Anger is a feeling.
No. I’m so frustrated with myself. Part of me wishes I could just have meaningless sex and walk away. To finally not care or be affected by his touch or his voice. He acts like he wants me back, but what if all he wants is sex? Or worse. What if he wants to try again, but the second something comes up with his club, I’ll get pushed aside again? It would hurt so much worse to lose him a second time. It’s best to cut my losses now.
But one last hoorah could be so satisfying. A powerful orgasm could be what you need to relieve some of the tension he continues to build. You already know he could get you off repeatedly for hours. He’s quite the giver.
So can my new vibrator.
CHAPTER 4
GABE
“What the fuck is this?” Jake shouts, pointing down at the stage where my daughter, his wife-to-be, has just been called up front and center.
“Oh, come on, brother. It’s a bachelorette party. You had to know they’d want to do something special for her,” Hawk says, smiling. “It’s a little harmless fun. Let her have her moment.”
Jake still doesn’t look too happy about the situation, but he is visibly attempting to tamp down his temper. The music scratches off and the MC comes over the mic, asking for the rest of the bridal party to come to the stage. Hawk is rubbing his hands together with glee while the rest of us are trying to hold our shit together.
“Listen. If you guys could just keep your shit together for four and a half minutes and let them have their dance, I’d appreciate it. You’d seriously be helping a brother out.”
“You knew about this?” I ask, irritated. Hawk knows how protective Jake is of Avery. Since she was shot, his protective instincts have been through the roof. Some of his reaction is out of guilt, since she was shot trying to protect him, but that’s their shit to work out.
Hawk is smiling like a fucking loon in the corner of the room. Jake spins on him, walking him back against the wall, pointing his finger in Hawk’s chest. “The fuck did you do?” Jake takes his job of watching over her seriously. Not so sure it’s a good thing for Hawk, though.
Hawk throws his hands up in surrender, still laughing. “Relax. You have to calm down. I just need all of you to keep your shit together for a little while longer. Come on, guys. Help a brother win a bet.”
“What?”The room erupts in unison.
“What do you mean, all of us?” Declan’s head snaps in Hawk’s direction.
“That’s why they’re all up there. It’s just one dance,” Hawk explains.
The music kicks back on,and the guy in front of Linzie stands, lifting her leg. As I watch, she pulls the front of her dress in and closes the gap to keep her modesty. I’m pleased he at least considered keeping her panties from being seen by the audience. I can handle this.
It’s just a dance. No big deal. Guys get lap dances all the time. Same thing. At least these guys have most of their clothes on. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fucking fine.
Everything is anythingbutfine.
When the dancer rubbing up on my woman leans down, bends her knee over his shoulder, leans into her neck like he’s kissing her and starts thrusting his hips. I start to lose it. From this angle, he looks like he’s fucking my woman on stage, and when he looks up at the suite where we’re standing, he smiles, and Linzie throws her head back and laughs.
I’m going to kill the son of a bitch.
“What fucking bet, Hawk? With who? Is Parisi in on this?” Jake shoots off questions in rapid succession. I’m too wrapped up in the scene on the stage to pay very close attention. If Jake kills him, it’ll be Hawk’s own fault.
“No, man. Me and Sadie have a bet,” Hawk says, catching his breath. “They were always going to pull Avery up for a dance. The guy won’t actually touch her.”
“He’s got his hands all over her Hawk!”
“I mean, he’s not actually doing anything to her. It justlookslike it. It’s an act, man,” he explains. “It’s supposed to get the chicks hot and bothered, but they don’t actually—” Jake’s hand cuts his words off as he grips Hawk’s throat.
“Jake,” I warn. “You can’t kill him. Not here. I don’t want to owe Parisi another favor for cleaning up a murder scene.”
“Pres?” Hawk chokes out, his brows creased in disbelief.
“You put yourself in this situation, Hawk. Jake gets to choose your punishment.”
“No. You don’t get it.” He tries again. “Let me breathe, dude.” Jake releases him enough to let him speak. “Sadie said there was no way any of us could keep our cool while some stranger was dancing all over our women. I said we could. The idea was to get the girls hot and bothered … don’t choke me!” Jake tightens his grip again, but Hawk is pushing it back just enough to keep talking. “Sadie wanted to make us all jealous. If we react, Sadie wins. If we don’t, I win.”
“And what doweget out of it?” Mason—being a prospect and normally staying out of shit where Hawk’s involved—asks. He looks pretty fucking mad for someone who hasn’t claimed his woman yet.
