Chapter 33
Lily
When my eyes flutter open, there’s an arm draped across my waist, a muscular chest pressed to my back, and a leg inserted between mine. Mace’s soft breaths tickle my neck. He’s asleep, which gives me a moment to collect my thoughts. What the hell?
Last night, I made the single most important decision of my life, and now everything changes.
Where I live. Where I work. Who I associate with.
We should have talked things through, but we got carried away in the moment.
There had been too much adrenaline and carnal lust pumping through my veins to register the momentous step I’ve taken.
But if I’m truly frightened about anything, it’s that I’m not scared about the future, and I’m sure I should be.
“Stop overthinking,” Mace says, his voice croaky with sleep. “I can feel your heart hammering in your chest.”
“I still want to stay friends with Kaitlyn,” I blurt out. “I had to start from scratch when I moved to Chicago. I don’t want to do that again.”
“OK,” he says, drawing the sound out.
“And I promised I’d visit Mom and Dad over the Christmas holidays. Do I take you with me?”
“Do you want me to meet your parents?”
“Yes, but…”
Mace pulls me onto my back so he can slip between my legs. “Stop, Lily,” he says, a warning in his tone. “Are you asking my permission? Is that how you think this is going to work?”
I go to answer, but I’m not sure what to say. “You did make a lot of demands last night,” I reply. “About moving in here, giving up my job, not leaving this apartment. Ever.” I arch an eyebrow in reprimand, but he fights a smirk.
“Maybe I did come on a little strong,” he admits.
Nerves flutter in my stomach. “So I am allowed to leave your sight?”
“Oh, no. Never,” he says quickly to put an end to that particular debate.
“But last night was just about establishing the ground rules. I am going to be overprotective, and I will drive you crazy, but you should know by now that I don’t need to be physically next to you to watch over you.
Just promise me you’ll never be reckless again. ”
“I promise,” I whisper. Or at least I promise to try.
Mace strokes a thumb over my kiss-swollen lips. “We’re a partnership, Lily, and we have been from the get go. I gave you lectures about safety, and you taught me to be less guarded.”
I capture his thumb with my mouth, and suck on it before releasing it with a pop. “I’m almost going to miss Shade,” I admit.
He trails his wet thumb to my chin and forces it down, opening my mouth. “He’s still lurking in the shadows, Slayer, so don’t get too comfortable,” he says before he kisses me.
As his tongue strokes mine, I feel the hard ridge of his cock against my stomach. My peaked nipples scrape against the thorned lily tattooed on his chest as he moves lower, trailing kisses down my neck. I raise my hands above my head in surrender. How can I not feel comfortable?
And then I hear a noise from elsewhere in the apartment. The whistling is a reminder that this new world I’ve been pulled into has other inhabitants.
Mace has his lips sealed around one of my nipples when he notices me tense. He looks up. “What’s wrong?”
“Will your family accept me?”
“Yes.”
His certainty doesn’t ease the lines creasing my brow. “Tell me about the Griffin brothers.”
Mace rests his head in the valley between by breasts. “Obviously, I was the one blessed with the good looks and the biggest dick.”
“Obviously,” I answer, rolling my eyes. “You’re also the protector. The one with the biggest heart because it’s been buried the deepest.”
“I’ll take that,” he says, rubbing his stubbled chin against my skin. “Reid is the peacemaker, but he doesn’t always think before he speaks. Hunter is the challenger, I suppose, and he can be fucking stubborn when he wants to be.”
“And Ash? He seems nice.”
Mace scoffs. “He’s our guardian, in every sense of the word,” he says with unconcealed admiration. “He guards his feelings most of all, but you don’t want to be around when he gets really mad. Especially if you’re family.”
I bring my hands off the pillow and reach for Mace. “Why?”
“Just because,” he says as he lifts himself off me. “Not that you need to worry. He’s going to love you. And besides, I’m your protector.”
As Mace kneels up, he lifts the covers off us both. I’m only vaguely aware of his heated gaze traveling down the length of my body, because I’m distracted by his arousal.
“The only thing you need to concern yourself with at the present time,” he says, “is whether you want me to fuck you before or after our shower.”
I don’t need time to consider my options. “During.”
I’m squealing as he lifts me from the bed and carries me into his bathroom. The shower stall is almost as big as my entire bathroom.
“I’m never going to be able to work out how this thing works,” I say as Mace taps a console.
He pulls me beneath the shower spray that’s at the perfect temperature and on the right side of powerful. “Then we’ll just have to shower together from now on.”
