by A. M. Myers
“Man, we’ve been sitting on the damn cabin for three fucking days and there is nothing.”
I nod. When Blaze told them to sit on the cabin and watch for Warren, I told him it was stupid but no one listened to me. “Yeah, I figured. It was clear by the shit he left on the walls for us that he was done with the place.”
“I suppose you’re right. How’s shit there?”
“Fine, I think,” I answer with a shrug. Honestly, I don’t have a fucking clue since I haven’t ventured out of my room much today. “The girls are all in your room getting ready for Piper’s bachelorette party.”
He sighs. “Fuck me. I forgot about that shit…. Well, we’re on our way back now.”
“Okay. We’ll be here.”
“Hey, make sure my wife isn’t wearing anything too short… or too low cut… or fucking backless,” he growls and I laugh, shaking my head.
“Fuck no, dude. I am not going into the middle of that war zone and telling your old lady what she can or can’t wear. If she didn’t kill me, Tate definitely would.”
He scoffs. “Pussy.”
“Asshole.”
“You planning on packing tonight? Just in case?” he asks and I glance up at the sign on the wall that doubles as a gun safe. I usually don’t have a reason to carry but there is no way in hell I’m letting us all go out without bringing my piece along.
“Yeah. I think we all are.”
“Well,” he mutters. “I guess it will be interesting. See y’all soon.”
After we say good-bye, I set my phone back down on the desk and lean back in my chair as I scrub a hand over my face. Honestly, going out tonight is a terrible fucking idea, like we’re waving a red flag at an angry bull, but it also feels like exactly what I need. I’m so goddamn stressed out by all of this and I deserve a few hours to let loose, a few hours to not think about Warren and his plan for us.
“Knock, knock.”
I glance up as Rowan walks into my room, shutting the door behind her and when she turns back to me, I swallow back a groan. Fuck, why the hell does she always have to look so fucking good? Dragging my gaze down her body, I take in the tight gold dress she has on that hits her mid-thigh and I think about how easy it would be to pull it up over her ass and slip inside her. It has cutouts all the way up her body on both sides, revealing tanned skin and my hands ache to touch her.
“Are you trying to give me a coronary?”
She smiles and it lights up her whole face. Jesus, she’s gorgeous and I don’t just mean her body, although that is spectacular but it’s deeper than that. It’s the way her eyes sparkle with this playfulness that makes you want to dive in, consequences be damned, and the way she has the nerves of a virgin and the confidence of a bombshell at the same time, this perfect mixture of contradictions that I can’t quite figure out.
“Is it that good?” she asks and I drag my thoughts back to her dress. Is it that good? Hell fucking yes, it is but she looks just as good in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
“Definitely.” I hold my hand out to her and she walks over to me before climbing on my lap and straddling my legs. I drag my hands up her thighs and take a deep, cleansing breath. Fuck. She is magic. “Have you gotten this approved by your brother yet?”
Scowling, she smacks my chest and I can’t help but laugh. “Fuck you. I’m a grown woman and I can wear whatever the hell I want.”
“I think Kodiak would disagree.”
“Lincoln can shove it right up his ass. He doesn’t tell me what to do,” she snaps and I laugh again at her cute little scowl as she glares at my door like Kodiak is standing on the other side. She turns, staring daggers at me but it only makes me laugh harder and her lips twitch. “Stop it. Let me be mad at you.”
I shake my head. “Can’t. Now, come here and kiss me.”
Sighing, she practically melts on my lap, despite the furrow of her brow, and leans in to press her lips to mine as she presses her hands to my chest. I grab her ass, pulling her closer with one hand as I cup her cheek with the other and flick my tongue against her bottom lip. They part in an instant and she moans into the kiss as her fingers grip my t-shirt. All of my stress, all of the shit I work so hard to forget but never really do just melts away with her touch and I’m just a guy, kissing a girl that sets his world on fire. For the first time in a long time, I feel like myself. There is no hiding, there is no mask, there is just us and it’s all because of her.
