The Consequence of Loving Colton

“It takes nothing,” Colton whispered, his breath blazing across my neck, “to make you hot, especially when it comes to me.”

I stopped in my tracks, seething. “You arrogant son of a—”

“In you go!” He pushed me into the bedroom, but didn’t follow.

The door slammed shut.

“Colton!” I banged on the door. “Let me out!”

“Not yet!” He gave a sinister laugh. “I’ll let you out in a bit. Oh, and just let us take care of everything.”

“Take care of what?” I pounded harder. “I swear I’m going to run you over with my car!”

“I love you!”

“I hate you!”

“You love me! Oh, and Milo—I have a question for you.”

I stopped pounding. “Wh-what?”

“Will you . . .”

My heart started to pound.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is . . .”

Holy crap. I leaned against the door.

“If it’s not too much to ask . . .”

Was he?

“Can you not call your brother and complain to him that I locked you in the room? I have a plan—but you gotta let me romance you my way.”

“NO!” I shouted. “And this isn’t romance, it’s kidnapping!”

“Aw, sweetie.” He chuckled. “You should have said something if you wanted me to tie you up!”

“I loathe you!”

“We’ll see . . .” Colton’s laughter echoed down the hall, then disappeared.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

COLTON

“She pissed?” Jason asked, taking a long sip of his champagne.

“I think.” I took a seat in the kitchen. “The question should be—when isn’t she pissed? That woman’s like a tiny ball of rage just waiting to rain on someone’s parade.”

“Parades terrify me,” Max piped up.

Jason nodded in understanding and slid the champagne toward him and Reid.

“Parades?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Really?”

Max shot me a look of terror. “The clowns are allowed out of their tiny cars, Colton. Have you ever even been to a parade? They hand candy and balloons to small children and have permanent smiles on their faces. No one”—he shuddered—“should have a permanent smile.”

“So if I dressed up as a clown for Halloween—”

“Do it, you son of a bitch. I’ll shoot you on sight.” Max threw back the contents of his glass and slammed it on the table.

“He’s serious,” Reid piped up, his language slightly slurred. “When I was ten, I was the clown in the class play. I walked into his bedroom to see if he would help me with my wig and he shot me in the face with his Nerf gun.”

“We’re thankful he still has his eye.” Max nodded. “Truth.”

“R-right.” I watched the exchange with interest. Reid was the older brother but it seemed Max had done his fair share of bullying when he was younger too.

“All right.” Mrs. Caro barreled into the kitchen and took a seat. “We need a plan.”

“I’m great with plans,” Max said.

“Not this one.” I stood.

All eyes were directed to me.

Well, really I should say a few eyeballs looked at me, considering Jason could hardly see and Reid looked like he was seeing three of me instead of one—damn drugs were still doing him in.

So I had Jenna, who seemed to be hanging on Max’s every word.

Jason, who, as discussed previously, probably couldn’t find his way down the hall, let alone help decorate.

Reid, who by the looks of it probably still thought he could fly.

And Milo’s parents.

“So?” Mrs. Caro clapped. “What should we do first?”

I looked at the ragtag team seated around the table. “All right, I’m going to need your help. We’re going to build a castle.”

Max perked up. “A castle? Where?”

“Glad you asked.” I slapped him on the back. “We’re going to build a castle right next to the altar so that the princess knows without a shadow of a doubt—”

“That you’re insane?” Max shot me a thumbs-up.

“That I’m her prince.” I gave a nonchalant shrug even though it was a bigger deal than I let on. “I’m going to storm her castle.”

“Back in my day, we just called that sex,” Grandma chimed in from her side of the table.

Shit. I’d forgotten about that woman. She was sitting at the end of the table, her hands demurely in front of her.

“Here, man.” Max slid something toward my hand. “Take it.”

I looked down at the peach-colored pill. “What the hell?”

“It’s best if she doesn’t interfere.” Max nodded.

“So you want me to drug Grandma?”

“Of course not!” Max laughed nervously. “She’s not mine! I refuse to claim her. Besides, we’ll have Reid do it.”

Reid stood and wobbled. “The hell I will.”

“Dude, can you even feel your toes?” Max asked.

Reid’s eyes widened in horror. “My feet! My feet! Where are my feet?”

“Guys!” Jason snapped. “We have to hurry—we only have an hour to perform a miracle.”

“I studied to be a doctor,” Grandma whispered under her breath.