Embrace (Evolve Series #2) (28 page)

“Hey hey hey!” Sawyer’s voice reaches out through
our daze and grabs my balls, twisting them mercilessly, as welcome as a
prostate check from Captain Hook.

“Why does God hate me?” I whine into her soft, ivory
flesh.

Her hands are working frantically to right her
clothes and I painfully, begrudgingly, set her to her feet.

“Go let him in the gate; I’m gonna run in and
freshen up,” she says, rising on her tiptoes to brush her lips softly against
mine. “Go on, grumpy, I promise to make it up to you later.”

“Or you could wait right here and I’ll go kill him
real quick.”

“Go on.” She laughs and gives me a playful shove.

“Finally,” Sawyer cocks off when I let him in, “what
the fuck, you forget you invited us over?”

“Something like that,” I grumble, taking stuff out
of his arms. “What’s all this?”

“Half the damn grocery store. Somehow I got
nominated to go with Laney and Bennett’s lists.”

“It’s good for ya. One of these days some girl’s
gonna snag ya and knock ya on your ass. This way, you’ll be ready.”

“You start drinking without me? No woman will ever
tame me, or send me on fucking errands or tampon runs and bullshit. That chick
doesn’t exist. It’s different doing it for Gidge, she’s my buddy.”

“Whatever, Casanova, help me get all this unpacked
and put away. I don’t want Whitley doing it on her big day.”

“Doing what?” She breezes in the kitchen, stirring
me up all over again, just when I finally had
things
under control. “Hey,
Sawyer! My goodness,” she looks around, “did you buy the whole store?”

“Hmpf,” he pouts, “Laney and Bennett’s doing; slave drivers.”

“Ah…” She gives him a hug, or as close to a hug as
she can, like Whitley’s little arms will circle all the way around Sawyer. “How
sweet of you to help out. Thank you so much.” She pokes him in the belly. “I
think you’re wonderful.”

“How wonderful?” He gives her his patented Sawyer
leer and moves closer.

“Ow! What the hell?” He rubs the back of his head
while Whitley bends to pick up the cantaloupe I just bounced off his noggin.

“Back away from the taken woman.”

“The hot ones are dropping like flies, I tell ya.
I’m gonna have to get new friends if I wanna get laid regularly.”

“You get laid plenty, manwhore. And hello to the
rest of you.” Tate walks in through the patio door, setting down…more bags?

“Actually, I got shot down just last night. I put in
a good two hours of ‘conversation,’” Sawyer air quotes are quite humorous, “and
kept her in drinks. When we finally got down to it, she played the ‘I have my
period’ card. Can you believe that?”

“Maybe she really did, Sawyer. It does happen,”
Whitley pats his shoulder, “and heaven forbid you hold a conversation just
because.”

“Fuck that, I told her just because the Ferris wheel
breaks they don’t shut down the whole carnival, if you know what I mean.”

Whitley looks baffled, turning to me, then Tate,
meeting looks of equal confusion. “No, we don’t know what you mean.”

“Blowjob, hand job, something. Period only shuts
down one ride, not the whole fair.”

“Sawyer Landon, good God! Where do you get this
stuff?” Whitley blushes enough for all of us. “Anyway,” she scowls at him and
turns to Tate, “where’s Bennett?”

“She rode with Dane and Laney. They wanted to show
her the new pad on the way.”

“What new pad?”

“Dane bought a duplex about two miles from here.
Laney’s gonna live on one side and Bennett and I are gonna live in sin on the
other. Cool, huh?”

“Who’s gonna live with Laney?” Sawyer asks.

“No one, I guess,” Tate shrugs.

“Bullshit. I will. If you’re moving out and Evan’s
with Zach now, I can’t be by myself.”

“I live by myself,” Whitley chimes in.

“That’s right,” Sawyer drawls, sidling up to her. “Want
me to move in with you?”

Watermelon’s probably too big, it might actually
hurt him. Pineapple? Perfect. Wham!

“Mother of—” he yells. “Will you stop throwing shit
at me?!”

“Stop hitting on my woman and I will!” I yell back,
laughing.