“You should start getting ready,” she whispers before stealing a few more kisses and when she pulls away, I groan.
“Come back.”
She shakes her head, her smile bright. “I’m serious. We’re all almost ready. You need to get dressed.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I ask, glancing down at my jeans and t-shirt and she rolls her eyes as she climbs off of my lap.
“You’re really going to go out with me, looking like this,” she replies, motioning to her body. “Dressed like that.”
I arch a brow. “Am I going out with you? What about your brother?”
“I don’t give a fuck tonight. We’ve been under a shit ton of stress and I want to have fun with you… so you can’t be dressed like that.”
“Fine,” I shoot back with a laugh as I stand up and walk over to my closet. Honestly, I don’t really care what I wear but if it will make her happy, I’ll change. “Are you going to pick it out for me?”
“Absolutely not. You’re a big boy.”
“Nice of you to notice,” I say, wagging my eyebrows before winking at her and she scoffs as she rolls her eyes, fighting back a smile.
“Oh my God, men,” she groans playfully, giving me a little shove before walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge as I start riffling through the closet. “The black one.”
I turn back to her as I pull the black button up shirt out of the closet. “Thought you weren’t gonna pick it out for me.”
“Do whatever you want. I just thought it would look hot on you and I couldn’t help thinking about taking it off of you when we get back,” she says, shrugging like she didn’t just throw down the gauntlet. Fuck me. All night, I’m going to be thinking about getting her back up to my room and peeling that little gold dress off of her with my teeth.
“You got more tricks to show me, Princess?”
She grins. “Maybe. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a tease?” I ask, my gaze flicking down her long, tan legs as she crosses them and leans back on the bed.
Jesus Christ, I want her.
I pull my eyes back up her body and when I meet her eyes, she smiles. “Don’t pretend like you don’t like it, Travis.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I protest, turning away from her as I pull my t-shirt over my head and toss it to the floor before slipping into the button up. She lets out a little laugh and I glance back at her as she stands up, arching a brow in challenge. Oh, that look fucking kills me. It’s the look she gets when she wants to play and that usually only leads to one thing.
“Is that right?”
I suck in a breath as my cock twitches. “Yep.”
“Hmm,” she hums to herself as she struts across my room in her black heels but I turn away like I’m not interested. Also, so she can’t see that I’m fucking hard as a rock now, just from one look. She stops next to me and places her hand on my bare chest before slowly dragging it down the front of my body. Jesus Christ, if she doesn’t stop, we won’t make it to the club. Continuing down over my stomach, she inches lower and lower, torturing me with possibilities as my breath sticks in my throat. Her hand drags down the front of my jeans, brushing over my dick and I bite back a hiss as I turn to look at her. Meeting my eyes, she smiles before leaning in and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Challenge accepted.”
Fuck. Me.
Chapter Thirteen
Rowan
The door to the club opens and “Shameless” by Camila Cabello rushe
s out to greet us as I turn to look at Tate and the other girls with a smile. A few of the guys make a noise of annoyance behind us as we all walk into the club but we ignore them, too excited to be bothered by their irritation. My giddiness with going out and having a good time tonight is also the reason I was easily able to brush off my brother’s bitch fit when he saw the little gold dress I have on. The boy really should have learned by now that he can’t tell me what to do. Butterflies flutter around in my belly as we stop just inside the door and my gaze is drawn to the middle of the room where people are dancing together, moving to the beat as it pulses through the club. I’m eager to get out there and let loose.
Something brushes against the back of my hand and I glance to my other side as Travis drags his knuckles across my skin and peeks down at me with a grin, forcing one to my lips as our eyes meet. A shiver races down my spine at the heat in his eyes and my mind flips to the next time I can get him alone. God, there is something so damn exciting about our little secret but there are times, like tonight, where I just want to hold his hand or dance with him without the rest of the world breathing down on us. It would be amazing if he and I could just be out in the open about our casual, no strings attached relationship without the rest of the club lobbing their expectations at the two of us and ruining it.
