Page 30 of Mayhem
"They threatened you while I was gone, didn't they?"
Cruz chuckled. "It seems you all like to issue threats."
"I don't deny it."
"It was more of a warning,"Paetyn responded.
She nodded at them and turned her attention to where someone was coming from the kitchen before telling them she'd return and going over to the other woman. Cruz watched her point to one of Erin's tattoos, and he assumed she was inquiring about one. It reminded him of Erin saying he should let her give him another. He decided he'd take her up on that at some point.
It was after midnight, and the party had wound down. Only their usual group, along with Remy, Gale, and Corey, was left in attendance. Paetyn was watching Erin say her goodbyes to everyone from where he'd just finished putting the food away.She went to the bar where she'd placed her purse earlier in the evening before approaching him, Cruz a few steps behind her.
"I'm tired, so I'm going to head home,"she informed them.
"One of us will drive you,"Paetyn responded.
He knew that she'd had several drinks throughout the night, and he didn't want her trying to drive home. Paetyn knew she would know her tolerance far better than he would, but he wasn't willing to take the chance that she didn't realize she was at it. He'd seen her have four drinks, but that didn't mean it was all she'd had.
Erin shook her head. "You don't have to do that. I don't want you going out of your way. Besides, I'm fine to drive myself home."
"We know we don't have to. We're going to," Cruz responded. "And no one said you weren't, but you had a few drinks tonight, and it's better to be safe than sorry."
"It isn't necessary. I'm fine," Erin responded, looking between them, and Paetyn raised a brow at her.
"Where are your keys?"Cruz questioned.
"Seriously, you don't have to drive me home."Erin huffed a bit. "If I'd said no to you instead of yes, would you still be this adamant about taking me home?"
"Yes, because we're men, not boys. Regardless of the answer, you getting home safely is a priority," Paetyn told her. He caught her eyes, and his voice dropped slightly. "Now give me your keys, and I'm not asking."
Paetyn heard the hitch in her breath before a small moan, which she quickly tried to cut off, escaped her. Erin bit her bottom lip, reached into her purse, and took her keys out.
"Let's be clear that I'm giving these keys to you because it's sweet that you'd make sure I got home either way. Not because you told me to."
Paetyn smirked at her because it was clear to them that she wasn't being honest. He didn't plan on calling her on it, as he took the keys from her. However, Cruz had other plans.
"Yes, you are, but you can keep telling yourself that."
Erin glared at him momentarily before turning and heading towards the door. Paetyn went over to everyone else still in attendance and said his goodbyes, Cruz not too far behind him.
They found Erin waiting for them at the elevator, and she pressed the down button when they came to stand beside her.
Once in the parking lot, Paetyn followed Erin to her car while Cruz went to his. Paetyn opened the door for her to slide into the passenger seat, before going around to the driver's side, adjusting the seat before starting it and pulling out.
When they reached her apartment, he walked her to the front door. He watched as Erin unlocked it before turning to look at him.
"This would be the part of the date where you kiss me goodnight," she informed him with a sly smile.
Paetyn chuckled, closed the distance between them, and leaned in, stopping a centimeter away from her lips. "It would be, but this wasn't a date,"he teased her. He was about to pull away when Erin wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Then we should use our imagination."
"Or,"Paetyn started, wrapping his arm around her waist. "You let us take you on a real date, where we'll answer whatever questions you have, where I can't promise that we'll be on our best behavior now that you're ours, and at the end of it, we'll give you whatever you want."
"What if I want something unreasonable?"Erin questioned with a playful smile.
"We'll give it to you."
Erin laughed. "I'm going to tell Cruz you're committing him to things he doesn't know about."
