“Why the hell do I have to be here?”

Sean kicks me from beneath the table. “What the fuck’s the matter with you?”

I glare at my brother as the army known as the Owens boys occupies the back table at Winchesters, which is currently closed to the public for Summer’s private baby shower—which I was forcefully dragged to.

I tip my beer, take a long pull, and drop it onto the scarred table harder than necessary. “Do you even have to ask?”

“Come on bro, it’s not so bad,” Jared says, as his predatory gaze roams the room. “Look at all the pussy.” When his eyes move over Kylee, I fist my hand, but the movement doesn’t go unnoticed by Sean or Ryan. Man, I could only imagine what they’d say if they knew I was messing around in her backyard. Yeah, Sean put me on her job, but the other guys were tied up, and when it came right down to it, I was the right guy for the job, no matter what I told Kylee. Sean didn’t do it to hook us up or torture me. At least I don’t think. Then again . . . Nah, he’d never do that to me. He knows my motto as well as the rest of them.

“Leave it to Jared to turn a baby shower into his personal fucking whorehouse,” Tyler says as he cracks his knuckles. Jared jumps up, ready to spar with Tyler, but Sean’s glare has them both sitting down again.

“Summer wanted us all here, so we’re all here. So quit your fucking sulking,” he says, and we all sink back into our chairs.

From behind the counter, Adam cracks another eight beers and hands them to Stacy the bartender, who has been giving Jacob the evil eye all night. That’s what he gets for up and leaving her the night of their prom. If I were him, I’d think twice before drinking from any open bottle she handed me.

Oohs and ahhs come from the women seated around a row of tables pushed together. Pretty much half the town came out for the shower. Even Officer Walker is here—a guy we all have a history with. But I’m not surprised to see the room so crowded. Everyone fell in love with Summer the second she returned to Blue Bay, even though she was going under the alias of Jenna Garridy. But that’s a story for another time. Still, she spent a lot of time here as a kid, a lot of time with Sean, and as far as I’m concerned, she’s as much a part of Blue Bay as I am.

I look around the room, trying to focus on anything and anyone other than Kylee. But my attempt is futile. My gaze keeps straying back to her. I’m actually surprised to see her here. In less than a week, she was taken in by my family, bonded with Gram and Summer, and seems to have made quite a few friends with the locals herself. Surprising really, because most times the locals and summer vacationers don’t mix on a social level. My ex mingled with the locals too, and look how that turned out. Like Kylee, she was also sweet and kind. Before she, you know, ruined my life and all.

Last I heard two of her brothers had become SEALs, although one was injured in the line of duty and I lost track of him. The other two became lawyers like their father. That’s the kind of shit that runs in a rich family. I scoff. In not-so-rich ones too, considering all eight of us guys are back to get Dad’s business back in the black and doing a damn fine job of it too.

I push from my chair and head toward the hall leading to the bathroom when Officer Walker stops me. I stiffen, always my first reaction around the police. “Walker,” I say.

“Jamie,” he says and narrows his eyes, like he can see into my soul and knows all the dirty things I’ve been doing with a summer vacationer who is totally off-limits to me. “Things good?”

“Yeah.”

“I hear you’re doing some work on the Jensen cottage.”

“New deck,” I say, and he widens his stance, meets my gaze directly.

“No troubles?” he asks, the atmosphere heavy with things unsaid, things he doesn’t need to say for me to get the warning he’s throwing my way. He was the officer who arrested me all those years ago, and he’s warning me to keep my hands to myself and my dick in my pants.

Too fucking late for that.

“No troubles,” I say.

He nods. “Glad to hear it.”

I maintain eye contact and get the strange sense that there is more going on here, that he knows something I don’t, and I don’t fucking like it. I’m about to ask when Summer shrieks, and I turn to see her open the last present, the two outfits from Kylee. But a strange, worried look comes over Kylee’s face and she grabs her purse and darts down the long hallway, sliding past Walker and me. What the fuck?

