“Hang on, I’d better shore up the details with my sitter.” I go to leave and he spins me back to him, making it look just like a move you might see out on the dance floor. I’m sensing a theme. “What areyoudoing later, Oliver?”
He ticks his head back, his lids hang heavy, and his lips curl at the tips. “Lexy said she wanted to swing by and show me some dance moves of her own.”
I don’t hesitate to swat him. “You are terrible. I guess we’ll both be shaking our stuff tonight.” I take a step out and he catches me by the wrist, that playful look on his face making him look lethally sexy.
“Shake it for me,” he whispers, his amber eyes never leaving mine.
“Let’s just say, the odds are in your favor.” I bubble with laughter all the way to the hall where I meet up with both of my sisters.
Mia and Melissa are quick to shuttle me to the foyer, their budding excitement is on the verge of hysterics.
“What’s happening?” I laugh right along with them. For the first time in forever, it feels okay to laugh and feel joy at the very same time. It feels peaceful—as peaceful as a leader can get knowing that thirty of her men are missing. I plan on having a serious meeting of the minds with Marshall as soon as Bree’s vow renewal is over. This has gone on long enough.
Mia gives Melissa a hearty shove in my direction. “You go first.”
Melissa rolls her eyes. Her hair is sitting on top of her head in a bun and her widow’s peak hangs prominent into her forehead. I love the way Melissa embraces it rather than trying to hide it.
“So Dom and I finalized the formula this morning. Paragon Love Potion is a go.” She gives a casual shrug. “I ran into Gabe this afternoon at the Burger Hut and I spiked his soda when he wasn’t looking.”
“Oh my God, you can go to jail for something like that.” I’m not laughing anymore. The last thing I want for either of my sisters is for them to get tangled up in legal trouble. “Did anyone see you do it?”
She shakes her head, her annoyance evident in the way she’s scowling at me.
“No,” she hisses. “I waited until he went back to load up his bag with napkins and ketchup. He was getting it to go. Anyway—he took a few swigs and I did exactly what Dom told me to do. I looked right into his eyes and shoutedyou’re the one for meat the top of my lungs.”
“Oh God.” I shudder at the humiliation Melissa undoubtedly faced whether or not she knows it and I’m betting not. “Melissa, she’s pulling your leg. There is no love potion. Just be thankful you didn’t poison the boy. A love potion can never work. There’s no scientific way to make someone fall in love with you.”
Melissa huffs as she lands a hand on her hip. “Sure there is. The powder has some serious feel-good vibes attached to it and I happen to know firsthand it gives you a mean rush. As soon as he sipped the drink, I saw his eyes roll back into his head and that’s when I yelled at him. Now he’s forever going to associate me with that feeling, and once he runs out of the drink, the only other way to get those feel-good vibes will be through me.”
“As in, you’ll be his supplier,” I flatline.
A knock goes off at the door and I open it to find my friendly neighborhood Sector.
“Speaking of feel-good vibes.” I pull Marshall into a hearty embrace and nothing. “You are one cold-hearted bastard.” I give a little wink to dampen the effects of my salty language.
Mia pokes me in the ribs. “Anyway, I’m seeing Rev tonight when he brings back D-O-G and you can bet your Logan Oliver loving dollar I’m going to spike the Kool-Aid.” She leans up and whispers, “Nice job in the man wrangling department yourself. I saw the way he was looking at you and holding your hand.”
I clear my throat as I try my best to ignore the fact Marshall is openly listening in.
“Speaking of which,” I say. “Would you mind sleeping in my room tonight and watching the boys? I’ll be back before breakfast.”
Mia shakes her head. “It’s a no-go. If I cast my spell just right, I won’t be home tonight either.” She pumps her shoulders as she and Melissa take off for the family room once again. “Sorry not sorry!” she sings out.
Marshall growls over at me a moment, his eyes riding up and down my body, raking over me like a nuclear heat wave until they slowly widen as if in disbelief.
In truth, I’ve been laying low ever since Logan and I did the deed. For one, I knew Marshall and his sex-ray vision would be picking up on my lascivious good time and besides that, the boys had a cold so I had to keep them in.
“Marshall”—I twirl us into the formal living room to steal a moment of privacy—“Logan loves me.” I shake my head up at him as if denying it. “And I love him,” I whisper the words like a secret, but it feels amazing to say them out loud.
His affect sobers on a dime. “Any other details you’d like to bore me with?”
I can’t help but make a face up at the surly Sector. “I was going to say”—I take up his hand once again, hoping those amazing feel-good vibes would pulse through me—“my mother really loves Logan, too.”
Marshall looks somewhere between sick and angry. “Yes. I am aware of her affinity for the Pretty One.”
“If it makes you feel better, he gets all of his pretty and his amazing brains from you.” I was going to addhis staggering prowess in bed, but think better of it. Marshall gives my hand an affirming squeeze to let me know he heard and my face heats hot as that sun I haven’t seen in years.
“My genes only provide the brightest and the best.” He leans in with those boiling red eyes bearing hard into mine. “And believe me, that boy you’re playing hide the pencil with has been swimming in a rather diluted gene pool.” He openly glowers at me and I don’t dare giggle at the hide the pencil comment. Logan Oliver just so happens to have a baseball bat of his own tucked in those Levi’s, but that will be my not-so-little secret—and Chloe’s. I hate that Chloe has defiled every man I’ve slept with. Now it’s me glowering up at the steamy Sector. I have no true recall of whether or not Marshall has rocked Chloe’s world, but I’d bet good money he’s conquered that ornery pussycat and taught her a carnal lesson or two. I can see him now, thrusting in hard from behind while Chloe claws into the sheets on all fours.
