Carter

As soon as Reagan was out of sight, I turned back to my family, who had also been watching Reagan walk down the hall. No doubt to make sure she was out of ear range. Immediately I knew I was going to get attacked with questions.

“Does she know you want her?” Calvin asked.

“Man, you gotta get in that,” State said, gaining a punch to the gut from my sister.

“He’s right. I can see the hard-on you have already,” Casper said.

“Dude, quit looking at my junk,” I stated, covering it with my hands.

Casper scoffed. “There ain’t much there to look at, which is why all the women jump on this Anthony man over you any day.”

“You idiots, shut up,” Courtney snapped. Her gaze came to me. “Seriously, Carter. I adore that woman for you.”

“She’s kinda loco, but in a good way,” Calvin added. Shaking his head, he grinned and said, “Her rant about it being her parents’ fault… fucking funny.”

“She’d fit in perfectly with our family,” Dad said, appearing from the hall. “Son, don’t know how you managed it, but good work on moving in with her.”

“Whoa, you live with her now?” State stepped up for a fist bump, which I returned. “How’d you meet?”

“The school thing I had to do, she’s a teacher.” I then asked Courtney, “Do you think she knows I—”

“Want her,” Calvin said.

“Like her,” Dad said.

“Loooove her,” Casper sang. Everyone stared at me. “Holy shit. You do. You love her.”

My heart and pulse rocketed off into orbit, yet a soft smile grew on my mouth. Hearing someone else say it, that I loved her, was what I needed to confirm my feelings were in fact strong enough to be called love. She was everything to me. I couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. That shit was terrifying because, again, it was so soon. But when a guy knows, he knows.

I flicked my eyes to everyone’s shocked expression. “How do you know and why would it be so damn shocking to you all?”

“Man, let’s face it, you’re a tag and throw away kinda guy, until now, until her,” State said.

I shrugged. “Reagan’s different.”

Again, they all looked shocked.

I sighed. “Look, I had a thing for her in high school, but I was too worried about what people would think.”

“Because she’s not your usual skanky type since she has curves?” Courtney asked with a glare.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I admitted.

“Douche,” Calvin coughed.

“I know, and I regret it, but then when I saw her at the school, and before I knew exactly who she was, I was already smitten. Since then, I can’t stop thinking about her.”

State nodded. “It’s how love starts. I didn’t just want to bang your sister—”

“Dude!” I cried.

“What? I’m saying I didn’t just want to bang her. I wanted to know everything there was about her, and that’s when I knew I loved her.”

“Aw,” Courtney cooed, and reached up to kiss State’s jaw.

“I loved your mom after one glance,” Dad said.

“So why are you all shocked I’ve fallen for Reagan?”

“It’ll pass, but you can’t be surprised when you’ve never brought anyone home before and never looked at anyone like you do her.”

Courtney cleared her throat. “To answer your earlier question, no, I don’t think she knows. There’s a possibility of her having the barest of ideas, but foolishly thinks you’re so far out of her league she won’t let herself think about what could happen between you two.”

“I’m not out of her league,” I said with a hard edge to my voice.

“Oh, we know.” Courtney smiled. “But from what you’ve said, she has no idea she was on your radar back then. You were popular, and she wasn’t. You’re now this big football star and she’s a teacher. She won’t understand how you could have feelings for her.”

Having my sister’s honesty felt like a weight had been placed onto my shoulders. They dropped, and my gut tightened. I hated that Reagan could possibly think that. I nodded. “You’re probably right. She did catch my friends saying shit back in school about bigger girls. I didn’t stop it from happening and laughed along with them.”

“Douche,” Calvin coughed again.

“I know,” I ground out.

“You’ll need to prove you’re not that douche,” State said. “Though, I think she’s gettin’ it. Then you’ll need to show her she’s worth it. Take your time so you don’t scare her off.”

“Start with little things,” Dad added. “A kiss on the cheek.”

I nodded. I could do this, I had already started with the little things.

