Page 165 of Succumbed

“Shane’s gonna skin you alive for not leaving enough time for proper aftercare,” he mutters, glancing at me sideways. “You two might need to be fashionably late.”

“Was already planning on it, Linc.”

“That’s enough, you two,” Lex sighs, her lips tipping into a smile. “I would like to see your faces now, though.”

“Oh, shit.” Linc reaches for the ribbon on her head.

“I got it.” I wave him off, pulling the end of the bow on the side of her neck.

Linc watches as I unwind the ribbon from her face, his brows raised. “I gotta admit, man, this shit is impressive. I didn’t know you were some kind of…rope master.”

Lex grins up at me as I release her, reaching out to cup my cheek in her hand. “Love you.”

Smirking, I peck a quick kiss to her lips. “Love you.”

She turns to Linc as she slowly sits, the ribbon loosening and sliding away the more she moves. Linc’s gaze turns hungry as he watches her free herself.

“As much as I love seeing you like this, gorgeous, your brother will be here any minute.”

Lex’s eyes widen. “Shit, what time is it?”

“Almost half past.”

“Seven?” she shrieks, scrambling off the bed. “Declan!”

“Don’t yell at me, woman. You came so hard I have to change the fucking mattress protector.”

Lex flushes, her scowl morphing into a mischievous grin. “You owe me for making me late.”

“Oh, I owe you, do I?” I launch toward her.

She squeals, turning tail and running toward the ensuite, trailing ribbon in her wake. I take off after her as Linc laughs behind us.

“Twenty minutes, you two!” he calls.

I ignore him, intent on wringing one more epic orgasm out of Lex before she gets into her party dress.

“Oh, you better run!”

“I hear you’re negotiating a new contract with the State,” Van Costa says, stepping up to join me and Parker.

His arm is slung around his wife, Cami, who has a tiny sleeping baby somehow strapped to her chest with a colorful piece of cloth. It looks complicated as fuck.

“We are,” I answer, clasping Van’s extended hand before taking Cami’s for a brief squeeze. “It’s good to see you, Cami. How’s Bea?”

Cami beams, peering down at her daughter. “Conked out two minutes after we got here!” she laughs, rubbing the infant’s back through the intricate wrap.

I gesture toward the stairs. “You’re welcome to take her up to one of the rooms if you want to try and lay her down.”

“Nah,” Cami shakes her head. “Thanks, Declan, that’s sweet, but she’ll sleep better like this anyway.”

“Alright, well. You let us know if you need anything, okay?” My lips thin as I watch her sway from side to side. The woman is constantly in motion. Looks exhausting.

She touches my arm, her smile warm. “Thank you, really. Oh! There they are.” I follow her gaze, spying Parker’s fiancé and twin by the bar. “I’ll find you in a bit, Gio.”

After his wife kissed him and walked away, still swaying, Van gives me a nod. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” As Parker launches into an explanation of Solum’s latest government bid, I take a long swallow of my drink and let my eyes scan the crowd. Our house has never been so full.

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