All In (The Kings of Kroydon Hills, #1)

by Bella Matthews

thank God for whoever invented air conditioning.

same

Before either of them can answer me, a blonde goddess enters the kitchen. She’s tiny. I’m used to short. When you’re 6’4”, everyone seems short. But this girl looks like Tinker Bell.

Up ’til now, I was a fly on the wall, just taking it all in. But when this girl turns, looks up at me, and smiles, every ounce of will power I have starts to snap like strings on a guitar. I’m so screwed.

“Guys, this is my sister, Nattie. Stop looking at her like that, Murphy. She’s off-limits. Lay a hand on her, and I’ll break every finger.” The grin he gives us all is a little evil and a little serious. Damn.

“The fact that you, the biggest man whore I know, is saying anyone is off-limits is incredibly hypocritical. Tell me, little brother, how many girls have you hooked up with this summer?” When he doesn’t answer her right away, she crosses her arms over her chest and raises her eyebrows as if to say, “I’m waiting.” “Can the big, strong jock count that high?” She starts laughing, and the sound is throaty and sexy, not at all what I was expecting to hear.

I swear to God I hear Murphy mumble, “I bet I know what you’re ready to eat.” Murphy smiles at my glare before he walks back over to Natalie.

Sebastian is always looking for a reason not to go home, always trying to avoid his dad and his uncles. We like to joke about it, but his family is the kind you don’t cross if you want to stay in one piece. It’s the worst-kept secret in Kroydon Hills.

tension could hit Murphy over the head, and he still wouldn’t sense it.

She leans against the counter and glances at me again. “Cooper and Declan both bow down to the altar of the football gods. I don’t get on my knees for anyone.”

I can’t help but wonder who decorated the house because it’s gorgeous and certainly not something Dad or Coop is capable of.

lol

But, of course, it’s the quarterback who’s got my attention. With his warm brown hair hanging a little too long, whiskey-colored eyes that are a mix between brown and gold, and, from what I can see, the body of Captain America, he’s the epitome of my type. And his hands are enormous. HUGE. I desperately want to know what those calloused fingers would feel like on my skin. I’ve never had such an immediate and intense reaction to a guy before.

As a rule, I’ve always stayed away from Cooper’s teammates. It’s never been worth the hassle of the hissy fit he’ll inevitably throw if someone gets near the fragile flower he thinks I am. No one is good enough for me in his mind. I hate it.

This time when Brady smiles, it’s crooked and sexy. This is his real smile, not the practiced one for everyone else. This smile is a danger to my heart.

You familiar with that particular fairy, Brady?” I cock an eyebrow. Brady sits up. “I sure am. My sister went trick or treating dressed as her for three years in a row.” He seems to lower his voice at the end of his statement. Murphy stuffs a chip in his mouth before adding, “Yeah, and QB over here had to go as Peter Pan to make his sister and mom happy. Picture Brady in green tights.” Murphy is laughing so hard he doesn’t see the pillow getting thrown at his face until it smacks him in the nose. “Suck it up, Brady boy. When we were ten years old, I got to be a cool Optimus Prime, and you wore tights.” Brady mumbles something that sounds like, “I had a bow and arrow.”

Sebastian seems to be the quiet one of the group. I’ve barely heard him speak tonight. He’s soft-spoken when he does choose to say something but has been quick to laugh and seemed to have a smile on his face most of the night. I have a feeling he’s the silent but deadly type.

Here for it

“I’ll lift you if you need somebody to help you out there, Little Sinclair.” No sooner does Murphy utter those words and wink before he gets two pillows to the face, and I think Brady might have actually growled. Yeah, that was hot.

Sebastian seems like the type who would get more out of watching a conversation and people’s reactions than being an active participant.

But It seems Cooper has found himself a crew.” Sebastian leans forward. “Not just Cooper. We’ve got your back too. You may not know us yet, but we feel like we already know you. Cooper talks about you all the time. He couldn’t wait for you to get here. Kept saying it was wrong, you being across the country. Pretty sure it was driving him nuts to have this house to himself.” “Thanks, Sebastian. I appreciate that.”

It made me want to dig deeper and get to know her better. I also caught myself getting annoyed when Murphy would go out of his way to touch her. He wasn’t being a creep, but Murph is an overly affectionate, flirty fucker, and it bugged the hell out of me. I didn’t want it to bug me. I don’t date. I don’t do relationships. Relationships get complicated and complicated screws with my goals.

I might be an asshole because I’m trying to convince myself I can’t date Natalie Sinclair, but I sure as hell know I don’t want one of my best friends to take the choice from me.

Natalie spins around and lets out a squeak. Her hands go to my chest to steady herself, and the warmth of her body puts me on high alert. It would be so easy to lean down and kiss this girl. I have to remind myself why that’s a bad idea.

Forcing myself to back away is harder than it should be.

“I think she’s going. Once she hears your sister’ll be there, she won’t miss it. She told me before she can’t wait to meet the female version of you. I have to say, I think Little Sinclair is a significant improvement.” Coop regards me for a moment, before shutting me down. “Nope.”

I hate being a crier. If I get mad, I cry. Sad, I cry.

