by Janie Marie
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“More than she’ll ever know.” He felt complete relief when his dad smiled. But he still worried about his dad and Sarah. His dad loved Sarah too, and he didn’t want anyone choosing him over their happiness. “Are you planning on moving home?”
Smile slipping, Kingston sighed. “I told you not to worry.”
“I know, but I would like to know. I’d like you to come home . . . with Jane.”
Exhaling loudly, his dad shook his head. “Jane is my priority right now. I cannot put her and Sarah under the same roof. And I don’t think Jane minds this new school now that she is making friends. I told Sarah we would re-evaluate our marriage after Jane’s birthday. When that time comes, we can talk about things with you as well. If these boys get tired of you . . .”
“Tired of David’s sexy ass? Highly unlikely.” Archer strolled into the room wearing only a pair of sweatpants. “Hey, David’s dad.”
“Hello.” Kingston watched as Archer sat, draping himself across the chair at the head of the table. “Please tell me you’re not in Jane’s harem.”
“Am I in Jane’s team?” Archer grinned wickedly at David. “Not yet.”
David threw a piece of bread at him. “Not ever.”
“Never say never,” Archer said, laughing loudly when Kingston threw his zucchini at him.
Twenty-Four
“Okay,” Damon said, staring at the sheet of paper she’d written out. Her schedule. “You’re getting it from Ryder Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday—watching him fight Thursday, and you’re seeing Tercero for”—he made air quotes—“‘dance lessons’ on Wednesday, which you also spend forty-five minutes with Luc when he takes you to dinner and home.” He laughed lowly. “I never thought I’d see the king on such a tight schedule.”
Sin leaned over, squishing her between him and Damon. “Is Friday blank for us?”
Her heart sank. She had never wanted to root for a team besides Black Hills, but she had been fully accepted by this group of guys and wanted to see them win as well. Cheering for them during the pep rally today had lifted her spirits because she had felt so bad for not talking to David last night. She knew he was feeling neglected, and her little pity parties had hit him most. So, it gutted her to not be there for him for this away game. She would’ve loved to wear his jersey and still have Ryder’s jacket on, but everything was stretched so thin with David.
“She’s not going to our game,” Than said as he picked at his food. “Luc is taking her to watch David play.”
Sin gave her an exaggerated pout. “David is more important than us?”
Hadrian laughed before pouting his lips too. “But, Jane, we were going to dance for you.”
Her face burned; everyone picked at David for leading the team with a dance. “Sorry, boys. I’m a sucker for blue-eyed boys with nice asses and killer smiles.”
“Damn,” Hadrian said, dramatically shaking his head. “I’ve heard the tales of David’s ass, too. Even Ryder was worried.”
“Shut up.” She covered her face when they kept teasing her.
“We’re picking you up at four tomorrow,” Damon declared, snatching her pencil and filling in her schedule. “Two hours minimum. Bring your boys if you want, but we’re training you—Ryder already agreed to stay out of it.”
Than nodded. “The Godsons are horrible teachers.”
“Not Luc,” Gabe said. “But he’ll insist she learn without his instruction.”
She’d asked them to teach her how to defend herself because she knew Ryder worried a lot. Plus, she was tired of leaning on a guy to protect her. It wasn’t entirely her fault—David kept everyone away and Ryder shielded her in his own ways, but she had to prepare for not always having a guy with her.
“Ask your friend to come,” Damon told her quietly. “This Saturday, I mean.”
Her chest instantly tightened, and she swallowed hard. Wendy had tried calling her when she was out with Ryder last night, and then she didn’t answer or respond to texts when Jane had tried to reach her.
“Is she hot?” Hadrian asked.
Jane smiled. “She’s very pretty, but I don’t think she’ll come.”
“Justine will be there,” Damon commented, avoiding Than’s stare. “She’s not convinced you’re really with Ryder when I told her we’d be training you. So, I invited her.”
The anxiety Jane felt whenever she was expected to be around a girl who wasn’t Wendy had her whole body wound tight. Not to mention Justine was a teacher; a gorgeous woman. Jane was a goofball.
“You’ll get along,” Than said before standing and carrying his tray to the trash.
“He knows about you?” she asked Damon.
Sin snorted. “My Gran-gran knows about them.”
A strained smile twisted on Damon’s face. “Apparently, the joke was on me.”
Jane pinched his cheek. “Aw, they saw through you.”
“If we hadn’t,” Hadrian said, “we would’ve confronted him about flirting with you.”
Sin grinned at her. “Or told Ryder.”
“I’m not afraid of him,” Damon muttered as the others laughed.
“I thought he was going to rip your dick off for dancing with her,” Sin roared with laughter.
“I thought Jane was going to kill Justine,” Than said, walking back. He winked at Jane as the others laughed. “I truly had to consider sister or queen.”
Jane cackled with them. “Please always choose your sister. No question. But I did want to claw her eyes out. She’s so pretty.”
Damon joined in now. “I actually had to hold Jane back.”
Her face heated. “I’ve just never seen Ryder hold another girl’s hand. I always figured he was with older girls since he wasn’t with any at school, and she’s so pretty—totally the type I’d imagine he’d go for.”
