Chapter 29 – Brianna #2
His dark eyes catch mine, and for a second, the noise around us fades and our friends’ laughter dissipates.
His hair’s a little damp, clinging to his forehead, and he looks so handsome I can’t stop smiling.
We were supposed to be having our first date right now, but it would have been in private where no one would have known. This somehow feels even better.
I set my drink down on the nearest coaster, the heat creeping up my neck as I step toward him.
His gaze drags up the height of me before finding my eyes again.
My heart’s racing. My tongue slips out to wet my lips, and his breathing turns heavier, the space between us shrinking until the air feels thick enough to touch.
“Okay!” Rhiannon’s voice cuts through the moment, and I force myself to focus. “Boone, you’re up first!”
Boone, sitting across from Rosie, flashes a cocky grin at his wife. “Simon says… give your partner a short lap dance.”
Rosie throws her head back and laughs. “You would choose that.”
A chorus of groans, laughter, and teasing comments echoes through the room, but all I can focus on is the heat of Seth’s gaze as he waits for me to start. My eyes flicker to Boone, then Cain, Gabriel and Dexter… and finally back to Seth. No one’s paying attention to us.
“You know I love your lap dances, babe,” Boone says with a smirk.
Cain shakes his head. “Please don’t talk about my sister like that.”
“First time I met her she gave me one.”
Cain groans again. “So that’s why you thought she was a stripper.”
I move towards Seth while the other women start dancing on their partners. I plant my hands on his thick, muscular thighs and give them a squeeze that earns me a sharp inhale of air. His pupils are locked on mine, wide and dark.
“You going to participate?” he asks softly.
I smile and nod and the look he’s giving me tells me everything that I need to know.
“Bri,” he murmurs, voice low enough that only I can hear.
I hook one leg around his waist, then the other, and his hands catch me instantly, his fingers brushing along the bare skin of my thighs as I settle against him.
I let my body move, slow and sensual, rolling my hips with just enough pressure to keep it teasing.
His jaw tightens. His grip on me gets just a little firmer.
And I feel it. The way he’s hardening underneath me already.
The desire that’s coursing through his veins.
And the moment I’ve pushed him right to the edge the game stops.
“Alright! Good job!” Rhiannon calls out, her voice light and teasing, but Seth doesn’t let me go.
His hands clamp down on my hips, his fingers digging into the skin.
“If you get up,” he murmurs softly, “everyone’s going to see how turned on I am. Are you ready for that, Bri?”
My mouth brushes against the shell of his ear. “It was one simple body roll.”
He shakes his head, his breathing heavier. “There’s nothing simple about your body.”
Seth shifts in his seat, adjusting himself in his shorts, and then placing his palm there to cover himself.
“Go.”
I bite back a smile as I carefully unwind my legs from his lap. I manage to stand without collapsing, and if anyone notices what’s going on between us, they’re kind enough to pretend they don’t.
“Your turn, Gabriel,” Rhiannon announces.
“Alright,” Gabriel says, his grin lazy. “Simon says… give your partner a hug.”
“Aw, that’s sweet, babe,” Aly responds.
I lean forward again, pressing my hands on Seth’s thighs and then dragging them upward as I wrap my arms around his neck. He pulls me close, his hands sliding into my hair, tugging gently.
“Hey,” I laugh softly, feeling his lips brush against the shell of my ear.
“When it’s my turn,” he murmurs, his voice rough with need, “I’m saying Simon says to get the fuck out of here.”
“Okay, Dexter’s turn!” Eden calls out.
Dexter’s voice mumbles something about kissing your partner. I’m already moving on autopilot. My hands drop to Seth’s thighs again, and when I move to lean in, Seth doesn’t wait for me to make a move. He scoops me up until I’m straddling his lap and then covers my mouth with his and kisses me.
And this isn’t just a simple peck; it’s sensual, passionate, and so romantic.
He takes his time, kissing me like we’re the only two people in the room. I melt into his grip, softening against his chest. My lips part and his tongue sweeps inside, claiming me with a dominance that makes me forget where we are. His grip tightens on my hip, holding me in his lap.
It’s hot. It’s tender. And it’s us. He doesn’t care. Doesn’t care that his brother, sister-in-law, and literally everyone else in the room can see us. Doesn’t care that I’m supposed to be just the nanny. Just the PT for his new hockey team. His owner’s daughter.
Seth kisses me like he doesn’t give a single fuck what anyone else thinks about us, and I decide I’m signing that HR paperwork tonight.
But then, I hear a giggle.
I blink, pulling back just enough to hear the chorus of laughter echoing around the room.
“What?” I glance around, and that’s when I realize that no one else is kissing. Not a single other couple is even touching, and they’re all staring at us. Me. On Seth’s lap. His hand in my hair and on my hip.
“Uh…” I clear my throat, my face heating as I try to untangle myself from Seth’s lap. “What’s going on?”
“I didn’t say Simon says,” Dexter deadpans, his face the picture of annoyance, like we’ve just ruined his perfectly planned game. “I said ‘kiss your partner,’ but not Simon Says to do it.”
Oh. Oh no.
I try to slide off Seth’s lap, but he stops me. His grip tightens, holding me firmly in place until I’m squirming.
“Oh no you don’t,” he murmurs, his eyes dancing with amusement as he pokes my sides, making me giggle harder.
He stands up with me still wrapped around him. I’m clinging to him koala-bear style, my legs gripped around his waist so that I don’t fall down.
“Alright, y’all,” Seth announces casually, like he hasn’t just blown the game to hell, made out with his nanny in front of his family and made absolutely no apologies or explanation. “Nice to see you again, but it’s time for me to take my girl home now.”
My girl. My heart stops. Everything else fades as I look up at him, completely lost in the warmth of his eyes and the way his words have settled deep into my soul.
There’s no hesitation there. I’m his girl in his mind.
He claimed me. Publicly. Or at least as publicly as we can until paperwork is filed and we do things the Mayhem HR approved way.
Someone claps. I barely register it. But I hear Rosie murmur softly to Boone, “Told ya so.”
Boone just shakes his head, but even he’s smiling. I wonder if he’s worried about his brother’s career and my dad. Or Sawyer. I try not to dwell on that.
Seth looks down at me, his expression softer than I’ve ever seen. That rare smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Come on, Soul. Let’s go eat some lasagna and have that date I promised.”