Better when He's Bold (Welcome to the Point #2)(9)

She laughed a little. It always made my heart swell to hear the unfiltered joy she had inside of her now.

“He’s home already. I just wanted to check on you. Brysen mentioned there was a shootout at the party, and Bax told me you went to collect money unarmed . . . again.”

There was censure there. I never would’ve thought I would be in a place where my little sister was encouraging me to carry a gun.

“They were just kids. It was fine.”

“Whenever someone is shooting at you, it isn’t fine. Someone could have gotten hurt.”

By “someone,” I assumed she meant Brysen. They were close and Dovie didn’t have many friends, so I understood her subtle warning. I needed to be more careful when and where I conducted the nitty-gritty tied to my business dealings.

“I made sure she got out safe.”

Dovie sighed. “Thank you, but I was talking about you too, Race. I can’t have anything happen to you.”

We all had wounds that were still trying to mend back together in the aftermath of Novak’s fall.

“I know, girly. I know.”

She made a noise and called something to Bax in the background.

“Brysen doesn’t get out much since she moved home. It sucks her one night off from work had to end that way.”

I shoved a hand into the water and yanked it right back out. Ice cubes couldn’t be any colder. I shivered and twisted the knob the opposite direction.

“Why does she work so hard? I thought her family was pretty well off. I know she lives in a nice area, has a nice house.”

Dovie sighed again. “I don’t really know the entire story. When I stayed with her while things with Bax were all over the place, I got the vibe that she’s running the house. She takes care of her little sister. I didn’t even see the parents while I was there. You should know better than anyone not to judge people based on the zip code they grew up in.”

Fair enough.

“I’m getting ready to take a shower. Are we good?”

“I love you, Race. Please keep that in mind.”

“I know, Dovie. Believe me, I know.”

“And I think Brysen has a crush on you.”

That had me howling with laughter. “You wish. She loathes me.”

But there was that kiss. The kiss that was just the tip of the iceberg to the sexual fantasies I had where she was concerned.

“Seriously. I talk about you all the time. When I bring Bax up, she changes the subject, gets nervous and weird, but when I bring you up, she just lets me talk and talk. You would look beautiful together.”

We would, and I would give up every dollar I had stashed in that safe just to get a peek at Brysen Carter naked.

“It’s nice you haven’t lost your ability to dream.”

She laughed in her lighthearted way and told me good night. I tossed my phone next to the sink and stripped down so I could climb under the scalding-hot water. I hissed at the discomfort between my teeth and let the steam and burn work out some of the sexual frustration that was coiled in my gut.

I could feel her. Full breasts, soft skin, silky hair, and a mouth that was equal parts greedy and sweet. She kissed me like she knew just how naughty and raunchy I wanted her to get for me. I winced as the blazing-hot water cascaded over my rising erection. Maybe I should have picked the cold water if X-rated images of her were going to follow me into the shower.

Chapter 3

Brysen

I DON’T KNOW WHAT that guy’s problem is.”

I shoved my latest test adorned with a big fat D on the top of it into my bag and shook my head. I was walking out of my Math Theory class and looking at my friend Drew out of the corner of my eye. I only had one semester left before I graduated with my B.S. in math, at least I did if I managed to get past this class. The professor was fine, but for some reason, the TA he had working under him hated me, and I could see my GPA taking a nosedive after every single exam. I had tried to talk to the teacher about it, but he just assured me that all tests were graded fairly and suggested I looked into finding a tutor.

I sighed and shoved some of my hair out of my face. I wanted to be an accountant. Numbers I understood, had a quick mind for them, and there was no reason I should be failing this class. Drew laughed at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have laughed in his face when he asked you out. I think he might’ve taken it personally.”

I winced involuntarily because he had a point. I hadn’t been laughing at the TA, I had been laughing at the idea of finding time in my life to work in something as frivolous as a date. And if by some miracle I did get a break in my schedule, I wasn’t inclined to spend it with a guy who had greasy hair, acne, and a weird twitch he couldn’t seem to control when he looked at me. I also didn’t think dating him was appropriate, since he was involved in the class and had a say in my grade. Unfortunately, since he was also a student, there were no hard-and-fast rules in place to prevent him from leering at me or seeming to be messing with my educational future. Not without undeniable proof on my end, which I hadn’t been able to produce.

“The idea of a date with anyone is a joke.”

Drew gave me a little squeeze and let me go. I had two more classes and then I was supposed to touch base with Dovie before her night classes started. I worked tonight and then had to get back to the house to make sure my sister’s homework was done and that Mom wasn’t drinking herself into oblivion. It was all getting so tiring and there wasn’t a break anywhere on the horizon.