The Trade(40)

She chokes on her laughter, coughing for a few seconds. “Why did you say Facebook Market, not eBay?”

I shrug, chuckling lightly. “Is eBay even a thing anymore?”

“It’s very much alive. I just bought a pair of Justin Timberlake’s underwear off there.”

“Frame them in a shadow box?”

Giving a disgusted face, she shakes her head. “Are you insane? His penis essence is on those, so they sleep with me every night. Brought them with me on the trip. You can take a turn with them tonight if you want.”

“Now I’m starting to fear you’re not kidding.”

Her head falls back as she laughs wholeheartedly. When she straightens up, she asks, “Are you going to peek at my pillow tonight?”

“I mean . . . if I hear you inhaling heavily into your pillow, I’ll know the truth.”

“You’re just going to have to find out later tonight.”

“Something to look forward to.” I smile and then ask, “Are we cool, Natalie? I mean, really cool?”

She tilts her head to the side and thoughtfully says, “Yeah, we’re cool, Cory.”

A thrill of excitement bolts up my spine from the sound of my name softly rolling off her tongue, as if she’s said it, screamed it a few times in the bedroom, my hips pulsing in and out of her. It was sultry but not in an obvious way, more in a natural tone that she uses when she’s happy.

And she’s happy right now.

Trying not to look too fucking giddy over her saying my name, I say, “So for the rest of the trip, can we treat it as if we’re best friends on vacation? No more awkwardness? We’re going to be coupled up no matter what, so we might as well make the most of it, yeah?”

“Are you . . .” She pauses, hand to heart. “Cory Potter, are you proposing a friend-trip with me?”

I shouldn’t be surprised she has a flair for dramatics like her brother, I’d be surprised if she didn’t. How similar she is to Jason, is cute, but she’s also very different—thank God.

“Would you be opposed to a friend-trip?”

She lifts her drink and takes a sip before carefully setting it back down, her eyes never leaving mine. “Well, I don’t know much about you, Cory Potter. How could we call it a friend-trip if I don’t know much about you?”

“That’s why a friend-trip is in order, so we can get to know each other and then be the best friends there are.”

“I don’t know.” She cringes. “Friends with a Rebel? I’m not sure I can—”

“Your brother is a Rebel,” I remind her, making whatever she’s about to say, moot.

“I have no choice with him, he’s blood. I have a choice with you.”

Huh, okay, never mind on the whole moot thing.

“Are you saying I’m going to have to woo you for your friendship?”

“Wouldn’t hurt you to do so.” She smiles and bites into a carrot.

“What if I think it’s too much trouble?”

She shrugs. “Your loss, because I can make some really good chocolate chip cookies.”

I pretend to mull it over, giving it serious thought. Honestly, I’d do pretty much anything at this point to keep her smile in my life, but I can’t give that away. “Do these chocolate chip cookies have sprinkles in them?”

“That can be arranged.”

“Then I think you have yourself a friend-trip.”

Smirking, she says, “Prepare your heart, because I’m about to rock your world with my friendship skills.”

Hell, if only I knew I should have prepared my heart the day of the fundraiser.





Chapter Ten





NATALIE





I stare at myself in the mirror stuck to the tiny bathroom in the party boat. Cheeks flushed, neck and chest flushed, nipples impossibly hard, and hair kissed with natural beach waves.

I look like I was just masterfully fucked.

And maybe I kind of was, but not in the way I’m sure every woman in the vicinity of Cory Potter wishes.

After I left breakfast, I reminded myself that I wasn’t going to be clingy, that I was going to give Cory space, time to enjoy his vacation without a tag-a-long trailing behind him. The last thing I want is for Cory to feel like he needs to spend time with me because I’m Jason’s sister.

I learned in high school that no one wants the annoying little sister trailing along behind them. Kent Germain was very thoughtful in pointing that out to me one fateful Friday night when I was getting ready to go hang out with Jason and his friends at Navy Pier. I overheard Kent telling Jimmy how annoying it was having me around all the time and how Jason told Kent he would never exclude me. Made me love my brother even more, but it also made me think about my actions. I’ve carried that thought process with me and after this morning, it hit me . . . is that what I was doing? Tagging along again?

Probably.

But I know Jason would never think about it that way. He was the one who encouraged me to come, to help me clear my mind and now that Dottie is my friend as well, it felt like I was joining everyone on equal terms. The conversation with Cory this morning struck a nerve—one I thought I’d completely buried—and it’s why I freaked out. Why I felt sour the entire snorkeling trip, and why it took a shirtless All-Star first baseman to get me out of my funk.