all. Her and my dad’s marriage was over long ago. She’s happy with her new husband, and she wants Dad to be happy too. Especially after everything…”

He doesn’t finish his statement, but we all know he means after Jules. Instead, Mav shovels more food into his mouth.

“Yeah, Mom used to live in town here, even after they divorced, and would come to Sunday lunch at Gigi’s.”

That was before Jules’s accident. But after that, Mom couldn’t get far enough away from this ranch.

“Okay, wow, that’s great.” Bellamy looks at me before she answers, and I know this is her way of passing off Mav’s offer until she can talk to me in private.

“I’ll think about it and let you know tomorrow if that’s okay.”

We continue scarfing down our food and praising Bellamy every few bites.

“I’m not just saying this, that was really fucking good, Amy. But I’m feeling a little left out since it was two of Cash’s favorites.” Maverick pretends to pout.

“Well, Rick, there’s something special in the fridge just for you.” She smirks in Mav’s direction, who, of course, immediately goes over and checks the fridge.

I reach under the table, running my hand up the inside of her thigh, and whisper, “You did so well, Bella.” She bites her lip, looking down at where my hand rests in between her thighs.

“Chocolate éclair,” Maverick’s deep timber full of excitement interrupts as he pulls out his favorite dessert.

“Yep, you can thank your gigi for that. I’m sure it won’t be as good as hers, but you better fake it like it is,” Bellamy teases and takes the last bite on her plate, pretending to be unaffected, but I can practically feel the heat from her pussy.

Gravel crunching in the driveway draws our attention. Maverick looks out the window from where he stands in the kitchen before he meets my stare with wide eyes. “It’s Tori.”

“What the hell is she doing here?” I groan, feeling Bellamy’s gaze on me, a completely different look in her eyes than just seconds ago.

Not even a minute later, the doorbell rings, and Maverick makes his way to the front door.

“Mav,” I whisper-shout before he walks out of the kitchen, and with my hand under my chin, I slice it through the air and shake my head.

Aka, he better not invite her in.

“Hey, Tor, what’s up?” he greets, and I relax slightly. I know he’s got my back.

“Hi, Mav! I was just bringing something to your grandmother from mine and wanted to see if Cash was here. I was going to give it to you guys after your practice let out, but you left the rink so quickly, I didn’t get a chance to.”

Bullshit.

“We just finished eating. He is showering now,” Mav tells her, and before she has the chance to ask anything else, he rushes out, “Sorry, but I’ll let him know you stopped by.”

“Oh, okay, just tell him to text me later.”

“Will do.”

I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear the front door shut.

Bellamy huffs and pushes her chair out to stand. “No wonder she’s always giving me death glares...”

“It’s not like that,” I defend, feeling the distance she’s already putting between us.

Maverick chuckles as he rejoins us. “Girl has it baaad. You’d think it was more?—”

I give him wide eyes, telling him to shut the fuck up.

His gaze flashes quickly to Bellamy, who I expect to act aloof in front of Mav, but instead, she gives him a chagrin smile and bats her lashes. “Do tell, Mav?”

“Oh, um…” he stutters, aiming a wince my way.

So, with a deep breath, I answer her, “Tori was a one-time thing.”

“Ah.” She nods and walks her plate over to the sink. “We all have our pasts, don’t we?”

Before I can get my thoughts together to say another word, she says over her shoulder, “Y’all got dish duty. I’m going down to the barn,” and then she’s walking out without another look back.

“Damn, son, you’re cooked,” Mav smirks, shaking his head.

I’m still stewing over her last dig about the past. The thought of other guys seeing her fall apart the way I have this past couple of weeks burns my insides with an anger I’ve never felt before. Doesn’t she realize I only have eyes for her?

“What was that?” I ask immediately after climbing the ladder and sitting beside her in the loft, looking out onto the property.

She doesn’t even hesitate. “That was me being jealous. Don’t play stupid. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, just waiting in the shadows for your attention. When were you with her?”

“The only girl I’m looking at in that ice rink is you. And it was way before you ever even moved in. Back in the spring,” I answer honestly.

This time, she’s quiet for a minute before she says, “Cash, maybe she’s the type of girl you should be spending your summer with. Not wasting time on me, the girl who could potentially be your stepsister one day.”

I shake my head, pulling her onto my lap. “Don’t say that. What happened to us having fun and not worrying about the what could bes ?”

“I know, but it hit me in that moment, knowing another girl wants you, that I’m not so sure I can walk away from this unscathed.” There’s an emotion swimming in her eyes. Vulnerability . I’ve been feeling it since the first time her eyes bored into mine.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that I won’t be able to walk away from you easily, but I can’t seem to care right now.” I cup her cheek in my palm. “I just know I want this. I want you…unlike I’ve ever wanted anything.”

I sear my lips into hers, and she opens up easily, but before I deepen the kiss, I pull back. “I’m murderous just thinking about the history you alluded to in the kitchen, much less the thought of you with someone else one day, but I’m not going to let that hold me back.

She hesitates for a moment before she says, “Let’s say my mom doesn’t marry your dad, you know then, that’ll probably mean I move back to Tennessee, right?”

The thought scares the shit out of me, but I reassure her, “Yes, but we both only have one year left until college. You already said you were looking at Mountain Ridge, too.”

She smiles softly, which makes me feel a bit better about where her head’s at. Nodding, she whispers, “Okay.”

Over her shoulder, I see dark clouds in the distance. “Looks like a storm is coming in…”

I don’t tell her I’ve been checking the weather app more frequently, just to make sure she isn’t surprised by a thunderstorm.

She glances over her shoulder, but I pull her attention back to me, not allowing her to get lost in any thoughts about it. “It’s not here yet, and I think I know something that can distract you.”

In the next second, I’m pulling her into me, kissing her deeply.

The kiss immediately turns needy, like it always does. It’s like denying ourselves the entirety of each other only makes us want it all that much more. She pulls my shirt over my head, placing kisses from my neck all down my chest, all while absentmindedly rubbing her hot pussy all over me.

“I bet your panties are drenched. Do you like sitting on my lap, Bella?”