Page 58 of Sire
But then Nash showed up, all inked, jacked, and wearing sexy glasses like the Clark Kent of the mafia. He startedpouring us drinks from Sire’s fancy liquor cabinet and treating me like an adult, and I was sold on his brand of protection.
I’m getting an education on fancy liquor, too.
“Not.Ahem. Bad,” I cough at the sip of fancy bourbon.
Sire roars across his penthouse, “Brother, I will kick your ass if she pukes!”
Nash winks at me. “You’d better go check on him before he pops a blood vessel. Oh, and…” He hands me the glass of bourbon. “Take this with you. It’ll piss him off.”
I sip it once more, admitting, “It is kind of like fancy brown moonshine.”
Nash bristles. “You just made every corpse in Kentucky roll over in their grave.”
I laugh, making my way to Sire’s bedroom. “Knock, knock,” I say to his closed door.
“Come in.” His voice sounds garbled.
I push open his door and gasp, “God! Stop looking like that!”
“Like what?” he asks with a frothy toothbrush in his mouth.
“Likethat.” I close the door, flitting my hand at his tight, black boxer briefs. Can we thank Calvin Klein enough for those?
Sire glances down, grinning. “Like what you see, Angel? Or are you drunk?”
I set the glass of bourbon on his dresser. “I’m perfectly sober and I want totouchwhat I see.”
Standing in the doorway to his bathroom, he gets that animal look. It makes my heart hammer. It tells me to run or be ravaged.
Of course, I’m feeling ravishing.
“Can I?” I sound breathy. “Can I touch you before you’re with a man tonight?”
“Wren, I won’t do it if it upsets you. Just say the word.”
Worried, he said those words with minty suds in his mouth before turning to spit them in the sink. He rinses and sets his toothbrush down before turning back to me.
“I’m serious, Angel. Always be honest with me.” He points to his heart, then mine. “That’s how we’ll work.”
“Did you honestly mean it today?” I meet him at his bathroom vanity. “That I’m your girlfriend?”
“Yes. That’s where we’ll start, and quickly progress to you being my wife, because I’ve waited long enough. I prayed, and here you are, and I’m not letting you go. I wantyou, and I want you protected.”
His fingers brush my cheek. “That’s all this is tonight: us, protecting a queen. I don’t have feelings for Zar. Not like I have for you.”
“Okay, if I’m being honest.” Softly, I rest my hands on his firm abs. He flexes like it tickles. “I think it’s sweet what you’re doing for Zar andNick, right? Nick’s your brother’s name? Sorry. It’s hard keeping track.”
“Yes, Nick’s my brother. The second youngest.” He leans against his countertop, but I don’t move my hands. I like touching him too much. “And Zar will be his husband, as soon as they can come out.”
“Why aren’t they out?”
“Because Nick plays for the NFL.”
I nod. “That makes it even sweeter. At least they’re out with their family.”
“You’ll be my family, too, Wren. So, don’t hide your truth from me.”
“Okay, truthfully?” My fingertips glide to the band of his boxers. “I think it’s hot, too. I know it’s a sacred ritual for you all, but I’d be lying if I said that I don’t find the thought of you with a manveryarousing.”
