Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers Book 3) by Ahren Sanders (books to read for teens .txt) 📗

her hand in my line of sight.

I grab her hand and yank her to my chest. “Jesus, Poppy.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. Completely unnecessary, because you have nothing to worry about.”

“I wanted to do it for you and to prove,” she stops, taking in a shuttered breath, “that I’m all in.”

All in.

The words explode in my brain. This isn’t about trusting me, she’s all fucking in. We’ll figure out the rest together.

I flip her to her back and quickly undo the buttons on the shirt to see her body.

“Honey?”

I run my tongue around her piercing and kiss my way down. “I’m leaving this room with this image right here, you in my shirt laid out on this bed, and the taste of you on my lips.”

Her eyes instantly heat.

“Good thing I planned on a long breakfast,” I tell her before sucking her clit in my mouth.

Chapter 11

Poppy

Tell me you’re home.

Evin’s text comes through right as we walk in the door. It’s five-thirty in the morning in South Carolina.

“You can have the bathroom first.” Ryanne crashes on the sofa.

On the way to the bathroom, I drop my bag and rush through my routine. Before I can message him back, the phone rings.

“Hey, sweetie, got home a few minutes ago.”

“Jesus, it’s late. What exactly did Ryanne need?”

“She has a big show tomorrow, and her assistant had an emergency, so Dante and I were helping.”

“I thought she organized trade shows.”

“She does. This project required her setting up the welcome reception.”

“Does this happen often?”

“Rarely, but it happens.”

His silence stretches as I crawl into bed. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not happy, but that’s my problem. I slept like shit, knowing you weren’t home.”

“I was fine.”

“You were over two thousand miles away and I was…” he sighs, not finishing.

“Completely fine. Dante walked us to our car and the hotel was secure.”

“Baby, you love him, and Dante may be six-feet tall, but he’s a slim guy.”

“He’s a black belt in karate and spars with an MMA woman in the circuit.”

“Huh, for real?”

“Yes, and Ryanne trains with the same MMA group.”

“Didn’t see that coming.”

“She’s one of the most loyal and kindhearted people I know. But underneath her feisty personality is a fierce protector. If you fuck with her or the people she loves, her inner-bitch will slice you to pieces. With her body and her mouth.”

“Good to know.” His tone is more relaxed.

“How was your dinner with family?”

“As expected, it was an ambush.”

During our calls the last few days, he explained that a Sunday afternoon at the Grahams’ would turn into a waylay. “You okay?”

“My ring was the topic of conversation for God knows how long.”

I smile to myself, way too happy at his news. “You’re wearing it?”

“Of course.”

“I like that.”

“God, I miss you.”

My stomach flips and flops as I fold into my pillows. “I miss you, too.”

“How were your performances tonight?”

“Awesome, the theatre was a full house, and it’s scheduled to be that way all week.”

“I think you may have a fan club sitting in the audience next month.”

“Who?”

“Darby and Ashlyn raved. Mom and Jill got the green-eyed monster looks and didn’t like feeling excluded. Lynda wasn’t as vocal in her jealousy but was equally interested in seeing your show. Maya, being a typical teenage girl, decided she wasn’t missing out and made Pierce promise she could jump on the bandwagon.”

The earlier flutters in my stomach dive. “Oh, my.”

“I recognize that tone.”

“You just told me your mom, her best friend, your sister’s mother-in-law, and your niece are coming to Vegas to see me perform. It’s a little nerve-wracking.”

“I’ll be with them. And it will be after the wedding.”

The nerves settle because he’s right. I’ll be spending a lot of time with these women in a few weeks. “Very true. I hope Darby and Ashlyn didn’t embellish too much.”

“Impossible to do. You’re phenomenal, and fair warning, Maya is star struck.”

“Over me?”

“Hell yes. I think her exact words were ‘It’s beyond rad my uncle is dating an actual professional dancer’. You should have seen her face when she saw your picture. She made Pierce promise to stop on the way home and get flowers. My guess is when school starts she’ll be setting the trend with flowers in her hair.”

“Nothing wrong with being a trendsetter.”

“I got a glimpse into Pierce’s struggle.”

“How so?”

“Maya’s mom, Connie, is a fucking cunt. Can’t stand her with every fiber of my soul and nothing is redeeming about her, but she’s not ugly. You’ve seen Pierce. Maya got the best of both parents, which means she’s growing into a beauty. Flowers in her hair will only add to it and bring more attention her way.”

I let out a little laugh at his description. Darby showed me photos of Maya, and she’s not growing into a beauty, she’s already there. “Pierce is in for many more years, considering he’s about to have another little girl.”

“Darby is using that exact argument to slow down his family plan.”

“Is it working?”

“Not by a long shot. I’m understanding his determination.”

My breath catches at the inference, and my body jerks awake.

“Shit, I know that sound, too.”

“I’m good.” The croak in my voice gives me away.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“It’s unfair how you can be thousands of miles away and catch on.”

“I spent a week learning everything I could about you. What you like on your pizza, the way you curl into the pillows when I get out of bed, how your eyes change based on your mood. Your walk, your talk, the way your entire body vibrates when you laugh out loud. Any time of the day, I can picture a thousand different images in my head. I don’t have to be there to pick up when your mood shifts.”

“Unfair,” I repeat but know I can do most of those things with him as well.

“Baby, this is new and you have a justified and warped view on family, but do you want kids?”

I swallow hard, coating my throat and trying to calm the panic. Evin’s around family and children all the