Page 38 of Cohesion

“They disappeared when everyone decided to steal my food,” Will sulked.

They both knew Will was lying. He loved feeding people. He would make more than enough for everyone, with leftovers for staff to take home. Luckily, Peyton wouldn’t need to fight anyonefor them; he got special private service at home that was so much more satisfying. He’d even be able to get Will to make them while shirtless. And that one was for his men alone.

Peyton hooked a finger in the loop of Will’s jeans and tugged him closer, standing up on the tips of his toes while Will leaned down to get a slow kiss. “Can I have two more?” he whispered.

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

“As long as no one else asks like this.” Peyton slid a possessive hand around to rest on the small of Will’s back. “Blood is so hard to get out of the bar.”

“Should I wear a sign?”

“Yeah. ‘Property of Peyton,’ stamped right across your ass.” Peyton lightly slapped that particular part of Will’s anatomy that he enjoyed so much.

“People would have to look at my ass to see it,” Will said cheekily. “And I think there are a few other names that should probably be there.”

“We can use both cheeks and go down your thighs.” Just cover him in their names so people got the hint. He liked the sound of that.

“You’ve put some thought into this.”

If Peyton thought he could get away with it, he would have tattooed his name on Will a long time ago. It didn’t bother him to include Sebastian, Quinn, and Jericho on there as well if they wanted. Four names, signalling that he was well and truly taken, could only help assholes keep their distance. Strength in numbers. “Get your cute butt back into that kitchen.”

“It gets me hot when you get bossy.”

“Doesn’t help you listen, though.” Peyton couldn’t resist one more kiss, this time dipping in briefly to taste. Will had been sneaking in his food while he’d been making it. The salty sweetness of the tomato chutney lingered between them.

Leigh approached him after Will had disappeared back into the kitchen, a hand towel in one hand and a glass in the other. “He’s bringing some out, right? That’s what all the sucking face was, right? ’cause I’m a bit peckish.”

“I hope so,” Peyton said. Seemed a cruel tease if he only got to taste one.

“You really leaving?”

“Got something else lined up that started this week,” Peyton said, shrugging. “Office job with more daytime hours.” He’d had practice coming up with bullshit during his time as a special forces soldier. He’d always preferred to give a non-answer when people asked, instead of telling the truth. It was never worth the hassle, and there were too many guys that wanted to prove they could take down a spec ops soldier to risk it if he wasn’t in the mood to put someone on the ground. Sometimes he kept it close to the truth and tacked soldier on, but for the most part, he went for something boring and less likely to result in follow-up questions.

Leigh grimaced. “Oof. Bloody hell, mate. Better you than me.”

Peyton snickered and patted Leigh on the shoulder, heading for the next person flagging him down. It wasn’t a busy night, but they still had enough people around to keep them busy. He preferred it that way. Boredom wasn’t a good look on him.

Will came back out a half hour later, with enough for everyone in the immediate area to each get one. Peyton hoped he was cooking more. Because he, specifically, needed more.

Another hour later—and two more batches of quiche—a familiar face came through the front doors. The bar wasn’t so busy that the place was packed shoulder to shoulder, and Peyton took a moment to admire the way Sebastian looked in his suit as he moved across the room.

He wasn’t wearing a jacket, and Peyton was more than appreciative of that fact. The single-breasted vest he wore,along with his sleeves rolled to his elbows, was the eye candy that Peyton was here for. Black-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and his eyebrow piercing gleamed under the bar lights.

Peyton knew he wasn’t in a good mood even before he slid onto the nearest stool with a scowl. “Rough day?”

“How can you tell?” Sebastian asked. “Was it the cloud above my head, or the look on my face?”

Touchy. “None of the above,” Peyton said with amusement. They were smaller tells than that. Notsubtle, but not something everyone would notice. Sebastian’s shoulders were wound tight, his gaits were shorter, and after he’d spotted Peyton, he’d kept his head down and forced anyone in his path to get out of the way instead of moving around them. Just to name a few details. He could keep going.

“Where’s Jericho?” Peyton asked, glancing behind Sebastian, where two unfamiliar men hovered. After he’d left the police precinct, he’d spent the rest of the day with Six, going through boring-ass manuals, procedures, and signing what amounted to at least sixty different forms that were various ways of saying he couldn’t sue if he was mangled horribly. Jericho hadn’t been in the building, and he’d just assumed he was back to guarding Sebastian.

“Not here. Obviously.”

Obviously. “And you are?” Peyton knew who theyshouldbe, but he hadn’t officially met them even after they’d started guarding Sebastian. He would make them identify themselves before he let them get any closer. It would take him less time to vault over the bar than it would for them to get their hands on Sebastian.

Sebastian waved half-heartedly over his shoulder at them. “Spence and Ken. Say hi.”

“Hi,” Peyton said dutifully. They nodded in response. “No Jericho?” If he hadn’t been with Sebastian, where they fuck had he been, and why hadn’t he taken Peyton with him?

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