Page 554 of The Tempted

“Dinner is served,” Reina exclaimed happily, carrying a huge tray in her hands. “I hope everyone’s hungry.”

Lacey turned around, clutching the salad bowl as our eyes locked.

I twisted uncomfortably in my seat but kept staring at her. I didn’t care that we were surrounded by people or that her father was right next to me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her and more than that, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

The last time we were together in front of everyone I acted like a dick.

That wasn’t an option, but neither was pulling her onto my lap and wrapping my arms around her.

Reina came up beside me and bent down to kiss my cheek.

“Glad you came,” she said before making her way to her seat.

“Thanks for this,” I mumbled, turning back to where Lacey had been standing but she had moved, placing the salad on the table before moving to the right of me.

She glanced at my arm still draped across the back of the chair. I moved it so she could pull out her chair and take a seat.

“Black,” Jack called, forcing me to look at him and take the tray of lasagna he offered.

I scooped some into my plate before turning to Lacey and holding the tray for her as she lifted the spatula and put a piece on her plate.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the tray and passing it over to Reina.

“Put your fork down, Wolf, I’m going to say a toast,” Jack commanded.

Wolf’s fork paused mid-air as he pinned Jack with an incredulous look.

“You’re fucking kidding me right?”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Reina rose to her feet and disappeared into the kitchen a moment later she returned with a six pack of O’Toulle’s non-alcoholic beer.

I raised an eyebrow at Jack who shrugged his shoulders and gritted his teeth.

“Drink the damn shit,” he seethed.

Reina finished handing out the fake beer, and we all raised our bottles as Jack looked across the table at her.

“Got a lot to be thankful for— “

“Is he saying Grace?” Wolf whispered across Oksana to Pipe.

“Man, he doesn’t know how to pray,” Pipe mumbled.

“For fucks sake, really?” Jack ground out, raising his bottle again. “To Reina and Blackie,” he said.

“Aye!” Pipe chimed in.

“To Reina and Blackie,” Lace whispered beside me. I turned to her as her hand slid beneath the table and squeezed mine. I laced our fingers together as the pad of my thumb circled her palm.

“Cheers,” Wolf added, taking a gulp of the beer. He sloshed it around in his mouth before spitting it out. “Fuck, what is this?”

Reina grabbed a napkin and wiped the beer from her arm.

“And this is why we don’t have dinners,” Jack commented, leaning back in the chair, guzzling his fake beer.

Oksana spit the beer out and smiled.

“Cheers in America!”

---