Tag growls something under his breath, and I stifle a grin. I shouldn't have ever told him I thought Kode was cute. It's funny to poke the bear sometimes though.
"What's up?" Dane says, not seeming too thrilled all of the sudden. "Have fun in New York?"
Kode shrugs before taking a sip of his beer. "A little. Um... I've got some news. Rain is moving back to Sterling Shore."
I don't know if I've ever seen the color drain from someone's face as fast as it does Dane's, and of course that piques my curiosity.
"Didn't see that coming," Dane says hoarsely, acting as though an alien invasion is in town.
"Yeah. She'll be back next week. I just thought I'd give you a heads-up."
My eyes move back and forth between the two. Tag starts to speak but Dane turns away before he can. I watch his back, wondering if he's leaving or just removing himself from the conversation that seems to have shaken him.
As soon as he thinks he's out of sight, he... runs? Is he really running out of here?
"What... just happened?" I ask, bemused.
Kode tightens his lips for a second, and then he lets free a loud breath. "Nothing. I'll talk to you guys later." Then he leaves, following the same path Dane took.
I look to Tag for an explanation, but his lips press against mine, and all is forgotten. As his fingers strum through my hair, I let out a content sigh. Everything is perfect right now.
"So," he says while pulling back, "I was thinking about getting a tattoo."
A mild grin quirks up, and I run behind him to catch up when he starts walking away.
"What? Why?" I gasp.
He shrugs, seeming too casual. "I figured since you got Tagged, it would only be fair if I got Ashed."
I laugh hard, drawing the attention of everyone around. We're crazy, but we're in love. I guess that makes it okay. Melanie stops in front of us, and Tag takes Trip from her arms.
He pulls me to him, kisses me again, and then murmurs, "I love you, Ash Masters." Then his eyes move down to his son. "And I love you, too, little man."
Sometimes the men you doubt are the ones who love the hardest. I'm just happy I get to experience that first hand.
The End.
Book 3 of the Sterling Shore Series is coming soon. Curious about Dane Sterling? Get his story in The Sterling Boys. Get a small teaser right now.
Meet Rain Noles-
Corbin isn't smart like Maverick, and he makes one major mistake—holding me like this gives me so many access points. I grab a handful of sensitive flesh between his legs, and I twist hard to bring him to his knees. A startled gasp and a painful cry ring out in unison, as the giant crumbles.
The second he loses his grip on me, I charge through the restaurant like a bull seeing red. The fear on her face registers before the shock, and before I have time to think about it, I'm sliding across her table like it's home-plate, screaming like Xena the warrior princess, and kicking her ass like I'm Mike Tyson. Okay, so maybe not Tyson. But I am pulling her hair and jerking her head around like I'm a pro, damn it.
"Fuck," spews out of Maverick's mouth, but I don't see him until he's punching Fiona's piece of shit date.
Tables crash to the ground, glass shatters, and screams echo through the restaurant, but my attention stays focused on bitch-slapping the hell out of this troll—at least until I hear the first whoop of the siren. Crap.
Meet Dane Sterling -
I'm going to fucking kill them if they don't stop texting me. I already told them I'd be in and out of meetings all day. That's why I ignored their sorry asses last night. I should have called and told Rain to ignore them, too. A night in jail would have served them right.
I huff as I finally read one of the texts, and I can't help but burst out laughing.
Hey, Jerkoff! Rain is in here too, so come get us now!
How the hell did they get Rain in trouble? Rain in jail? That's fucking hilarious. Little Miss Does No Wrong is stuck in a holding cell, praying for someone to come rescue her. Not me. I think it's about time the three of them grow up. My phone goes off again, and I glance down.