Brothers of Paradise Series

Her green eyes glitter with a smile. “What’s this?”

“I volunteered for chauffeur duty.”

“You mean Parker forgot?”

I shrug. “His loss.”

“My win.”

“That’s not a phrase.”

She throws her bag into the trunk and skips over to the passenger seat. “Yes, it is. I just invented it.”

I put the car in drive and pull out of the parking lot. It’s not the first time I’ve driven one of the Marchand cars. The engine purrs smoothly under my hands.

“Nicely played today, by the way. I saw your game.”

“Hayden!”

“It wasn’t intentional.”

“Sure it wasn’t.”

I keep the smile off my face. “You got some good passes in today.”

“No, I didn’t. Don’t lie to make me feel better.”

“Well, I’m not about to lie to make you feel worse.”

I can’t see her, but I know she’s rolling her eyes. “Don’t lie at all, silly.”

“Ohhh.”

“Yes, ohhh. What were you doing on the bleachers anyway?”

“Hanging out.”

“Right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“With a certain blonde, perhaps?”

I have to focus on the road to hide my surprise. There’s a rumor about me and Belinda Richards, yes. But it’s nearly entirely false. I didn’t think it had reached any of the other classes, and certainly not Lily. I’m not into blondes.

“No.”

“Mhm.”

She shifts, and her skirt rides up a bit, showing smooth, tanned skin. I grip the steering wheel tighter. No, blondes hold absolutely no appeal for me.

Not when the girl next to me owns my heart and my soul.

I turn the tables on her.

“Adam Bateman, huh?”

Lily groans. “How did you find out?”

“Turner.”

“Of course. He can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

“So Adam is a secret?” I try to keep the edge out of my voice. I would have probably fooled anyone else.

“No,” she says softly. “But I didn’t want Parker to find out.”

“The brother blockade.”

“Exactly.”

If she’s trying to avoid her brothers’ interference, she probably wants to go out with him. Hell, it probably means she’d said yes when he asked. My hands grip the wheel tighter still.

“When are you going out with him?”

“I’m not,” she says. “I said no.”

“What?”

“What do you mean, what? Do you think I should have accepted him?”

“No.”

“Then why the what?”

“Why would you be worried about your brothers finding out?”

Lily sighs like I’m being slow, and twists in her seat. “Their reaction will scare others away.”

“Which others?” I haven’t heard of any lately, but if there was someone I’d missed…

Her voice is tight when she answers me. “I don’t know. I’m not exactly swimming in offers, Hayden. But, you know… if someone were to ask me, I’d want to be able to say yes.”

If she only knew how many of the good-for-nothing boys have the hots for beautiful, sweet, fierce Lily Marchand. I would know. I’m the president of that particular fan club.

“I see. Clever.”

She leans back against the seat and begins to unbraid her hair. I can see it from my peripheral view, thick and heavy around her shoulders. That fucking hair. It will haunt me, through this life and the next.