Page 85 of Ruthless Beasts

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” I pushed.

“I just- I feel less anxious when I hold his hand,” she admitted.

I squeezed the hand that connected us. “Well, for the moment, let my hand offer you comfort. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed, even as her eyes watched Ace intently.

We all had tension, but theirs? Fuck, they needed to get some of that relieved; it was suffocating. They needed to talk it out, fuck it out, anything to give us all some reprieve.

I guided her to the edge of the dance floor and put my hand on her hip, dragging her body to mine, making our bodies flush. She snuggled into my chest, ignoring the stares of the eyes around us, curious why I was dancing with the wife of Adam. Was she even his wife? The questions no one wanted to ask, but everyone speculated about. By now, the fact that he was married was widespread. Who? That was the mystery, and if this girl wasn’t his wife, wherewashis wife? I’d listened to the whispers as we walked by and taken amusement at the confusion, as if our life or Adam’s was any of their fucking business.

“They are talking about us,” Bellamy whispered against my chest.

To emphasize just how much I didn’t care, I let my hand travel low, cupping her perfectly round butt cheek in my palm. “Let them.”

“But…”

I stopped her words with a kiss, taking her lips in mine as I felt every vibration of the music course through our bodies. I let my tongue dance slowly with hers, elated when her body finally relaxed against mine. My fingers tightened, and I wished we had finished what we started on the couch, because my cock was so fucking hard against her stomach that when we pulled away, there would be no question on where my mind was.

It took all my will to force my lips to part from hers, and when I did, I fought every urge inside of me to not crash them back together. Her chest was heaving, her skin flush, and those eyes, they burned, a flame of needy fire only for me. I let my forehead fall to hers, keeping our eyes locked together. “Still want Ace?”

“I never didn’t want you just because I wanted him.”

Her admitting, without prompting, that she wanted us both made me wish to scoop her up right here, right now. She’d come a long way during the time in our lives. She went from full denial to complete acceptance, and I wasn’t sure what changed, but fuck, it was everything I didn’t know I needed and everything I ever wanted.

“You used to not want any of us,” I whispered against her skin as I leaned down and kissed the junction of her shoulder.

“I was scared,” she admitted. “You have a reputation.”

“Everyone has some sort of reputation,” I reminded her.

“You killed men right in front of me.” She bit her lip, and I released her hip long enough to pull it free.

“Was it the first death you’d seen?” I didn’t regret it, but if it was, maybe I’d feel slightly sorry for the trauma I’d gifted her.

“No,” she confirmed, and I didn’t think it was. With a father like hers, death had to be everywhere.

“We have death on our hands. That doesn’t transfer to you, sweetheart.”

“I was scared,” she added again. “About everything, the whole situation. Not just you guys, but everything before you as well.”

I could see that, I guess. “But we were never rough with you.”

She glared. “You tossed me over your shoulder and refused to put me down.”

“Then I brought you soup when you barfed your guts out. Doesn’t one cancel the other?” I beamed, offering her my most contagious smile.

“Nope.” The way she popped the p confirmed this girl needed a spanking. I couldn’t wait to offer her one. “I asked for neither, so I get to decide what cancels what. If I remember correctly, and I have an excellent memory, there was a recent occurrence that left me with reasons as to why I shouldn’t give you a pass in canceling past actions.”

“You threw popcorn at me, then dumped the bowl over my head,” I growled, dumbfounded as I damn near stomped my foot in the middle of the black-tie event, on the dance floor, surrounded by every person of power in this county. “I think it was warranted.”

She leaned in, bringing her lips as close to my ears as possible. I leaned down so she could speak. “What wasn’t warranted was having to take care of the problem myself when Adam worked a long night and you were out of the area.”

“Oh?” The thought of her hands between her thighs drove me mad. “You’re a bold one for someone just discovering their sexuality.”

“I know what I like. What I want. What makes me hot.”

---