Conall nodded and pouted. A glint came into his eyes and he grabbed my elbow. He twisted and pulled me after him, off in the direction of a clump of men grouped around a long black leather couch. They parted for him when he was almost there, and I found myself stopping near Mr. Killough.
“Pet, what is this?” Mr. Killough asked, tone icy.
My stomach snarled into a knot, but a smile broke and played along Mr. Killough’s lips as Conall let go of me and went to curl up on Mr. Killough’s lap. Conall buried his face against Mr. Killough’s neck. I couldn’t tell what he whispered in Mr. Killough’s ear, but his expression softened a touch. He slapped Conall’s ass hard enough that it echoed in the room, and Conall stiffened and gasped, sitting straighter.
“We’ll talk about your manners later.” Mr. Killough glanced at me, but unlike the last time we’d seen each other, he slid his gaze from my feet all the way to the top of my head and back again. My face heated.
“Hello, sir. This is a beautiful party. Well, the apartment is beautiful. Penthouse? Right? I haven’t been to many parties to compare, actually, but I assume it’s the best one I’ll go to for a while.” I raised my glass at him and felt like a graceless horse as I sipped the champagne.
Mr. Killough smiled, and I was thankful because he seemed to be in an odd mood—or maybe it was his usual disposition, I wasn’t sure.
“My pet seems excited, so I must assume everyone has agreed to what he wanted.” He kissed Conall’s cheek and squeezed him around the middle. He absolutely wasn’t shy about groping Conall’s ass, either.
“Yes,” I said, and my face blazed hotter. A strong arm slid around my waist and I turned to stare into Rowen’s eyes. The men who’d been talking to Mr. Killough had gone off, maybe with some signal I hadn’t noticed, and we were more or less as alone as four people could get in a crowded room. I kissed Rowen, and he gave me a little smile.
“Looks like a live one, Boss,” Rowen said, glancing around the room.
“Um, Mr. Killough?” I said, and stilled when his bright blue gaze fixed on me. “Uh, we did talk about it a bit. The whole situation Conall and I discussed. My, um, my....”
“Owners?” Mr. Killough ventured, cutting a glance at Rowen.
“My boyfriends. We talked.”
Mr. Killough nodded and drew Conall closer.
“But yes, if you’re interested, they’re good to go. I, uh, don’t want to be rude, but we only discussed being watched. I’m... I’m jealous,” I said, feeling shocked at myself. Rowen rubbed his hand along my side, almost like he approved. “I don’t want anyone touching them, and I think they feel the same way about me.”
“Aye. They do,” Rowen said dryly.
Mr. Killough raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Understood. Do you care what we do with each other while we’re watching?”
“Oh, I don’t care at all. I mean, not that.... Darn it, I didn’t mean for that to sound rude. You’re both welcome to do whatever you want.” I puffed out a long breath.
Mr. Killough chuckled, a low, sexy sound that shifted the atmosphere around us. People turned to see who was laughing and almost seemed startled it was him. One woman’s eyes went so wide I thought they might fall right out of her head. “Relax. Your concerns are well communicated, and I have the answers I need.”
Rowen hugged me and gave me a look like he was proud.
Mr. Killough smirked. “Go enjoy the party for now. I’ll find you later, Dr. Mifflin.”
Raised voices nearby had people craning their necks to get a look at the uproar, and Rowen groaned. He pointed, and I sighed when I saw what had snagged his attention—Fallon’s oldest brother saying God knew what to Fallon. I gritted my teeth and would have marched over there, but two of those nastily armed men got to him first. I hated that someone who looked so much like Fallon could be so awful.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Fallon’s brother yelled and stomped along with them toward the elevator. Fallon only stuck his tongue out at the man’s back once—rather than doing anything drastic—which I thought was good of him, all things considered.
After the excitement of hearing from Fallon the slew of crappy things his brother called him for simply living his life, Rowen and I wandered around for a while. We checked out the view in the pool area. Beyond the ledge, only a foot past the glass wall, the glittering city spread out before us like stars on the ground. I’d lived in New York City most of my life but had never seen anything quite like it, and I was touched to think of all the beating hearts in the glowing windows that twinkled out there.
“It’s cosmic,” I said.
Rowen gave me the type of look I couldn’t quite read and kissed the side of my head. “The walls retract so they can be opened during the summer,” he said with a smile as we gazed out at the point of the Chrysler building and the rest of the Manhattan skyline.
“Wow.”
He laughed, and we moved on. There was a room I thought had been turned into a permanent dance space because the smooth wooden floor seemed solid. The light overhead was recessed and gleamed an odd green that made everything feel like a jungle night. There was a DJ in a small booth, and while the music was definitely loud enough to have the beat pulsing in the air, it wasn’t obnoxious and hadn’t bled out into the rest of the party. I suspected the circular design of the room played into that trick, but I didn’t know enough about it to hazard a true guess. I was surprised when Rowen drew me close with his hands on my hips.
“Do ye know how to dance?” he asked, grinning.
“Uh. Hm.” I glanced around, and a woman in a long golden evening gown nearby caught my eye and smiled. I nodded back and felt ridiculously on display. “Maybe we can just go find whatever overpriced finger foods are laid out.”
He snorted and held me tighter. I loved the firm heat of his chest and curled my fingers over his strong shoulders. “No, angel. Ye’re going to dance with me because ye’re sweet and I want to share this with ye.”
