Page 78 of Saviors

Her face brightened as she looked up at him. Her warmth echoed in me. Something told me I had a similar expression when he focused his charm my way. I couldn’t hear their voices, but Connor gave her his full attention. He was animated as he pulled a new deck of cards from his pocket. Did he always bring multiple ones with him? Or had he known she’d be here?

I expected him to teach her to play go fish or some other game for children. Instead, I watched as he did a magic trick, finding her card in the deck. Her look of delight lit up the room.

But her face dropped when he pushed the cards into her hands. She was shaking her head when he grabbed a passing waiter. Her dark hair fell over her shoulder as she glanced down.

Connor wrapped his large palms around hers, cradling the cards as he whispered in her ear. I would’ve given anything to hear what he said. Her eyes brightened with hope as she held out the cards. Her brows were furrowed in concentration as she tried to master the trick. The waiter didn’t seem bothered to play their game.

Her laughter carried across the restaurant when she did it correctly on the second try. Once he knew she had the hang of it, he stood, ruffling her hair like Felipe had before he walked back to me. She’d snagged another waiter by the time he made it to our table.

“You made her night.” My smile was so wide it hurt my cheeks. I was continually surprised at how wonderful these men were.

He shrugged as he reached for me, pulling me up. “I’ve known her since she was born. She’s Felipe’s sister. His babysitter isn’t reliable, so he has to bring her here sometimes.”

“Did your dad teach you that trick, too?”

His hazel eyes darkened like a cloud was covering them. His hand pressed firmly into my low back as he led me outside. “No. I learned on my own. Card tricks are always a big draw when you’re panhandling or pick-pocketing.”

My body buzzed with curiosity. I wanted to learn more. The expression in his gaze told me not to ask. But I had another piece of their puzzle for now. Making me wonder again what had happened to them.

42

Connor

My fingers stroked through Violet’s dark hair, sending her lavender scent into the air around us. The house was quiet. Maverick and Reid were at the clubs. But the calm of the night wasn’t soothing me. Even lying in bed and holding her in my arms didn’t prevent the tightening in my chest.

I’d said too much tonight. It’s not that I didn’t want her to know me, but she wasn’t ready. She had her own things to work out. I didn’t need to add to her stress.

But a part of me thought maybe it was time. We crossed some barrier over the last few days. What we were doing wasn’t fleeting anymore. Even Reid agreed she was ours. And we were hers.

The longer we lied to her about where Maverick and I went, the harder it would be to tell the truth. I didn’t come by lying naturally, like Reid and Maverick. I didn’t need it to survive until I was a teenager. They’d spent their whole lives concealing one secret or another.

What was Violet going to say when she found out ours? When she learned we weren’t these good samaritans she saw us as, but criminals? Would she still want us?

“I had a really great time.” She tilted her head until I was staring into trusting green eyes. Vulnerable. “Thank you.”

The confessions burned my tongue, but I swallowed them down as I lifted my hand to stroke her cheek. She was unbelievably soft under my fingertips. I hated myself for continuing to conceal the truth. But I knew the second I told her I risked losing this. And that was a reality I couldn’t face.

“You never have to thank us, little bloom. We like taking care of you. Treating you well. It’s how it should’ve always been.”

“Still, I’m allowed to show my gratitude.” She rolled her lips together as if she had a secret. I recognized the lustful glint in her eyes. But she was too nervous to ask for what she really wanted. She liked when we demanded it from her instead.

Violet shrieked in delight as I grabbed her hips, maneuvering her until she was straddling my lap. Her warm cunt pressed right into my hard cock. I crossed my hands behind my head as I admired the view. “By all means, show me how grateful you are.”

Her dark hair slid across her cheek as she leaned forward. Her teeth sank into that pink plump bottom lip as she started working the buttons on my shirt. I was mesmerized by the gorgeous slope of her petite nose. By the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

She was so goddamn beautiful; I found it hard to breathe. But I didn’t think her hands were shaking for the same reason. They trembled as she pushed my shirt open. Her touch was tentative as she traced the lines of my abs. It was barely a touch at all, but it burned my skin.

She was making me crazy. I wanted more. Needed her. Grasping the back of her neck, I brought our mouths together. Mine was firm, not demanding. But hers was soft, almost shy. I could taste her nerves on my tongue.

“It’s okay. You remember how to do this.” I said across her lips. “It’s just you and me.”

Her lashes fluttered over timid green eyes. “Shouldn’t we talk about birth control? Or diseases?”

Her eyes narrowed when I couldn’t contain my chuckle. My fingers stroked her pulse gently, trying to calm her, but it raced instead. “Well, we’ve shared a lot of fluids already.” Her creamy skin stained pink at the memories. “But I’m clean. We all are. We make everyone at the club test monthly. And we had the doctor check when you arrived.”

“Thank you.” I hated the grateful tone of her voice. Hated that she went through that.

My grip loosened on her neck. Maybe this wasn’t the right moment. She wasn’t ready. But as I started to pull away, she sunk her nails into my chest to hold me close. “I have a birth control implant.”

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