I shouldn’t be surprised when I see all my favorite products lined up in a cubby hole, but it feels like I’ve stepped into a dream as Mace starts to wash and pamper me. And after we’re both squeaky clean, we get dirty all over again.
There’s more pampering afterwards and my legs are shaking with fresh exhaustion as he wraps me in a soft towel.
“I could get used to this,” I whisper.
“You’ll have to.”
The confidence he instills lasts only until we return to the bedroom. I can hear more noise beyond the bedroom door. And it’s a lot of noise. Footsteps and chatter. There are people in the entrance hall. Lots of people.
My eyes grow wide. “Is that…?”
Mace winces, but he doesn’t look nearly as surprised. “My brothers,” he says. “Fucking Reid can’t keep his mouth shut.”
My jaw drops. I knew I’d have to meet his brothers eventually, but preferably one at time, starting with Reid.
I’m not ready for this, and as I glance around the bedroom and my gaze settles on my discarded underwear, my stomach hollows.
“My clothes. They were strewn all around your apartment.” It’s not the first impression I wanted to make.
“Help yourself to the clothes in our closet,” he says as he towel dries my hair. He doesn’t sound the least bit concerned.
“I can’t go in there wearing one of your t-shirts, Mace.”
He wipes away the drips trickling down my face from my wet hair. “Personally, I wouldn’t object, but I was thinking you’d wear your clothes. I bought you a few things so we don’t need to rush to pack up your apartment.”
I have to blink hard. While I’d been preparing to break into his apartment, Mace had effectively moved me in. “You’re so sure of yourself, aren’t you? You’ll be telling me you’ve already cancelled the lease on my apartment next.”
Mace kisses the tip of my nose. “If you’d seen me last week, you’d know I was anything but sure,” he admits. “But actually, yeah, I have cancelled your lease.”
Stunned doesn’t come close to how I feel as I step out of the safety of Mace’ bedroom.
I’ve opted for comfort over style, wearing an oversized green sweater and black leggings.
My damp curls are gathered in a messy bun, and I’ve applied a touch of makeup to conceal the chafed skin around my mouth and nose after being fucked senseless.
“They’re going to love you,” Mace says, taking my hand and leading me into the living room.
My eyes dart around the room for signs of my discarded clothes, but the apartment is uncluttered and orderly. Except for the huge family gathered around the kitchen island. The chatter stops abruptly, and four pairs of eyes snap towards me.
The silence is broken only by the thumping of my heart, until Ash breaks the spell.
“Christ, can we all act like we’re a normal fucking family.” He gets up from his stool and strides towards me. His hands rest on my shoulders as he kisses my cheek. “Welcome to the family, Lily. I’m Ash. Then there’s Hunter, Reid and Maddie,” he says, pointing to each in turn.
More stool legs scrape against tiles and everyone stands.
“I don’t remember you being that welcoming when you met Maddie for the first time,” Hunter says, shooting Ash a look as they pass.
“And I don’t remember Mace running off and getting married without telling me,” Ash hits back. He looks across to Mace. “You haven’t married her yet, have you?”
“Not yet,” Mace answers.
“There you go,” Ash says to Hunter by way of an explanation.
Hunter turns his attention back to me. He has green eyes like Mace, but his bulky frame is more like Ash, and just as intimidating. I blink like an idiot while Mace keeps hold of my hand, his thumb stroking my wrist in an effort to slow my pulse.
“Lovely to meet you,” he says. “I’d say we’ve heard all about you, but well… I’m guessing you know what you’re letting yourself in for with Mace.”
“Thanks for the character reference, Hunter,” Mace says.
Reid elbows Hunter out of the way. He’s the tallest and leanest of the bunch, and the familial resemblance isn’t as strong, but as he wraps his arms around me, I feel the same toned muscles that must surely be genetic. All four brothers are drop-dead gorgeous in their own individual way.
“Hello, roomie,” he says. “I hope now you’re here, Mace will stop being such a moody bastard.”
“Doubt it,” Hunter calls out.
“Oh, and if you’re wondering where all your clothes are, I put them away in the hall closet.”
“Thanks,” I squeak, my cheeks turning scarlet.
“Don’t embarrass the girl!” Maddie scolds.
Hunter’s wife is in jeans and a sweater, her casual look matching my own, and immediately putting me at ease. She’s taller than me, but even she’s dwarfed by the Griffin brothers. Not that she seems fazed by any of them as she thumps Reid’s arm to get him to move.