I chuckle. “Maybe you stop buying so many clothes.”
“Maybe you should shut… Ah, shit. The zip broke.”
“How do you even afford so many clothes?”
“It’s called a job. You should try it sometime.” She injects ten tons of sarcasm into her words, then mutters, “Stupid suitcase.”
“God, you’re funny,” I say dryly. “So you can’t help me then?”
“Nope. Sorry.”
“Good to know I’ve just wasted the last ten minutes of my life.” I hear another grunt down the phone. “I’ll leave you to packing up your mall-sized wardrobe.”
“Wait! You’re still picking me up from the airport, right?”
“Yes, Iz. I gotta go. Don’t break anymore suitcases.”
“Asshat!” she calls as I hang up.
I sigh and lie back on my bed. What use it is having a sister – who is single and actively dating other guys – if she can’t help you with the best way to let a girl down?
The only choice I have is to make other plans. Then I can call Mia and tell her I have to do something really important. Believable? Yes. Kind? Well, sort of. As kind as I think I’m going to get. I could lie about other plans – but that would make me a dick.
Just like planning a date to piss Roxy off does…
Right. Well, I have to think of some shitty excuse soon, since it’s almost four, and if I don’t call her soon I’ll have to go out with her.
The doorbell rings as I ponder that last thought. Fuck. Maybe I can help Dad with something and hope she isn’t the kind of girl who asks so many questions she might as well have the size of my dick too.
Who am I kidding? She’s a girl.
I make my way downstairs and open the door to—
“Roxy.”
“Can we talk?” She looks up at me and continues before I can answer. “Fabulous.”
I raise my eyebrows as she sneaks past me into the front room. “Of course we can, Roxy. Come on in and have a seat.”
Her eyes shoot daggers at me. “Why are you so determined to treat me like a child?”
“We’re here again? Really?” I shut the door and walk toward her. “One, I’m not treating you like a child, and two, I’m making sure you don’t get in any serious trouble.”
“Right,” she draws the word right out. “Like Cam would?”
“Yep.” Mostly…
“Except with a lot less brother and a lot more petty.”
Chapter Five – Roxy
Kyle stops a foot away from me. “You what?”
“You heard what I said.” I put my hands on my hips and stare at him. “Getting a date with Mia to prove an unnecessary point to me? Nice one.”
“Who said it was to prove a point to you?”
“Well it definitely isn’t because you like her. You never spoke to her in school.”
“How do you know that?”
I raise an eyebrow. “She was in half your classes, and I walked past her with Lucy one time complaining about how you’re “so hot” but you’d barely said a word to her since you were in fifth grade. Then, another time, she was practically peeing her panties because you’d said “thank you” when she lent you a pen.”
He grins and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Really?”
“Ugh! You are so “that” guy!” I throw myself onto the sofa.
“That happened though, yeah?”
I grab a cushion and chuck it in his direction. “You’re only going out with her because you wanted to show your charm off, and I get it. Point made.”
Kyle sits on the sofa next to me and pushes the cushion into my face. I smack at his arm and hug the cushion.
“Say it,” he says through a grin.
“What?”
“Say, “Kyle has epic powers of seduction and could charm the panties off a nun.””
My lips twitch. “Are you for real?”
“Say it.” He mock frowns. “And I’ll cancel the date with Mia.”
Damn him. “I don’t give a shit if you go on a date with Bimbo Barbie.”
“Ooh, touchy. I don’t believe you, by the way.”
I don’t believe me either.
“Whatever.”
He slides across the sofa and runs a finger along my arm. A shudder goes through me at the tickling sensation and I shake him off.
“Go away,” I mutter. “I’m not saying it.”
A grin spread across his face, that one that gives me jelly-knees, and before I can do anything he grabs my sides. I shriek as his fingers move against me, tickling me. I fall backward, half-laughing and beg him to stop.
“Kyle, Kyle… Kyle!” I yell through my giggles as I slide right down the sofa.
“Say it,” he demands through his own laughter.
A little yapping bark rings out through the room and I get a face-full of terrier.
“Scamp!” I cry, turning my face into the pillow. “Get off, you stupid dog!”
“Hey, don’t talk about my dude that way.” Kyle tickles me again, and Scamp yaps a few more times. He jumps off me when I scream and kick my legs at Kyle.
“Stop,” I beg, my stomach hurting. It’s tense from laughing and being tickles, and I need to catch my breath.
“Say it,” Kyle repeats again.
“You sound like a broken record,” I mumble and turn my face toward him. And realize he’s lying on top of me, his hands at my sides, and his face just inches from mine. The tension in my stomach spreads through my body and changes into something more than just laughter tension. It becomes thicker and stronger, zinging between and wrapping around us both.
I can feel all of his weight on me. I can feel each muscle and the rise and fall of his chest against my side. His breath is warm across my neck, and my skin prickles every time he takes a breath.
“Say it,” he whispers again. “Say I’m a seduction god and I’ll get off you.”
The temptation not to say anything is almost too much, but my brain is smarter than my body, and my mouth forms the words.
“I, Roxy Hughes, accept and understand that Kyle Daniels is a god of epic seduction, capable of charming the iron-clad panties off a whole nunnery.” They roll off my tongue, and he grins again, his eyes creasing at the corners. They sparkle, full of mischief and happiness, and they taunt me. They taunt me and make me want more. So much more.
For the record, my own panties might be kind of charmed right now.