In case he’s up front looking for me, I hurry to the cash register. An older lady with kind eyes and graying hair rings me up. I pay and watch her place the gift in a box, then put it in a paper bag with handles. She hands the bag to me, and I take it from her.
“Thank you.” I dip my head. “Merry Christmas.”
She smiles. “Merry Christmas.”
I turn and run into what feels like a brick wall.
The wall edges back. I glance up. Three large guys are staring at me. I recognize one of them. “Hi, Rush.” I give him a small wave and try to walk around them, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.
“You here with Saints?”
“Yes.”
Someone clears their throat behind us. I peek around the wall of large guys. It’s another customer waiting to pay. I move to the side. Rush and his friends follow. I can’t see the door because they’re blocking my view.
“Is that a problem?” My heart is beating fast.
I’m not scared of Rush, but his friends look like they stepped out of a motorcycle gang. For being in high school, the one with dirty-blond hair has a full beard and is really ripped, like gym-rat ripped, with a thick neck, giant tree-limb arms, and thick thighs. When I look at his face again, he’s smirking.
“Like what you see, sweetheart?”
I gulp. “Um, no.” Jesus, why did I speak? I should’ve ignored him. I hurry and shift my attention to Rush, but my chin is grasped between warm fingers, and my face is turned and tipped to the other blond giant.
“How come I’m not getting the same courtesy? Come to daddy. Run those gorgeous eyes over my body.” His voice is low and husky. A knuckle skims down my face, from the edge of my eyebrow to the corner of my lip.
I lick my lips. My heart is beating fast. It’s not from excitement—I’m nervous and scared. Where is Trace?
Rush has the nerve to chuckle. “Excuse my boys’ behavior, Sorrow. They’re just playing with you. They’re decent guys.”
Their eyes widen.
“Fuck me, so this is Sorrow.” Like I’m a lost treasure.
“Sorrow.” The other brute says my name like he’s testing it out. Testing it for what?
I step back but can’t go further. The pink tree is at my back, and I’ll knock it over.
“This is Gunner.” Rush gestures to his right with his thumb. “This here is Beckett.” He jerks his chin to the left. “They’re my best buds. We play rugby together. They’re aiming to follow me to AU. You should join us.”
“Join you for what the fuck?”
I heave a sigh at the menacing tone from behind the guys. It’s Trace. Like the apex predator he is, he takes control of the scary situation with his size and tone. He isn’t as ripped as Gunner, but the lethal and dark expression on his face says it all when he barges between Beckett and Rush. Trace grabs my wrist and yanks me through the space between them. I’m turned around with Trace’s arms draped over my shoulders. The hold is possessive. My heartbeat thunders in my ears. I want to lean against his body.
Rush and his friends face us. They look from Trace’s arms on me to Rush.
“I thought you said she wasn’t taken.”
Taken? I’m not one of Trace’s hookups. I wiggle out of his arms and stand next to him. “Um, we’re not anything.” I wave my hand. “I live with Trace, and that’s it.”
Rush’s face lights up with approval. He nods as he smiles at me. “Then he won’t mind if you come with us inner tubing down the mountain tomorrow.”
“Inner tubing?” I swallow down my nervousness. I’ve never been, and Trace’s anger is this thick tension between us.
“Nothing to it, sweetheart,” Gunner says. “All you’ve got to do is sit on Daddy’s lap, and we’ll go down together.” He smacks his palms on his thighs.
Beckett strokes his beard. “Then you can sit on my lap next.”
I blush from head to toe at their sexual innuendos.
