My wife turns to me with her eyebrows raised. “Huh?”
“When you go to wherever for med school?—”
Her hand reaches for my thigh, and she gives it a squeeze. “Northview needs me. And I’m not leaving. We’restaying. This is where I belong and where I want to be.”
I shake my head, wondering how I thought of myself as less than. Evenpoorcompared to the others at NU…
Tonight? I’m the richest fucking person in the world.
Scout shrugs. “Because the Seven always know what’s best for us.”
For a moment, she holds my gaze, then breaks into laughter. It trickles over into my chest until we’re both chuckling so hard, we have tears in our eyes.
forty-eight
It’s seriously distractinghow attractive my husband is.
Especially when he wraps his black bandana around his face and ties it behind his head, then slaps the back seat of his bike, waiting for me to hop on.
“Giddy up!”
Of course, his first task after getting his cast off was to plan something dangerous. But he promised me it would be a short ride.
“Oh, wait! I left my glasses on!” I attempt to pull them off to rush them back inside the house before we take off, but he stops me.
“Leave them on.” His tongue slips out of his lips and licks the bottom one. “I like them.” He not-so-secretively readjusts himself, his erection filling his jeans in a way that makes my body hot. Despite the chill in air.
I get excited thinking about finally having sex without moving around the plaster covering half hislower body.
Suddenly, I feel sexy. And that’s not something I give much thought to. But he seems to have a specific taste that really does it for him. Like me in my organic chemistry pajamas and bunny slippers. Now, my glasses.
“It’s a good thing nerdy chic style turns you on. I think I’ve perfected it.” I wave my hands down at my solid parka, the glasses, and point to my knitted cap.
He pulls me into his chest, then helps me settle on the back of the bike. Before he revs the engine, he turns to me. “Nah, tulip. Mystyleis my wife. Whatever you’re wearing?That’swhat I’m into.”
I smile as he taps my thigh, letting me know he’s about to take off. And we do.
In just a few minutes, with me gripping his chest like an anchor, we arrive at the Maned Marauder’s hangout. The barrels are blazing with fires. And even though it’s March, the spring air is cold at night. Makeshift bar table set up with drinks. His brother, Nico, and friends, Adal and Valen, surround one of the fires.
“Sup, bro. Hello, Scoutie.” Nico gives me a half-hug as he fist taps my husband.
“Hi!”
“We’re out of moonshine tonight, Scoutie,” Adal says, pointing toward the bar with a smirk. “But we have regular beer if you want.”
“I don’t think I ever want to try that stuff again. Probably just stick to water."
Apollo slips by to get a bottle and a beer for himself, and I surprise myself with how natural it feels, howgood, to be here hanging out with these guys.
"You missed last night. Olivia came over here with usbefore some races,” Valen tells me. “She says hello. And you two are more than welcome to come to our place anytime.”
I nod. “Oh, yeah. Fridays are my dates with my mom unless we’re watching Landon play hockey, but I’d love to. Apollo tells me it’s a ruined mansion that you’re working on restoring. That sounds amazing!”
Apollo returns and hands me the chilled bottle as he screws off the top of his beer.
“What’s amazing?”
“Our place. Come over. Sometime.”