“Touch her arm or leg if you’re sitting close,” Courtney said.

“Show her she’s beautiful to you,” Casper suggested. “Take her out on a date but pretend it’s not a date. She keeps referring to you as her friend so be her friend first, then make a move to be more.”

Everyone looked at him.

“What? I can have good ideas,” he exclaimed. When we didn’t look away he rolled his eyes and said, “Whatever, I’m going to see how dinner’s coming along, and I might just flirt with Re—”

Reaching out, I gripped his tee. “Take it back.”

He laughed and patted my arm. “Fine, fine. I take it back.” I released him, and he started toward the hall. “Doesn’t mean I have to keep my hands to myself.” He started to run when I made a grab for him again.

Dad gripped the back of my tee, and he stumbled forward, so I did, and then State was there helping us both.

“Cool it, brother. Casp’s only teasing, wantin’ to see your reaction. And you gave him one. We all know this shit you feel is serious.”

“Casper may be an idiot sometimes, but he had a good idea about Reagan,” Calvin said. “Take it slow, but be sure to show some interest in her.”

“Got it.” Jesus, I must be in love if I was taking advice and listening to my family. Another smile lit my face as my body warmed all over. There was no way I could deny how I felt, and I was okay with that.

“I’m happy for you, son.” Dad slapped me on the back and moved around me to head to the kitchen.

“So am I. She’s a keeper. Looking forward to seeing what she does next.” Calvin grinned. “And if you fuck up, I’ll move in.”

I shoved him. “Christ, are you serious?”

“Sure. I’m half in love with her already.”

“Fuck off, she’s mine.”

His grin widened. “Good to hear.”

“Mom,” Crispin called as we all sat down at the table. He was across from my spot, glaring for some reason. Though it could be because I was sitting next to Reagan.

“Yes?” Courtney glanced at him from where she sat beside him. State was on the other side of him, across from Reagan, I wasn’t sure I liked it. She seemed to like his looks a little too much. Thankfully, Caitlyn had most of State’s attention as she sat on the other side of her dad. Mom and Dad were at the end of the ten-seater table, and to my chagrin, Casper sat on the other side of Reagan. Then again, he was a better option than Calvin, who’d admitted he was already half in love with her. He was sitting next to me.

“Can I move in with Reagan too?”

Everyone paused.

Never in Crispin’s life had I wanted to yell no at him, until then.

To stop myself, I thinned my lips and curled my tongue to the roof of my mouth.

State started chuckling, Calvin and Casper followed. I cast a look at Reagan, who blushed beside me. Courtney finally answered, “Maybe when you’re older.”

Crispin shook his head and sighed. “Fine.”

State ruffled Crispin’s hair. “That’s my boy.”

Mom cleared her throat. “Ree, Patty was telling me you teach.”

“Yes.” She nodded, placing her fork on her plate. “High school English.”

“Her students love her,” I put in. “Even when she threatens to throw up on them.”

Everyone laughed.

Reagan’s cheeks turned even redder. “That was one time. Seriously, one time and you just had to overhear.”

“What happened?” Casper asked.

Reagan sighed. “I have a squeamish stomach, and my kids know it. A student, Wesley, was blowing his nose and then kept looking at it. When I asked him not to he taunted me by doing it again, so I told him I was going to vomit on him.”

Again, everyone laughed, even Crispin and Caitlyn. Though I was sure Caitlyn was just laughing because we all were.

“I happened to be at the door because Tom, the principal, asked me to talk to a few classes.” I nudged her shoulder with my own. “Should I tell them what you said when I asked you to have lunch?”

Her eyes widened, her hand landed on my thigh under the table, and she squeezed hard. My cock jerked in response. “If you do I’ll… do something really bad.”

“We have to know now,” State said.

“Yeah, come on, Reagan. Let him spill it.” Courtney smiled.

I shook my head. “Maybe I shouldn’t. There are kids present.”

Casper slapped the table laughing. “It was that bad?”

