All First Chapter Samples

“When we first met, did you ever picture we’d be sitting here like this?” I tore my focus away from Kevin and Bryan in the living room and glanced over to Maddox to see his reaction.

He was shaking his head and grinning. “The only thing I was thinking when I first met you was that I was hoping you hadn’t given Bryan a heart attack and that you guys seemed insane.”

I fought to keep my laughter quiet so I didn’t disturb the Scooby-Doo fest in the living room. Bryan and Kevin were both completely worn out from their first week back at classes and Maddox and I’d both decided they needed a night in to be little and just relax.

That usually meant cartoons and subtly stealing cookies.

“I can’t believe in a couple more days we’ll be ninth graders.” The excitement was clear in Gavin’s voice, but I just shook my head. Gavin couldn’t believe lots of things. Ten minutes ago, he couldn’t believe summer was almost here, and five minutes ago, he couldn’t believe Sara Maddison might like him.

“I’m not sure it really counts until the end of the summer.” I knew it didn’t count because that’s what Jeremy had said this morning.

Jeremy thought it was stupid and that you couldn’t claim the next grade until summer was actually over. So no matter what Gavin said, I knew it didn’t count. Unlike most big brothers who were lame and obnoxious, Jeremy knew everything.

Well, almost everything. There were a few things I was hoping Jeremy didn’t know. At least, not yet. Not until I was ready to tell Mom and Dad….Or until I knew what to tell them. I was afraid he’d already guessed, but he wasn’t the kind of brother who would go running to our parents.

“It’s not my fault!” Kevin’s screeching tone said he honestly believed what he was saying, but the way Bryan seemed to be chasing him through the house said he might be deluding himself.

They sounded like thunder and Kevin’s shriek as Bryan might’ve gotten close enough to grab him said chaos was quickly incoming.

“Do you know what he did?” Kevin had done something. He might’ve thought otherwise but that didn’t make it true.

Maddox was barely holding back laughter as he shrugged, but he managed to look like a serious Dom as the troublemakers ran into my office. Kevin nearly crashed into my desk as he made a last-minute strategic shift and aimed for Maddox. “Master Maddox, I didn’t do it.”

Oh, interesting.

“It’s a peanut butter sandwich. Honest. I just toasted it.” Kevin looked too earnest. He sincerely believed he could claim it as a sandwich.

“That’s two slices of chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter between them.” There was no way in hell I’d let him claim that insanity as a sandwich.

He huffed then walked over to the doorway of the kitchen and called out. “Maddox, what’s the definition of a peanut butter sandwich?”

Laughter floated through the house, but the bastard gave Kevin exactly what he wanted.

“A traditional sandwich means two slices of a bread-type substance and a peanut-based filling. With or without a jelly-ish or sweet substance like honey or a banana.” Maddox’s voice carried through the house as he got closer.

Will trade clean toilets for dirty books.

Well, as far as want ad titles went it was iffy, but I’d thought it’d gotten my point across pretty well when I’d been knee-deep in midnight margaritas. But sober me was starting to question that as I sorted through the responses I’d gotten to the possibly confusing ad.

At least everyone understood I was trading books and not sex.

“I don’t give a fuck what they told you. I’m not driving down that goddamned mountain in this weather! This is my time and you know it.” His eyes flashed with dark emotions as he stalked toward the porch.

If I thought he was sexy when he was angry, I was smart enough not to show it.

My standing stupidly in the doorway didn’t seem to help his emotional instability. But in my defense, I had no idea what he was talking about and it was incredible to see little Joe all grown up. I shouldn’t have found him hot considering I’d known him since he was five.

But the man standing in front of me only vaguely resembled the little boy he’d once been.

Especially the anger part.

Little Joe had been sweet and almost painfully shy. I could still picture him peeking around the wall by the staircase whenever I would visit his parents’ house. Even as he’d gotten older, he would smile hesitantly before quietly escaping any dinner party his family dragged him to.

“I—”

I didn’t get much out before he cut me off, but it seemed to only make his anger worse. “I’m a part-fucking-owner and this is my week. The goddamned lawyers I had to hire to make sure I got use it cost me a fucking fortune! The rest of the assholes that raised me might have money lying around like toilet paper, but some of us have to work for a goddamned living.”