Free The Omega Team: Love: Classified (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Liz Crowe

again.
    “Seriously,” Kieran Love, the tall, red-headed former NBA star said to her. She’d always thought Kieran was the sweetest of all the pack of brothers, each of whom could turn on the charm like a light switch most days. “Where’d you find him?”
    She kept her grin plastered on her face, realizing they hadn’t actually concocted a meeting story.
    “Online dating service. Paige here has a soldier fetish,” Joey said, grabbing her hand and yanking her around so she had no choice but to sit on his lap.
    The Love brothers hooted with laughter. “That’s a new one,” Dom said, giving her butt an inappropriate pinch as she struggled to disentangle herself. But Joey kept a grip on her. When she glared at him, he laid an embarrassingly long kiss on her, bringing on wolf whistles and cat calls.
    “Are you drunk?” she said, pressing her hands against his firm chest.
    “With love,” he responded, his dark eyes twinkling, his grin making her melt in spite of her embarrassment.
    “On that note,” Kieran said, unfolding his long, lanky form and stretching. “Gotta bolt. Mama’s looking tired. We should get her home.”
    “I am really sorry about her,” Paige said, reaching for his arm.
    “She’ll pull through,” Kieran said looking less resolute about that fact than the words indicated. “You know Lindsay.”
    Paige nodded. She did know Lindsay Love and had many times wished her own mother were so funny and down-to-earth. The thought of her reduced by breast cancer was simply one that wouldn’t compute. She got to her feet, not willing to look at Joey, even though she could sense him staring at her.
    “Paige,” her mother hollered all the way across the tent. “Come on over here now and let’s talk about sleeping arrangements.”
    “Oh Lord, here we go,” she muttered under her breath. She noted that Leslie, Robbie, and Angelique had disappeared. She took Joey’s hand.
    But within thirty seconds, she realized that Joey Preston had her parents under some kind of a spell.
    “Caroline,” he said, using her mother’s first name with a sort of familiarity that made Paige simultaneously happy and nervous. “I’m sure whatever arrangements you’ve made will be just fine.”
    “Well, now, I know these are modern times and all, but I can’t condone you kids sleeping in the same room, not until . . . you know.” Paige’s mother made a point to look at her naked left-hand ring finger.
    “Sir,” Joey said, turning to her father, his face serious. “I want to apologize to you.”
    “Please, son, call me Al.” Paige rolled her eyes as Joey’s smile widened.
    “Al, sir, I had every intention of asking your permission for your daughter’s hand this weekend, but I guess I just wasn’t able to control myself. I hope you understand and will give us your blessing.”
    Paige’s ears began to hum as she watched her father and the man she had literally met this morning at the airport shake hands, and then engage in a brisk man-hug. Her mother snuck an arm around Paige’s waist.
    “He is just the sweetest thing. I declare, I don’t know how you, of all people, attracted him.”
    She jumped out of her mother’s reach. “Mama, I’ll swan, that’s just rude.”
    “No, no, honey. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
    “I’m going inside,” Paige said to the happy group, suddenly so exhausted the concept of her pink, frilly, teenaged bedroom sounded like heaven. “Y’all carry on.” She brushed past Joey without acknowledging him.
    Leslie and Robbie were necking in the kitchen as she passed on her way to the stairs, dragging the suitcase she’d been schlepping all day up the steps with her. With a sigh, she opened her bedroom door and flopped face down on the puffy, eyelet duvet cover, too tired to even cry.
    At some point, her sister came in and sat beside her. “I’m sorry about the maid of honor thing, Paige,” she whispered, pushing dark curls off Paige’s