Chapter 19 – Lacey
Chapter Nineteen
Lacey
Grim isn’t happy with the outcome of the conversation he had with Callum. Was it just a talk? It might have been an all-out war over who would come with me to my apartment and who would accompany Wilder to work.
At first, I was worried maybe I overstepped by letting Wilder fingerfuck me through the mattress, but that didn’t make any sense to begin with. Grim, Callum, and Wilder are basically a pack, though I would never assume that alone gave me free rein to do as I pleased.
Grim told me he was happy Wilder was there to shower with me and give me a massage when he couldn’t be. He also reassured me through the bond when things first started heating up with Wilder.
It still doesn’t mean he’s happy to be away from me, and I get it. I’m a little raw after my conversation with my boss at the pheromone clinic. She seemed to get it, but she was also short when she told me to come clean out my locker.
Hell, I might be extra emotional, considering everything that happened last night. While Wilder showered and changed, Grim let me know he had my purse and shopping bag in his truck. All the figurines and the stuff I picked up for my mom were broken, but my phone and purse were intact.
It’s hard to process that I won’t be able to go back to work after this. I’m going to miss some of my clients, and it really sucks that I won’t be able to explain what happened in person, but I’m also excited about the new future I get to build with Grim.
And maybe Wilder and Callum too.
That’s the way it feels, anyway.
Shit.
It’s probably time I start pushing them for answers about exactly what they think is going to happen. Except, I’m bonded to Grim, and Wilder flat-out said he wanted to court me. I’ve never been particularly confrontational, so maybe it’s okay to just go with the flow?
“Callum has my credit card.” Grim pulls me into his chest as Wilder waits by the door, typing on his phone.
“Not that I’m going to use it,” Callum chimes in. “I want to spoil Lacey too.”
Grim huffs, running his huge hand down my spine. “I’d rather stay here with you,” he grumbles. “Pretty sure I could take ’em.”
“They’re your best friends.” I laugh, wrapping my arms around his middle. “That means you shouldn’t even try.”
“Debatable,” Grim mutters, dipping his face close to mine.
“I’ll be okay with Callum, and I’ll see you tonight.” I stretch up on my tiptoes, and he gives me a tender kiss that makes my knees wobble.
There’s something about the way Grim’s beard feels tickling my cheek that makes me want to climb him.
He’s huge.
He always manages to hold me up with no trouble.
Everything in me aches to know what it’ll be like when he finally slips inside me. Being able to sense each other in the bond will only make it more intense, and I want to experience that level of connection with him.
“I’m afraid we have to go,” Wilder says, cutting through the foggy haze that fills my mind.
Grim swirls his tongue around my lower lip and pulls back. “Gonna miss you, sweetheart. Have fun with Callum.”
“I will,” I whisper, licking my lips.
My nostrils flare, and I catch both Grim’s smoke and leather scent and Wilder’s electric smell as he steps up to take Grim’s place.
Flashes of the intense look on his face when he hovered over me as he made me come play through my mind, and my face heats. He’s slender like I am, but he felt so strong pinning me to the mattress.
It’s not just my face that feels warm.
My entire body heats up as Wilder wraps a hand around my lower back and dips his mouth to mine. It’s a quick but passionate kiss that leaves me aching for more.
He pulls back, and I follow his lips. “See you tonight.”
I’m still recalibrating after the sexy kiss, and my body immediately misses his warmth.
Callum laughs and claps. “We can’t exactly take my bike in this weather, but that’s okay. Daddy said we can take his car.”
“I told you. He’s a damn idiot,” Grim mutters, following Wilder to the door.
“Wreck my car, and I’ll wreck your face,” Wilder calls over his shoulder. “More importantly, keep Lacey safe, or I’ll strangle you to death with my bare hands.”
“I’ve got precious cargo. No driving it like I stole it.” Callum winks at me, making his eyes sparkle. “Unless you get off on an adrenaline rush?”
I can tell he’s just baiting them, but Wilder spins around, grabbing Grim’s arm. He proceeds to drag my bonded alpha toward the door as Grim rants about all the things he’s going to do to Cal when he gets his hands on him.
Callum takes me to clean out my locker. My last paycheck will be mailed instead of direct deposited, which seems weird, but also… Whatever.
I’m frazzled, and a little out of it.
It feels like my brain has been stuffed with cotton. I’m overly tired and cranky, but I’m not sure extra sleep would fix this unsettled feeling. Being away from Grim so soon after bonding is hard.
