I’ve never seen him excited for anything.
The knowledge of that, the knowledge that his heart might be racing just as fast as my heart and that the beads of sweat on his forehead match the beads of sweat on mine, makes me dizzy.
It makes me drunk and drugged and so high on his attention that when the song crescendos and I do my last spin, I stumble.
The world tips and I lose my balance. The ground seems to have vanished from under my feet and I have no choice but to fall.
He catches me at the last second though.
His arm goes around my waist and instead of crashing down to the ground, I go crashing into his body. My hands land on his ribs and my fingers clutch onto his hoodie.
A thousand thoughts, a thousand sensations, explode in my mind, but the very first that jumps out is that it’s soft.
His hoodie.
It’s the softest, coziest, plushest thing I’ve ever touched. Even more than the sweaters that I knit for my brothers.
The thought that immediately follows is that no wonder he loves it, his hoodie.
No wonder he wears it all the time, because everything else about him is hard and harsh and sharp.
His strong arm that’s wrapped around my waist. The power in his thighs that are pressed against my stomach.
Panting and looking up into his animal eyes, I whisper, “I know that it might not matter, coming from me, but…” I swallow, gripping his hoodie tighter, my brain foggy and my tongue spewing words I don’t understand. “But I think you’re amazing. O-on the field, I mean. You’re just so gorgeous and reckless and feral, the way you… play. It’s no wonder that they call you the Wild Mustang. It’s no wonder…”
I trail off, embarrassed.
What the heck am I saying?
Why am I telling him this?
I shouldn’t. These are my private thoughts. Traitor thoughts that I shouldn’t even entertain.
“No wonder what?” he rasps, his strong, muscled arm squeezing my waist.
I can’t stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth then. “No wonder why girls can’t stop watching you.”
No wonder why I can’t stop watching you.
A blush fans over my cheeks as soon as I say it and I lower my eyes.
“It does,” he says.
I look up. “What?”
He squeezes my waist again. “It matters. Coming from you.”
“Oh.”
“And you’re not a princess.”
“I’m not?”
He shakes his head slowly, his eyes all intense and piercing. “You’re a fairy.”
I lick my lips then and his wolf eyes flare and I open my tingling mouth to say something — not sure what — when there’s a shout.
“Jackson!”
My eyes pop wide at that voice and my fingers in his hoodie tighten even more.
Because I know it. I know that voice too.
It belongs to someone I know and someone I love and someone I’m completely betraying by being here.
My brother, Ledger.
My brother is here.
Somehow, he’s found me, and I’m wrapped around the guy he hates the most.
The guy who should be worried right now.
Very, very worried.
But he’s not.
He’s sweeping his eyes over my face as if memorizing it before he smiles slightly and steps back, easily getting out of my grip.
My fingers feel empty without his hoodie but I don’t have the time to dwell on it because I hear Ledger again.
“Get the fuck away from her.”
At this, I finally gather my wits and turn to look at my brother.
He’s charging at us, rage flickering over his features.
Like Reed, my brother is tall, not quite as tall as Reed, and is muscled and strong. He’s slightly wider in the shoulders and chest than Reed, and with the way he’s glaring at Reed, I feel like he’s going to use his size to his advantage.
But I really wish that this was it.
That the threat of Ledger practically bulldozing Reed, who believe it or not still does not look worried about it at all, was the only threat to contend with.
It’s not, though.
Because I have not one but four brothers, and somehow, they’re all here.
All of them.
How are they here? How did they know where to find me?
Even the two who’re supposed to be away at college, Stellan and Shepard, the twins.
They’re identical to each other and are also tall – again, not as tall as Reed – and built like Ledger, slightly wider in the chest and shoulders.
The biggest one though is my oldest brother, Conrad.
He’s the tallest – definitely as tall as Reed – and the broadest too.
He isn’t charging the scene like the other three but walking with authority, with a purpose that’s even scarier than the pure rage radiating out of the others.
That’s what makes me break into action and step in front of Reed.
“Ledger, stop,” I say, raising my arms.
He’s still a few feet away from us and at my voice, he finally focuses on me. “What the fuck are you doing? Get away from him, Callie.”
“Ledge, I –”
“Did he do something to you?” he spits out before glancing back at the object of his hatred, standing behind me. “Why the fuck were you wrapped around him? Tell me he didn’t touch you.”
I shake my head. “No, he didn’t –”
“Or what?” Reed says from behind me, his voice a mixture of amused and provoking.
“Or we can turn this into one of the more fun nights than we’ve had in a while.” That’s Shepard, who stops right beside Ledger and shrugs casually.
“Fun for us. Just FYI. Not sure if it would be fun for you but still.” This comes from Stellan — he’s the more serious twin — who comes to stand right beside Shepard.
I can’t believe they’re here, Stellan and Shep.
They’re supposed to be in New York. In college. Nobody told me that they were coming home this weekend.
God, what are they doing here?
Even though they’re all standing right in front of me, I still can’t believe that my four overprotective older brothers somehow figured out that I’m here.
Instead of where I told them I’d be.
See, this is what happens when you lie, Callie.
Not to mention, they all look intimidating like this, making a wall of muscles and dark glares.
They’re all almost the same height and build and they all have thick, dark hair and brown eyes except for Conrad.
His hair’s dirty blond with a few golden strands and his eyes are dark blue.
He’s the brother I’m closest to in appearance and he’s the brother I’m most afraid of. Maybe because he’s more like a father figure than an older brother.
Although right now, I’m afraid of every single one of them.
Not Reed, apparently.