Whitley crooks that finger at me, giving me a come
hither look that pulses through me. I do her bidding in two steps, wrapping my
arms around her waist, my nose headed straight to its home in her hair. “Yes?”

“Nothing,” she coos, “you were just too far way.”

I forgot how damn good it felt to have someone to
give your lovin’ to. And to have it given back, freely…even fucking better.

“Roomie!” Sawyer yells, making all of us turn to see
the three stragglers walk in.

“Why is he calling you roomie?” Dane follows
Sawyer’s eyes to Laney and growls.

“Like I have a clue.” She laughs. “Who knows why he
does half the things he does? Sawyer,” she says patronizingly, “can you please
explain to my caveman here what you’re talking about before you get me in
trouble for something I, too, am clueless about?”

“Sure,” he grins, “Dane, I’m moving in the duplex
with Laney on her side.”

 “Wait,” Laney holds up a hand, “before everyone
goes crazy, where’s Zach?”

Subtle subject change there, Walker.

I snort, unable to hold it in, because Zach’s been
standing behind them, outside the glass door, for a good five minutes. Smart
man. I wouldn’t walk in to that conversation either.

“What?” Laney looks at Whitley and me suspiciously,
and Whit caves first, pointing. Laney turns and pops her hands on her hips. “What
are you doing? Get in here.”

“Do I have to?” he calls through the glass.

“No, we’ll go out to him,” Bennett says, “Tate can
start the grill. I’m starving.”

“Oh, okay,” Whitley leaves my arms, “let me get
stuff ready. Evan, can you get drinks on ice and maybe start some music, babe?
I’ll make burger patties and prep sides. Sawyer, if you’d cut up the big fruit,
it won’t fly at your head anymore.”

“Stop right where you are, woman.
You
are not
working. Go change into your backyard water and mud party apparel,” I command,
to which she quirks her brows and gives me a shocked but teasing smirk. “I mean
it, Whit. We all got it, this is your day to have some fun.”

She looks around the room, everyone taking the turn
to nod or smile in affirmation.

“Really, Whit,” Laney speaks up, “go get changed. We
can handle it.”

“All right then,” she backs her way to the hall, “if
you’re sure.”

“
W
hitley, Tiny’s hogging the mud hole
again!” Zach’s whiny yell comes from across the yard. “I’m just gonna slide
into him if he doesn’t move.”

Slide away, man, ‘cause that pig’s not moving from
the mud hole. That’s Old McDonald 101.

“He’ll move when he sees you coming!” Whitley
hollers back from where she sits in my lap, slumped back and tuckered out from
her day of water gun fights, mud sliding, jumping on the trampoline and playing
half-full pool volleyball. ”So Laney, tell me about your new place.”

“
Our
new place,” Sawyer corrects.

“Like hell.” Dane glares at him.

I have to admit, today has been great. And The Crew?
The Crew is one big family—functional, funny endearing, and truly accepting of
one another. Everyone cares about the others and has each other’s backs, and
I’m really glad to be a part of it. I get to see Laney and spend time with my
friends while holding the girl I’m so enamored with I can see nothing else. I
can’t believe it happened; it’s so unbelievable. But it did. I’m honestly not a
bit uncomfortable being around Dane and Laney now, and I’m pretty sure Laney
feels the same way about Whit and I.

And Whitley is tickled pink, her words, to have
Laney and Bennett as girlfriends. She’s always talking about them, and even
Hayden, and it makes me happy for her. Whitley’s an incredible person and it’s
about time everyone else saw it too.

“Seriously?” Sawyer flips a beer tab at Dane. “You
really don’t trust me with her?”

“Don’t answer that,” Tate mumbles.

“No, fuck that. Answer me, Dane, do you not trust me
with Laney?” Sawyer asks again, pointedly.

Wasn’t I just reflecting on how amicable our group
was? Musta jinxed it, ‘cause this is hella awkward.

“Of course he does, Saw,” Laney placates, “he’s just
kidding around.”

“I want to hear him say that.” Sawyer’s teeth are
clenched and a huge veins throbs in his neck.

“Yes, Sawyer, I trust you. And I definitely trust
Laney,” he ducks his head and kisses the side of her neck, “but it might be a
little strange, having a man live with my girlfriend, that’s all. Why don’t I
just buy the unit across the street for you?”

