Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Colin
T he night had turned out to be more relaxing than I’d expected, especially when I first saw that Jared had tagged along with Gabe. It was no secret that Jared and I didn’t always see eye to eye. He was my brother’s best friend, and that often led to friction between us, especially when he assumed I’d tolerate the same overbearing bullshit from him that I had to with Declan. Our dynamic was complicated further by the fact that anything I said around Jared was sure to be repeated. That made it difficult for us to forge our own friendship, separate from the ties that bound us through Declan.
To make matters worse, Jared was as impulsive, if not more so, than I was. But unlike me, he never faced the same scrutiny from Declan. My brother had a way of letting Jared’s impulsiveness slide, while I was constantly called out for my own. Whenever they were together, their personalities were so large, so dominant, that it felt like I was perpetually stuck in their shadows. It wasn’t easy being the one who had to step back, watch, and wait while they took up all the space in the room.
But tonight, I could admit, Jared and Gabe’s advice had been spot on—and I appreciated it more than I’d anticipated. We needed to talk to Zara about what she needed, not just in the moment but in the long term. We had to remove the roadblocks, the unspoken barriers that were holding us all back. I’d been worried she wouldn’t take the things I’d told her well, but she hadn’t shied away—until I’d tried to take things in a sexual direction. That reaction, more than anything, told me something else was weighing on her mind. So, I’d respected her need for distance, hoping she would either come to us or work through the issue on her own terms.
But now, as I glanced over at Linc, I knew we were on the same page. The time for space was over. I could feel his tension, the restless energy that made him want to push past the boundaries and restrictions he’d imposed on himself. Linc loved Zara. It was clear in his eyes when Jared, as blunt as ever, hit the proverbial nail on the head. My brother-in-arms was in love, and it wasn’t just him. Linc had always followed my lead, and I prayed that this time, I wouldn’t let him down.
The car ride from Asgard had been silent with us caught up in our own thoughts but when we pulled up, I was ready to see Zara again and hopefully find the right way to bring up what we needed to talk about without causing her to run and hide. The lights of the main room were on, and I was sure that was where we would find the women.
Brody materialized out of the shadows before we headed in. The security team we had watching over the house had orders to stay out of sight unless something was wrong. Concern had my blood pumping, but I held back from racing in when I saw the amused look on his face. It couldn’t be too bad if he was smiling.
“All good?” I asked.
“All quiet out here, I can’t say the same for inside. Just wanted you guys to be ready.” His smirk made me worry for all new reasons. Brody was a friend as well as an employee, so I wasn’t going to get on his case for breaking a protocol that was only there to keep Zara from worrying because she was being watched round the clock. It was tempting to demand more information, but I would get my answers faster by going inside.
I opened the front door and was hit by a wall of sound. It said much for the impressive soundproofing of the building that I’d barely heard anything from outside. What was even more surprising was the three voices singing at the top of their lungs and managing to be heard over the volume of the music.
Jared’s face crumpled like he was in pain. “Dear lord, what is all that caterwauling?”
A ghost of a smile appeared on Gabe’s face. “That would be the women. I wonder if they’re as drunk as they sound?”
We followed the noises of high-pitched laughter and more singing. Definitely drunk. We stood in the doorway to the grand space to see Mari on the coffee table, swinging a pool cue in her hand like a microphone as she sang into the tip in her low smoky contralto. In front of her, Zara and Rose were grinding against each other while singing into their glasses in unison, wine spilling over the rims and onto the reclaimed wooden floors.
They could have been a girl band if they sang a bit better. Mari, the brunette, Rose the redhead and Zara a blonde. If Raia and Shelby had been here, we would have had a Spice Girl Cover band. I could see Shelby as Baby Spice… and Mari, definitely Scary Spice. The image had me chuckling.
“You think this is funny?” Linc narrowed his eyes.
“Add Shelby and Raia to this scenario and try not to find the humor.” I laughed.
Linc’s gaze returned to the girls. A smile pulled at his lips. “The Spice Girls?”
“Yah, man, exactly.”
“Is that ‘Crazy in Love’?” Gabe asked.