“Come with me,” Tate instructs, hooking her arm through mine as she starts dragging me away from the group. “I’m buying you a drink.”
“Goddamn it, Tate!” Lincoln yells and she turns back to him with a look that I can only imagine makes him think twice about saying anything. Or maybe not. I’m halfway convinced that the thing my brother loves most is riling his wife up.
“What?”
He sighs. “Y’all promised to stay together.”
“Look,” she shoots back, grabbing my hand with hers and holding it in the air. “I have my buddy, my taser, and my gun. Are we allowed to go to the bar?”
Stepping toward us, he nods. “If I come with you.”
“Fine, but stay the hell back. We need to have girl talk,” she hisses, turning before he has a chance to reply and dragging me through the crowd. Lincoln makes a noise of frustration as he trails after us and I shake my head. I know we promised the boys we would all stay with them but if anyone can protect me from Warren or whoever the hell is after us, it’s Tate. She’d probably grab him by the balls and eviscerate him right in the middle of this club without a second thought.
“What can I get you, ladies?” the bartender asks, a flirty smile on his face before his gaze flicks to the behemoth behind us. Glancing back at my big brother, I roll my eyes and laugh. He has his large arms crossed over his chest and he’s glaring daggers at the bartender, who has taken a step back.
“I’ll just get a water,” Tate says before turning to look at me. “What do you want? It’s my treat tonight.”
I look up at the bartender and smile, hoping to make him feel a little more at ease. “A whiskey, please. Neat.”
Nodding, he walks down the bar to begin making our drinks and Tate turns to look at her husband with a sigh.
“I thought I told you to stay back so we could have girl talk.”
He scowls. “What the hell do you need to talk about that you can’t say in front of me?”
“Lincoln… baby,” she says, patting his arm as she shakes her head and fights back a smile. “There are literally not enough hours in a day to answer that question.”
“What the fuck ever,” he growls, stomping a few feet away from us and slipping onto a bar stool. Tate rolls her eyes and nudges me before pointing to a couple of open stools a few feet in the opposite direction. I nod, fighting back a giggle at how much she likes to antagonize him. Some people might see it as mean but it’s exactly what he needs because Tate forces him out of that provider slash protector mode he fell into when our dad died. Granted, that was exactly what my mom, Nora, and I needed at the time but for so long, I watched my brother live for everyone around him. He never did anything to make himself happy until the day he left Alaska and he was miserable. Not that he would ever admit it but I could see it and now that Tate has come into his life, I can see the weight it has lifted off of his shoulders. And like I said, he gives as good as he gets with her.
“So,” Tate muses as we sit down and the bartender sets our drinks in front of us. “What’s going on with you?”
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
“What about Ash? Has he called again?”
“Yeah, he calls at least once a day still,” I tell her, taking a sip of my drink and enjoying the burn as it blazes a path down my throat. It’s irritating as hell that Ash still hasn’t gotten a clue but I have to believe that he’ll figure out that it really is over soon enough and then the calls will stop.
“That offer to go up to Alaska is still on the table.”
I laugh. “Thanks, but I don’t think anything that drastic is required. He’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“Okay. If you say so,” she muses, turning to me with narrowed eyes and my belly does a little flip. “Anything new to report?”
Her look says it all. She knows something and she’s trying to get me to tell her about it before she has to tell me she knows. I can only think of one secret she could be hinting at but Travis and I swore we would keep our little fling under wraps so I shake my head and look away as I take another sip of my drink.
“Nope.”
“Hmm… so then, when I saw Streak press you up against a wall in the hallway and kiss you like he was about to take his last breath, that was… nothing?”
I shrug, my cheeks burning as I think about the kiss she witnessed. “It’s casual.”