“Oh, Sawyer! You, Evan and Zach could share it!”
Laney claps.

Claps. Laney Jo Walker does not clap unless she’s
celebrating athletic achievement.

Yep, she definitely feels as uncomfortable as I do.

“What am I doing?” Zach joins the group, wiping off
the muddy hoof prints covering him.

“Dane doesn’t trust me to share the duplex with
Laney, so he’s offered to buy another one for me, you and Evan to share.”
Sawyer is speaking to Zach, but never looks away from Dane.

“I just said I trust you, Sawyer. Why are you so
hell bent on this?” Dane wipes a hand over his face in exasperation.

“Um, thanks,” Zach rubs the back of his neck, “but I
don’t need Dane to buy me a place to live. I’m fine where I am.”

“Same here,” I cut in.

I’m come a long way with things, but I’m not living
off Dane.

“Everybody shut the hell up!” Tate sets Bennett off
his lap and stands. “Enough. My brother goes out of his way to buy us a place,
and I don’t think it’s unreasonable for him to not want a guy to live with his
girlfriend.” He narrows his eyes at Sawyer. “And he’s not trying to show off
and buy Evan and Zach anything; that was Laney’s idea. So everyone chill the
fuck out.”

I’ve never heard Tate say that much all at once and
definitely not in that tone. Good for him.

“I’m out,” Sawyer says abruptly and stands to go. “Thanks,
Whit.” He hugs her and slaps my shoulder, then walks to the gate.

“Sawyer, wait!” Laney yells and runs after him, and
seconds later, Dane sighs loudly and follows her.

“What the hell is all that about?” Zach asks the
remaining group, all dumbfounded.

Sawyer is never the one in a bad mood, as far from
the source of drama as possible

“I’m thinking Sawyer’s having some issues with
change,” Tate puts in. “Everyone’s coupling off and moving out. Sawyer doesn’t
deal well with being left.”

“How about if Evan moves in with me and Sawyer moves
in with Zach?” Whitley says.

Zach’s smirking, Bennett’s grinning ear to ear and
I’m,
oh shit
, I’m choking.

Tate starts beating me on the back, laughing. “I
know, right? Kinda the same reaction I had about moving in with Ben.”

“Oh, you did not!” She slaps at him. “You started
packing that night, you liar.”

I can’t move in with Whitley. We’ve been dating
what, a minute? I don’t know anything about her— okay, so that’s not exactly
true, I know a ton about her, but I’ve never met her parents or shook her
father’s hand and promised to take care of his little girl. Which probably
doesn’t matter since her parents, by all lack of appearances or phone calls or
acknowledgement in general, suck. But we might not be compatible around each
other 24/7. Just because I miss her the millisecond we part doesn’t mean moving
in together is a smart move. What happens if things don’t work out between us—then
what? Oh yeah, I’ll be in jail for murdering the other guy, so I’ll be all set
with a place to stay.

“Are you serious?” I ask her.

“Oh, hey, you’re back. Get it all worked out in that
head of yours?” she teases.

Busted.

“Yeah, I think so. We don’t have to do anything ‘til
we get back after the summer, though. Only makes sense.”

“Care to share with the class where
we’re
going this summer?” she bats her eyelashes.

“You’re coming home with me. I’m gonna work for
Parker this summer, and you,” I grip her hips tighter and pull her back against
me, “are gonna keep me company, country girl.”

“Yes, I am,” she says proudly.

Huh, she must have heard a question in there somewhere.

“Hey, Sawyer!” I turn my head and yell, interrupting
the ongoing debate the three of them are having. “Come ‘ere!”

“What?” he grumbles when he gets to me.

“Why don’t you come home with me and Whit for the
summer? Parker’s house is huge and he can use all the hired help on the farm he
can get. You’ll love it there, you’ll make some money, and Parker’s great.”

“Um, hello?” Zach points to his chest. “Recently
cheated on, nothing to do with himself guy standing right here.”

“More the merrier, man,” I chuckle. “And when
summer’s over, we’ll regroup on where everybody’s gonna live. Sound good?”