Never Doubt Me: Judge Me Not #2(6)

Her eyes hold mine, and she starts to smile. Poor Cassie is chatting away to Kay—they seem to be really hitting it off—but Kay’s attention is wavering because of me. Still, I can’t help but distract her further. I smile back at her, the kind of crooked smile I know she f*cking loves.

Kay blushes, her cheeks turning pink, the kind of reaction I f*cking love.

So much for ever clearing my head of dirty thoughts—but I’m sure Kay’s right there with me. She can be as filthy as I am when it comes to sex. And that’s saying a lot.

Shit, now all I can think of is how soon I can get Kay naked and spread out before me. When I do, I plan to love her long and hard.

Hopefully, we can work something out for later tonight. Sneaking around, getting down and dirty, all while trying not to get caught, promises to be a lot of fun.

Yeah, I am most definitely reassessing. Maybe my brother’s unexpected arrival will result in me reaping some well-deserved benefits, benefits I can’t wait to cash in on.





Chapter Two


Kay


Cassie is going on and on about something, details about her trip with Will. I think. I am striving to pay attention, I swear I am, but Chase keeps distracting me. Trust me, he’d distract you too. And not just because he’s stunning, though there is definitely that. But it’s his eyes, pale and blue, that don’t allow me to focus. And when one side of his mouth curves up into the kind of grin he knows I love, he’s hooked me completely. That half smile, full of sex and promise, is my favorite Chase Gartner smile.

“Stop,” I mouth.

Chase rakes his fingers through his light-brown hair, pushing it into a messier-than-usual state. So sexy.

He mouths back to me, “Later.”

Cassie quiets when Will, who’s apparently finished with his phone call to his mom, walks back over to his brother and hands him the phone. Chase gives me a quick wink and then motions for Will to follow him back up the porch steps. I can’t help but check out Chase’s incredibly fine ass while he’s walking away.

Sighing, I wonder: How did I get so lucky?

Chase is hot as hell, sexy, great in bed, and beyond gorgeous. Truly, he’s beautiful in a way that makes heads turn and knees weaken. He’s tall, muscular, and swoon-worthy strong. Chase’s strength never ceases to amaze me. Under the jeans and tees he’s usually wearing, Chase is solid, hard, and cut from years of working out—and fighting—in prison. And though his body is hard, his heart isn’t. Chase is good and kind, thoughtful and sensitive, the kind of guy who brings Paris to you on a summer evening, then wows you with a rooftop picnic at sunset.

I hear Chase laugh, a really happy laugh, loud and from the heart. Will has just made him crack up about something.

Cassie and I glance at one another, our eyes meeting meaningfully. “Finally,” I mutter on a relieved sigh.

“I know, right?” Cassie grins.

I’m relieved and happy these brothers, who I know love one another so damn much, are finally getting along. The heavy tension permeating the air following Will and Cassie’s surprise arrival had me worried. I know Chase would never hurt his brother, but concern overtook me when Will tried to hit him. I’m glad that situation diffused quickly.

Cassie glances around the property, which is a little more visible now that the bright summer moon has come out from behind a cloud. “Wow,” she says. “This is like a real farm, isn’t it?”

“Well, it was at one time,” I tell her. “But there aren’t any animals here, and Chase doesn’t grow crops or anything.”

“Not even corn?” Cassie asks, as though this is surprising.

“Not a single stalk,” I reply, laughing.

Cassie appears mostly thoughtful. “Huh,” she says, “okay. I sure saw a lot of corn on the way here, though. Like, everywhere.” She pauses, then adds, “This part of the country is so different from home. Everything is so green, even at night. It’s just…strange.”

I nod. “Yeah, I’d imagine so.” I suppose from her perspective—she’s lived in the desert all her life—things would certainly seem different.

While Cassie continues to glance around the property, I assess this young girl who’s captured Chase’s brother’s heart. The first thing I notice is how blue Cassie’s eyes are. They’re very pretty, similar to Chase’s, but darker and with no flecks of gray. Chase’s blues are what I long-ago termed gunmetal blue, whereas Cassie’s eyes are more of a cornflower blue shade.

I also take note of Will’s girlfriend’s cute vintage-style outfit—wide-bottomed jeans and a gauzy bohemian-style top. They’re adorable clothes, suited to Cassie, for sure. I can see how Will would feel compelled to protect her. Everything about Cassie screams young, vulnerable girl. So different from Chase’s brother, who is more cocksure than I ever would have imagined. I guess I’ve heard too many little-boy Will stories, like the tale of a kid who couldn’t catch lizards.

Well, Will might have been clumsy and uncoordinated in the past, but he seems rather sure of himself nowadays. Not completely, of course. He is just a kid. But his swagger is far beyond what you’d expect at fifteen.

Will is a lot like Chase. And just like with Chase, under all that bravado, there’s a guy who has been through some tough times. Jack Gartner’s suicide, losing the family home, living in a car for a period of time, those things have shaped the Gartner boys.