He laced his fingers with hers. “The garden looks great. Everyone’s going to be here in a couple of hours.”
She braced her elbow on the step behind her and leaned back, arching an eyebrow at him. “Are you hinting I’m too sweaty and dirty to see your friends?”
He grinned and placed his hand inches below the short leg of her cutoffs. “They’re your friends too, now. And you’re never too dirty or sweaty for me.”
She cackled. “You would say that! I could be covered in garbage and you’d still try to get in my pants.”
“’Course I would. You’re the sexiest little thing . . .” He slid his hand up the inside of her shorts, and her legs parted as if of their own volition.
He flicked aside her panties. A thrill raced through her. Lying here on the steps while being touched so intimately rivaled being naked in front of a high-rise window.
“Atlas,” she breathed, but it was too late. Her body was already scalding. “Everyone’s going to be here soon. We still need to?—”
He brought his lips to hers, stirring his fingers once again and eliciting a guttural groan from her mouth.
“We’ll make time,” he murmured between kisses. “I’ll even do the food prep so you can shower and get ready.”
Well, she couldn’t argue with that.
He got up, pulled her to her feet, then chased her inside the house. She laughed as the screen door banged shut behind him, and then he was on her, slinging her over his shoulder and carrying her to the bedroom.
“Come get this poor guy a wheelchair,” Viper said teasingly, as Wraith hobbled back onto the deck on his crutches.
Atlas snorted. The reminder of how pissy Wraith had been in a wheelchair at the hospital brought a smile to his face.
“Fuck you. Someone take that plate from Viper before his chair collapses.”
“You sayin’ that from crutches is a ballsy thing to do.”
“Boys, enough already,” Molly scolded, as she ferried Wraith’s second helping to the large patio table set up on the deck. “And stop swearing or Laine’s going to slap one of you guys.”
They were a little behind schedule due to a well-spent hour rolling in bed. Atlas had forgotten their plan to eat outside. Luckily, Rogue had arrived early and helped set up the patio furniture.
Wraith took his seat at the head of the table, where it was easier for him to get in and out, and thanked Molly for carrying his plate.
Viper placed his forearms on the table and leaned forward toward Atlas. “Where’s Paige? I assumed she’d be here tonight.”
Viper wore an innocent expression, but Atlas glared at him. “What’s it with you and my sister?”
Molly nudged him. “I think he was just asking,” she said sweetly.
Atlas grunted, not taking his eyes off Viper. If he were more mature, he’d have told him that Paige was vacationing in Florida with a friend. Whatever crush Viper had on Paige, Atlas wasn’t going to encourage it.
Viper didn’t balk, just kept his gaze neutral and took a swig of his iced tea. “It’s all right, doll. Only seems to bug him when I ask about Paige.”
“’Cause you’re the only one who asks.” That wasn’t necessarily true. However, none of his other friends seemed nearly as interested in Paige as Viper.
Viper shrugged and said something to Havoc. Emmy pranced over to the table and took a sip of her water.
“Emmy, did you help make that cream pie?” Molly asked, just as the girl was about to skip off again.
“Yup! It’s banana. One of my favorites,” she said, splaying her little fingers with exaggeration.
Molly chuckled then ruffled Emmy’s dark hair. The child ran off and bounded through the grass catching ladybugs in a glass jar. Laine sat on the steps giggling while their dog, Ollie, frolicked like a damn goat around Emmy’s heels.
Atlas couldn’t help but smile. Emmy was so darn cute, he almost couldn’t believe she wasn’t Rogue’s biological daughter. Not that it mattered. The two of them had gotten so close, and it’d been entertaining as hell watching his best friend step into a father-figure role.
Molly returned to her seat next to him, and her eyes shone as she threaded her fingers with his. They’d finished eating and had dessert waiting inside, but right now he just wanted this.
