Chapter 9 #2
I overheard Finn talking about a private event happening at Dragonfly this week. It seems Ms. Hannagin threw Mr. Hannagin a retirement party. So Beckett’s been in that world, and I’ve been in mine, and somehow a week disappeared.
So tonight, the little party Finn and Spencer are throwing for Mazie is the first time I’ve seen Beckett since he shattered what I thought I knew into a thousand pieces.
And the fact that his little friend Lucas is here is why I’m standing in the corner of the room, thinking of grabbing Beckett and hauling him off somewhere private so I can force him to his knees and shove my dick down his throat until I come on his face, marking him as mine.
That’s… wow… I need to get it together. It’s a party for Mazie, for fuck’s sake.
But still, it’s a reminder that Lucas is moving in with him.
“Hey, Dom.” I look up to find Olly standing next to me, acting a little cagey if you ask me.
“Olly, how’s it going, man?”
Watching Olly and Jasper fall in love and seeing how their friendship helped make them equal partners… that’s what hits me the most. Olly never tried to change Jasper. He let Jasper work through his hang-ups and just supported him by his side. Never in front, never behind.
When I look out over the other couples in this room, it’s all the same. Spencer and Finn, and Jaxon and Alex, all the same. Nobody leads the dance, and nobody changes for the other.
“Good. Everything’s going good,” Olly says, looking anywhere but at me.
Out of the corner of my eye, something shifts—a dark blur in the doorway.
I turn my head just in time to see him.
Beckett, in his standard “I own nothing but black” uniform, slips into the kitchen like he belongs in every room he walks into. Close behind him is Lucas, bright where Beckett is shadowed, talking too easily, standing too close.
And there it is. The reminder.
My jaw tightens before I can stop it.
Lucas leans in to say something, and Beckett’s mouth curves. That little half smile I’ve been chasing for weeks. The one I earned once, with my hands in his hair and his nails in my shoulders. Now he’s smiling it in a kitchen I’m not standing in, with someone who gets to see him at home every day.
I watch Beckett gesture animatedly, hands moving as he talks recipes, plans, ideas. Lucas is soaking it in, nodding, bumping shoulders with him like they’ve done this a thousand times. It’s friendly. It’s harmless.
It still hits like a punch.
“Ahh, so how about you? Everything going all right?”
I turn back to Olly. “Yep, never better.”
“Uh-huh, you look a little tense. Are you sure?” he asks, and I swear he jumps when he does.
Pft… A little tense.
“You know what? No, everything is not fine.” Olly’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step back. “Who does this little twerp think he is?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about Beckett’s friend from LA?” he asks hesitantly.
“Friend from LA,” I huff with a humorless chuckle.
“He seems nice,” Olly offers.
“What do we even know about him? He shows up here from LA, moves in with Beckett, and now he’s here, cooking at the family dinner. He could poison us for all we know.” My skin is crawling with irritation, and I hate it.
A bolt of jealousy ricocheted through me the other night when Beckett mentioned Lucas moving here. So when I see Lucas here, it flares again.
“Okaaay, well, I don’t think he’s actually moving in with Beckett. He told me Lucas is looking for his own place, and that he’s just staying with him while he’s in town deciding.”
“Oh, did he really, now?” That little… He failed to mention that.
“Umm, yes…”
“Interesting. Thanks for the heads-up. If you’ll excuse me,” I say before turning and making my way over to Beckett, who is setting down a tray of finger foods.
Beckett smirks when he sees me coming, so when I reach him, I lean in real nice and close, whispering, “As soon as the presents are opened, and the cake is cut, you’re going to find any excuse to leave.
Then you’re going to go over to my place, go upstairs to my bedroom, and take off everything but those tiny black briefs. ”
He sucks in a sharp breath. “How did you know?”
“You think I wouldn’t be checking out that pretty ass every time you bent over tonight? It was almost like you were putting on a show for me.”
I can feel the gaze of a thousand eyes on us, and I pay no attention. “Plus, it seems you left out a small detail when telling me Lucas was moving here.”
“Wha… What’s that?” Beckett swallows thickly, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“Where is Lucas living when he moves here, little mouse?”
“He’s looking at buying a place.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe you purposely left that small detail out, still trying to make me jealous.” I lean in extra close. “That adds another round of edging to your apology.”
Beckett’s earlier smirk is suddenly gone. “I wasn’t, I swear. I just didn’t think of it. But… you’re right. I owe you an apology. I understand and I’ll do whatever you say… sir.” And it’s back.
I lean in and whisper, “Good boy.”
“Oh, hey, Dom. Can you hold Mazie for a second?” Wait. What? “Beckett, I need your help with the chicken nuggets.” Before I can protest, a very judgy-looking Mazie is thrust into my arms, and Spencer is patting my shoulder. I don’t know why anyone thinks that’s helpful.
Beckett turns and follows Spencer. In the doorway of the kitchen, he turns and throws a wink and a wave in my direction.
I mouth the word “three,” and his pupils blow wide.
“Well, shit,” I mutter to myself before a hand comes smacking me in the face. “Whoa, little lady. We don’t use blunt force. We use skilled precision. Some spy you are,” I joke, playing along with Jasper’s ridiculousness that Mazie is, in fact, a baby spy.
Jasper has his arms wrapped tightly around Olly’s waist, and as soon as we make eye contact, his eyes narrow in suspicion. I turn, trying to de-escalate the situation, only to see my own archnemesis, Lucas. Pretty sure I just heard Mazie growl over my shoulder.
“So, how good a spy are you?