Page 59 of Covert
So, I bring my eyes to Leana's and let her see just how much we are...fucking.
Her eyes and smile widen, and she throws a fist in the air before coming back down. "All of them?" She's enjoying this way too much.
"Yes. All of them. Including Diesel."
Just then, the back door creaks open and Diesel himself presses through. He marches towards me, a grin tugging at his lips, before wrapping an arm around my lower back and pressing a kiss to my lips.
My knees go weak, but before I can react, he pulls away again, giving Beckett a nod and a "hey man" before plopping onto the couch next to Axel, who hands him an open beer bottle. Maddox taps his bottle against Diesel's in greeting, and offers to deal him into the poker game that he and Axel are playing.
"Nah, man. My favorite show is on," Diesel says with a smile, tilting his head towards me. They must have texted him. Is this really my life right now? Four sexy, gorgeous men, whose favorite thing in this world is me? My chest swells with pride. I've never felt proud before. It's new and addictive.
"You've got your own little harem, missy," Leana teases, interrupting my internal thoughts. She leans forward and says in a quieter, more serious tone. "I'm really happy for you. You deserve this."
I blush at her kind words. I don't know if I deserve this life - these men and this job. But I am grateful to be a part of it.
Chapter thirty-three
Axel
The night wears on, Leana and Nikki dancing, sometimes including Beckett, sometimes not. The strain in the front of his jeans and the tick in his jaw shows just how much teasing he's enduring for her. He's a good guy like that.
Nikki needs to feel safe enough to cut loose a little and have some fun with her guards down. He's suffering, but he'd do anything for her. Even suffer through the world's worst case of blue balls.
She's tipsy, but not drunk. She learned quickly how to ride that line well. I like that she feels safe enough with us to be vulnerable. Leana's been giving her lustful glances, too, but their friendship is solid, and Leana knows Nikki isn't into girls.
Our girl's magnetic. She's beauty and light and everything good in this world, and you can't help but be drawn to her. Maddox and I are half-assing a game of poker while really watching Nikki move her sexy body to the music, chuckling every time Beckett has to adjust himself in his pants. Diesel has no problem just pulling sips from his beer bottle and watching her dance.
Eventually, I catch Nikki yawn a few times in a row, so I push to stand.
"Alright, Princess, your carriage is about to turn back into a pumpkin." I grab a few discarded bottles and toss them in the trash can to deal with tomorrow. It's almost three AM. It's time for bed.
I shut off the music and turn to see a sleepy-looking Nikki. She's soft and sweet every day, but this look on her, like she's seconds fromfalling asleep, has my heart rate increasing as much as it has my chest heating. She wraps her arms around my waist, leaning her weight onto me.
"I am sleepy," she says with a hint of a slur.
The boys help shut everything off and close up the shop for the night. Leana gives Nikki one last hug and a kiss to the forehead before she leaves.
Beckett shuts the lights off while Maddox asks Diesel if he's coming over to the house. I'm glad they got over their differences to be able to make things with for Nikki. Who's still leaning against me.
"You have the prettiest eyes," she says, but her words are garbled, and they carry a slight accent. She over-emphasizes the 'r' in 'prettiest' and the 'i' had more emphasis. It's a clue into her background, which I still haven't gotten any intel on. So I probe gently.
"Do you have an accent, sweetheart?" I try to keep my voice light, even though I'm desperate to know more. Maybe I can find visa applications, or an application for naturalization if she's from another country. Nikki Smith obviously isn't her true name, but if I can use her first and maybe a country of origin, I might find some leads.
"Sì, amore mio. Hai gli occhi più belli che abbia mai visto. E sono triste che stia perdendo il mio italiano, perché non riesco più a parlare con mio fratello. E questo mi rende triste." Her tone changes from happy to sad. Okay, that sounded like Italian, but with a unique dialect.
But I don't speak Italian, so I try to confirm. "Is that Italian? What does that mean, sweetheart? I don't speak Italian."
We step out into the cooler night air. "It means. 'Yes, my love. You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. And I'm sad that I'm losing myItalian, because I don't get to talk to my brother anymore. And that makes me sad." She ends the sentence on an exaggerated pout.
Damn, she's cute.
Okay, so she's Italian. That tracks with her fair skin and wild black hair. And it gives me something to work with tonight, after I tuck her into bed.
I straddle my bike before kicking it over. I hold my hands out to hers so she can mount behind me. We need to leave a pair of leathers at the shop, too. She mounts, wraps her arms around my waist, and presses her cheek to my back. It's dangerous to ride with someone drunk, but she's small, and I'm confident I can correct any movement she makes. I hold her arms to me and we take the short way home.
When we park, Beckett walks up to us and silently pulls Nik off my back, carrying her into the house bridal style. A small snore escapes her, and I smile. He can have her tonight. I have some digging to do.
Chapter thirty-four
