Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Giana
It was late afternoon by the time we pulled ourselves together enough to meet Merrick and Spade at the bar.
The amber sun still blazed in the sky as we turned into the parking lot.
There were still a few of the guys near their cars when we arrived, lingering to chat with their friends before going out for another hunt tonight.
Since the first night, the Barones had been lying low.
We caught a few scouts last night, but Angelo seemed to be holding off on sacrificing any more of his men.
Kellan turned the van off and hurried over to my side to open the door for me. I giggled as I took his offered hand, but instead of helping me out, he swept me up into his arms.
“Kellan,” I shrieked, wrapping my arms around his neck as he kicked the door closed behind us and carried me bridal-style up to the entrance. Some of the guys whistled and clapped, clearly enjoying Kellan’s display of chivalry as one of them opened the door for us.
Merrick glanced up from the bar as we crossed the threshold, a crease forming between his brows. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
His eyes widened as he stomped over to us, his dark hazel eyes set ablaze as though he was going to incinerate anyone or anything that hurt me, even if it was an inanimate object.
“I’m fine.” I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t hide my smile. I loved when they overreacted.
Merrick took a deep breath, scanning me like he wasn’t sure if he should believe me or not.
“I’m just giving our queen the royal entrance she deserves.” Kellan grinned, his sable orbs glinting with a devotion and love I had never even let myself dream of during our six years apart.
“Good.” Merrick pressed a kiss to my lips. I sank into him, not realizing I was even moving until Merrick was striding away with me wrapped tightly in his arms, his mouth still on mine. I hadn’t even noticed him scooping me out of Kellan’s arms. “You had her for long enough today.”
I laughed as our lips parted, but it quickly died as Merrick’s eyes met mine, so filled with hunger I was sure I would’ve collapsed if he hadn’t been holding me.
“You know I’m not a toy, right?” I huffed, feigning annoyance as he sat us down in a booth near the back of the bar.
“No, you’re the greatest treasure there is in this world, and I’m blessed to get to call you mine.”
Before I could say anything, Spade was sliding into the booth and shifting me onto his lap. Merrick glowered at him, but he just shrugged. “I haven’t gotten any sugar today.”
I grinned as his mouth met mine halfway. The kiss was sweet and teasing as he nipped my bottom lip like he couldn’t get enough of me.
“Don’t think that’s all.” His lips brushed the shell of my ear, sending a shockwave of lust zinging up my spine. “You still smell like sex, and it makes me want to devour every inch of you, sugar.”
Tingles rushed over my skin, electricity lighting me from within.
“I get to sleep in with you tomorrow.” He nodded like it was decided.
“Like I’m going to let you get away with that,” Merrick growled, slapping the back of Spade’s head. “Do I need to remind you that both of us had to drag our asses out of bed this morning? I deserve alone time with our woman, just as much as you do.”
“Fight me for it.” Spade shrugged; his grin was more like a baring of teeth than a genuine sign of joy. Well, knowing him, he’d probably be happy at the chance to knock Merrick on his ass.
“Nope.” I crossed my arms over my chest, which only drew their gazes lower to my ample cleavage in the pink cropped bustier beneath my leather jacket. Well, that was one way to distract them. “Neither of you will be getting back into bed with me if you’re all bloody and bruised.”
Their shoulders seemed to drop, which I took as a sign of victory.
I grinned triumphantly and wiggled in my seat …
which just happened to be Spade’s lap. He groaned, rolling his head back until it hit the top of the booth, his hands gripping my hips.
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to hold me still or urge me on.
“If you keep squirming like that, I’m going to bend you over this table and flip that little skirt up over your ass—which will probably end up in a bloodbath because there are men in here that don’t deserve to see that sweet ass of yours, sugar.”
Shivers ran over my skin, and without thinking, I wiggled in his lap again, needing some friction as I rubbed my thighs together. His hardening cock strained in his jeans, pressing insistently against my ass.
“Fuck,” he said, his hips grinding into me.
“Spade,” Merrick said in warning. He shifted me off his friend’s lap and settled me back onto his, letting my legs drape over both of them. Spade gripped my calf, his thumb tenderly stroking the skin, causing me to shift in Merrick’s lap.
Okay, fine. It was a wiggle, but I definitely didn’t do it on purpose. Fine, yes, I did. But it wasn’t to torture him. Well, maybe just a little.
