Page 199 of King of Pain
And then, slowly, he nods.
Ant’s palms rub slow circles into my thighs—rhythmic, steady. A little grounding, a little stalling. I can tell he’s working up the nerve to speak.
Still straddling his lap, I reach up and run my thumb gently across the furrow of his brow.
“Hold that thought,” I whisper. “I think this requires some courage—of the liquid variety. Tequila okay?”
He nods without looking up, his hands still lingering on my skin.
I slide off his lap and pad over to the dresser, grabbing a pair of shorts from the top drawer. As I step into them, I hear the low, appreciative hum that’s so uniquely Ant.
I smirk over my shoulder.
“A little late for modesty, don’t you think?” he says, his voice thick.
I glance at him, puzzled, one brow raised.
Ant narrows his eyes at me and continues, “Deacon came busting in here andyouwere on top of me. Naked.”
The corner of my mouth lifts.
“And then,” he says, his voice a little more animated now, “you spun around with yourSullivanjust flapping against your thigh. Right in front of his eyes.”
The smile stretches full on my face now.
Ant crosses his arms, trying to look annoyed but failing miserably. “I’m just saying. My screams could’ve been for acompletely different reason.”
I walk back to the side of the bed and bend down, pressing my lips close to his ear, dropping my voice to a low whisper. “I love it when you’re jealous, baby. Take it out on my ass later. Fuck me so hard Deacon busts in here thinking you’re murdering me.”
Ant sucks in a breath. Then he gives me a little shove and groans, “Go get the tequila before I lose my courage.”
I kiss the corner of his jaw, then head for the kitchen.
I feel his eyes on my ass the entire way.
Deacon’s still sitting on the couch, upright and alert, Guinness curled against his side, chewing on a plush hamburger toy. Deek’s scratching behind Little G’s ears when I step out of the bedroom.
“Hey, boss,” he says, eyes tracking me. “I’m sorry about all that. I hope I didn’t scare him.”
I wave a hand. “Don’t apologize for doing your job, Deek. That reaction is exactly why The Doves have you on payroll.”
He gives me a small nod, no smile, but the pride is clear in his eyes.
“Anyway,” I add, “thanks for having our back.”
That gets me another nod as I head into the kitchen. No sense pretending a couple shots of tequila is enough. This calls for the whole damn bottle.
I grab two glasses and the bottle and make my way back.
Ant’s still on the bed, exactly where I left him, only now he’s holding his tablet and reading something. His brow’s tight, mouth slightly parted. Whatever he’s looking at, it’s got him twisted.
I kneel up onto the bed, scoot over on both knees, and hold the glasses out to him.
“Hold these,” I say gently.
I twist the cap off the bottle and pour two heavy-handed drinks. I set the bottle down on my nightstand, take one of the glasses from him, and hold it up.
“To surviving,” I say.
