“That’s bullshit,” Duke declared. “What the hell were you supposed to do, chain the kid up and forcibly keep him away from his girlfriend?”
“That’s what I said,” Jackson blurted out. “But she thinks I should’ve tried harder to talk him outta it.”
“Bullshit,” Max echoed. “You’re not the kid’s father. Not your responsibility.”
“Besides, you can’t stop a sixteen-year-old horndog from not acting on all that horniness.” Hunter’s dark eyes took on a rueful glimmer. “Dude, I’ve got a thirteen-year-old sister and I’m already dreading the day when some young punk tries to weasel his way into her panties. I’m prepared to shoot him down like a rabid dog.”
The resounding laughter was broken by a high-pitched whistle from Duke, whose blue eyes were suddenly focused on the dance floor below them.
“Sweet Jesus, check out that redhead. Dibs,” he said immediately.
Every pair of eyes followed Duke’s gaze, and when Jackson glimpsed the source of the SEAL’s admiration, he choked on a laugh.
It was Claire McKinley. And he had to admit, she looked dang sexy tonight. A skimpy cornflower-blue dress hugged her X-rated curves and barely covered her thighs, and the strappy black heels she wore added several inches to her petite frame. With her reddish-brown hair loose and cascading down her shoulders, and her face flushed from the heat of the bodies filling the dance floor, Claire was hands-down one of the hottest women in the club.
“Sorry, bro, but she’s mine.” Dylan casually sipped his beer.
“Sure about that?” Duke countered. “Because Mr. Dimples seems to be staking a claim.”
Sure enough, Aidan Rhodes had come up behind Claire and was grinding against her ass, his hands taking more than a few liberties as they moved up and down her curvy body. The strobe lights flashed, revealing Aidan’s handsome face as he leaned in to whisper something in Claire’s ear. She responded with a laugh, then spun around and kissed him.
The Eighters burst out laughing again, but Dylan remained unfazed.
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” he said with the wave of his hand. “He’s mine, too.”
Four sets of eyebrows shot up.
“Huh?” Max said blankly.
With a faint smile, Dylan polished off his beer, then slammed the bottle on the railing. “Gotta go, boys. I’ve got two drunk lovers to grind up against.”
As the blond soldier headed for the spiral staircase, Jackson noticed the expressions on the other men’s faces, and couldn’t help but snort.
“He’s joking, right?” Hunter said warily.
The question was answered when they all saw Dylan enter the throng of dancers and yank Claire in the middle of a Dylan-and-Aidan sandwich. Her delighted laughter rose over the pounding bass line and drifted up toward them, and a moment later, Claire spun around and kissed Dylan with the same degree of passion she’d given Aidan.
“Son of a bitch,” Duke muttered.
“So he’s doing both of them?” Max demanded, looking impressed.
Jackson nodded. “The three of them are together.”
“For fucking purposes?” Lancelot drawled.
“For relationship purposes,” he corrected. “It’s dang unconventional, but they seem to make it work.”
There was a beat of silence.
Followed by Duke’s deep sigh of resignation. “Fine. I take it back. You Fifteeners are the wilder bunch.”
Mia’s heart raced nervously when a pair of headlights appeared on the road. She rose from the bottom step of Jackson’s porch and peered at the approaching vehicle. The hum of an engine cut through the darkness as Jackson’s pickup slid into the driveway, and her pulse grew even more erratic
He was home. Finally. She’d been worried she might have to wait out here all night.
The engine died abruptly, and then Jackson was striding toward her, his chiseled features creased with unease.
“What are you doin’ here, sugar?”
She swallowed a lump of guilt. “I came to apologize.”
His whiskey-brown eyes softened. “How long have you been sittin’ out on the porch?”
“Three hours.” She shot him a sheepish look. “I was on my way over pretty much ten minutes after you left.”
“For chrissake. Why didn’t you call me and lemme know you were here?”
“I did. You didn’t answer your phone.” She bit her lip. “I figured you were avoiding my calls.”
Frowning, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, checked the screen and cursed. “It’s dead. I didn’t even notice.” Now he sighed. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have stayed out this late if I’d known you were waiting for me.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she ordered. “And I’m demanding you retract your earlier apology, too.”
His lips twitched. “Oh really?”
“I’m the one who should be saying sorry. I was a total dick to you before.”
“Naah, you were just upset. I know you didn’t mean to be a dick.”
“I didn’t, but that’s no excuse.”