I nodded.

“No,” Reagan blurted and shook her head. “It was nothing. Really. Besides, from memory, you were dragged away by Elena anyway.”

Shit.

“Elena? Why does that name ring a bell?” Calvin asked.

“She was Carter’s girlfriend,” Dad said, and when I sent him an evil stare, he shrugged. “What? I have a good memory.”

“Oh, you have a good memory, do you?” Mom said. “Then maybe you can remember to take out the trash.” Dad sighed and ran a hand over his face. Served him right for outing who Elena was.

Courtney gasped. “Elena Roup. That Elena?”

“Yes,” Reagan replied before I could completely put my hand over her mouth. She laughed and grabbed my arm, pulling it back down.

“Oh my God, she was a total bi—” she glanced down to Crispin. “Ah, witch,” she ended. “You have to work with her?”

“Every day, and she used to make my high school days hell,” Reagan explained. I knew they didn’t like each other, but I didn’t know Elena was a bitch to Reagan back in the day. Christ, I felt like an even bigger dick for not knowing and being able to stop it. Courtney gave me a look. Yeah, I got it. That would probably be another reason why Reagan wouldn’t be quick to fall in love with me since I dated the she-bitch from hell.

“Anyway,” I said loudly, trying to change the unpleasant subject, “I think since Mom was upset about not helping me move and going to Ree’s parents’ house first, we should all have a barbecue, not this one, but the next Tuesday at Reagan’s. With both sides of the families there. I’ll be at an away game this coming weekend, so that’ll give me a week to get things ready.” It’d be the perfect opportunity for our parents to get to know one another. It could make Reagan more at ease if she saw no matter what happened, with her parents there, my folks would still adore her.

Mom clapped. “That sounds wonderful.”

Dad grinned. “Perfect idea.”

“We’d love to come, wouldn’t we, State?” Courtney turned to her husband.

He grinned down at her then over to us, his lips twitched. “Fuck yeah.”

“Language,” Mom called.

“I’m in,” Casper said.

“Me too.” Calvin nodded, and then went back to shoveling more food into his mouth.

A hand crept on to my thigh again. All my blood rushed to my head, both ends. All I could think was thank God the hand was from Reagan’s side, or I’d be worried about my brother’s sanity. When her finger dug into my flesh, I winced.

She leaned in while the others were talking about what they could bring. Okay, so my brothers were telling Mom and Courtney what they’d like, but I ignored it all when Reagan’s breast brushed against my arm. My mind blanked for a second. All I could think was boob, boob, boob against my arm, and it feels nice.

Her lips brushed my ear, and I nearly groaned aloud. “I’m so going to kill you when we get in the car.”

Pulling back, I studied her. Her cute nose was scrunched up, her beautiful eyes narrowed, and she was clenching her jaw. Yep, she was pissed. I really shouldn’t have smiled, but I did. “Why?”

“Having me around your parents was one thing, having my family around them…” She shook her head. “Boom. It’s bound to be a disaster.”

I placed my arm around her on the back of her chair and gave her a side hug. “Relax, it’ll be fine. Trust me.”

She grumbled, but I could tell she was giving in. “Fine. But I’m blaming you if it’s not.”

“Okay.” I winked down at her. We sat there and talked for a while longer, and I wasn’t sure if she noticed her hand was still on my thigh or my arm still around her, but they were, and I enjoyed that moment with a huge-ass smile on my face.

Yeah, I could definitely get used to having Reagan at my side as more than just a friend.

Reagan

Oh my God, oh my God… Carter was touching me. His arm was around me and his fingers gently rubbed up and down my side. I wasn’t sure if he realized what he was doing, but I was more than aware of it because it was turning me to mush. I sat frozen in my seat. If anyone saw how freaked out I was on the inside, they didn’t show it. Thank God. Or maybe I wasn’t showing it. I mean, no one could see my heart beating a million miles an hour or how my skin tingled from each stroke of his fingers on my side.