Jared raised an eyebrow. “You know Beyonce?”
To my amusement and surprise, Gabe snapped and pretended to toss his hair. “You don’t?”
Love had changed our friend and I thought it was for the better.
“You all have really lost your minds,” Jared shouted and the girls didn’t even notice. They were so lost in the crazy dance moves that were so out of sync it was comical.
When the song ended, we applauded. Jared moved quickly to turn off the music before another song could come on. Zara spun around so fast she tripped on the leg of the coffee table and landed on the couch. Mari held her pool cue in one hand, the other sat on her hip. Her eyes narrowed, she looked like the sassy server in Coyote Ugly .
Linc stepped over to the couch and pulled Zara to her feet. “A little drunk I see.”
“Oh yeah.” She swayed and pressed against him. “You could say I’ve drunk past my inhibitions.”
“Come on, baby girl, time to get you to bed,” Gabriel called out laughter in his voice as he walked over to his woman.
“Only because you look so hot, and I want to be in bed with you.” Rose’s words were slurred and husky. Gabe tugged her to his side and gave her a passionate kiss.
“You’re all sloppy drunks,” Jared teased.
“Ohhh, poor Loki, all stressed up with no place to let go. Do you want Mistress Mari to relieve that stress?” Mari stalked toward him like she did when she was on the hunt in the clubs.
“You really are drunk.” Jared looked unimpressed. “Time to go, little miss, you can torture men tomorrow.” He scooped Mari up in his arms and stalked toward the door, with Gabriel and Rose on their heels.
“Bye!” Both drunk women called as they were taken out of the house. A moment later, the door slammed and we were alone with Zara.
So much for our plans to have a serious talk with her tonight. With how drunk she was, there was not going to be much sense. The hangover the next morning was also going to be a bitch. I was glad she’d had fun with Mari and Rose but couldn’t help but be frustrated.
“I has something I needs to say to you both.” Zara petted Lincoln’s shirt as if it was the softest thing she’d ever felt.
“I think we should get you up to bed. We can talk tomorrow when you’re sober.” Lincoln brushed a strand of hair out of her face and turned her to face toward the stairs.
“Nope!” She stumbled and quickly weaved her way across the room.
Zara was probably aiming for me, but her drunken trajectory was off. To keep her from crashing into the wall, I moved in front of her and caught her against my chest. Her soft body collided with mine with enough force to make me take a step to stabilize us.
“Omphf.” She poked me a few times in the chest. “You are so hard.”
Lincoln’s snicker matched my own chuckle, but I tried to keep it under control. “Is that a problem, lass?”
“I like that you are both big and hard. Makes me feel safe.”
Neither of us could hide our laughs at the double meaning in her words. Her eyes narrowed as she looked between us as if trying to figure out a math problem. Her smack to my chest as she apparently figured out her mistake made me laugh more. However, all thoughts skipped out of my brain when she took my cock in her hand through my pants.
“I like this too.” I groaned as she gently squeezed and all the blood rushed into my cock. “I have something I have to tell you both.”
Lincoln slid up behind her and pressed her between us, making the situation in my jeans even worse. “What do you have to tell us?”
Zara looked back and forth between us as if she was trying to remember what she wanted to say but couldn’t focus through her desire. The entire time she held onto my cock as if it was the only thing holding her up. Finally, her eyes cleared and she let out a sigh.
“I don’t want to be just a bootie call. I want to be yours for real.”
Her words soothed something inside me even if they were slightly slurred. I tilted her chin up and couldn’t resist a small taste of her lips before I responded. “I’m glad to hear that, lass. I promise you were never a bootie call.”
“Yes I was.” She stomped her foot, the motion causing her to tug on me in a way that felt too good. I gripped her hand and made her release me before she either made me come or hurt me by accident.
“No you weren’t.” Linc gave her a brief kiss as well. “You’re ours till the end. But you're drunk and it’s not the time to talk about that. Let’s get you upstairs. We can talk about this in the morning. Whatever shit is going on in your head, we’ll work through it.”
