“Naomi doesn’t need to be eased into anything.”
“It was—” I cut myself off before I can say anything because that’s not right. It was everything.
“It was,” Mac prompts, trying to get me to continue.
“I don’t know if I want to share these things.” I never understood when people would get so bashful about sex. It’s natural and human nature. “Besides, he could be using me, for all I know?—”
Bonte and Mac start coughing to alert me that Paxton has returned, but I already knew that. Not because I heard or saw it. No, my body goes on alert when he’s near, but not in the way I’m used to.
“What do you know, Sunshine?”
“What your endgame is.” I have no problem telling him these things.
“I already told you, but I have no issue proving it.”
“I mean, does it really matter?” Eros asks.“He steps out of line and we kill him.”
I jerk back around to face my cousin. “He’s mine.” Eros holds his hands up. I fight down a range of emotions that flood through me, a war raging inside of me, starting to feel unconquerable. I fist my hands at my side, the air in the room turning thick.
“Okay, everyone take a breath. Only Naomi can kill Paxton.” Mac steps forward, right into the path between Eros and me.
“No one is going to kill me.” Paxton comes to me, hooking his arm around my waist. “You need to eat.” He tugs me toward the table. His touch quickly calms me. I glance at him, and as always, he’s got one of those easy smiles. The emotions and actions Paxton invokes in me should worry me, but I see there is a strength in it.
He was right when he spoke about how powerful my mother is.
“I will not take kindly to threats,” I tell them as Paxton sits and then tugs me right into his lap.
“A threat to Paxton is a threat to you, then?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Well.” Bonte snorts a laugh, kind of. Mac only glances between Eros and me, the three of us knowing this is far more important and serious than Bonte knows. Eros gives a small dip of his chin in acknowledgment, and I hear Mac release a breath.
“I can’t sit in your lap,” I tell Paxton.
“Why?” He pulls a plate toward me, taking the lid off, revealing French toast. “It’s only us.” His hands slide around my stomach, and he tugs me back a little. “Besides, a queen should sit upon her throne.” I turn to look at him over my shoulder, a small smile pulling at my lips.
“When I sit on Eros’s face, I call it my throne.”
“Ahh!” Mac bursts into laughter. Paxton slightly laughs, shaking me, while Eros merrily shrugs.
“Broke the tension,” Bonte says smugly, dropping down on the couch next to Eros.
“Eat; we need to leave soon,” Paxton encourages.
“What’s happening?”
“One of my warehouses in Charleston was hit last night.”
“What?” I try to stand, but he doesn’t let me. “Those warehouses are under our protection. Who would dare?” I turn slightly to face Paxton. Paxton is so calm.
“Once we’re married, that will be true. Right now, I’m fair game.”
That doesn’t sit well with me, not one bit.
Chapter Seventeen
PAXTON
