Lacey smiled. “Then please, cook away.”
He sent her a grin, grabbing his own plate and sitting across from her at the island. As he shoveled his eggs into his mouth, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kacey coming down the hall. That was the thing about Kacey. No matter what, he always knew when she was near. And when he caught sight of her short workout shorts and black sports bra, he was sure he wasn’t going to make it through training.
Not with that hot bod distracting him.
“Hey, Lacey, have you seen my Assassins workout windbreakers?” she asked, walking through the kitchen, completely ignoring him. But he couldn’t ignore her. Not with a body like that. She must have been training more than usual the last eight months because, holy fuck, she was ripped. He didn’t remember those abs the last time he had her naked but, boy, did she have them now. Her arms, spectacular, her legs, strong as an ox, and an ass he could bounce a quarter off of. His shorts grew tighter as he drank her in, his fork paused at his mouth as she bent over to look in the dryer.
Thank you, Lord.
“I have no clue. Jordie’s been doing the laundry,” Lacey said before leaning over to kiss Mena.
“What?” Karson and Kacey both asked, their faces twisted in almost the same way. It sometimes freaked him out how much they favored each other. They were practically twins.
Lacey looked up. “What? He just started doing it.”
“They are folded in your basket,” Jordie announced, ignoring their stares. “Also, why should Lacey be doing laundry? She’s still recovering and also fighting her own demons. You two need to be a little more thoughtful,” he said, but he might as well have been growing a second head.
“You did laundry?” Karson asked and then glanced at Lacey. “Plus, I told you I’d do it today.”
She shrugged but Kacey was still standing there gaping at Jordie. Snapping her mouth shut, she glared. “Don’t wash my clothes.”
For some reason, when she glared, she was the cutest.
Jordie grinned. “But I like checking out all your naughty girl panties,” he teased, and Karson groaned while Kacey’s glare deepened.
“Bro, come on, that’s gross,” he said, causing Lacey to laugh. It was nice to see her smiling and not crying. She had been taking her meds like she had promised Jordie, and he thought she was doing better.
“That’s the only way you get to check them out,” Kacey spat back, grabbing her basket.
He knew he should have left it alone. It was too early to tease and pick at her, but he couldn’t help himself. He missed their banter, he missed her, and also he liked the little scowl she wore when she was irritated. Plus, Karson wouldn’t expect anything else. Until Jordie was honest with him about Kacey, he had to play the part of Kacey’s biggest pain in the ass. So, grinning up at her, he said, “For now.”
Karson scoffed and Lacey chanced a glance at Kacey, shaking her head. But he could tell he had crossed the line. That she wasn’t ready for their banter. Her mouth parted, her eyes went to slits, and he was pretty sure she was ten seconds from throwing the laundry basket at him.
But still, his grin was unstoppable. It felt like old times, and it was so refreshing that soon he was saying, “By the way, I made you breakfast.”
Her jaw dropped, but she only faltered for a second. Stomping past him, she yelled out, “Stick it up your ass, JT.”
He scoffed and called out to her. “But I made you sausage instead of bacon. I know how much you love my sausage.”
She threw her middle finger up and slammed her door with the vengeance of a two-year-old.