Laughing harder at the sight of me, Rory slaps the side of his kilt before coughing, pounding his chest, then scratching the rash all over his torso before taking a swig of his whiskey. Coping mechanism, likely. Bet he distilled it himself to make sure it was clean. And guards it like a Scottish hawk.
Raphael rises from his leather chair and looks down at Briella, summoning her gaze. But I’d swear there’s a subtle knowing smirk tugging one corner of his mouth.
“What about the plants?” Jude asks Vincent.
Vincent slumps into his chair nearest the fire, a few feet from the couch, glaring at Briella. “There were plants, all right.Wewere the plants. At a Drag bar.”
Rory laughs so hard, he spits out his whiskey.
Jude kneads his brow, eyes flicking to me. “Seth loves Drag shows.”
Vincent crosses his bulky arms over his chest. “Yeah, that was the fucking problem.”
I step into the family room and fan my boa, crossing the distance to the couch so I sit right next to Briella, making a show of batting my eyelashes. She touches a hand to her mouth, covering her giggle. I lean in, kiss her cheek, and tell her, “We made it in time for the last show.”
“Oooh, was Scarlett I’Love My Hair A’ there?” Her eyes sparkle on mine.
“No, but Tess Tosterone was.” I wink.
Briella starts squealing and kicking her legs. “I love her!”
She’s getting me hard with how adorable she is, especially with half her tits showing in that low-cut neckline.
Vincent gives her a dirty look and grumbles, “He wouldn’t leave until the end of the show.”
I wag the boa at him, and it flicks the side of his face. “Oh, lighten up, Vinny. You know you loooved getting a lap dance from Polly Amorous.”
Briella drops her jaw and looks at Vincent, who braces a fist on his chin and sends me a look that could melt steel. “Onlyshegets to call me that, Sethy baby.”
I shrug. Fair enough.
Briella practically swoons at his statement. I’m determined she will swoon at me like that. I’m the wild card. She melts for Jude. She swoons for Vincent. She drives Rory crazy. She’s intrigued but also scared out of her wits by Raphael. Time for me to get something other than the occasional giggle and superficial playfulness. She pulls away from me too much, underestimating me.
As soon as Raphael puts us together, she won’t make that mistake again.
After all, it takes a very secure man to have the masculinity of a lumberjack and rock a pink boa. Especially over a red plaid shirt and cutoff jeans. Especially when he’s got my kind of muscles—each one cut and carved as the main builder, fixer, and wood cutter of the gang.
I might have a more casual attitude than the rest, but I can still throw down with any of them, including Vincent. I was the scrapper growing up. I learned how to fight back at an early age. But never with Rory…for good reason.
Raphael takes one step toward her. “Briella,” he summons her, and she snaps her head up, some of her amusement fading. “Come here.”
Blushing, she gets to her feet, smooths out her dress, and obeys. Her fingers fiddle nervously. The shadows from the fireplace darken his eyes. With his three-piece suit options, even the casual ones, he always looks so goddamn intimidating.
As soon as she gets close to him, he cups her chin, lifting her face and lowering his until his lips hover above hers. The sexual tension between them sizzles more and more every day. But it’s dark and violent, and she knows deep inside that he’s the high god among us. If she tries to fight him, he will overpower her. And she knows it. We all know it.
“Explain yourself,” he says.
She bites her lower lip and shrugs. “I’m really particular about who touches my plants.”
I guffaw. “I don’t have lice or anything.”
She squeezes her shoulders and mouths a “sorry”. Raphael levels her with his dark gaze. Everyone can read the hunger between them. But she’s still healing. Nothing for two weeks…unless she begs. Still, there are a hundred other things we can do.
“Tomorrow,” he tells her, not losing her gaze, “you, me, and Jude will go together to retrieve your plants and any other necessities. This time, you will give the correct address. Is that understood?”
She nods firmly. “Understood.”
He drops her chin and gestures to Vincent. “I trust it wasn’t a wholly wasted trip.”
