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“Calling me a fuckboy feels like an insult,” I pointed out. It was a longstanding argument.

I didn’t even want to know what Nova would think of this conversation. I was more than a little irritated and mortified that if she hadn’t just left she’d be hearing all this.

“It’s a term of endearment when we say it about you,” Ariel jumped in.

“Daddy fuckboy Carter,” Turner added and laughed.

“Do you have to make every single thing sound like absolute filth?” I asked him.

Javier excused himself from the table and I barely noticed.

“Ariel started it,” Turner said defensively. “And no. Not everything.” He paused. “Maybe. Probably. Who knows? Not the point. We all know you’ll be a great father, so why not start soon? Our kids could be the same age.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

His wife was currently pregnant, and apparently baby fever really was a thing.

“Not happening,” I said with no hesitation. “Does not appeal. First of all, last time I checked it takes two people to have a baby, and if you hadn’t noticed, I’m very much single.” It wasn’t strictly the truth, but for this crowd I was sticking to it. “And I’m too young to settle down. Maybe when I’m forty or older it will appeal to me, but right now it emphatically doesn’t, and that’s enough about the subject.” I paused. “Now let’s play,” I added for good measure.

Everyone finally dropped it, thank God, Nova came back in, and we got down to poker.

I’d gone over the game previously with Nova so she had a good notion of the rules, but Rod and Mark were hell-bent on helping her learn, leaning close and speaking to her quietly, pointing things out, clearly instructing her as we played.

It was distracting me.

And making me feel violent. I wanted to fight them both for leaning too close to her, for looking at her like that.

At one point Rod put his arm around her, touching her shoulder as he explained something about her hand of cards to her.

I stood abruptly. “I’m going to get a bottle of water? Anyone else need anything?”

A few requests were thrown out. Perfect.

“Nova,” I said sharply. “Come help me carry the drinks.”

She blinked up at me innocently and obeyed.

The second we were in the kitchen I pushed her into the walk-in pantry, shut us in, and pinned her hard to the wall, our chests flush. “Are you flirting with Rod?” I asked her harshly.

Her eyes were wide. She shook her head instantly, and the way she was looking at me as she did it made me realize I was being a maniac.

I rubbed my body against hers. “Well, stay away from him.” I grabbed her cunt. “Don’t forget this is my fucking territory.” I gripped a tit roughly. “All of it. Say it.”

“My body is your territory,” she said, no hesitation.

It was gratifying, but I needed more. “And who do you belong to?”

“You.”

I took a deep breath, feeling instant relief. That’s what I’d needed from her.

I gave her what she needed right back.

“After everyone leaves I’m going to fuck you like I hate you,” I told her roughly. “And then I’m going to make you crawl on the floor on all fours and take my cock all the way down your throat, you little cocksleeve. I’m going to face fuck you. You’re going to suck my dick while it’s still dripping from your pussy and my cum. You’re going to lick it clean.”

She shivered in delight.

I pulled her shirt up and stuffed it in her mouth. “Be quiet,” I told her harshly, pulling the cup of her bra down to pinch her nipple hard.

I placed a hand around her throat.