Lead Me Home (Fight for Me #3)(43)

That’s exactly what it felt like.

It didn’t help that water dripped from Ollie’s hair and down his wide, tanned chest.

Heat blistered across Nikki’s face, but she was having the hardest time looking away. Not when he was glowering at her like that.

Sydney made a tsking sound and brushed back her long, sandy-blonde hair. The color almost exactly matched her brother’s, the same as their eyes.

Though that was where their similarities ended.

He was a grumbly bear, and she was a curious kitten.

He was brash, and she was delicate.

“We respect your privacy, so you need to respect ours,” she said, calm and poised.

While Nikki thought she just might melt into a puddle.

Ollie’s brows shot to the sky. “Your privacy? You’re my responsibility, Syd. Dad put me in charge, so anything you do is my business. I’ve got to take care of you. You two get yourselves in trouble, and it’s my ass on the line.”

His penetrating gaze moved to Nikki. “Now tell me who you’re talking about.”

A shiver ran the length of Nikki’s spine.

“I said it’s girl talk,” Sydney interrupted the stare down with a rebellious jut of her chin. As if it was gonna put a lid on the topic rather than ripping one off.

“Private,” she reiterated.

Meredith laughed. “Aww . . . I think they’re talkin’ about a boy. Leave ’em alone, Ollie.”

Nikki cringed.

“Yep. Private. Clearly code for boy talk,” Kale said, shaking his hair out as he climbed from the glistening ripples of water. “Sounds to me like someone’s got a crush.”

Rex was hoisting himself out right behind him, trudging up the steep embankment. “Who’s talking about me? Tell me she’s hot.”

“Hardly, asshole.” Ollie waved an annoyed hand his direction. “You think everyone’s talking about you.”

“That’s because I’m hot. Why wouldn’t they be talking about me?” Rex grinned as he peeked over at Sydney.

Nikki swore that boy was in love with her, but Sydney swore harder, not a chance.

Sydney scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. “You wish, Rex.”

Ollie turned back to his sister. “Tell me what you two are whispering about.”

“It’s none of your business what boy we’re talkin’ about,” she shot back.

Ollie’s eyes bugged out of his head.

Sydney had just given him all the confirmation he’d needed.

“Like hell it’s not. You’re my little sister, and Nikki might as well be. It’s my job to watch over you both.”

Sister.

Why’d him saying that hurt?

Sydney’s pretty face twisted in a scowl.

“Not a chance, Ollie.” Defiance blazed from her. “You’ve been bossin’ us forever. You aren’t gonna decide who gets to be our boyfriends, too.”

“Don’t need to pick because no one gets to be your boyfriend.” Ollie’s attention swept between the two of them. “Not either of you.”

A huff dropped Sydney’s mouth open while Nikki shifted in discomfort, biting her bottom lip as her attention darted back and forth with the exchange.

“Excuse me? You have a girlfriend standing right beside you, and you think you get to tell us if we get to have a boyfriend or not?” Sydney challenged.

“Uh, yeah, I do. You know Dad said you can’t date until you’re eighteen, and it’s my job to watch out for you. Always has been. Always gonna be. So that means I’m the one who says, and I say no to whoever it is you both are talking about. How’s that?”

“That’s stupid, that’s what it is. Just because I’m a girl, the rules are different? No way.”

“Not joking, Syd. You aren’t allowed to have a boyfriend. And if I find out you do? Someone’s gonna get their ass kicked.”

Rex laughed from behind him. “You’d better cover up her boobs if you’re gonna make that work.”

If Nikki didn’t love Sydney so much, she might have been jealous of her. Sydney’s boobs were already bigger than her mom’s, and Nikki barely needed a bra.

There Sydney was, wearing a pink bikini top and shorts while Nikki was wearing her same white one-piece from two years ago with a pair of cut off shorts to cover up her bottom. Even though they were the same age, Nikki always felt as if she was struggling to keep up.

Nikki peeked at Meredith who was only wearing a bikini, so perfect and pretty and mature. Nikki didn’t want to dislike her just because of it, but she couldn’t help it.

“It is a stupid rule,” Meredith agreed.

“It’s not stupid when she has a body like that,” Rex shot out.

As soon as Rex said it, Ollie flew around and pushed him hard, right back into the river.

Nikki sucked in a worried breath, and Sydney scrambled to her knees when Rex tumbled backward into the water with a splash. But they should have known Rex would only come up laughing, climbing back to the shore, shoving the flop of hair back that’d fallen in his face.

It wasn’t like the three of those boys weren’t constantly at each other, always tussling but never mad.

“Temper, temper,” Rex said.

“That’s my sister you’re talkin’ about.”