I would’ve been happier if all four of us could have stayed home today.
Wilder has some important deal to negotiate, and I get that.
My instincts do not, and I’m feeling vulnerable and rejected for no good reason.
“Almost there, baby girl.” Callum squeezes my knee, tugging his hand away to shift gears. “Ready to shop ’til you drop?”
I snort. “I bet you’ll tap out before I do.” At least when it comes to shopping, I know I can hold my own. My mom and I used to spend hours exploring thrift stores and clearance sales.
Wilder’s car is fancy to the point I’m surprised he let Cal drive it, but damn does Callum look good behind the wheel.
His wavy blond hair falls over his forehead as he grins dangerously and winks. He’s all stretched out in the seat with his right hand on the gearshift and his left hand on the wheel.
It makes my thighs clench.
There’s just something sexy about how confident he is whipping the car around each curve.
His hand comes to rest on my thigh once more, and I relish in the momentary warmth, but he has to tug it away again to downshift as he pulls into a parking lot. The way he perfectly maneuvers the car into a parking spot is unnaturally hot.
Why is competence so sexy?
Once the car is turned off, he unbuckles, swipes a hand through his hair, which immediately falls back over his forehead, and turns to me.
“I’m going to come around and help you out of the vehicle.” Cal slides his hand up the back of my neck and uses his fingers on my jaw to tilt my face toward him. “You’re going to be a sweet little omega and wait for me to open your door. Right, Lace?”
“Yeah,” I agree, staring into his deep blue-green eyes.
Honestly, I don’t know what we’re even shopping for, but I think I’d follow Cal into the pits of Hell.
Well, shit.
That’s not healthy.
My damn hormones are out of control all of a sudden. A flush starts in my cheeks and seems to spread down my neck.
“You’re so fucking cute,” he murmurs, pecking a quick kiss on my nose. “I’d eat you alive if Wilder and Grim weren’t around to stop me.” With that, he turns and tosses the door open while I squint, trying to figure out what that means.
It’s not a long walk from the parking lot up to the building. I’m in one of the outfits Wilder bought. It’s a simple dress with leggings and a coat, but it’s not warm enough to keep me from shivering.
“Shit, maybe I should have taken you by your apartment first,” Cal says, tossing his arm around my shoulder.
He pulls me close to his chest, and my nose twitches with his smoky, campfire scent.
“I’d offer you my jacket, but that would leave me with nothing to conceal my holster.
I’m sure they’ll have something we can snag, even if it’s a blanket to wrap around you to keep you warm during the walk back to the car. ”
Knowing he’s wearing at least one gun is kinda unreal.
When he was just my neighbor, I thought of Callum as someone who was likely a bartender or maybe a musician.
He was always vague when I asked him about his life, but his energy didn’t scream organized crime to me.
Even after seeing how efficient he was when he helped move those dead bodies, it’s still hard to think of him as anything other than Cal, my sexy neighbor who likes Chinese food and cheesy horror movies.
Wilder called Callum a loose cannon. He also mentioned that anyone who’s anyone owes Cal a favor. It’s strange to think of this funny, sweet guy as dangerous and calculating.
The boutique is cute and trendy with a variety of clothing and styles. It’s a battle not to check each price tag.
I looked at a few when we first came in, and it was a bad idea. Two or three outfits could pay my rent.
I’ve never shopped in a store like this.
The only thing that stops me from feeling horribly out of place is knowing Wilder’s personal shopper picked out this dress. I’m sure she didn’t head to a thrift store or even any of the shops in the mall that I would frequent.
Come to think of it, all the prices were removed from everything Wilder gifted me, which leads me to believe it was all exorbitantly priced.
“You’re doing a whole lot of browsing, but you’re not doing a whole lot of actually picking anything up.
” Callum slides up behind me. His tattooed hand curls around my middle as he uses the other to pull the hair away from my neck on the opposite side from Grim’s bite.
“Want me to start selecting things for you?” His warm breath radiates down my throat, and my knees clench.
“It’s all very nice, but I don’t actually need anything,” I admit.
Is he wearing scent enhancers?
Did he shower with scent-enhancing soap?
Smoky campfire surrounds me as he chuckles. It’s so potent that my body acts of its own volition, and I spin, burying my nose in his chest.
I groan, following my nose across his coat to where it hangs open in the front.