A Drop of Pretty Poison (Pretty Poison Trilogy #2)

by Kelsey Clayton

Cam scoffs as he shakes out his hand. “You’re damn right you did! My fucking sister? Half the goddamn town wants you, and you have to have my sister?”

“So, you’re falling in love with me, huh?” I smirk, still in disbelief that he spoke those words. His expression turns skeptical as he hums. “I mean, you’re all right.”

“I love you, Laiken. I am so massively in love with you, and I’m sorry that I didn’t realize it sooner.”

“I’m in love with you, too.”

“Lai,” he says, bending his neck and moving me away so he can look into my eyes. “You are the only future I see.”

“I need you.” My words come out like a desperate plea. Hayes deepens the kiss, only stopping for a second to respond. “You have me, baby. You always have me.”

“You need to wear dresses more often.” “Why?” “Easier access.” As he says it, he hooks his thumb around my panties and starts to pull them down.

“Fuck me,” I breathe. “I want you to fuck me.” He slows down as he leans forward and kisses me. “Not tonight, baby. Tonight, I want to love you.”

All the pain and all the heartbreak—it was worth it because it got us here, where he’s loving me the best way he knows how.

“Never make me go without that again,” I tell him through labored breaths. He chuckles quietly and drops a kiss on my forehead. “Never.”

“I love you, Laiken,” he says softly, pressing a kiss into my hair. My stomach flips in the best way. “I love you, too.”

I chose the wrong road and lost the one girl who means more to me than anyone. So, I turned the fuck around and chose again.

And while she glared at me like she wanted to set me on fire and watch me burn, all I wanted was to see her smile. She’s always had such a pretty smile.

“I’m still the same shithead. What changed for you?” She looks back at me and smirks. “Puberty hit you like a fucking truck.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come around,” I tell her. She reconnects the kiss once more and smiles. “It’s okay. You fell in love with me eventually.” I pull her just a little closer. “Hard and fast.” “Mm. Just how I like it.”

Lai looks over at me and scrunches her nose, feigning disgust. “Psht. I’m a total saint. A future nun. He’s just trying to steal my virtue.”

She breaks the kiss, and I give her a smug grin. “Now who’s the one stealing virtues?”

“Nah, he just needs to punish me adequately and then he’ll get over it.” Mali and Laiken whisper to each other and try to hold back their laughter, but I’m focused on the way Cam snorts. “Are you kidding? You’re dating my sister. That is the punishment.”

she can to keep her composure as she answers. “Are you going to call him daddy and take your punishment like a good boy?”

So, Laiken…” He pauses just to drive me insane. “Will you officially be mine? My out-in-the-open, hold-your-hand-no-matter-who-can-see girlfriend?”

“Let’s make this interesting. You get three shots. If I block all of them, I get to fuck your mouth again.”

“And if I score?” He smirks in a way that would have my panties ripping themselves right off if they could. “You can sit on my face for as long as you want.”

“You know what Coach said,” I warn. “No sex on the ice.” He hums, and I can feel when he gets an idea because he smirks. “Yeah, but he said nothing about the locker rooms.” This night just keeps getting better.

“Isaac, right,” he nods. “He’s gone. Cam had him kicked off the team for breaking your nose.”

“Hey,” she coos. I wonder if she knows how much even the sound of her voice manages to relax me. The moment I walked out the front door, my phone was pressed to my ear. I told Laiken that I needed her, and that was it. Nothing else mattered. She just got in her car and got her ass to my house. I mentally add that to the endless list of reasons why I will love her for the rest of my life.

If there’s ever a time when this girl is all I have, I’ll be okay, because she’s all I will ever need.

Giving up, I close the box and go over to my truck. I climb in and place the check and the box on the passenger seat, staring at it for a minute before scoffing. “Fuck you, old man.”

He’s probably just blowing off some steam. He’s a hothead. Give him time. I’m sure he’ll reach out.

The thing is, I want to be. Not the version of him that walked out on his family. I’m talking about the dad that would play hockey with me in the street and taught me how to lace up my skates. The one that danced with my mom in the middle of the living room just because he knew it made her smile. That’s the one I want to be like. That’s the one I’m grieving.

“Do I have to worry about you hurting her?” he asks after a moment. I shake my head without hesitation. “I’m crazy about her.” He nods slowly, turning his head straight and taking another sip. “Then I guess I’m going to have to learn to deal with it.”

“Do you want to go for a ride?” Her grin widens as she bites on the tip of her thumb. “In your truck or on you?” And that’s all I need to hear before I walk over and pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder as she squeals.

I offered to take her out to breakfast, but when we noticed no one was home, I opted to eat her instead. The diner’s choices just don’t compare.

“Well, with the deal Marc made us, I have a decent amount of extra money, and I was thinking about buying my own place with it.” She bites her lip as she thinks about the exact same thing I did when I got the idea. “Do that. You should definitely do that.” My nerves settle in an instant. “I’d really love to have your input.” Her head turns to look at the house and then back to me. “This is going to be fun.”

“Oh, definitely. With a stripper pole and everything.” I’m expecting her to flip me off or roll her eyes, but nothing prepares me for the way she purses her lips as if that’s actually not a bad idea. Such a fucking temptress.

“Look!” Laiken says. “It has one of those racks to hang your pots and pans.” I smile at her excitement. “There’s just one problem. You can’t reach that.” Her eyes narrow as she glares at me, only to hoist herself onto the island and touch it just for the sake of proving me wrong.

I’m not sure this house has any flaws, other than the price. It’s close enough to everything and big enough for us to have a family in one day. We may not be buying this house together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t end up spending our lives here. Besides, if she’s going to be over all the time, she needs to like it.

I’ve always heard that age-old saying, the one that says when you know, you know. Honestly, I used to think it was just bullshit that people said to buy into the whole idea of love. But sitting here, looking at her now, I realize they’re right. You just fucking know.

I picture the look on Laiken’s face as we pulled up, and the way she was in awe of the inside. I can see it all. The two of us sharing the same space, raising a family and growing old together in the house Laiken fell in love with from the moment she saw it. And I want it all.

“Don’t let him hurt me.” I drape my arm over her. “Never. I promise.”

The only thing I can do is watch and wait for a broken system to save my brother. A system that nearly failed him the last time.

“You’re going to jump his bones tonight, aren’t you?” “Abso-fucking-lutely.”