Free The Boy and His Wolf by Sean Thomas

me.”
    “ Good.” I smiled against him.

CHAPTER NINE
     
    The sky was cloudless and the sizzling Colorado sun provided me with the perfect end of Summer tan. Face down on a blanket, with Marco’s incessant hammering to accompany me, I soaked up every ounce of sunlight I could. It was midday, just before lunch, and my goal was to be bronze before dinner.
    “ You know, you could be helping me,” Marco called from the back porch, he was repairing for my father.
    “ You’re getting paid, stop complaining.” I called, not even bothering to lift my head.
    “ Way to guilt a guy,” he said, the hammering stopped.
    I squinted over my outstretched arm, “Oh, don’t be a sourpuss. My dad’s been meaning to fix that porch for years.”
    Marco wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Still don’t feel right taking his money. Guy’s like a father to me.”
    “ You need to make a living.” I propped myself on my elbows. “And you’re only charging him half of what it would have cost, so stop feeling bad.”
    He opened a cooler at his feet and tossed a water bottle at me. “Take a drink before you dry up and shrivel…and would it kill you to wear some shorts.”
    Marco was referring to my active no-show briefs. Besides being the sexiest pair of underwear I owned, they also doubled as great tanning attire. It covered the bare minimum and allowed for maximum sun exposure.
    “ I gotta look good for my man,” I called to him.
    He laughed and shook his head. “I’m hoping you’ll refrain from telling me about your sex life now that you’re older?”
    I took a sip of water and poured some over my head, the chill making me squirm. “How about I only tell you the really amazing stuff? Deal?”
    “ I hope your conversation doesn’t involve me.” Dash walked around the side of the house, lunch in hand.
    My face broke into a squinted smile at the sight of him. Damn, I had one good looking boyfriend. He was wearing another pair of one-size-too-small jeans with boots and a white t-shirt. He held a bucket of chicken in one hand and a case of Coors in the other. The sun seemed to gather around him, illuminating his bold features, like a spotlight.
    When he caught sight of me, his eyes narrowed and I immediately felt a tickle between my ass cheeks.
    “ Naughty,” I yelled and one side of his mouth creased apart.
    “ Thank. God. I’m starviiing.” Marco jumped up from the porch and clapped his hands together.
    I pulled on my shorts and headed to the table. “We can’t start until Jacey gets here.”
    Marco threw his head back. “Am I the only one who works around here?”
    “ Grady’s working,” Dash replied. “Carson too.”
    “ Oh, he doesn’t count.” Marco ran inside to wash his hands.
    I walked up to Dash and kissed him on the lips. He tasted like cinnamon, his favorite flavor of gum.
    “ Hi,” I said, scratching my chin with my thumb.
    “ Hi,” he replied, taking my hand into his. His strong, solid fingers gave me a light squeeze as his eyes lowered over my bare chest.
    Marco popped back outside. “You two wanna get a room, go for it, but I’m starting without you.”
    I squeezed Dash’s hand back and made my way to the table set up in the grass, guiding him along with me. Since last week we were always touching. His hand in mine, my leg against his, his fingers brushing my knee under the table. It was perfect this way, Dash and I together. We were made to be two parts of one person.
    “ Sorry I’m late, guys.” Jacey trotted around the house, red hair bouncing behind her like a red mane. “Please tell me you weren’t waiting for me.”
    “ We were waiting for you.” Marco glared in her direction.
    “ No we were not. Dash just got here with the food.” I waved him off.
    Jacey sat down next to Marco with a huff and a puff and set her TAB soda can down, the red lipstick stained straw sticking out.
    “ How do you still get that?” Marco pointed to the TAB can, a confused look on his