Lucien has a big problem with stealing. It’s a testament to how much she affects him that he hasn’t gone on a rampage about it yet.
She narrows her eyes up at him. “I don’t discriminate; I cop feels on the ladies too, thank you very much. Maybe it’ll be a bombshell assassin that sneaks into my room to slit my throat. But of course, she’d get distracted with her hands all over me and forget the real reason she came for the new reason she was about to.”
“That was oddly specific,” I can’t help but point out.
She turns to me and winks. “No kink shaming, oh young ward of mine. Who doesn’t occasionally have fantasies of a hand wrapped around their throat and pressed into the bed until they’re fucked so hard they’re clawing at the sheets?”
I try to subtly adjust myself as she pivots to face Lucien. “Besides, you saw my apartment; I’m not exactly getting paid through the nose here. And to be fair, I have no idea if I die you automatically do too. That hasn’t really been an issue before. So I guess it’ll be a fun surprise.” She shrugs, all ‘whatcha gonna do?’
Lucien pinches the bridge of his nose and I grin. I haven’t seen the man this disheveled and fighting for control in all of the time I’ve known him. She gets under his skin just as much as ours, though I doubt he’d admit it if I asked. I idolize the man, but he’s so busy taking care of everyone else, he forgets about himself.
“I’ll buy you dinner, alright?” he attempts in an effort to persuade her to stop causing trouble without it turning into a fight yet, though I pick up on the undercurrent tone. If she keeps it up, it’s going to come to verbal blows.
I’ve known the girl all of a few days and I can already tell you he’s fighting a losing battle. Uphill. In a snowstorm.
“Why, Lucien, that sounds an awful lot like asking me on a date.” She puts her hand to her chest and gasps. “What about my virtue, who will protect it then?”
Atlas breathes out a laugh beside me, getting just as much enjoyment at seeing our uptight friend finally meet his match as I am. Though I don’t miss the nervous glances he shoots in Luce’s direction, confirming it’s alright to be as familiar as he is. Atlas and Lucien have always had more of a wall between the two of them, Atlas indebted to Lucien nearly as much as I am, but over the last couple of years things have started to change. Our dynamic is an unusual one, and while I’m sure Cambria will fit into it seamlessly, making it better than it ever has been, I don’t think the other two are as confident yet.
Lucien narrows his eyes at her while paying the bartender and waits for her burger to show up. “I don’t understand why you choose to make everything so much more difficult than it needs to be.”
Instead of being insulted or getting pissed off, she grins. “What can I say? I’m a girl that loves a hard time.” She winks at him dramatically and when Cy places a plate in front of her, she absolutely inhales it.
I frown, speaking low to Atlas so she won’t hear me. “How long do you think she typically went between meals before we showed up?”
He speaks hesitantly. “Girl’s a damn good pick pocket. Yet, she only got one drink with L’s card and gave ours back without a fight. No way she only stole from us; she has to have a stash somewhere. Or she owes someone money.” I just shrug, because it doesn’t feel right to me, but I have no facts to debate with.
Less than five minutes later, Cambria is sauntering back to her stage, calling over her shoulder, “If you’re looking for a good time, I’d get down to the pit; the girls always go crazy for this one.”
Atlas and Lucien share a confused look so I fill them in on our previous conversation, grimacing.
“So,” Atlas starts slowly, “she wants us to get laid? Is giving us her blessing? This feels like a trap.”
Even Lucien hesitates before shaking it off. “You heard her earlier, we aren’t her slaves. Free will all around. Just because Cambria didn’t want to see us lose our heads doesn’t mean she wants to see the lower ones.”
I sputter a laugh, not used to him being so crass. “You say that like you’re fully on board with trying to get laid tonight, L.”
When he doesn’t immediately respond, my eyes widen. “Oh shit, you are!”
He slams back his drink and scowls, leaving the bar without a word. I turn to Atlas who is full on grinning and laughing now that Luce is out of earshot. “He’s such an idiot. Man’s a goner already and doesn’t know what to do about it.”
I scoff, finishing off my own drink and getting up. “Best way to get over someone is to get under someone else?” Atlas nods as I shake my head in disappointment. “What’s wrong with admitting he likes her? I’ll even go first.” I raise my hand in the air. “I am one hundred percent okay with the fact that Cambria has to live with us.”
Atlas sighs as we start nearing the stairs. “Yeah,oneof us. She may be linked to all of us, but she only needs to stay by one of us as long as the others don’t try to run away or blab.”
I don’t even miss a beat, but Atlas trips when I say, “Why does she have to choose one of us? Her kind are incredibly open about sex and orgies and stuff. And the three of us already have an unusual dynamic. If everybody is cool with it, we could just shack up together. I’d vote Lucien’s house since it’s the biggest.”
Atlas catches himself before he face plants, but grabs my shoulder and drags me to the edge of the pool where there are less bodies. “The fuck are you talking about?”
I look him dead in the eye, completely serious. “You know what kind of man Lucien is. Do you really think he has it in him to give a girl the attention she needs? You think just anyone will put up with all of the shit you get into for thrills? Between the three of us, we could be everything she needs. We could give her the attention she requires to thrive and pick up each other’s slack when we just don’t have any more to give.”
He gives me an odd look as he mulls over my words. “Shedoesseem like a handful.” And I know he’s actually considering it when he asks, “And what about you?”
“Heck, I was made for this sort of thing,” I grin shamelessly.
He laughs as we merge into the crowd. She switches the song to one even more upbeat with a bass level that rattles the walls. Despite the distance, her eyes immediately fall on Atlas, winks, and then goes back to work just as quickly, rocking her hips in time with the bass. It’s like she knows immediately where any of us are and I wonder if the tethering between the four of us is different on her end than it is on ours.
As promised, the crowd goes nuts for it, bodies grinding and dry humping each other. A couple of women try to approach us, but even Atlas turns them away. From the moment Cambria went to bat for us, I couldn’t even imagine looking at another girl twice, let alone screwing one of them.