“Later,” I say to Walker and follow her, but she disappears into the girl’s washroom. I’m about to keep going past it to the little boys’ room when I hear her voice. Since it’s a one-sided conversation, I’m guessing she’s on her phone. Seems like she’s trying to placate someone for not checking in earlier. Who the hell is she talking to? Her overprotective father? Jesus, that thought should have me running out the fucking door and back to New Orleans. But then her voice goes lower, and it raises alarm bells inside me. I listen closer, even though it’s none of my business. I only followed her because she seemed upset about something.

I push off the wall and turn, but when I do, she comes out and walks right in to me. She stumbles a bit, and I slide my hand around her back. The touch sends heat through me, and her look of concerns morphs into desire, a pink flush on her cheek.

Goddamn that pink flush. That and her humming are what got me into trouble earlier in the week when I practically attacked her in the sewing room. Since then I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my distance from her, but Jesus, now that I have her in my arms again, I’m pretty certain I’m not going to walk out of this place without fucking her again.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, ah, I was just chatting with my father.”

Ah, so it was the protective father.

“He was just checking in with me to see if I was good,” she adds.

“Are you good, Kylee?”

I dip my head, and when she wets her mouth, I brush my thumb over her bottom lip. She glances up and down the hall, like she’s afraid someone might stumble upon us. Truthfully, I don’t want to get caught either. Summer and Gram might have bonded with her, but I’m sure any one of my brothers or cousins would cut off my nuts if they knew I’d fucked her more than once and wanted to continue to fuck her for the remainder of the summer. Which I can’t do.

Then again, if I know what I’m getting into and we both know the score, why shouldn’t we? A sound catches in my throat. I’m not a stupid dreamer anymore, about to plan a future with a girl who’s only out for a good time. If I’m only out for a good time, then why can’t we have a secret affair?

“I’m . . . good,” she says.

“You sure about that?”

I back her up, open the door to the women’s bathroom, and usher her in. “Jamie,” She whispers breathlessly. “What are you doing?”

“I need to fuck you,” I admit. “Every night this week, I took my cock into my hands, wishing it was inside you . . . wishing it was in here.” I push my thumb into her mouth, and her eyes go wider. I search her face. “Does the girl need that?” I take my finger from her mouth and brush her hair from her face. Jesus, she’s so pretty.

“Here?”

I shake my head, remembering who I’m with. Girls like Kylee don’t fuck in bathrooms. “If you—”

“I do,” she says, surprising me. “I just . . . what if someone catches us?”

Her words give me pause. She doesn’t want to get caught slumming with me. Old lessons come racing back. Fuck, man, I shouldn’t be doing this. No matter how much my body craves hers, I need to put a stop to this here and now.

“I—” I begin, but she cuts me off.

“I know you don’t want anyone to know about us.”

Shit.

Fuck.

“Kylee, it’s just . . .” Shit, what am I supposed to say? I’m going against my own motto, and not only will my brothers kick my ass for it, nothing good can come from it. But before I say anything, a loud noise in the dining room draws my attention.

I back away from Kylee and work to marshal my dick. “What the hell?”

“We’d better go check,” Kylee says, and I follow her out of the bathroom. We round the corner and see Sean with his arms around Summer, leading her to the front door while the others all pack up the gifts and put the room back together.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“Summer’s water broke. We’re about to be uncles, bro,” Jared says, patting me on the back as his gaze goes from me to Kylee. I step away from her and help pack things up.

“Gram!” Summer calls out. “Drive with us.”

Gram grabs her purse and a few of my brothers follow them out, and I catch Sean pushing them away as they fuss about Summer. I shake my head. That kid is going to be spoiled. As I think about that my heart grows a bit heavy. Mom and Dad would have loved having a grandchild.

“Are you going to the hospital?” Kylee asks me quietly, pulling me from my thoughts. I nod, and she pushes my hand away as I gather up bags. “Then go. I’ve got this.” Kylee looks at the crowd. “Go be with your family. I’ll take all these things back to the house.”