Her pouting was more than adorable, but we managed to get her upstairs all the while she was insisting that all we wanted from her was sex. Nothing we said convinced her that it wasn’t the case back then or now. I followed behind them, ready to catch her if she fell. Zara kept peeping back at me as if to make sure I was with them, making that a likely event every time she did.
The woman had no idea how deeply into our hearts she had burrowed. There was no other place I’d rather be than at her side. I hoped that when she finally sobered up, she would believe us. That we could convince her to give forever a shot.
By the time we finally made it to her room, both Lincoln and I were so turned on it was impossible to hide it. Zara had switched between trying to undress us and convincing us that she wanted more than sex. The frustrating woman stumbled into her room and gave us both a stare that I’m sure she thought was intimidating.
“Don’t leave, I have to pee but when I get back, you both better be here.” She pointed to her eyes then us before she spun and ran for the bathroom.
“That lass thinks she’s in charge.” I shook my head. Linc’s deep chuckle made me smile.
“She’s going to be a handful but worth every second.”
“That she is. Damn shame she had to get loaded tonight.”
“You must be tired, Colin. Your Scots is showing,” Lincoln teased.
“Yeah.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “We need to sort out that Mihal arsehole–”
I would have said more, but Zara came out of the bathroom stark naked and stole the words from my brain. If she hadn’t stumbled a bit on the way to the bed, I might have forgotten we were trying to be gentlemen. She crawled onto the bed, flashing a tempting glance of her pussy.
“I think we’re going to have to wear her out before she goes to sleep.”
I had to agree with Linc. She was in that stage of drunk where she had too much energy to pass out but not enough for the games we usually liked to play. I nodded and we both kicked off our shoes and joined her in bed, sliding up on either side of her.
I ran my hand down her flat belly and tickled the few curls at her opening. Linc ran his hand up her other side cupping her breast in his palm. He leaned down and took her ripe nipple in his mouth. It was tempting to do the same, but honestly, if I wasn’t going to get to feel her wrapped around me, I wanted to have the taste of her in my mouth.
I slid down, kissing every inch of skin between her belly button and the wet heat of her core. I rolled, spreading her legs to make room for me so I could get my first taste of her sweet honey. Her tiny whimpers were beautiful music as I gave tiny nips at her sensitive flesh.
Linc must have started working her harder because the whimpers changed to moans. I parted her slick lips, enjoying the sight of the engorged bundle of nerves. She was so ready for me to taste her essence. I flicked my tongue at her clit and she shamelessly ground her pelvis against my face.
I circled her hardened nub with my tongue and pressed flat against it.
“Ooh!” she cried out. Her legs quivered with the pleasure flowing through her. I slipped a finger inside of her while my tongue swirled around the sensitive bud. Her hands gripped my hair. “Oh god. Yes!”
Her body tightened into a coil and shook with the intensity of what she was feeling. She screamed as the coiled tension sprang free and a huge orgasm ripped through her body. Her heels pounded the bed and I held her hips to keep myself inserted inside of her, tasting her honey as it flowed from her. There was something so right, so real in the action. I was hyperaware of her body, her scent, her pleasure… and I knew I never wanted that to go away.
When her body completely gave out and she sunk into the mattress, I knew it was time for sleep. My cock ached but our girl needed her rest. I pulled out from between her legs and grabbed a warm wet towel from the bathroom to clean her up, patting her dry afterward.
Linc lifted her and I pulled back the covers. He placed her back in the center and stripped out of his own clothes before he climbed in. I envied how casually he could do that. She rolled toward me with Linc tucked up to her backside.
“Don’t leave.”
I wanted to stay more than she could possibly imagine. I couldn’t sleep, but maybe I could enjoy being next to her for a while.
“I’ll stay as long as I can,” I promised as I pulled off my own clothes before I lay down next to her.
“Thank you.” Her words were a sweet, sleepy mumble.
I’d stay long enough to make sure she was in a deep sleep. Her warmth was like a balm against my jagged soul. She snuggled in close, resting her head on my chest. The scent of her shampoo, arousal, and the alcohol she’d drunk mixed into a strangely soothing perfume. Her breath was a hypnotic rhythm in the quiet room. I would need to get up soon. I needed to…