I can’t stop the tears now. I think I’ve danced as long as I have because I didn’t want to let anyone down. We’re overachievers in our family, and ballet was my achievement. Now, what am I going to do?

“Nope. These girls dress up for everything. Plus, you’re my sister, so they have to love you.” He winks at me, and I groan. “Oh God, Cooper. Have you slept with them all already?” He looks at me and laughs hard.

This isn’t the first time a girl has tried to befriend me to get closer to Cooper or Declan.

That sucks

Turning my head to Cooper, I lift the corner of my mouth. Really? This is who he’s seeing? Thank God Cooper can read my face because I need to get away from this girl, now.

As the two of us start to walk away, Chloe turns around and locks eyes with Cooper. “Have fun, Cooper. Don’t forget, babies grow up in eighteen years, but herpes lasts forever!”

Honestly, I’m boring. I love to read.” “Me too! What do you read?” I may be a little too excited to hear this. Chloe blushes as she admits, “Romance.” “So do I! We can have a book club.” Really cool, Natalie. A book club? That’s gonna win you friends.

I open my eyes to see Brady squatting down beside the chair. God, he’s a sight. The light frames his face, making his whiskey-colored eyes brighter than before. His smile makes my insides flutter, and I want to kick myself for even thinking that.

“Why yes, Murphy. Let us plan our girls’ beach day around your football schedule.” Chloe is throwing down the sarcasm, but Murphy isn’t picking it up. I might love her even more. “Perfect.” Murphy kisses Chloe on the top of the head and walks away. “Do you think the sky is blue in the world Murphy lives in?” Chloe grins at her own joke.

“So, tell me about yourself, Little Sinclair,” Brady asks as our arms brush, sending an electric charge through me. Pulling back slightly, I answer, “Only if you stop calling me that, QB.”

“Hey, what’s the story with your sister and Sebastian?” “No story. Chloe and Bash have known each other since he moved to town in fifth grade.” He must belatedly understand my question because he laughs a second later. “Nope. That’s not happening. Chloe doesn’t swing that way. She’s more likely to be into you than him.”

Cooper would fucking kill me if he knew how much time I spent tonight thinking about how easy it would be to untie that knot, to untie her like she was my favorite birthday present.

Nat spent the night laughing and talking with my sister, and for an inexplicable reason, that made me happy. I can’t figure out why she feels right when the idea of a girlfriend is a complication I don’t need.

At that moment, something settles in me, knowing I put that smile on her face. I want to be the man who earns that smile every day.

I watch them drive away and wonder what the fuck I was thinking. I was so close to kissing this girl. She’s the good girl you introduce to your mom, not the girl you let suck your dick and then toss aside. She’s fucking incredible, but am I going to break my own rule and potentially fuck up my final season playing for the Kroydon Knights and possibly the friendship I’ve got going with her brother on and off the field?

Natalie Sinclair might be worth the risk.

I also found out my new BFF is just as interested in guys as she is in girls, but when I asked her if Brady was wrong and something was going on between Bash and her, she laughed her ass off. Apparently, it’s hard to date any of the guys from school because she’s known them all since they used to eat dirt.

If Darby hooked up with someone else this weekend, would I be upset? I don’t know that I would be. But if Brady hooked up with another girl . . . I get irrationally annoyed just thinking about that. “Shit.” Chloe turns her head to face me. “Didn’t like the thought of that, now, did ya?” Nope. Not at all.

I wonder if I’m the only eighteen-year-old man who wishes his parents were more involved.

Poor kid

Two fucking hours in a car in stop-and-go traffic has me antsy to get out and stretch my legs.

Ugh that kind of traffic is the worst

My mind is screaming, get the fuck off what’s mine, and it’s starting to wear me down.

Murphy speaks up first. “Okay, ladies’ choice. Are we grilling dinner or ordering takeout? I’m starving.” Chloe’s eyes twinkle. “Yup. Feral, but ours.” Everybody but Murphy starts laughing.

What I fail to mention to my new bestie is that I might not be eye-fucking Brady, but I sure am thinking about all the ways he could be fucking me.

Just when Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” comes through the speakers, the guys come in with the food. Sebastian comes over and joins our little dance party. Before I know it, I’m the center of a Bash and Chloe sandwich.

He leans in close to my ear and whispers, “Play along, Little Sinclair.” I have no clue what I’m playing, but Bash isn’t half bad. He’s way better than I’d have thought a guy as big as he is would be. He has his knees bent and his hands on my hips, and I throw my arms around his shoulders and follow his lead. Murphy’s whistling reverberates through the house.

Cooper puts the platter of food down a little harder than necessary and then grumbles, “Dinner’s ready,” before stalking off back to the porch. I chance a quick glance at Brady. I don’t know him well enough to be sure, but the look on his face appears to be pissed. Is he jealous? With that in mind, I start to swing my hips and grind my ass a little more than I should. Chloe’s right, this boy needs to make up his mind.

I will not beg, but there’s nothing in the rules saying I can’t tease or try to force his hand. When the song ends, Bash kisses us both on the tops of our heads and then whispers in my ear, “Point one to you, Little Sinclair. You’ve got his attention.” Huh. Guess Bash is on my side too. Am I that obvious? Wait . . . do I have a side?