Wraith clenched his jaw, scowling at his brother.
Ghost snickered. “It’s her birthday.”
Cleo sucked in a breath and spun around, bumping Wraith’s chest and spreading her hands over his pecs. “Do you want to drink with us?” She held up her hand, pinching together her thumb and index finger. “We only have a little left to go before we get to the worm.”
“No.”
Cleo stuck out her bottom lip, pouting. Her eyes were glassy, her speech slightly slurred, and she struggled to keep herself from swaying. But he hadn’t seen her like this before. Happy and carefree, letting her guard down. That would drastically change tomorrow morning when she woke up, so he wouldn’t rob her of it tonight.
“Come on.” Wraith slipped his hand over her back, guiding her out into the hall. She wobbled to the side, and he gripped her hips and walked her to her door. He had little faith she’d be able to manage the key and lock on her own.
He held out his palm. “Give me your key.”
She turned too fast and butted up against his chest, splaying her hand over his arm. Even through a layer of clothes, heat raced through his veins from her touch. In the past, Wraith always madea point to keep his hands to himself. Touching her was a temptation he wasn’t willing to risk. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself. Cleo, on the other hand, had gotten more brazen in the last year. The few times she’d made contact, he’d felt it everywhere, down to his cock straining against his zipper.
“It’s in my room.” She blindly reached for the knob and pushed the door open.
Wraith drew in a breath, trying to tamper down his rising frustration. The sole purpose for the lock on her door was to use it. There was nothing to fear from the brothers. But when they had parties, it gave random people access to the upstairs.
“Do you want to come in my room and hang out?”
His words to the woman downstairs replayed over in his mind.
I don’t hang out. I fuck.
He ground his teeth, lifting his chin to her bed. “You need to go to sleep.”
Cleo laughed, shaking her head. “But it’s my birthday. I can’t go to bed at” —She glanced over her shoulder to her nightstand— “Does that say ten thirty-three?”
It did. Very early for a Friday night at the clubhouse. The house wouldn’t fully clear out for another six hours. But Cleo wouldn’t be up to see it.
“Go to bed.”
Cleo released a heavy sigh. “I can’t go back downstairs?”
In her current condition?No fucking way.He ignored her question and bent down, grabbing two water bottles from her mini fridge. He placed them on her nightstand.
“But it’s my birthday. I’m not done celebrating.”
Wraith steeled his features, holding back his smile. He folded his arms over his chest. He was not backing down from this order. “Then you shouldn’t have gotten shitfaced and stoned.”
Her brows knitted. “I’m not doing anything that everyone else in the house isn’t doing. And it’smybirthday!” She tapped his chest, but her finger caressed slowly over his heart. His musclestightened, and he ground his teeth. They were too close with Cleo closing the small gap.
Fuck!
“Go to bed, Cleo,” he whispered, and she peered up through her lashes.
This was a dangerous position for both of them. They were in her room alone with her bed a foot away. The temptation was too great. She was testing his control, and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to hold back.
Wraith gently nudged her toward the bed. Her shoulders sagged, and she dropped her ass to the mattress. She pulled her ankle to her knee, yanking at the laces of her boots. Her balance was shit, and when she leaned forward, she was heading straight for the floor. Wraith lunged forward, grasping her shoulders and straightening her to a seated position. He bent down, untying her laces. He pulled off the boot and tossed it on the floor. Then he did the same with the other.
“When is your birthday?”
He glanced up to see her smiling. Her eyes were glassy, and she wore a goofy grin. Drunk women had never been a turn on for him, but there was something innocently sexy about Cleo’s current state. Her already sweet demeanor had just been amplified.
“Why?”
“So I can remember to do something special for you.”
