Page 8 of Mayhem
“Do you know when you’re moving?”Nik asked, and Paetyn was glad he had because he knew Cruz would have, but he wasn’t sure if his friend would have been able to keep the question passive.
“In about a week, I have to pack, rent a U-Haul, and all that good stuff, but I’m ready to leave Florida.”
“That’s a long drive, Erin. It’s over twenty-four hours. I can fly out and help you drive back,” Chayse volunteered.
“You don’t have to do that; you’re already pushing work back to celebrate with Nik. I’ll be fine.”
“You could use my plane and fly in,”Cruz spoke.
“I don’t think it would be safe to load down a private jet, and I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask, I offered,”Cruz responded.
“And it’s an actual commercial plane,” Nik added. “He’s had it remodeled on the inside, but it should hold your furniture and things fine.”
“I’d still have to get my car,” Erin tried.
“We can have it transported,”Cruz told her. “Paetyn and I will even fly out a day or two early to help you pack if you want,”he added on, and Paetyn didn’t miss the look Cruz gave her.
“You guys are the best. That’s so nice,” Chayse said as their server returned to the table with the wine and water.
Erin let the conversation drop, but Paetyn could tell from the look in her eyes that she would bring it up again. He wouldn’t put it past her to pack, load everything, and start driving without telling anyone.
This time, when the server left and told them she’d be back in a few minutes, they looked at their menus. Once they had their food order, the table broke out into conversation again. Chayse was talking to Erin about her birthday, which was in a couple of months, and Nik was telling Paetyn he wanted him to look at a building with him when he got a chance.
Paetyn volleyed between listening to the two conversations, but his attention was drawn to Erin’s hand. She was using her middle finger to trace the logo on the clutch she’d sat on the table while talking to Chayse, and he couldn’t help but think about how her hands would look secured to his headboard. He tried to shake the thought from his head. Knowing it was only there because he’d gone so long without someone in his bed.
Before he could stop himself, he reached out and took her hand, his thumb running over the back of it. Erin stopped her conversation with Chayse and turned to look at him.
“Sorry,”Paetyn started, releasing her hand. “It’s just…that’s new, isn’t it?”he questioned, pointing to the tattoo on her thumb as a cover-up.
“It is,” she told him, smiling, holding her hand up for him to better see the tattoo on the side of her thumb. “I got bored waiting on a client who was running late, so I did a little doodling.”
“You call that doodling?”Paetyn asked. The tattoo was composed of intricate lines that seemed precise.
“I do.”Erin’s hand slid up his forearm to his shoulder. “You should let me give you another one.”She slid her hand from where she’d given him the tattoo several months ago to his right pectoral. “Or let me expand it.”
“I’m not opposed to it,”Paetyn responded as she removed her hand.
He watched her turn her attention to Cruz. “You should let me give you one, too, and maybe freshen up that one on your back.”Of the four of them, Cruz had been the only one with a tattoo before Paetyn got his.
“And where do you propose we put it?”Cruz questioned. “Here?”He ran his finger down the side of her neck. “Here?”He then ran it across her exposed midsection.“Or,” he started, looking her over.
Paetyn didn’t need to know where Cruz was thinking of touching her, and it seemed Erin didn’t need to know either because she turned her attention to Chayse.
“Come to the bathroom with me.” She stood up. Chayse nodded as she pulled her attention from Nik, and they walked off.
“Stop it,”Paetyn spoke as soon as the women were out of earshot.
“Stop what?”Cruz questioned with a smirk.“Besides, even you, mister, calm and controlled, are over there having an issue. I know you the same way you know me.”
Nik began to chuckle, and both men turned their heads toward him. “She is giving the two of you hell, and she’s not even doing anything.”
Paetyn wasn’t so sure that she wasn’t doing anything. He’d be willing to bet that her touching him moments ago was not innocent. Honestly, he knew she wouldn’t have to do anything. It was a simple fact that she was her. Paetyn had gotten to know her a bit over the past couple of years and then even better over the past five months and knew they were both just as attracted toher—looks, personality, all of it.
“You’re not one to talk. Chayse gave you hell, too,” Cruz responded, not denying Nik’s claim.
“I do recall you needing some advice,” Paetyn threw in with a smirk.