I reach into my pocket and give Sean’s house key to Kylee. “I’m in charge of Scout while Summer is in the hospital. Why don’t you bring all this stuff there, and if you wouldn’t mind taking Scout for a quick walk, I’d appreciate it. I can get the key from you later.”

She nods. “Okay.”

I’m about to leave when her knuckles brush mine, and there is a small—okay, huge—part of me that wishes she were going to the hospital with me. But she’s not family and never will be.

“Thanks,” I say.

I follow everyone out and cast a quick glance behind me in time to see Stacy give Kylee a hand with the bags. I hop on my bike and make my way to the hospital, which is only about a ten-minute drive in the direction of Hope Falls. I find my brothers and cousins pacing inside the waiting room and I flop down onto one of the chairs. It’s going to be a long-ass night, that’s for sure. As we all sit around we talk about the usual business while a few of the guys check out the nurses. We’ve been here all of ten minutes and I think Tyler already has a date.

I push from my chair, antsy. I never did like hospitals, especially after having spent weeks in one after I was nearly beaten to death. I make my way to the vending machine and try not to think about the beating that landed me here. I’ve only been back a year and haven’t run into my ex’s asshole brothers. They haven’t sold their cottage, but if they know what’s good for them, they’d better not show their faces around here now that I’m back.

I grab a coffee, take a sip, and wince. Jesus Christ, this has to be the worst coffee. I hand it to Ryan. That guy will drink anything. Minutes turn into hours, and we’re all restless, watching some rerun of Friends on TV. Gram just gave us an update that Summer is doing well, and she’s begun dilating. Yeah, ’cause I needed to know that.

I jump up, ready to try the vending machine coffee again, when Kylee comes in carrying two trays with Starbucks coffee. The guys all jump up and help themselves.

“I have another tray in the car,” she says to me.

“You didn’t have to do this,” I say, and with my back to the guys, blocking her from their view, I tug at one of the lower buttons on her sundress, bringing her a little closer to me. Her eyes briefly shut and a small mewling sound catches in her throat. My cock hardens. Fuck, I want her again.

“I wanted to,” she says quietly. “It wasn’t that far out of the way, and I figured you guys were in for a long night.”

“Thank you.”

“Want to help me with the last tray?” I follow her outside, and the cooler night air falls over me. “How is Summer?” she asks.

“She’s begun dilating,” I say, repeating what Gram told me, and steal a glance at her. When she sees the look on my face she starts laughing.

“I’m guessing you could have gone your whole life without ever having known that.”

We reach her car and I turn her to press her back to the door. Her breathing changes as I gaze at her lips. “Yeah, but I can’t go one more minute without this.”

My mouth closes over hers and her soft purring sounds fill the silence of the night. I kiss her, devour her, slide my tongue into her mouth to taste the depths of her, wishing like hell we could finish what we started at Winchesters. I push against her body, and she moves, massaging my hard dick with her softness. Ravenous, I grip her hair, twist it around my palm and groan into her mouth. Her hands slide around me and I shift to touch her body, run my fingers along her curves.

I steadily deepen the kiss as we touch, our hands moving urgently, like we can’t get close enough. We stay like that for a long time until headlights signal an approaching vehicle. I back off quickly when the sports car comes closer, when all I want is to stay right where I am and lose myself in her sweetness. As I catch the driver looking at us, a wave of unease moves through me. I have no idea why. I can’t make out the guy’s features, and he’s obviously a vacationer with an expensive sports car like that, but something I can’t quite identify niggles in the back of my brain.

“What was that for?” she asks.

“The coffee.”

“I guess I should bring coffee more often, then,” she says her voice breathless, as she adjusts her sundress.

I laugh and focus back in on her. “Just think what I would have done if you’d brought donuts, too.”

A mischievous grin moves over her face. She reaches into the car, comes out with another tray of coffee and a box of donuts. She hands them to me and says, “I can’t wait to find out.”