Page 19 of Homani True

Her gaze strays to Gage, who is by the bar speaking to a few of his people, with a tall, muscular, red-headed man by his side.What the hell is his name, again?She vaguely remembers someone mentioning it.Oh, yeah. That’s it.She mentally snaps her fingers.His right hand–Lennon. She focuses back on Gage, noting how attentive he is to each person and how genuine concern etches his features with each interaction.

She admires Gage's ability to connect with others on a personal level, and it’s clear, even from where she sits, that his people adore him as much as they respect him. They gravitate around him, looking genuinely pleased when he gives them notice. It’s all the hallmarks of a good leader. Despite their rocky start, she can’t ignore the kindness and compassion that lies beneath his tough exterior.

As Gage turns his attention toward her, Lilly’s heart skips a beat.Strange. She meets his stare, and the moment their gazes lock, a flicker of something in his eyes makes her panther perk up in interest.

She tries to shake it off, but she can't deny her attraction to Gage.That’s nothing. It’s normal.He’s just undeniably good-looking, and he seems to be a decent guy. It’ll pass, she’s sure.

It’s not like the guy plans to stick around long-term. Once they’ve dealt with Vance, the clones will probably head back to their own settlement. She checks him out as he finishes his conversation and starts to make his way over to her, cocktail in hand. She drops her eyes to her napkin, reaches out, and fidgets with it.

Her cheeks flush with heat as he approaches, and she tries to hide her smile before looking up.

"Hey," he says, a small smile playing on his lips. "How are you holding up?" He places a drink in front of her.

Little shivers of lust rush over her, and she struggles to keep her composure. "I'm okay, thanks," she manages to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gage’s lips quirk, his gorgeous green eyes framed with long black lashes linger on her face for a moment longer than necessary. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know," he says, his voice low and soothing.

She holds his gaze, heat spreading through her body at his words. As Gage turns to leave, she checks out his firm, jean-covered ass. A zing of pleasure shoots through her, and she has to cross and uncross her legs.

Dawn raises an eyebrow. “What was that about?”

Lilly swivels the glass in front of her, causing the ice to clink, before looking up. “What do you mean?”

Brook fans herself. “It’s either hot in here, or you two are steaming up the room with the vibes you’re giving off.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Lilly crosses her arms and dismisses them both.

Dawn rolls her eyes. “Suuuuure.”

Picking up her napkin, she tosses it at Dawn as she says with a cheeky grin. “Mind ya business.”

The girls burst out laughing, drawing questioning looks from the people near them.

“What trouble are you ladies getting into now?” Finn asks as he walks up behind Brook and bends down to give her a quick kiss. Lennon, who is with him, grabs a couple of chairs from a nearby empty table, hands one to Finn, and straddles his own. He whistles, gesturing to Gage by the bar, whose head swivels back. Dawn stiffens, and her eyes narrow in Lennon’s direction. Lilly observes the slight smirk that appears on Lennon's face when his gaze lands on Dawn.

Lilly is about to lean forward when a shadow falls over the table. Looking up, her eyes meet Gage’s as he reaches around her to place drinks on the table. “Mind if I join?”

“Here, take my seat,” Dawn says, getting to her feet. A frown creases her brow as she stares toward the bar. Following her gaze, Lilly does a double-take when she sees two identical women with light brown ponytails tossing bottles to each other as they pour drinks behind the bar.

“What the…” Her eyes widen.

Gage chuckles.“That’s Taryn and Kaitlyn, yes, twins. You probably don’t remember them, but they were part of the rescue team.”

Dawn approaches the two women who seem to be in a contest of who can pour the most shots the fastest. The stiffness of her posture suggests she’s pissed. Well, it is her bar. Lilly places her hands on the table, about to rise and back up her friend when she notices Dawn’s shoulders relax and her head tilts to the side. The bar owner pauses and a small smile appears on her lips as she slowly nods her head, a look of approval on her face.

Reclining back in her chair, she cocks her head to Gage and asks, “Those two?”

Lennon lets out a boisterous laugh. “Those ladies might be hell on wheels with their antics, but nobody fucks with polar bear shifters, especially them.”

“It’s true,” Brook says, and Finn nods.

Slumping back in her chair, she gives a slow, disbelieving shake of her head. “Well, damn. Twinsandpolar bears.”

“It takes some getting used to, for sure. But damn, Lil, those girls are freaking awesome, dude," Brook says with a grin.

Picking up her drink, a little giggle draws her attention to the dance floor. Jax and Beth are twisting and twirling a grinning Clara between them, a gap-toothed grin lighting her cherub face. She asks Brook a question that’s been on her mind since the funeral ceremony. “Are they keeping her?”

“Yeah, Beth’s excited about being a mom to Clara. With Jax being an original Homani and her being a clone, she’s nervous about having children of her own,” Brook says with a sigh.

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