Page 130 of Damaged Protector

“That’s right. You two went to Vegas, right?” Bode asked, taking a swig of his beer.

“Uh-huh. Joined the Mile High Club.”

Everyone gaped at him, except for Bode. He was busy choking on his beer. I pounded him on the back and glanced at Shark, who looked a little smug.

“So you and Charli… on a plane? Like, did you take her into the bathroom or something?” That didn’t sound like him at all. He was super possessive, and there was no way he would want a plane full of people hearing his wife come.

He shook his head. “Nope, we chartered this flight called The Love Cloud. You get an hour of privacy in the back of a plane. There’s a partition between you and the cockpit, and the pilot wears noise-canceling headphones. There’s a big bed and everything.”

“I’m fucking shocked,” Woody said, shaking his head. I think he spoke for everyone.

Shark shrugged. “Charli said she wanted to do something wild in Vegas, and that’s what I came up with.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tank said, waving one hand in the air. “You said you got an hour on the plane? What did you do with the other fifty-five minutes after you were done?”

We all roared with laughter as Shark flipped him the bird.

“I hope there was turbulence so you didn’t have to work as hard,” Cam deadpanned.

“As riveting as this conception story is, I’m going to grab another slice of cake,” I said, rising. “Anyone else?” Everyone shook their heads, and I headed inside. I was right outside the kitchen when I stopped at the sound of Charli’s voice.

“Yeah, kitty spankings are so effing hot.” I barely contained a snort.

“Agreed,” Bristol said, and then she giggled. “Mallori, your face is bright red.”

“Ooh, I think Mal may like to be pussy whipped,” Taz commented, and suddenly my pants were about two sizes too tight at the thought.

“So, have you been dating anyone since you moved to Texas?” Charli probed, and I peeked in to see the back of Mallori’s head shaking side to side.

“No, not dating anyone.”

“We should fix her up!” Charli exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Let me think… oh, what about that guy who lives a couple doors down from us? Dwight.” The heat of a thousand suns crawled up my neck until my ears burned. Who the fuck is Dwight?

“No,” Bristol said emphatically. “That dude’s a nerd. Mal is a hottie. She needs a hot guy. One who can pick her up and toss her around. Dilbert doesn’t look like he could pick up a bag of Twizzlers without assistance.”

“His name is Dwight,” Charli said with a laugh, “not Dilbert.”

“He looks like a Dilbert,” Bristol insisted.

India’s eyes lifted from the drink in her hand and fell directly on me. The hint of a smirk toyed with her lips, and I took a step back to put the wall between us. Fuck. Busted.

Then I heard her voice. “How about that handsome young policeman the guys work with sometimes? Niko, I think.”

Niko? Fucking Niko? Hell no. Dude’s a total player.

Like you, a little voice said in my head, and I gritted my teeth until they hurt.

“He’s kind of a meathead,” Shiloh pointed out, and I wanted to kiss her. “But he is hot.” Okay, scratch the kissing.

India spoke up again. “Nothing wrong with that. She doesn’t have to marry him, just have a little fun. Every woman needs to bang a meathead at least once in her life.”

The women busted into fits of giggles, but my vision was turning red around the edges.

I heard Shiloh’s voice again. “Mal, Niko is a big guy, very buff. Are you into that kind of guy?”

Say no. Wait, say yes, because that describes me as well.

“Oh, um, I’m not sure,” Mallori hedged.

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