“Did you just fucking throat punch me?” I clutched my neck as I straightened, standing a good foot taller than her.
She was petite, gorgeous, and without a doubt, a violent lunatic.
And what the hell was she wearing? She had some sort of cheetah print robe on, with a hood over her head.
“Damn straight, I did. I’ll ask you one more time. Who are you?”
“I’m Easton’s brother. Who the hell are you?”
“Oh.” She dropped her arms and relaxed her body as she raised a brow. “I’m Lulu, Henley’s bestie. You must beRafael. You’re one of the Chad-dicks. I thought you were staying in the guesthouse?”
“It’s Rafe, and that would be Chadwick. Not Chad-dick.” I rolled my eyes at the fact that she said my name with a shit ton of confidence, even though she was incorrect. “And yes, I am staying in the guesthouse. I thought you weren’t supposed to move in until the end of the week.”
“There’s a storm coming, so I arrived a little early. I wasn’t aware that I needed to run it by you. Do you always just let yourself into a home that isn’t yours?” she hissed.
“Uncle Rafe. Are you okay?” Cutler called out from the kitchen, and I could hear the concern in his voice.
“Everything’s okay, Beefcake,” I said, my voice loud enough to carry down the hall.
“My God. You brought a child with you,” she huffed, as she stormed past me in her ridiculous cat costume. “You do know that breaking and entering is a crime, right?”
I groaned as I followed her to the kitchen. “It’s not breaking and entering when it’s your brother’s home and no one is supposed to be here.”
“Henley knew that I was coming early.” She stopped when she saw Cutler standing there, cowboy hat on his head, and chocolate smeared on his cheek.
“Beefcake. What are you eating, buddy?” I asked.
“I found some chocolate chips in the pantry. And I found the vinegar. And who did you find?” he asked, taking his hat off as he walked toward her.
“It looks like Henley’s friend decided to move in early.”
She shot me a glare over her shoulder. “Beefcake. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re Easton’s nephew, right?”
“Which also makes himmy nephew.” I pushed past her and took the chocolate chips from Cutler, pouring a bunch in my hand before handing back the bag. “Damn, I forgot how much I like these.”
“Okay, we need some ground rules. You can’t just barge in here unannounced. I could have been compromised.” She placed her hands on her hips, and damn, she was pretty. Not a stitch of makeup. I could tell she had blonde hair, even though it was hidden behind the ridiculous fuzzy hood.
“Compromised?” I asked.
“Yes. What if I wasn’t decent?”
“I can’t even imagine the physical violence that would have taken place if I’d walked in on you naked. The throat punch was a bit much, considering you were fully covered in a cheetah print costume, and there was no threat.” And now I couldn’t get the idea of her naked out of my head, although, she was basically wearing a bedspread over her body, so she wasn’t giving anything away.
Cutler’s head fell back in laughter. “Uncle Rafe, you can’t say naked to a girl you just met.”
Says who?
“Well, it’s nice to see that one of you has manners.” She closed the distance between us and put her hand out to Cutler, and he poured a bunch of chocolate chips into her hand. “Thank you. I’m Lulu, by the way.”
She offered him her other hand, completely ignoring me.
“I’m Cutler, but my friends call me Beefcake.” He waggled his brows. Damn, the dude had game. “Henley’s my girl, and if you’re her bestie, then I guess that makes you my girl, too.”
Her lips turned up in the corners, and she was that breathtaking kind of beautiful, even if she was an angry little wildcat.
“That’s the best offer I’ve had in a very long time. Consider me your girl, Beefcake. And how about you teach your uncle some manners about entering a home without knocking?”
More laughter from Cutler. Clearly, the kid had no loyalty when it came to a beautiful woman.
