Page 66 of The Sentinels

"Great. Really great, Emerson. The break was good for us."

It was nice to hear that he was as happy as he looked. "When will I get to meet her?" I slipped the bell pepper into one of the plastic bags the store provided and dropped it into my basket.

"What are you doing tonight?"

I thought about the girls' night that was planned. My first inclination was to invite Doyle and Sonnie to join us, but I stopped short. The whole idea of girls' night was that there were no men allowed, which was really a joke, considering how early the Sentinel men showed up to whisk their women away. I wasn't going to complain, though, because I knew that I was going to become part of that ritual tonight. I was looking forward to it.

"Sorry, I have plans tonight."

"Oh." His eyebrows danced up and down. "You and that biker?"

Thinking about Ace always put a smile on my face. "Actually no, I’ll be with five other women." I wasn't about to go into what I expected to happen once Ace showed up at JJ's.

His eyes grew big. "Kinky!" He put a bunch of bananas into his cart.

I laughed so loud that heads turned in our direction. "I'm sure that's somebody's fantasy." I pushed my cart toward the cucumbers. "How about this Friday night? You two could come to my place for dinner."

I could tell that he was considering it. "I think that's doable, but I'll need to confirm with Sonnie. You know, once you're a couple you have to take the other person's feelings into consideration." He grabbed a couple of bags of ready-made salad kits.

He was speaking as if he were reciting part of the constitution, his tone stern and serious. I snorted. "I know that. I'll ask Ace to join us."

He laughed. "Is he as scary as he looks?"

"Every bit," I responded. I held up a sweet onion, debating whether I should add it to the salad. Some people didn't like onions, and there was always the issue of stinky onion breath. I loved onions, but put it back with a sigh. "Just in case you two can make it Friday, is there anything that you don't like?"

"Liver and onions," he said without missing a beat. "Sonnie loves the stuff, but I won't touch it."

"A girl after my own heart. I love it, too!"

He made a face. "Meatloaf!" he rushed. "Can you make meatloaf? I love a good meatloaf."

I laughed and picked up the onion again, dropping it into my basket. Everyone knew that a good meatloaf had onions in it. "Sure I can."

"Then I'll be there, with or without Sonnie," he grinned. I knew that Doyle was kidding. "I'm done. I'll get back with you this afternoon for sure, okay?"

"Okay."

He gave me a peck on the cheek and turned toward the cash registers."See you Friday!"

I went back to the meat section to pick up some ground chuck and sausage for Friday night.

Ace

I walked into JJ's with my brothers, my gaze automatically searching out Emerson. She was out on the dance floor, shaking her stuff, looking good enough to eat in a fucking clinging dress that outlined her every curve. Fuck. The woman was killing me. I couldn't get her off my mind. I'd thought it had been a good idea letting her go back to her apartment, realizing that shit was moving too fucking fast for us, but I'd been miserable without her.

I didn't just want her in my bed. I didn't just want her beneath me twenty-four-seven. I didn't just want her in my house, in my fucking space. I wanted her in my life. Completely. In the week that she'd been at my home, she'd engrained herself into my heart and soul with her soothing touch her kindness, with the way that she trusted me and gave me her all when I was fucking her. Without knowing it, she'd claimed me every bit as much as I had her.

Still, I couldn't deny that it was too soon to be thinking about the forever-after-shit that some of my brothers had found with their women. I'd never thought I would find anyone that I would want to spend my life with, much less the rest of it. I hadn't thought there was a woman, a good woman, out there who'd put up with my ugly, cranky ass. I wasn't a good man. I wasn’t what she needed, but damned if I gave a shit. I was selfish enough to want to keep her.

She glanced my way and our eyes locked, a sexy smile spreading slowly across her face. I stood and stared at her, and suddenly she was dancing just for me. Her sexy, sensual moves were designed to suck me in and arouse the monster that I kept locked in the darkness. Emerson knew what she was doing, and she embraced the knowledge with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She liked when I lost control, and half the fun was getting there.

I grinned, accepting her challenge. Her smile grew wider as she danced her way to me.

"I've been waiting for you." She moved up against me, teasing me with her tits.

I glanced down at the enticing mounds which were threatening to dance their way right out of her dress. I clenched my jaw as lust slammed through me. "You're playing with fire, baby girl."

She laughed, undaunted by the warning in my gruff tone. "Maybe I like getting burned."

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