“Aww,” Sin cooed, wrapping an arm around her. “Ugly, were you jealous?”
She elbowed him as Than scolded him for calling her ugly.
“It’s what I call her until she gives us the pretty smile and acts confident,” Sin told him, squeezing her to his side more. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ryder with another girl. Don’t even think that. Even if a smokin’ hot babe like Justine or someone else made it clear they liked him, he never looked.”
She smiled sadly but finally laughed when he raised an eyebrow at her.
“Ah, there’s Beautiful.” He released her as the others continued to tease her blushing face. Luckily, her phone rang.
“Oh, which one is it?” Sin, nosy as ever, peeked over and accepted the Facetime call from David. “Ah, calling to find out if I’ve stolen your princess?”
David remained calm, a smirk lifting on his lips. “My princess bites, and she’s loyal. Even the bad wolves lure her away for a bit, she knows where home is. She’ll rip a hole in you then come skipping back to me with a smile on her pretty face.”
Sin pouted, handing her the phone. “If that was Ryder, he’d at least give me a death threat so I feel like I have a chance. David’s confidence wounds me.”
She chuckled, standing so she could talk in private. “Hi.”
A gorgeous smile and mesmerizing blue eyes lit up his face. “Hi, baby.”
She was gonna be a pile of goo every time he called her that. “What’s up? Are you guys already leaving?”
“Not yet. I just wanted to check on you.” He smiled again. “Ryder told me you got to see him fight. I didn’t know.”
“Yeah.” She wasn’t sure how he’d react. There was drinking, drugs, and sex all present at the fight club, and she had engaged in one of them with Ryder.
David nodded. “He told me how things are there—that you were nervous. He took care of you, though?”
“Yeah.” She really smiled now. “He threatened everyone, and I had my buddies from school while he fought.”
He grunted. “I know Sin. The others not so much, but Sin is a good guy when he’s not trying to get i
nto a girl’s pants.”
“Well, he’s not trying, but he does offer me apples quite a bit.”
David laughed, and she realized how much she’d missed the sound.
“You’re okay with me coming with Luc to the game, right?” She watched a slight tightness to his expression. It was hard to tell what he really thought, but he nodded.
“He’ll get you there safe. I know my dad can’t make it, so I’d rather you have a solid ride.” He swallowed. “Unless you wanted to go out with him somewhere? I know you don’t spend much time with him.”
She shook her head repeatedly. “I’m watching you play, and I’m screaming my lungs out.”
“All right.” He looked behind himself. “I’m sure Tercero will be available if you need him. Call him if Luc gives you any trouble.”
“Are you getting along with everyone?” She felt so stupid for asking. Honestly, what did she think was going on?
“Better than I expected to,” he said, focusing on her face again. “I do want to see about getting some alone time with you like the others. Dad said I could ask if you were interested in seeing me.”
“I’d love to have alone time with you,” she whispered as she completely embraced Ryder’s advice to her last night–to let David wrap her up in his love.
Her gorgeous boy gave her a sexy grin. “Just a little bit . . . then Ryder can join us.”
That had not been what she was expecting him to say.
His smile stretched wider. “You get both of us, baby. We’re just greedy, and we like to steal moments just for ourselves.”
Jane watched her face turn an embarrassing shade of pink. “Oh.”
“Oh,” he echoed with a light laugh. “Have fun with Luc. Be ready for me afterward.”
Jane wasn’t going to lie to herself–Luc made her nervous as hell. He was always proper with her, but it was the tiny touches and looks that he gave her that had her burning beneath his cool skin.
His hand tightened around her thigh as he drove with his left hand. “Why do I have the feeling you wish Tercero would’ve offered to bring you tonight?”
Her head snapped to the side, her lips parting as he cast her an emotionless glance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Those gray eyes made contact with hers. “You prefer Tercero over me.”
“Are you pouting?” She covered her mouth, surprised she’d said that.
His smirk came and went. “Perhaps I am.”
She sighed, placing her hand over his. “I would’ve gone with Tercero if he offered, but I think he stayed quiet because he gets more time with me than you do. He knows you make me nervous.”
“My little brother wants you comfortable with me?” He chuckled, and the dark sound sent a shiver through her body. “Very well. I will make the most of our time and make a request.”
“Request?”
Though his expression remained empty, the faint squeeze of her hand warmed her heart. “I want you to visit my office.”
She blinked up at him, her mind immediately going Fifty Shades of Grey because Luc totally destroyed Christian Grey in every department. “Why?” she managed to choke out as the image of Luc opening a secret ‘toy room’ in his office popped in her head. Did he plan on spanking her or doing some of the twisted stuff?
He sent her an amused look. “Don’t worry, it’s not a trick to tie you to my desk so that I may take you whenever I like or tell you to wrap your pretty mouth around my cock while I take conference calls.”
“Luc,” she said as the pulse in her neck fluttered.
“You were thinking it,” was his calm reply, which left any retort she had silent. He chuckled again. “Kingston mentioned you were not applying to any universities–that you had no goals for your future. I wanted to allow you to explore the departments within my company to hopefully inspire you in a career path.”
