Page 102 of Five Brothers
“But you let him in?”
She hesitates. “You didn’t have to come,” she says instead. “I just wanted Trace and Dallas.”
I cock an eyebrow. So she posted that photo on purpose. She did want a few Jaegers here. Just not me?
I let my eyes fall down her body. Having Milo here. Dressed how she is. Why?
I’m pissed enough at Liv for being here, but my sister can protect herself. Krisjen can’t. Not in a way where she’ll win.
She’s soft. And I like that about her.
I flex my jaw. “Why are you partying with him?”
“I don’t think I should tell you.”
Her eyebrows are pinched together in concern, and I reach down, grabbing her under the arms and hefting her out of the pool. She yelps a little, Liv and Clay rushing up to stop me, but I already have Krisjen’s feet planted on the deck. I glare down at her. “Then let’s go somewhere private where you can make me mad.”
I take her hand and pull her behind me, gazes following us as we pass a firepit and then a crowd of people outside the back patio doors.
She follows, holding my hand just as tightly as I hold hers, and a jolt hits my heart.
As soon as we’re inside her house, though, I stop. What the fuck?
Neon glows everywhere in the otherwise dark space. On people’s stomachs, their bare legs, their backs …
Most of the lights are off, and I spot a black light under the chandelier in the kitchen. Taking a step, I continue past the stairsand into the crowded foyer, as naked, sweaty bodies painted in yellow, purple, and pink move with the music. Some people are in bathing suits, others in their underwear.
I stop again, the dim glow of light making the wallpaper look blue as it climbs the stairs. “Your Woman” plays over the speakers, and I’m surprised she can hear me when I ask, “What the hell is this?”
“It’s a black light party,” she replies. She comes to my side, looking around, a little pleased with herself. “I told everyone to come scantily clad and I’d supply the highlighters.”
Some chick is topless as others draw all over her, some guy signing her ass while a girl colors in her nipples. There are vulgar drawings and asinine words on some people, while others have exotic designs and flowers and “Class of …” labels.
“Some of it’s kind of pretty, huh?” she asks.
I turn to face her and see that she, too, is covered. I hadn’t seen it out at the pool.
There’s a heart on her cheek, hand-drawn abs on her stomach, and I smile at the Wonder Woman symbol on her chest. Words are written up and down her arms, and I make out a few.Beautiful. Smells good. Happy. Sweet. Kind. Safe place. I wish I’d kissed you.
“Some guy I graduated with wrote all this.” She looks up and down her right arm. “He was pretty quiet back then, but I guess I was nice to him and he remembered.”
I look at her face, taking her chin in my hand and rubbing my thumb over the spill marks at the corner of her mouth. “Did Milo draw that?”
I have to fight not to rub her too hard as I try to wipe it off. “Why? What does it say?” she asks.
Why didn’t she check what he drew?
I lean in, the pink marker slowly coming off, but it’s smearing.
She looks up at me, I look down at her, and an urge hits me. I don’t think. I dive in and lightly suck the corner of her mouth.
She plants her hands on my stomach, her breath hitching, but she doesn’t push me away.
I’m gentle, licking her skin, and my mouth just barely touching hers.
God.I haven’t touched a Saint in a long time.
Rising back up, I hold her eyes as I wipe her mouth clean with my thumb and pluck a fresh highlighter out of the bowl on my right. I draw a thick line down the middle of her forehead, five daisy petals under her left eye, and a string of triangles from her nose to her upper lip, down her chin and neck. I stand back and recap the marker.