Page 86 of Fight

Augustine wraps his hand lightly around my throat, tilting my face up with his thumb to kiss me.

“You love it,” he reminds me with a soft smile. I love him, but the words get stuck, refusing to come out. Maybe I’ll be able to say it next time. “Stop procrastinating, Sweetheart. As much as I would enjoy spreading you out on your desk and licking up every drop of slick from your pussy, we both have to wait.”

“I can’t believe you just said that,” I sputter.

“Get used to it,” he says, moving his hand to the base of my back to usher me forward. “I’ve loved you since the second I saw you. I have a lot of pent up dirty talk that’s all for you. It’s not fair only Gabriel has been subjected to it. Gotta spread the love.”

He loves me… I’m lost in my head as I analyze every word and glance he’s ever given me, realizing they meant something different than I thought. Gah, there was so much wasted time.

Not for the first time, I kick myself for thinking my special inhaler was the best way to protect myself.

“Cerenity?” a voice asks as we walk through the club.

Gasping, I turn toward the voice because no one was supposed to be here. Xavier is standing there with his keys in his hand, bemused as he watches us.

“Yeah,” I answer, my heart still racing as I put my hand on my chest. “Holy shit, I was just leaving. I was double checking that we would be ready to open tomorrow. I know I wasn't gone long, but?—”

“You still needed to check,” he says with a nod. I am nervous about tomorrow, though I’m unsure why. I had to touch every bottle, triple check my numbers, and it’s yet another reason we’re still here.

Neuroses suck. Few people actually pay attention to my quirks, but Xavier always has.

“Exactly,” I sigh. “We should be all set for tomorrow then.”

“We are. I spoke to the dancers, and they will be having a dress rehearsal tomorrow for you around seven-thirty before we open. They’re nervous because they couldn’t come in to rehearse together much before this, and want to make sure they’re set,” he explains.

As I talk with him, I smell his annoyed scent. I’m surprised, because he knows some of the circumstances I went through, and he seemed sympathetic on the phone when we spoke. However, now he smells like expired cheese, which isn’t something I’d be able to tell before while using my alpha blocker nasal spray.

No one but Auggie knows I’ve been using it in my life. I would always use it at home, and he walked in on me when we first moved in together. To be fair, the door was wide open, not exactly the move of someone who wanted privacy.

It was my fault, but it’s not something that I tell people. It’s as if I’m just discovering what my nose can scent, since I’ve been taking them for so long, a sense that says a lot about people. God, it’s as if I cut an important part of my body off, and I feel even more dumb right now. My mind is reeling, and I force myself to respond to Xavier.

I’m so surprised by his reaction. Auggie doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss, so could it just be me?

Wincing, I nod. I know I didn’t ask to get kidnapped, but it did unbalance a few things. I fucking hate pivoting, even though I do it often.

“I’ll be here, but I know they’re going to be wonderful,” I tell him with a wink, surprising him. I’m in a good mood today despite his reaction now that I know the club is still standing and ready for tomorrow.

“Make sure to lock up, please?”

Taking a deep breath as he nods, I walk out of the club with Auggie, knowing he’ll take care of the rest.

“Was it me, or was Xavier upset about something?” I whisper as we walk to his truck.

“You think? He checked in pretty regularly yesterday and today, but while I was in Chicago I couldn’t be bothered to return calls. He may be upset that you’re running on cylinders so soon after everything,” Auggie says, thinking about the interaction.

“I’ll try to pay more attention next time to see if I catch it.”

Knowing he’s not blowing me off, I nod as I climb into the vehicle.

“Caffeine me, baby!” I yell as he joins me in the cab. Rolling his eyes with a grin, he turns on the truck to get us going.

He loves me, I know because he told me so. Relaxing against the headrest as I prepare to people, I thank the universe for caffeine and Auggie in this moment.

GABRIEL

I can’t stop staring at Tommy’s hair, my lips twitching as laughter threatens to bubble up. I wish I could say it looks terrible, but the bastard looks like some kind of Emo Viking right now. I meant it when I told Cerenity I’d help her, but this and the cling wrapped toilet was all her.

Diabolical tendencies are exactly what I want in my omega. I want to fear for my Goddamned life if I ever fuck up.

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