Ace seems genuinely baffled by her attention. It’s clear to me that she’s jealous. Under her scrutiny, I realize how close we’re sitting together, Ace’s arm lazily draped over the back of my chair. His body language is pretty straightforward—she’s mine. I feel a tingle of joy at being claimed. That everyone here can tell I’m Ace’s. I don’t even care if they’ve also noticed Gage is similarly possessive, his hand regularly stroking my leg while we chat, or the comfortable way I help myself to fries off his plate.
I’m lucky that Eli isn’t very observant. He’s never been good at reading social cues or body language. Otherwise, he’d beable to see as clear as day that the guys and I are together just as Cherri has.
“Do I look like a fucking bartender?” Ace replies. It isn’t polite, but I kind of love him for it. He isn’t going to go running back to her when she snaps her fingers.
Cherri ignores his apparent dismissal and laughs as if he’s said something funny. “Who’s your new friend?” she asks, turning her focus to Eli and smiling at him flirtatiously.
Eli, who’s unused to being the subject of female interest, blushes. “I’m Eli, Naomi’s brother,” he stammers.
“Well, I can see where all of the looks in your family went,” she purrs. “Maybe you can buy a girl a drink?”
A flash of rage courses through my veins. I want to rip her hair out. How dare she use my brother to try to make Ace jealous and insult me? Poor, oblivious Eli doesn’t even realize he’s the butt of her joke. The words ‘fuck off’ are just about to come out of my mouth when Eli replies, “Sure. I can buy you a drink.” He gets up from his seat far too eagerly.
“Perfect,” Cherri says, flashing a megawatt smile at him. Only I can tell it is insincere. She wraps her talons around his shoulder. She towers over him in her heels, and I feel like he’s a lamb headed to slaughter.
Gage gently places a hand on my leg, holding me down before I can leap up and stop them. I’m forced to watch them walk away, heading to the bar together. Cherri flirts outrageously, glancing over at us frequently to see our reactions. “If she sees she’s getting to you, she’ll only do it more,” Gage warns.
“I should go stop her. Poor Eli, she’s just using him,” I say.
“Eli’s a grown man. Leave him. Cherri’s bad news but the worst she’s gonna do is sleep with him. It’s not like they’re gonna go and get married,” Ace says.
“She’s trying to make you jealous,” I tell him, pointing out the obvious.
He shrugs. “Only because Cherri’s jealous of you.”
“Yeah, because you’re here with me.”
Ace shakes his head. “No. I mean, sure, it’s part of it, but she’d be jealous of you even if I wasn’t lucky enough to have you. You’re unapologetically you, and you don’t give a damn what people think. She can’t stand anyone comfortable in their own skin.”
I’m blown away by the compliment that Ace thinks so highly of me. If only it was true. “I am definitely not comfortable in my own skin,” I say with a nervous huff that doesn’t quite become a laugh.
“How can you not be?” Gage asks. “You’re gorgeous and you’re a walking piece of art.” He traces his fingers across my tattoos, making me shiver with pleasure.
I feel like I can tell these men anything, that I can share my darkest secrets, and it won’t scare them away. So I do. “I got the tattoos to hide my scars. I used to cut myself after my parents died. It was a way for me to control something, to feel something, any pain other than the loss of them. Eli helped me to stop, sent me to a therapist who told me to channel it in different ways. I got my first tattoo to hide the scars, and then Ibecame a bit addicted to the pain of the tattoos. Ironic, I guess, and probably not the healthy outlet my therapist had in mind.”
Gage pulls me into an embrace, kissing my head. “I’m so sorry you felt like that.”
Ace squeezes my hand. “Thank you for sharing that with us. You shouldn’t be ashamed.”
Gage kisses the most prominent scar, still visible under the tattoo. The one that finally got me caught when it got infected, and I could no longer hide it from Eli. “Every inch of you is beautiful, scars and all.”
Tears well in my eyes. “You guys are amazing. I don’t know how I got so lucky to meet you.”
Cash has been silent throughout this, sitting in his stoic, contemplative way. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to show you my coping mechanism. My control, my way to channel pain into pleasure.”
I gulp. I know exactly what he’s talking about. Cash has already told me how he’s into BDSM. It’s not something we’ve explored—until now.
“Yes. I’d like that very much,” I reply with a gulp.
Cash nods, his ice-blue eyes glinting with promise.
“Alright, you two go now while Eli’s distracted. We’ll make sure he doesn’t leave any time soon,” Gage says, pointing his thumb in the direction of Eli and Cherri. Cherri is practically hanging off him, laughing with her mouth open wide, revealing sharp white teeth.
“You aren’t going to come with us?” I say, a little disappointed I won’t get to have them all.
Ace chuckles. “So greedy. If you’re a good girl, maybe we can join in later. For now, go have fun with Cash.” He kisses me quickly, leaving me wanting more.
Eli didn’t notice. But Cherri did. She catches Ace’s eye before making a big show of kissing Eli.
