Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(36)

Then she looked at me with regret and forced herself to sit up, dislodging my hand. “You suck at returning text messages, West.”

“I’ve been studying for finals and covering Alan’s shift since he’s on vacation. Or I’ve been working out.”

“I can tell. You’ve got some beefy biceps going on.”

I lifted my arms and flexed. “Check ’em out. Go on.”

She bumped me with her shoulder. “No. It might compromise your virtue if people saw me feeling you up.”

“Might be worth it.” I let my gaze take in every nuance of her pretty face. I wanted so badly to trace the curve of her stubborn jaw. Once with my fingers. Once with my mouth. A breeze wafted over us, ruffling her hair, which still had green chunks twisted in it. “Sorry for throwing grass at you.” I started to lean in and noticed Sierra’s focus was on my throat. Could she see how being this close to her sent my pulse pounding? I plucked two pieces of grass out and let them spiral to the ground.

“Boone—”

“Relax,” I said gruffly. “I’ll get ’em out.”

She remained motionless as I began at her scalp and worked my way down the silken strands of her hair. She had to know I was deliberately dragging this out. But I had this chance—it might be the last one to touch her casually—so I took it.

“Why didn’t you return my texts?” she asked.

“I suck at texting. What did you need to talk to me about?”

Once again, Sierra’s gaze roved over my face. She saw too much, the intensity in my eyes, the change in my breathing, my lips parted to release shallow breaths, the hard set to my jaw as I fought the urge to press my lips to that sexy, sassy mouth of hers.

When she continued studying me, I murmured, “Sierra?”

“Oh. Right. I wanted to see if you were coming to the branding next Saturday. You don’t have to help with the actual work part, just come to the after-party.”

“Why the invite? The McKays need a West whipping boy? Or are your dad, psycho uncles and cousins gonna castrate me?”

She turned her head and sank her teeth into my wrist. Hard.

“Jesus, McKay! Let go.”

She slid her mouth free and licked her lips. “Yep. As salty as I expected.”

“What’d you do that for?” And why had I liked that bite of pain? I imagined her dragging her lips across the red marks as she looked up at me with those big, questioning eyes.

“Because you’re being a dick.”

“Remind me not to really piss you off,” I muttered.

“Too late. I’m already mad at you. Anyway, I’m filling in the blanks on the McKay/West feud for the entire McKay family. I wondered if you wanted to be there since you helped with the research.”

I pulled a section of her hair from the corner of her mouth and tucked it behind her ear. “I can’t. I’m working a twelve that day.”

Disappointment flooded her face.

“But I heard there’s a pre-graduation party at Phil Nickels’ parents’ cabin at the lake that night.”

She said, “Are you going?”

“I wouldn’t have told you about it if I wasn’t.”

“Cool. Then I’ll show up. Think Angie, Kara and Tyler will be there?”

“I’ll flatten that f*cker Tyler if he comes anywhere near you.” I didn’t bother to hide the menace in my tone.

“So we’ll have to pretend we’re together again?”

God, I hope so. “Maybe.”

“You have to be tired of that.”

“Never.” I needed to get things back on the friendship track so I lightly butted her forehead with mine. “I gotta finish my workout. See you around, McKay.”


“Dude. Tell me you did not eat the last f*ckin’ brownie!”

I blinked at Mase and the memory disappeared. “No. There’s a couple left. Brownie hoarder much?”

“So? I never get home-baked stuff. Ain’t no one said I gotta share.”

“He’d rather have a plate of homemade cookies than a blowjob,” Hayden said, hobbling to the counter.

Mase nodded. “True dat. Any chick can learn to give a great blowjob, but learning to make killer desserts is a f*cking art form.”

Kyler followed Anton into the kitchen. He smirked at me. “Sierra looked a little mussed up when she walked by. Were you making time in the kitchen? Or did you go back outside and get distracted looking for that poor lost *?”

“Jesus, Kyler.”

He laughed. “Don’t even f*cking start with me, West. I owe you.”

“But when you two do finally find the balls to get balling, don’t do it here, okay?” Hayden said. “I don’t need to hear you doing my cousin, cuz.”

“I find this whole cousin stuff…disconcerting,” Mase said.

“Wow, Mase, big word,” Anton said, clicking away on his phone. “I’m proud.”

“Gotta keep up with you college guys. But you hafta admit it is weird. Sierra is your cousin”—he pointed to Kyler, Anton and Hayden—“but she’s not yours.” He pointed to me. “And yet they’re all your cousins, but she isn’t.”

I shrugged. “No different than you being cousin to Ky and no one else.”