What was worse was how I was frozen. My mouth may have moved around with words as people talked to me, but my body was as still as a statue, and my hand remained on Carter’s thigh!

I was touching Carter.

I wanted to pull it away, but then if I did, he’d notice, and I didn’t want to draw attention to me freaking out. While he didn’t seem to mind I was touching him, still… I didn’t know what to do or think.

He was warm under my hand. I liked that I could touch him without Carter shying away from it. Though my naughty hand wanted to slide up his thigh to see if I got a reaction from him, but it wasn’t the time or the place to be doing that.

Instead, I just sat with my internal freak-out happening, wondering why he wasn’t pulling away from me.

Oh God, this was more than what friends did.

Friends didn’t touch like that.

Brooke would probably ask if I was trying for second base if I happened to lay my hand on her thigh.

My mind was a mess while my body tingled, but I’d sit and suffer through it all because it meant I was touching Carter.

When dinner was done I had a respite from Carter’s warm leg holding when he and his brothers got up to clear the table. Something I thought was very sweet. I was also grateful for the distance as my ears had started ringing from the way my heart was going a million miles an hour. It gave me a chance to settle my nerves.

We spent the rest of the night in the living room, where I sat next to Carter on one end of the couch. Though I had a feeling I was maneuvered there by Casper. He did, after all, take my wrist in his hand and guide me over to the couch and gently push my shoulders to sit beside an already seated Carter. I found that strange.

At the end of the night we were saying goodbye at the door, I’d really enjoyed my time with them. They were so welcoming and nice; it was easy to fall into relaxing around them. Especially when they all teased Carter in some way.

“You’ll have to come back another night,” Beth said with a kiss to my cheek.

“Mom, you’ll see her at the barbecue, remember?” Courtney smiled.

“Right, of course.”

“Still, I would love to come back another time. Maybe we could get together, just the girls. I’m sure my mom and friend Brooke would love it.”

Beth brightened. “Sounds wonderful.”

“Girls’ night, yeah!” Courtney shouted, and I caught Carter’s soft smile at me. Was he pleased I wanted to spend more time with his sister and Mom? It wouldn’t be any hardship on my part. They were amazing women.

State stepped up behind Courtney, wrapping his arm across her chest. “Babe, you should come to the compound for party night.”

My breath caught. Party night with bikers? Wow. “I’d—”

“No,” Carter stated roughly as he came up to my side.

State smirked. “We’d take care of her.”

“No,” Carter bit out.

“Come on, brother, you—”

“Not happening.” Carter glared. He gripped my upper arm and started pulling me toward the front door. “Bye, talk to you Tuesday.” Carter waved over his shoulder. I could hear his brothers laughing at him.

I turned back. “Thank you for dinner. It was amazing.”

“You’re welcome, Reagan.” Patty grinned.

“Bye.” I waved, and they returned it. As soon as we were in the car, I faced Carter as he pulled the vehicle onto the road. “Why did you answer for me back there? I wouldn’t have minded going.” I was kind of annoyed he took my choice away from me though.

“Reagan, State’s a biker. His friends are all bikers. They’re rough, can be mean, and I wouldn’t like any harm to come to you.”

Oh… well, that was nice, and I found myself content with his answer. Still, it didn’t mean I couldn’t really go one night. I’d have to talk to Courtney to see how safe it would be and maybe Carter would join us. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to go without him.

A new thought popped into my mind and had me tensing. What happened if bikers didn’t like football or if they went for another team that wasn’t Carter’s? It could cause problems. They may want to rough him up a bit. I wouldn’t want that to happen, so I couldn’t have Carter go, which meant I wouldn’t go without him.

“Okay,” I said

“Okay?” he queried with a frown. “That was too easy.”

I smiled. “It’s not really my thing anyway.”

“All right…,” he drew out, probably unsure of my sudden change. He could guess all he wanted, but I wouldn’t tell him it was because I cared about his welfare. That would be just awkward.