Page 58 of Fastlander Fallen

He clenched his jaw and dipped his gaze to her lips, then told her, “You’re going to drive me crazy, aren’t you?”

“Not on purpose!” she whisper-screamed.

He leaned back in and slipped his hand around her throat as he whispered against her ear. “I want you, too.”

Then he released her and went back to talking with Gunner and Hallie like he hadn’t just turned her into a stone.

Every coherent thought had left her dumbed-down brain.

“What do you think?” Hallie asked. “Corey?”

“Huh?” she asked, forcing her attention away from Ace’s perfectly-chiseled jawline.

Hallie was pouring champagne into two glasses. “About next Wednesday?”

“For?”

“The courthouse ceremony? They have an opening at twelve.”

“Oh! Oh. Yes. Yep. Absolutely, that works. I think I can take off work then. I have a million vacation days built up.” Her voice faded slightly at the gentle massage Ace was doing on her thigh. Be cool.

She grinned like a lunatic. “Marriage time.”

“Ace, quit distracting her,” Hallie said. “This is important, and you have her pupils blown.”

Slowly, Ace slid his hand off her thigh and to the beer the waitress had just brought, along with one for Gunner.

She tried not to pout. Hallie snickered and poured mango puree into her glass of champagne.

“Who’s that?” Gunner suddenly growled.

Ace had been sipping his drink, but put it down and scented the air. “Owen.”

“Shit, Captain is here too.”

The shaking of the balcony startled her, and Corey clutched onto Ace’s arm. “Use the fucking door,” he barked out, but Owen came over the balcony railing, apparently having already scaled the leg of the balcony.

“I don’t like people, kiss-ass,” Owen snarled at Ace.

“Why is my brother here?” Gunner demanded.

Owen gave an empty smile. “We decided to crash the Crew meeting, since we are going to be Crew.”

Gunner rolled his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t a Crew meeting. We’re celebrating our engagement.”

“Well, it’s a triple-date now,” Owen gritted out as he stole two chairs from an empty table just inside the balcony door.

“And even if it was a Crew meeting,” Gunner barked out, “you don’t have an invite, and neither does Captain.”

Speak of the devil himself, the railing groaned as Captain scaled the banister too. “Hey, broski.”

“I know our parents taught you better manners than that,” Gunner ground out.

“Says the guy who set his entire last Crew on fire.”

“I set…” Gunner lowered his voice and leaned forward. “I set their houses on fire. Not the Crew.”

“Nice,” Ace murmured, and took another sip of his beer.

---