And clearly I’m on a slide right into smut-smut-land as I remember Kai’s glorious dick, but also run with Darius’s obvious fumble, or his obvious intent about only eating at one altar. Holy crap, I hope we get done talking soon.
“Same,” he purrs.
This man should stop purring, actually no he should not, because I’m blitzing out. “What?”
“Do you know you just spoke out loud, little moon?”
My eyes hurt they pop open so much. “Jesus, no. What did I say?”
I lean out of the huddle because of the way they’ve swarmed around me and evidently stolen my brains. And the small inhale of semi-fresh air gives me the chance to push Ramses out the way and to think a little clearer.
“Right, stop doing what you are doing!” I grumble, making myself at home and getting a drink of water straight from the tap. And then I splash my face in an attempt to cool off. Keeping my back to them, I say, “I have to share my location with my besties, or my Scorned Girls will go off script and we will end up with a house full of guests. I also need the phone number of your house phone because my lawyer received word of a threat against my father that needs to be taken seriously.”
And the salacious mood evaporates faster than batteries at an Omega heat clinic.
Darius is behind me quickest, and he sweeps me up again, redepositing me on the island bench before disappearing and returning only moments later with my laptop. “Your safety and welfare always comes first, then you can rile us up as much as you want. But Heidi, we can and we always will flip switches when it comes to you… do you understand what I am saying?”
“A tad more detail would be good,” I answer as Darius passes over my laptop, before snatching from Kai a scribbled note.
“This is our address, with geo coordinates. And this is our house phone,” Darius says as he sticks the note on the edge of my laptop screen. “I’m going to do a quick check of the perimeter of the property.”
His hand squeezes over my knee in reassurance I guess, or to make sure I’m paying attention but one minute he’s there and the next he’s gone.
Ramses is already gone too, but a flash of movement outside and he’s at the grill, his phone in his hand checking something by the looks.
Kai hovers, waiting while I send out emails and messages to everyone.
“I cleared the room,” I say quietly once I’m done.
“You gave us a reminder, is all. Darius is right, Heidi, we can come on strong but your welfare is just as important, if not more.”
And there’s a part of what he says that stirs something inside me. For some reason, my brain fixates on Kai’s words.
ChapterTwenty-Three
HEIDI
“We thought we’d eat out here?” Ramses asks or says. He’s tentative and it doesn’t suit him. Even barely meeting him, I know he’s holding himself back. For me.
“Yep, I’m all for that.”
He pauses.
I watch his body language when I speak, “Ramses, don’t. I’m not sure what’s going on in your head, but don’t be so…”
“Considerate?” Kai throws in.
Ramses eyes dart around before coming back to mine, “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“She’ll be fine.” Darius answers.
“She can speak for herself,” I throw back at him.
Darius shakes his head, a low chuckle aimed my way, along with the filthy look in his eyes. And then he’s in front of me again, swooping me up in his arms.
“She can also walk!” I squeak.
But at the same time as trying to be independent, I’m loving his insistence of carrying me everywhere.
