His breath falls into my hair and he strokes my back.
“I know I did, Princess,” he breathes. “And I am so fucking sorry for that.”
11
DENVER
“It’s looking mighty fine, Boss,”Jenson tells Sterling as we stand at the bar inside the newly refurbished Seasons.
“Sure is.” The corners of Sterling’s blue eyes crinkle as he surveys the space.
It’s been transformed. I swore we’d do whatever we had to do to make it better than before. All those late nights here helping the team out after I left Sinclair’s apartment. All the extra check-ins Killian and Jenson have been doing.
It was all worth it to see it finished.
“What’s she doing?” Killian asks Sterling as Halliday floats around the room waving something in her hand that’s emitting a light gray smoke.
Sterling chuckles. “Being my beautiful, unique fiancée.”
Halliday smiles as she passes us. “They’re sage leaves. It’s called smudging. It will help to cleanse the energy and make way for only joy.”
She carries on, approaching Sinclair and Molly who are slow dancing together to the music Vincent is playing on the new Grand piano. Sullivan’s standing watching them with Monty athis feet. Molly reaches up and pats Halliday’s stomach lovingly as she approaches them.
“Hello, baby,” she says.
“Too cute.” Jenson wipes at his eyes.
Killian nudges him in the shoulder. “One day if you can actually talk a woman into dating you, maybe you’ll be a dad.”
“Women love me,” Jenson replies. “I’m knocking back more proposals than a New York Ranger’s goalie.”
Sterling and Killian break into chuckles.
“How’s Dixie doing?”
“Good. She’s got all her friends to sign her cast now. She shows me a new drawing on it every time we video call. She’ll be disappointed when it comes off.”
“The benefits of youth, healing fast,” Sterling muses with a smile. “You’re a lucky man, Denver. These women of ours are precious.” Halliday looks over, catching his eye. “Give Dixie and Lizzie my love, won’t you? Now, please excuse me.” He leaves us to walk over to her, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.
“Fuck, he really does get laid more than me,” Jenson mutters.
“What about Liana? I thought you were seeing her again?” Killian says.
“I did. But then her boyfriend came home from work, and I had to go down the fire escape.”
“Damn.” Killian chuckles. “She never mentioned him.”
“No, but he knew about me all right.” Jenson shakes his head, looking horrified. “She wanted to watch him fuck me. I was a sacrificial lamb. The guy was fucking huge… and ugly.”
He shoves Killian as he breaks into laughter. “Don’t laugh, man. My ass would have been shredded. You’d have had to do all my work for a month while I sat on an ice pack.”
My eyes track Sinclair as Killian snorts with laughter. She twirls Molly toward Sullivan, and he pulls Molly into his arms. Sinclair turns with a bright smile that falters the moment hereyes meet mine. She looks away immediately, talking to Vincent as he plays the piano instead.
“She still not forgiven you?” Jenson asks.
I roll my neck to ease the tightness in it. “She says she has.”
“Women say one thing and mean another,” Killian says.
