Page 71 of Queen of Spades

Oh yeah, I think he’s waiting for me to tell him why I’m not shocked my lunatic brother would do something like marry me off.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, but there was a reason I ran rather than letting Kane drag me back to Ranger three years ago.” I shrug but find myself leaning farther toward him. His pheromones are only getting thicker. Or my reaction to them is.

He stares down at me with what might qualify as an incredulous look.

“I had no idea you knew my brother until I walked into your house that night with Grady and Kane,” I tell him truthfully. “No offense, but I’m not going to jump up and down at the thought of being married off to a rich guy. Even if you are ridiculously hot.”

Cas spins me around until my back meets the tile once more. His long fingers brush over my cheek as his dark eyes stare down into mine. “I believe you. I’m sorry that I insinuated otherwise.”

I nod as his slick skin presses against mine. His head tilts, and I stretch up to meet him in the middle. Our lips brush, and he deepens the kiss. My head gets foggy as he sucks over Ward’s bondmark, sending a pulse of pleasure right to my clit.

The urge to crawl up him so he can fuck me against the shower wall is overpowering. Clutching his strong back muscles, I curl into him as his cock brushes my lower stomach.

“Food’s here.” Grady’s voice makes me jump.

I don’t pull back, but Cas pecks a final kiss on my lips and stands to his full height.

A half second later, Grady yanks the curtain open, glancing between Cas and me.

I lean around Cas, making eye contact with my alpha. I’m guessing he totally knew we were having a moment before he decided to pop in because his humor hits me in the bond.

“There’s a giant spider in our shower,” I inform him. “He probably hunkered down to wait for Cas to shut off the water. He’s biding his time, planning his revenge. Once we fall asleep, he’s totally climbing back up to kill us all.”

Grady winks, and his dimples pop as he smiles. “Sounds like a legit threat to me.”

Ward sleeps through the four of us eating. Kane disregards my warning and takes a shower after we’re done. Cas disappears back into the other bedroom, pushing the door to the frame without clicking the connector closed.

I snuggle up with Grady in the bed closest to the shower, and the sound of the running water helps lull me to sleep.

His beachy scent is the first thing I smell when I wake up. Wiggling closer, I bury my face in his bare chest. He loves to pick on me about snoring, but his soft chuffs and grunts probably qualify as the same thing.

My mouth is dry, and my entire body aches.

I roll away from Grady, patting around the nightstand for a bottle of water. There’s nothing. Grumbling under my breath, I toss my legs off the mattress and aim for the mini-fridge. They brought back a ton of drinks, and I am greatly in need of one.

I squat down, pop the door open, and grab a bottle of water before closing the door and standing up. Spinning around, I crack the bottle and take a long swig.

My entire body jolts as I catch sight of Kane. He’s shirtless, sitting up against the headboard of the other bed. There’s no way to be sure how long ago I fell asleep, but it feels like he should be getting some rest by now. He drove all day yesterday.

Dropping the bottle on the table, I aim for his bed.

“Aren’t you tired?” I ask in barely more than a whisper.

He shrugs. “Someone should keep watch, just in case.”

I take a seat on the edge of his bed, studying his exhausted expression. “And everything always falls on your shoulders?”

“I lost you three years ago. I’m not trying to make the same mistakes again.” His green eyes sparkle in the low light.

“I’m not going to run,” I assure him softly.

Grady is a pretty light sleeper, usually, but I also know I exhausted him during the second half of the drive.

My mind files through all the ways he and Ward managed to fuck my brains out in a moving vehicle. They make for a solid team, but even the memories make my thighs clench.

Kane’s head tilts as he leans forward, brushing my hair back from my face. All the air in the room seems to evaporate as my chest rises and falls rapidly. “Are you afraid of me, Sparrow?”

My eyes fall shut as completely different memories come back in full force. The way he used to say my name made my heart race then too. I had a huge crush on him when he first moved into the house with Charles, Eddie, and me. Only, he was kinda awful to me back then, and it became easier to hate him than it did to admit I was wildly attracted to his scent.

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