‘Come in, you dork,’ she says with a light-hearted laugh, reaching for my arm and dragging me into the foyer, ‘and stop calling me that.’
‘What, candylicious?’ I chuckle when she playfully elbows me in the ribs, narrowing her eyes. I’m the only one who’s ever gotten away with calling her that name. I watched in amusement one day when one of the preppy guys at school groped her arse and called her candylicious. She swung around and grabbed hold of his crotch, hard. I almost pissed myself laughing when his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to his knees in agony. She’s a top chick, just don’t mess with her.
‘Jax. Thank god you’re here.’ Sophia sighs with relief as she rushes into the foyer from one of the side rooms. ‘Look what she’s gone and done.’ I see tears glistening in her eyes as she points to Candice’s hair.
Candice’s mum is an ex-supermodel, so appearance is extremely high on her agenda. She’s constantly having work done to maintain her beauty as she ages. So much so, she could easily pass as Candice’s sister, instead of her mother.
‘I like it,’ I state, winking at Candice before looking back to Sophia.
‘Great. Of course you would,’ she cries, throwing her arms in the air in defeat. ‘I should’ve known you’d stick up for her. You always do.’
And that will never change. I’ll always have her back, just like I know she’ll always have mine.
‘It’s just hair.’
‘Bright fucking pink hair!’ Sophia screams before covering her face and sobbing. She’s a little on the dramatic side, but she has a good heart.
‘I honestly don’t see what the big deal is,’ I confess.
Candice shakes her head, giving me a look that has me closing my mouth and not speaking another word. When her mother lets out a dramatic howl, I’m glad I stopped.
‘Come,’ Candice says, reaching for my hand and dragging me towards the staircase. ‘I’ll show you what the big deal is.’
‘I’m making a hair appointment for you tomorrow, missy,’ Sophia calls out as Candice pulls me up the stairs.
‘Fine. Make an appointment,’ Candice replies sarcastically, ‘good luck getting me to go.’
Candice not only inherited her mother’s beauty, she also inherited her pigheadedness. They have a fantastic mother–daughter relationship on a whole, but when they have a disagreement—let’s just say it’s explosive.
‘Where are you taking me?’ Usually we hang out in the games room, or by the pool.
An image of Candice’s sinful body in one of those tiny bikinis she wears enters my mind. Do you know how hard it is to be best friends with someone you carry a permanent fucking boner for? Torture is the first word that springs to mind.
‘To my room,’ she replies.
‘Hell no,’ I say, tugging my hand out of hers. That’s dangerous territory right there. Me in Candice’s bedroom? Not happening.
‘Get over yourself. I just want to show you something. You’re delusional if you think I’m going to attack you or anything.’
When she puts her finger in her mouth and fakes a gag, I lunge for her, throwing her over my shoulder.
‘Jax, put me down,’ she squeals.
‘Not until you take that back.’
‘Take what back?’ She laughs as I run up the stairs with her.
‘That fucking gag you just did.’
‘Never,’ she says through her laughter.
‘Take it back,’ I demand, bringing my hand down on her arse. It only seems to make her laugh harder. When I get to the top of the landing, I slide her down my body before pinning her to the wall. ‘Take it back.’
‘Nope. Make me.’ She has that stubborn look in her eyes, and I already know I’ve lost.
Growling, I bring my face close to hers. Big mistake. We always muck around with each other, but never this close up and personal. I can feel her sweet breath on my skin, and my heart starts to race. We’re both breathless. The moment my eyes lock with hers, something shifts between us. Things go from playful to serious in a millisecond.
My face involuntarily moves towards hers. I hear her breath hitch just before our lips connect. Christ, they’re just as soft and sweet as I imagined that’d be.
What in the hell am I doing? Reality hits like a bolt of lightning. Pushing off the wall, I take a step back. I can’t lose her.
‘Fuck. I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’
I swear I see hurt flash through her eyes, but it’s gone as quickly as it comes. ‘Don’t be,’ she says with a shrug, as she casually walks away, heading towards her bedroom. ‘Are you coming or what?’