As he finishes, his body slumps, and he exhales hard, slipping from my mouth. His arms reach down, hooking under mine before he lifts me to my feet. I smile, wiping my lips, but his mouth’s already on mine before I can say a word.
He kisses me fiercely with no hesitation, no fear, and I love that the taste of himself does not gross him out on my tongue. Most guys wouldn’t even risk it.
Mercs pulls back, eyes locked on mine. “Fuck, Effa! Watching you like that on your knees, looking up at me, turned me on hardcore.”
“Happy to help. But seriously, we need to talk to Luke. Not about sex, obviously, but about us.”
“The sex stays between us. Your pussy’sminenow. No one else gets you.Got it!”
I smirk. “I get it, Mr. Bossy Pants. But seriously, this time… get dressed.”
He nods before leaning in for a quick kiss, then bends to grab his briefs. I collect my clothes and start slipping them back on.
His gaze stays on me the entire time, heavy and intense, like he’s disappointed to see me covering up. And honestly? I love that. I love that I affect him like this. But right now, we need to shift focus.
Round two, or is that three, will have to wait.
We’ve got Luke to deal with.
The bathroom falls quiet, but my lips curl in a soft smile. I yank up my shorts and glance over at Mercs while he pulls his shirt over his head.
“I never thought this plane trip would turn out so…” Words escape me, and I giggle.
“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to join the Mile High Club.” He chuckles.
I snort. “Geez, is sex all you ever think about?”
“When you’re around me…yes.”
The bathroom door creaks open, and both our heads snap around. In the heat of the moment, I’d completely forgotten it was shut, but not locked.
Andi walks in, eyes wide as she takes in the scene. We’re mostly dressed, save for a missing shoe each, but it’s obvious what’s just happened. Her gaze swings between us, and she throws her hands in the air, her face contorting in a mix of disbelief and irritation.
“Oh hell…no,” she blurts, stepping inside with her hands on her hips—full mum-mode activated.
I straighten up, taking a deep breath.
She glares at me, eyes blazing. “Effa, we made a pact. No one was supposed to screw Mercs. You were the one who pushed for it. We can’t afford to lose him, and now what? You’re secretly fucking him behind our backs?”
“Andi,” Mercs warns, stepping in.
Andi spins on her heel and shoots him a glare that could peel paint. “Stay out of this, bright spark.”
Then back to me. “Effa, you could ruin everything just because you can’t keep your fucking legs shut—”
“Hold on a min—”
“I’m.Not.Done,” she cuts Mercs off with a hand in his face.
He was trying to defend me, and I give him a tiny smile, grateful he tried.
Andi keeps her hand raised toward Mercs but glares back at me. “You might like him, hell, maybe you’ve got feelings. But this? This will end in heartache, and when it does, he’ll be forced to leave. This isn’t just aboutyou, Effa. Mercs is part of all of us. You fuck this up, it’s on you. I won’t support this. Not at all. Whether it’s just sex or something deeper, I’mnoton your side. It should end now before someone gets hurt.”
I square my shoulders and meet her glare. “Andi, we are together… a couple. You’re not gonna change that with harsh words. Yeah, I know I was the one who said he was off-limits. I made that pact. I get it. But when you care about someone as I care about Kaden, sometimes you’ve got to break thefucking rules.”
She drops her hand as Mercs nods, clearly liking what I said.
“Andi,” he adds. “I promised Effa that no matter what happens between us, I won’t abandon the tour. That promise stands. I have a contract. I will honor it. I am a man of my word. I’m not leaving. I’m here for the long haul.”
