There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Sixteen - Never EVER Again

Not even bothering to acknowledge Heath as he stood next to my still running car, I opened the door and slipped out onto the grass.

I buried my face into the stationary ground, groaning a heartfelt hallelujah. After taking River to a private air strip where we had spent most of the afternoon putting my car through its paces, I had allowed River the chance to drive it back to his house.

Never again – I had thought that his propensity for extreme speed was limited to an approved road, but no. He had broken more laws than I could even begin to comprehend.

"It wasn't that bad," River grumbled at me as I watched his shoes come to a stop next to his brother's. "You're overreacting, RiRi."

"What did you do?" Heath asked with amusement thick in his tone.

"Shut up," I grunted, hoping that my stomach would consent to settling down now that I knew I wasn't going to die.

"And you wonder why I won't let you behind the wheel of my car," Heath chuckled, crouching down so that I didn't have to move to look up at him. "How are you doing, Kitten?"

"He should come with a warning," I answered, liking the way that his eyes seemed to glow in the light. I had to admit, even if just to myself, that he was a very gorgeous specimen. "I don't think that I'll be able to get back up without puking."

"Poor baby."

I poked my tongue at him as River reached down to grasp me around the waist and heave me to my feet. I tilted for a moment, my hands grabbing onto something warm in front of me as I breathed through my very real nausea.

Never EVER again, I swore.

"Woah," Arms wrapped around me as I was pulled into a hard chest. "Seriously brother. Did you mean to have her fainting? What the hell did you do to get her like this?"

The voice rumbled nicely through Heath's chest even as my whole face flushed red when I realised that it was his embrace I was snuggled into.

I was grateful to him for saving me from an embarrassing face plant but now I had to deal with the fact that I was allowing him to support my entire weight as I slumped against him.

"Damn, I didn't mean to make her sick. RiRi, do you want me to take you home?" River asked, his voice quiet and filled with what I expected was remorse.

I pushed away from the both of them gently as everything settled. I looked into my friend's face and pointed a finger at his nose, "Never again are you driving with me in the car and no, thank you, I'll be fine now." I then pointed at Heath and pulled a face at his grin, "Thank you but I'm blaming you for not warning me about him."

He put his hands up, "How is it my fault?"

I shook my head, "It just is. Are we late for dinner?"

River pouted at me before he threw an arm over my shoulder and we all turned toward the house. "Mum should be serving it right about now."

"Does she know that you use driving as an excuse to practice your Need for Speed skills?"

Heath barked out a laugh as he chopped me on the head, surprising me. "There's a reason why he either gets driven around or catches a bus. No one trusts him not to practice extreme evasive manoeuvres when he believes that 'someone' might be following him."

River's arm tightened as we squeezed through the front door where I caught the wonderful smell of waiting food.

"You're both assholes," He grumbled.

"River Taylor Daimon, my hearing must be going on me because I swear that I just heard you call Alira an asshole," A female voice said from another room close by.

"Shit," River swore as I began to giggle.

"Mama," Heath called back, "Why are you only yelling at him for calling her a name? What about me?"

We all trotted through to the dining room where I saw Keira finishing with the place settings as the boys' father, now clean, sat at the head of the table and poked at his potatoes with a fork.

They both looked up to smile at us all before Mr Daimon jumped to his feet hurried over to where I was just resisting the urge to hide behind River even as I returned their happy expressions with a shy one of my own.

"Let the girl go, River and go help your mother with dinner," He ordered while he peered down at me. It was funny - although he seemed outrageously friendly, I wasn't uncomfortable.

"Hello, Mr Daimon," I murmured, trying to keep my eyes on the towering man even as my gaze wanted to track how Heath and River dropped kisses on their mother's cheeks and cheekily stole everything that she was trying to arrange across the table.

"Bah," he waved. "My name is Marcus and I expect you to use it. I just wanted to apologize for our introductions earlier. My wife and sons always tell me that I come across too strongly when I meet new people."

I smiled brightly, unaware that the others were watching me closely, "Meeting you was entertaining," I whispered, amused. "I've never been greeted with such...dusty happiness before."

He laughed slightly and turned to offer me an elbow, "It's wonderful to make the acquaintance of River's friend." He leaned down, "Thank you."

Looking into River's eyes as I seated myself, I felt my throat close gently. What exactly could have happened to him that his family had shielded him so fiercely and reacted with such joy when he finally found someone to spend time with?