CHAPTER EIGHT

Luca

Grey’s poor, poor parents. They looked downright panicked. His softly spoken words out the door had been gasoline on the fire. They knew where we were going, they knew what was bound to happen the moment we were alone. I wondered if their fear was for my virtue, or for my parents finding out?

“Alright felon, where are you taking me?” I hid my smile as he linked our fingers together, pulling me down a dark alley. “Please don’t murder me. I literally just made something of myself.”

He squeezed my hand. “I think this is where I should make a joke about murdering your pussy, but it seems too on the nose. Don’t you think?” I couldn’t help but laugh, he was a breath of fresh air. He was unapologetically himself and I found it incredibly sexy. “I meant what I said to the ’rents. I do want to drop your painting off at my mom’s old studio.” We stopped beside an old International Harvester painted mat black. “It has a little apartment above it with the coolest views of downtown.”

I climbed inside after he opened my door. The black interior was pristine, and the car smelled of clean leather. “Nice ride.”

“Thanks. Actually, it belonged to your Uncle Nick.” He rounded the car, leaving me to buckle myself in. “I was obsessed with this car my entire life and when I turned eighteen, my parents bought it from him.”

“I thought it looked familiar.” I rubbed my palms together, trying to warm up. Dallas was only a few hours north of the small town outside of Austin where I grew up, but that meant the winter storm would hit here first. “I think there’s actually a picture of me sitting next to my cousin, Cohen, in this thing. I’m wearing Uncle Nicky’s sunglasses and Cohen is in a diaper.”

“Did you grow up on the compound with all the other little heathens or whatever y’all call yourself?” Grey revved the engine, whipping around to head away from the gallery.

I put my hands under my legs, trying to will the chill to leave my fingers. “Sort of, I guess. My mom and my Aunt Evie both decided that being close was enough. We lived in town, within a few minutes from each other. But it was a pretty short drive to the Devil’s Share compound.”

“It’s you and your brother, right?” We got on the highway, the lights of downtown behind us. “I’m an only child and big families are so fucking interesting to me.”

“It was Liam and me, and then of course Evie and Nick have Cohen and London who you know. The four of us are actually related by blood.” I sighed, counting off all my proverbial cousins. “Then of course we have Jackson, Weston, and Walker. Those are Laundry and Brody’s three boys who are related by marriage to Halen and Beau’s girls, Lennon and Irelyn. Avory and Crue’s girls, Lyla and Margot are related to Jett and Devin and Cash and Katie’s kids, Bingham, Hayes, Mill, Charlie, and Cammie. Then Aunt Marley and Uncle Talon have Co and Miles.”

“Damn. How many total?”

“Eighteen.” I nodded when he sent me a shocked smile. “It’s as chaotic and hilarious and disastrous as you’re imagining it is.” The heat finally started to pour out of the vents, so I rested my hands against them. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but it’s not anything I aspire to. I don’t want a house full of kids, I don’t want to eat every holiday meal at tables built for twenty.”

“I never craved siblings. I never felt like I was missing out.” We exited the highway, taking an immediate left down a quiet side street lined with older brick buildings. “I spent a lot of time with Cohen and London, and that was enough.”

I knew that Grey’s parents were close with my aunt and uncle, but I didn’t have any memories of him. I was sure we’d crossed paths at one time or another, but we must’ve been too little to make any sort of lasting impression on each other.

Now though, I was ruined. He hadn’t even kissed me and I knew I’d remember him and this night for the rest of my life. I could feel it in my bones. In my veins. Grey created this energy, this pull, and every cell in my body responded to him.

“Plus, I mean, you must be Mr. Popular, right? Throwing raves on campus.” I was teasing, but honestly, I assumed Grey was the guy with a million friends. Everyone knew him, and everyone felt lucky for it. He was gorgeous, funny, and so easy to talk to. “Not to mention your roster must be pretty damn long.”

He laughed. “My roster? Miss priss, what do you know about a roster? You were wearing a sweater set when we first met.”

“Did you hear that cousin count? I’m surrounded by males on a daily basis. I know how a roster works.” I tucked my cell into my bag as we pulled into a dark driveway. “And the sweater set is how I throw people off their game. I love to be underestimated.”

Grey turned off his Scout, his wrist resting on the steering wheel as he turned to meet my gaze. “I did, you know. Underestimate you.” He reached out, his knuckles trailing along the column of my throat. “You are so much more than I expected, and I’m an idiot for not seeing it from the moment you walked into the gallery.”

“You don’t need pretty words to get me inside Grey. I already said yes.” I didn’t want him to say things like that to me. I didn’t want to miss him tomorrow.

“Well alright.” He winked before hopping out of the car and coming to open my door. “Let’s get your sexy little ass out of my car and into my bed then.”

He picked me up, tossing me over his shoulder and taking me inside as the first snowflakes began to fall.