Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Having trouble keeping your head in the game?” Dragon says to me.
He’s standing, waiting for his turn to play the winner, with a Fat Tire in his hand.
He’s not high, which is good. I told him to lay off the weed in preparation for the tour, and so far, he’s doing it.
Of course, it’s only been a day or two.
“I’m good.” I take a sip of my beer and ready myself for a tough shot.
Which I blow.
Because I’m thinking about Brianna Steel.
Which is strange.
She’s beautiful. She’s always been beautiful. Ever since she was a kid. She looks a lot like her father—tall, dark hair, dark eyes—but she’s got the voluptuous body of her mother, Jade Steel, the daughter of a supermodel.
Luscious tits on Brianna.
But because I remember her as a flat-chested little eight-year-old, I feel very uncomfortable thinking of her the way I’m thinking of her right now.
I actually miss her following us around in the back of the bar where the pool tables are.
“That’s a wrap,” Cage says. “I guess you’re playing me, Dragon.”
“Yeah. God, I suck.” I look at my pool cue, deriding it in my mind as if it’s the reason why my game is off.
“You don’t suck.” Dragon grabs a cue from the wall. “Your mind is elsewhere. What’s eating you? The tour?”
“Hell no.” I look away from Dragon. “I mean, sure. I’m nervous about the tour. But we’ll do our best, give a great performance like we always do. And either Emerald Phoenix’s fans will love us or they won’t. I can’t get bogged down in that shit.”
Dragon chalks his cue. “Then what’s the problem?”
“Hell if I know.” I drain the last of my Fat Tire and head to the bar. “You all enjoy your game.”
Ava Steel is tending bar tonight. She’s as gorgeous as all the Steels are. Of course, people say the Pikes are gorgeous too. Hell, our mother was a beauty queen.
“You need something, Jesse?” Ava asks.
I gesture to the guys in the back playing pool. “I’m switching to water. My pool playing sucks tonight. I’m not sure why. I’ve only had one beer.”
Ava grabs a glass filled with ice and squirts water into it. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
Maddie turns around on her stool. “Hey, Jess.”
“Hey, Maddie.” I look beyond her to Brianna. “Hey, Bree.”
Brianna smiles. “Jesse.”
“So I hear the two of you are going to be on tour with us,” I say.
“It was all Brianna’s idea,” Maddie says.
I raise my eyebrows. News to me. “It was?”
“Well…” Brianna’s cheeks redden. “I want to see Europe, and I thought it would be a great idea for Maddie to come along.”
“Except you’re already done with school, and she’s not.”
“I talked to Mom and Dad,” Maddie says, “and they said as long as the university’s good with me finishing online, I have their blessing.”
“We’re going to have the most fun.” Brianna sips what appears to be bourbon. “Just you and me—a couple of women seeing Europe for the first time.”
“Along with Brock,” I say dryly.
Brianna twists her full lips into a frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I squeeze the lemon wedge from my glass into my water and take a sip. “Your good cousin Brock offered to chaperone you while the rest of us are doing band stuff.”
Brianna’s jaw drops. “Maddie and I are twenty-two years old. We don’t need a chaperone around Europe.”
“All right,” I say. “Then don’t think of him as a chaperone. Think of him as your cousin who’s going to Europe with you.”
“But Maddie and I—”
“If Maddie’s going, someone’s going to keep an eye on her. End of story.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Jess”—this from Maddie—“will I always be a baby to you?”
“Yes,” I say succinctly, turning to Brianna. “And I’m sure Dale and Donny feel the same way about you.”
Brianna rolls her eyes.
Her very beautiful dark-brown and long-lashed eyes.
Damn.
What am I thinking?
She’s ten years younger than I am.
Shit. Now she’s going to Europe with us.
I didn’t really need these feelings to sprout now.
Hell, I’ve spent the last ten years consciously ignoring her. No reason to stop, no matter what my dick thinks of the situation. It’s stiffening in my jeans.
“Not only that, but Brianna’s going to—”
Brianna nudges Maddie.
“Oh.” From Maddie.
“What the hell is that about?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Maddie says. “Just something between Bree and me. I misspoke.”
I stifle my eye roll. “Good enough.” I take a long drink of my water. “I guess I’ll go back and play the winner of the next game. Man, I suck tonight.”
“You?” Brianna asks. “The king of pool? The guy who can even beat Donny? Which he hates, by the way.”
“Don and I are good.”
It’s not a lie. At least it’s not supposed to be. Callie made us kiss and make up when she and Don got engaged.
Brianna smiles. “I’m glad to hear that. The two of you are more alike than different.”