Morgan, Paisley’s best friend, raked her hand over her dark brown hair. “Are you sure I’m not intruding?”
“You’re never an intrusion, Morgan, and we’re happy to have you along. Carter, on the other hand…” I raised my eyebrows.
“Fuck off,” he answered, climbing out of the backseat.
“He like…teases people now?” Morgan whispered to Paisley.
“Who said I was teasing?” I kept my face as still as possible, and Morgan glanced between me and Will, no doubt trying to figure out if I was kidding this time.
Yes, and no.
Sam wound her arms around my back, immediately calming my introduce-her-to-my-parents nerves. “You can always sleep next to me.”
I pulled her under my shoulder and kissed her forehead. “I will take that under consideration.” Yeah, only after we decided on having sex. There was no way I’d be able to keep my hands off her fuckable little body if she slept next to me. I was already perma-hard whenever I smelled her, let alone touched her.
“Gray!” Mia bounded out of the house and skipped down the long staircase and didn’t stop until she had her arms around my neck. “We need to talk,” she whispered in my ear.
I nodded, setting her down. “Okay. Morgan, this is my baby sister, Mia. Carter, stay the hell away.”
He rolled his eyes at me while Mia hugged Sam. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Me, too, and the house is gorgeous!”
“Dad built it when Connie was born,” Mia explained, as I started to lead them up the steps that would take us to the first level. Everything was stilted to accommodate the times the island was more water than land. “Gray, I seriously need to talk to you,” she said, coming up next to me.
“Right now?” I asked as we made it to the porch. She tugged on my sleeve.
“Before you get—”
“Grayson!” Mom came through the sliding glass door and hugged me, her dark curls coming to just beneath my shoulders.
“Hey, Mom.”
She turned my face left and right, inspecting for damage as usual. “Well, you’re no worse for wear. Your father is closing the shop, but he’ll be here soon. Introduce me to your friends.”
Sam stepped onto the porch, and my heart swelled like a damn girl. I guess I appreciated what I had, too. She hung back, worrying her lip between her teeth.
I pointed to each of them in turn. “This is Carter, Morgan, Jagger, and Paisley.” Then I held out my hand and raised an eyebrow at Sam. Take the challenge, Sam.
She swallowed, straightened her shoulders, and raised her chin enough to remind me she’d been raised in social circles a hell of a lot higher than mine. Then she smiled and took my hand. I reeled her in until she was securely tucked beneath my arm. “And, Mom, this is my Samantha.”
Sam’s wide eyes flew to mine at the same time Mom’s assessed her quickly and smiled. “I’m so happy to meet you, Samantha.” She pulled Sam into a hug and held it until Sam visibly relaxed, and then she let her go. “We’re so glad you’re here.”
Sam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a shy smile that told me she was still on her toes. “Oh, you can call me Sam, and I’m thrilled he asked.” Then she turned that smile on me, and it became genuine.
“Well, now that we’re all acquainted, let’s get inside. Supper is about ready.” Mom ushered the crowd in.
“Gray, now?” Mia asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
“Mia, what’s wrong?”
“Mia, get inside and help your sisters.” Mom ordered in the I-said-now voice.
“Yes, ma’am,” she mumbled, but did as she was told.
“Whoa,” Sam whispered as we entered the living room. It was vaulted to the third floor and boasted huge canvases of Dad’s boats in full sail. “You built these?”
“Not all.” I pointed to the one furthest left. “That was before me, but the one over here is the one we built my junior year in high school.”
“That’s amazing,” Paisley remarked.