Page 80 of Dark OZ

Crowe spun to face me. “And what would you do, Beautiful, deny us both?”

“Maybe,pretty boy.” I chewed on my lip. “There’s Nick. Who says I need to deny myself anything? Behave or I’ll start climbing him like a tree.”

Nick’s fork fell from his hand, clattering onto the plate, sending a tomato flying through the air straight into Danny’s cheek. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was blushing. Whatever it was made the grey of his eyes brighter and the tan of his skin warmer.

Crowe rested his hand on the back of my chair, forcing my attention away from Nick. He dipped low enough that the heat of his body made the room’s temperature spike ten degrees. “Go right ahead, Darling Thea. After last night I have an entirely new repertoire to fill my fantasies. Fucking my hand will never be the same again.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“What’s that mean?” Danny looked at me like he was entitled to an answer.

Ignoring them both, I twirled the pasta around my fork slowly.

Danny made a pained sound. “I knew when I found the two of you naked in the closet, you’d been doing something kinky.”

“Seriously?” Nick reached over the table and punched Crowe in the shoulder. “My clothes are in that closet.

“Trust me, I know.” Crowe planted a deep kiss on my lips. “Oz damn you taste good.”

Muttering in Italian, Nick picked up my mostly empty plate. “Now that you two are up, we should discuss our plans for The Wizard with Thea.”

Nick returned to his seat, folding his large arms over his chest. He was back to being the statue, his expression frozen into a scowl like he’d rusted in place.

Danny pulled the still brewing pot of coffee from the maker, and filled up a waiting cup. Small splashes of quick brew peppered the counter top. He poured in four of the dark red creamer cups, Marshmallow-Snickerdoodle. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Nick met my eyes, and I knew he could read my mind.

Danny turned around with his cup of joe, looking perplexed. “You want a mug, Firecracker? I can fix you one.”

When I didn’t answer, Nick kicked me under the table. I could barely speak, it came out as a squeak. “Nope. I’m good.”

“I wouldn’t mind a cup,” Crowe said, raising his hand like a good little boy in class.

“Fuck off, asshole. Get your own shit.”

Danny took the seat beside me, setting his nearly white cup of coffee on the table. “We should probably tell her about the key.”

“What key?”

Chapter 36

Asleekblackboxsat in the center of the bed, surrounded by a half dozen smaller boxes and bags.

“Danny?” I called, in a long, drawn-out question.

What in the name of Ozma was going on? The boys had been doting but nothing like the pile of boxes currently sitting before me. In my experience, people didn’t give you things without expecting something in return. There was no way a pile of boxes could equal anything good. Coupled with our meeting with The Wizard this afternoon, my nerves were shot.

“Danny,” I shouted again. If that prick didn’t get his muscular ass in here—

“Problem?”

I turned to snap at Danny, but leaning in the doorway was a dick of a different color.

“Oh, Nick…” I said cautiously.

Nick had been extra cold since we’d shared our pasta breakfast like he was purposely avoiding me. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. That, too, had left me on edge. Crowe worked dutifully to keep me distracted, but in the quiet moments, my mind would always drift back to the way he’d looked when he brushed the flour from my cheeks. His cool metal exterior melted, revealing that beneath it all there was still the semblance of a beating heart.

“I was calling for Danny.”

“I’m aware. All of Oz knows you were calling for Danny. He and Crowe are reviewing the ground plans for the bank. So, Trouble, Is there a problem?”

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