“Right. That didn’t look like a casual kiss. You know what else didn’t look casual? The grin on your face when you stumbled out of his room the other night.”
Fuck.
I thought we were being so careful to sneak around but clearly, we need to be more diligent.
“Look, the truth is, I don’t care what you do with Streak. You’re a grown woman and from what I can see, the boy is fucking smitten but just know,” she says, pointing down the bar to my brother, “he, however, is going to flip his fucking lid if he finds out about this. Especially if he thinks Streak is screwing you around.”
Turning, I meet her gaze. “It really is just casual, Tate. We both needed a distraction from…”
“Yeah. That’s how it always starts, girl, and the next thing you know…” Her voice trails off as she points to her wedding ring and her little baby bump. I shake my head.
“We’re just having fun.”
Sighing, she nods and takes a sip of her water. “If you say so. What do you think he thinks we’re talking about right now?”
“Huh?” I ask and she points down the bar to Lincoln, who is staring at us with a scowl. I imagine everything he just saw and laugh.
“He probably thinks you’re trashing him.”
“You’re probably right. Don’t tell him this but I’m fucking crazy about that man. I know you don’t know me all that well yet, Rowan, and I’m sure you’ve heard some crazy ass shit about me from the other guys but I really want you to know how much I love your brother. That man has saved me more times than I can…” Her voice breaks as her words trail off and she sniffles, dabbing at her eyes. “Fuck. These dumb ass pregnancy hormones. I don’t cry, okay?”
Nodding, I laugh. “I got that.”
“But I do mean everything I just said. Lincoln and these babies mean fucking everything to me and you’re a part of that. You’ve been through so much lately and lost so much but you still have family and people that love you.”
“Jesus,” I whisper, tears stinging my eyes as her words smack me right in the chest. “What in the hell are you trying to do to me? Look at us, crying in a damn club when we’re supposed to be celebrating.”
She shakes her head. “For fuck sake. Let’s go dance before I have to murder all these guys for seeing that I possess the ability to
cry.”
“Let’s do it.” I nod as I throw back the rest of my drink, twisting my face as it burns down my throat. We stand up and Lincoln is by our side in an instant, looking intense as he scans the crowd. I nudge him with my elbow and roll my eyes when he turns his glare on me. “Simmer down, big brother. Tonight is supposed to be fun.”
“Maybe for you but for the guys, it’s fucking stressful. Where are y’all planning on going now?”
Tate points to the dance floor where the rest of our group is, some of them out on the floor dancing and others sitting at the tables on the edge of the crowd, and he releases a sigh.
“Thank God.”
As we weave our way through the crowd, Lincoln wraps his arm around Tate’s shoulder, pulling her close and she grabs my hand, making sure I don’t get lost which I find amusing. As much as she gives my brother a hard time about his overbearing nature and protectiveness, she is almost as bad. Almost. “Body Party” by Ciara starts playing as we reach the edge of the dance floor and Tate squeezes my hand before leaning in closer.
“Go dance with your boy,” she whispers before motioning to Lincoln. “I’ll distract the bear.”
I grin. “Best sister-in-law ever.”
She releases my hand with a laugh and shoves me toward the dance floor as Lincoln guides her toward the tables. When he realizes that I’m gone, he spins around but I shimmy closer to our group and give him a little wave to let him know I’m okay. Tate whispers something in his ear and he sighs before nodding and leaving me to dance. Once the coast is clear, I search the room for Travis, excited to dance with him, out in public, and turned on from our little game earlier. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I remember the way I skimmed my hand over his cock and the sound he made when I pressed my lips against his throat as I trail my fingers down toward my cleavage.
“Looking for something?”
A grin stretches across my face at the whispered question and my eyes close as I lean back into Travis’s body, his scent surrounding me as a shiver works its way up my spine. His hands grip my hips as he presses a quick kiss against my neck before dragging his nose up to my ear.
