Page 50 of While You Sleep

“You think too much,” I muttered.

He barked out a laugh, then the smile slipped off his face. “Fuck me.”

I followed his gaze. Gaia Leone had just walked in. She strode straight to Declan, who was still talking to Sophia and another woman, one of a few he casually hooked up with. I quickly weaved my way over to them. Gaia had proven herself to be unpredictable.

“That’s my fucking fiancé you’re groping,” she was saying to the girl.

“Gaia,” Declan bit out.

“You’re engaged?” the other woman asked, yanking her hand out of Declan’s back pocket.

He winced. “It’s…complicated.”

The girl turned red. “I’m out of here,” she said and took off.

Gaia looked up at Declan, her eyes were wide and filling with tears. “You’re cheating on me? But I…I thought…” A tear streaked down her face.

Declan jerked back, horrified. “Whoa. Hang on a minute. I thought you understood, I assumed you knew—”

Gaia threw her head back and laughed loud, wiping away her crocodile tears as she did. “That was way too easy. Jesus, you should see your face.” She imitated it. “I—I assumed you knew,” she said in a deep voice.

Declan scowled. “What the fuck, Gaia?”

She ignored him and turned to Sophia, who was watching the whole thing with wide eyes. “I hear your father’s a selfish pig like mine. The kind who’ll use his daughter as a bargaining chip and sell her off like a cheap whore to make more money?”

Sophia opened her mouth, her eyes darting to me, then closed it. “Um…”

“Seems we’re going to be sisters-in-law.” She turned back to Declan and grinned. “Isn’t that right, honey bunny? I’ll be your wife, right there at your side twenty-four seven. Everywhere you go, I’ll be right there. When you eat, shit, sleep, I’ll be there. When you close your eyes at night.” She winked. “I’ll be there.” Her gaze hardened. “Are you a deep sleeper, sweet cheeks?”

Conor had joined us, and he bit back a laugh beside me.

Declan flashed a grin, taking a piece of her dark wavy hair between his fingers. “Baby, who said there’ll be any time for sleep?”

Her eyes narrowed, and she jerked her head back, pulling her hair free. “You’re a pig.”

“Yet you’ll be the one doing all the squealing,” Dec said, his eyes glittering, a smirk on his face.

Gaia hissed. “I’m going to enjoy making you bleed,” she said, then grabbed Sophia’s hand. “Let’s dance.” She led a stunned Sophia out into the middle of Dec’s large living room where a couple others were dancing.

“You’re fucked,” Conor said. “And not in the good way.”

Declan sipped his Jameson, his gaze on Gaia as she danced. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

Several hours later, I was sitting with a few of my men having a drink, and Sophia was tipsy and laughing with Gaia like they were old friends. Sophia twirled, and her pretty dress lifted a little, flashing her yellow panties, and my heart skipped a fucking beat in my chest. Gaia grabbed Neville’s hand and spun around, then pressed herself against him. Neville’s gaze sliced to Dec for help, but my brother was already stalking over. One minute Gaia was dancing and flirting, the next, Declan had picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and walked out of the room.

Fucking around and flirting with our men in front of Dec wasn’t a good idea, and my brother was about to explain why to her now.

Sophia looked around, confused, then shrugged and kept dancing with some of the other women. Conor’s girlfriend, Becca, was there, and she’d been with them most of the night.

Jesus, I couldn’t take my eyes off my little wife. I twisted my wedding band around my finger. Seeing her like this, I liked it. I liked seeing her laughing, enjoying herself. Happy.

She turned and her gaze fell on me. I didn’t look away, eating up the sight of her all flushed and bright-eyed. Instead of blushing deeper, like she often did when I looked at her, she said something to Becca and headed straight for me, then she kept coming, moving in so close I sat back to make room for her. Sophia climbed right onto my lap in front of everyone in the room, wrapping her arms around my neck.

A grin curled her lips. “Have you been watching me?”

“Aye.” A thrill raced through me. I liked her claiming me as hers in front of everyone.

“Why?” she said, running her fingers over my jaw, over the beard I still wore even though my assignment pretending to be Dean was over.

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