Page 60 of Lawless in Leather

Maggie rose, nodding. “We’re going to grab some pizza. Soak up some of that vodka. Do you want to come with us?”

“I should talk to the staff here,” Raina said. “Tell them what happened and what we’re doing about it.”

“We can wait,” Maggie offered. “Alex’s driver is coming to get us. We’re not going to be too late. Hana and I are going to Baltimore in the morning and Shelly and Sara have to work.”

Pizza and some girl talk sounded pretty good. She hung out with the gals from the club but when it came right down to it, she was their boss, so apart from Glynna and Tallie, who’d been there the longest, she couldn’t really let her hair down around them. “Let me go see how everyone is doing and then I’ll let you know,” Raina said. “Sorry about this, normally I’d love to but it’s been an odd night and I need?—”

“You need to make sure your people are okay. I get that,” Maggie said. “I grew up with a baseball team. I understand what it’s like.”

It was nearly two thirty when Raina arrived home suitably stuffed full of pizza and the glass of scotch that Maggie had insisted of buying her at the pizza place. The food and the spirits had taken the edge off the night. She’d talked all the Madame R staff through what had happened to Tallie and sent everyone home with the promise they’d discuss it more on Monday if anyone wanted to.

She really wanted a long hot bath but wasn’t sure she’d stay awake if she indulged. So instead, she took a ten-minute steaming-hot shower, climbed into an old Hamilton T-shirt she wore to sleep in and her red robe, and then wandered back out to feed Wash. While he was chomping through his food with his usual enthusiasm, she boiled water to make peppermint tea. That would finish the wind-down process. Help her sleep, hopefully. She almost dropped the teacup in her hand when her intercom buzzer sounded. Catching it just before it got away from her, she swore as she stalked over to the phone. If some idiot kid was playing games, she was going to give them a mouthful.

“What do you want?” she said into the speaker.

“You,” Mal’s voice replied.

She pushed the button to let him in so hard and fast she wondered if she’d broken it.

Apparently not. And apparently Mal could levitate because she’d barely finished unlocking the door when he knocked.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in wonder as she threw open the door. He looked tired, stubble darkening his jaw, hair wild. The gray Henley underneath his leather jacket was creased. He’d never looked better to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked roughly.

“I’m fine,” she said, feeling a smile spread across her face. “But you’re supposed to be in Baltimore.”

“Do you want to talk about where I’m supposed to be or do you want to get naked with me?” He pushed the door shut behind him then reached for her.

“I’ll take door number two, please,” she said, and laughed as he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and started kissing him wildly. Mal bumped his way through the kitchen then stopped at the sofa. Wash protested and bolted as they descended onto it in a tangle of limbs. Mal’s hand slid up her leg. “No panties. That makes things easier.”

“Speak for yourself, you’re wearing far too many clothes.” Raina said, then gasped as Mal pulled her T-shirt up and fastened his mouth over a nipple, drawing it into his mouth and making her shiver.

“Actually, I take that back. Keep your clothes on.”

“I can multitask,” Mal mumbled, and she heard the sound of a zipper being lowered.

Raina giggled. “Condom?” she suggested.

“Wallet. Back pocket,” Mal said. His fingers slid into her and she lost track of what she was supposed to be doing. Wallet. Condom. Mal inside her. Right.

She tried to reach around but given the angle and the sheer size of Mal, she couldn’t reach. “Wait,” she muttered. “Let me up.”

Mal looked up, frowning. That didn’t stop him driving her crazy with those long clever fingers, she noted.

“Something wrong?”

“My arms are short and your body is long,” she said. “If you want that condom, you’re going to have to let me up.”

His face cleared. “Ah.” He looked down the sofa. “This is never going to work. You need a sofa for normal-sized people.” He sat up and she pushed him off onto the floor.

“The floor is flat,” she said.

He grinned then. “So it is.” He raised a hip, pulled his wallet free of the offending pocket, and passed it to her. She found the condom and then found herself pulled down on top of Mal. Who’d managed to lose the jeans and his boxers while she was condom hunting. He didn’t mess around, her Malachi.

She decided to follow his lead, tore open the condom packet, and then sat up.

“Hello again,” she said and wrapped her hand around the lovely erection that she’d spent all day trying not to think about. God, had it only been this morning that he’d left? It felt like forever.

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