“Giana.” Okay, he definitely figured it out.
“Oops.” I did my best to hide my mischievous grin, but it was impossible to hide.
“You’ll pay for that,” he said, but before I could retort, Kellan came to the table holding a drink in each hand.
He glared at the other two before handing me a canned hard seltzer. He dragged his fingers through his hair as he scanned my body, gaze lingering on the way Merrick now gripped my hips. Kellan swallowed thickly. “Do I want to know?”
“Giana is just playing with the lives of every man in this bar.” Spade shrugged and motioned to the glass of amber liquid Kellan slid onto the table as he took his seat on the other side of the booth. “Is that for me?”
“Of course not,” Kellan scoffed, pinning him with a glare. “You assholes can go get your own drinks.”
Merrick just smirked at his friend before getting Eve’s attention with a wave and motioning to himself and Spade. They both sat back, grinning with smug satisfaction as they continued teasing me with their tender strokes along the bared skin of my thighs and my waist.
“What is this?” I grinned at Kellan, whose pursed lips immediately curved up as his gaze met mine.
“Eve said it’s an alcoholic version of the sparkling water you usually drink. She said she’d bring over your water if you didn’t feel like drinking, though.”
I studied the still-closed can; it was a watermelon-flavored seltzer that I remembered having with Sophia on a few of our girls’ afternoons. Never nights, of course, I had to be back at the penthouse by dinner.
“Thanks.” I smiled and cracked the top open, my heart warming at how much things had changed. I had people around me—both my men and friends—who understood what I’d gone through and was still working through and were trying to make me comfortable in their own ways.
“Anything for you, angel,” Kellan said, his eyes softening like he’d just read the emotions from my face alone, in the way only he could do.
“Our woman has the face of an angel, but acts like the devil.” Merrick’s lips brushed my ear before he lightly nipped at the sensitive flesh.
“Don’t mind me.” Eve chuckled as she placed Merrick’s and Spade’s glasses in front of them. “Is the seltzer good?”
“It’s perfect, thanks, Eve.” I gave her a warm smile, which she returned.
“I ordered some for you, so just let me know if you want another.” Her black hair swished around her as she turned back to the bar. The last of the guys headed out, the blazing sun slicing across the dim bar as the door opened and closed.
“Now that they’re gone—” Spade trailed his fingers up my inner thigh, to my already wet panties. I hurriedly glanced at the bar and sighed in relief to find that Eve wasn’t there anymore. “—we can have a little fun. Send Eve home for the night, Mer.”
“I’m not doing that,” he groaned in annoyance, partially at himself, I was sure. “Besides, any of the guys could come back in, and I really don’t want to kill anyone because they got an eyeful of Gi.”
“He’s no fun,” Spade said, leaning in as his fingers played with the edge of the lace like he was seconds from saying fuck it and finding out just how soaked I was for him. “How about I take you into the office and—”
The creak of the door opening cut him off as his head whipped around to threaten anyone who was about to interrupt his little game.
His brows furrowed as Merrick cursed under his breath.
Before I even knew what was happening, I was lifted from my place perched on Merrick’s lap and deposited into Kellan’s waiting arms. They banded around me, holding me close as Spade and Merrick stalked for the entrance.
“What—” The question died on my tongue as I glimpsed a head of greying, dirty-blonde hair pulled into a claw clip and short, thinning russet-brown hair.
Greg and Pam?
I tried to hop off Kellan’s lap, but he held me in place. “Let them deal with it. You don’t need to speak to those people.”
“They’re still technically my parents,” I huffed, trying to get up again to no avail.
“That doesn’t mean they’re your responsibility,” Kellan said, his calm tone making me snort in derision.
“They’re not Merrick’s or Spade’s either.”
“Just let them do this for you.” He planted a kiss on my cheek, refusing to back down.
I reached for my drink and swallowed the last bit, feigning compliance. The moment Kellan relaxed his hold, I bolted from the cage of his arms, racing out of his grasp before he could catch me around the waist and haul me back.
“You have some nerve walking in here,” Merrick said just as I caught up to them.
He frowned as I pushed between him and Spade, but he just refocused his glare on my parents.
“We need to speak with our daughter; this doesn’t concern you, boy.” Greg’s chest puffed up like he actually thought he had a shot at taking on Merrick.