“Millionaire playboy?” She tried desperately not to think about the image of her on her knees between his legs with his hand tangled in her hair as he gagged her. Jesus Christ! She needed to get a grip on her hormones.
“You are not a boy, Jane. Think of this as deciding your place as the queen who will help me rule my kingdom.”
Her breath hitched. It was true she had zero goals for herself after graduation. She was an okay student, but she wasn’t getting herself in debt by going to college, especially when she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. “You want me to work with you?”
“I would not offer it if I didn’t want you by my side, Jane.” He squeezed her thigh before pulling his hand free. They finally arrived at the stadium, and he pulled a few bills from his console to pay for parking.
“Are you saying I can be your secretary?”
He rolled his window down as he shook his head. “You would be a terrible secretary. For one with such a beautiful mind, you are incredibly unorganized.”
“I don’t know if I’m offended or not.”
“Perhaps you are not as smart as I give you credit for.” He cast her a wicked smile as she glared at him, and he snatched her chin to stare into her eyes. “Ah, there is my fiery queen. I have missed her.”
The fire in her didn’t want to burn him, but she believed he was willing to burn with her if she asked him to. “Why do you always push me?”
He leaned down, brushing a faint kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Because I wish to see you at your full potential.”
Her breath released with a soft moan as he continued brushing his lips across the corner of hers. She didn’t know how he did this to her—made her desire him even though she was terrified. But her body responded before her brain each time, and her heart clung to every decent thing he did as a sign of affection.
“My, you are a needy one,” he murmured, giving her the kiss she had been waiting for. It was a simple kiss, just a firm pressing of his lips to hers, but it made her toes curl, her back arch, and when he inhaled deeply, she saw stars. “Do you really desire to watch the game?”
She blinked up at him, the faint chill of his touch fading as he leaned away.
When she didn’t answer, he sighed and continued toward the gate attendant, holding out his money. “You’re not ready for me. I’m not sure you ever want to be.”
“What?” A knot of dread formed in her gut.
Luc rolled his window up, driving forward without looking at her. “I withdraw my pursuit of you, Jane.”
All she could do was stare at him as the knot twisted so tightly that she could barely draw in a breath. “You’re breaking up with me?” she finally managed.
He didn’t pull his eyes from the road. “I’m letting you go. I am here should you need anything, but yes, we are done.”
She pressed her hand over her heart as tears blurred her sight. A constant shift of numbness and agonizing pain bloomed in her chest. Luc had always been that wildcard, but she realized now how much she adored that he was there, silently watching over her.
Her gaze shifted out the window as he searched for a parking spot. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“My offer will still stand for you to explore my business. It’s large enough you don’t necessarily have to interact with me. I think you would enjoy leading, though. Do not let this separation between us hold you back.”
There were no words. Her mind screamed to tell him she was sorry, that she didn’t want to end things, but her heart and soul, they stayed silent. Sad. It fully crippled any attempt to ask him to stay.
“Tercero is meeting us at the gate. I’ll leave you with him.” He parked, still refusing to look at her as he opened his door.
Sharp breaths filled the silence as he got out and shut the door then rounded the car. Her eyes stung, her throat felt like it was closing, and her heart . . . oh, her heart. If he had Tercero waiting, he’d already planned to break up with her.
Luc opened her door and held out a hand for her. Finally, silver-gray eyes captured hers. “Do not cry for this. I am making your si
tuation easier to bear.”
“I don’t need it easier.” She smacked his hand and stood up as an inferno raged within her. She glared up at him as he merely lowered his eyes to take her in. No smirk touched his lips, no sign of any emotion at all. “I don’t know how to do any of this, Luc.”
“You don’t know what you want to do, Jane.” He gripped her chin, forcing her to not look away from him as he leaned closer. He lowered his face quickly, giving her a brutal kiss that surely bruised her lips. “I am making it simpler because you need me to. Besides, you have the others to occupy your filled schedule.”
Her nose felt clogged, and she yanked her chin free. “I guess because they care more than you do.”
A mixture of growl and annoyed grunt sounded from him. “As I said before, you are not as smart as I had thought.”
Tercero studied the empty expression on Jane’s face as she stared down at the football field. The game was still in the first quarter, and David was killing it, but she wasn’t there for it. She, as bright as she was naturally, was now dull, flickering the bleariest sparks of light.
He and the others had already known Luc was ending things with her; that’s why they agreed Luc should drive her to the game. It was Ryder’s orders to their big brother to feel things out before ending what she could have with Luc.
But Tercero had known from early on that Luc would walk away. His brother didn’t like sharing, nor did he. In fact, none of them wanted to share her. But where Luc would encourage her to rule beside him alone, Tercero was content letting her dance between them, David was fine fighting everything against him to hold her for all of them, and Ryder was doing all he could to see that she glowed her brightest by having the world at her feet. But no one could sway Luc.
“Your heart cries loudly, tesoro mio,” he told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.
She inhaled deeply as crystal tears clung dearly to her dark eyelashes. “I just don’t know what I did wrong.”
He sighed, kissing her head. “You did nothing wrong. He knew from the start he would not keep you. He just couldn’t resist trying.”
