Page 153 of Jace
“By the way…” She tilts her head at our first orange-tabby fur baby. “Who watched him while you were gone for so long?”
“The neighbor’s kids. I pay them twenty bucks a day to come in and take care of Moose. Also—they can play with my telescope.” I nod toward it on the deck outside.
“Didn’t know you were into watching stars.”
“I’m not.” Guiltily, I grin. “I was into watching Nash and Vale across the river. They like giving me a show.”
“Wasinto?” She lingers her fingertip down my chest. I find myself wearing my shirt unbuttoned for her.
“Mmm.” I let her stir everything inside me. “Was thinking we could givethema show tonight—they have a telescope too—after we practice first.”
I start walking her backward toward the sofa, ready to test the stain guard on it, but she palms my chest. “Don’t you have a meeting about a meeting in two hours?”
I roll my eyes. Cockblocked by Bratva bullshit, as Vale rightfully calls it. Damn, I’ll be glad when this shit is over.
“Yeah, and you’re coming with me.”
Her face falls. “But I need to unpack.”
“Sorry, Smokeshow. We got years to make this place our home, but a few days to wait before we make a deal with the devil. So until we do, I’m not leaving you unguarded.”
“Fine.” She softly bangs her cute forehead on my chest. “But once we have a deal with him, I’m going back to work. I miss my clients, and I’m building our gallery.”
I lift her chin. “Deal for that deal.”
Two hours later, I’m leaving her with a kiss at the bar of my mom’s club.
“Now be a good queen,” I murmur over our lips, “and pick out a toy for us to play with later.” I gesture to the wall of boxed sex toys for purchase.
“I’m good.” She swivels on her barstool. The club is closed. It’s just staff in here. “I haveyouand Nash has a telescope; it’s all we need.”
She feels it too. The bond with our kings and queens, but the need for it to be just me and her.
It’s like your birthday, when you get a whole bunch of presents you like, but you just want to hide in the corner with your new favorite gift, the book you love.
I bend down, nuzzling my nose to hers. “I’ll tell Nash the show begins at eight, until then…” Fuck, I can’t stop kissing her. “Behave.”
I point at Lucy, one of the blonde twins who runs the bar. Looks like Luna’s not here yet. “Lucy, this is Vivian—my everything. Take care of her, please.”
“Yes, sir.” Lucy salutes, bar rag in hand.
Finally, I leave Vivian with one last kiss before I run upstairs, taking them two at a time. I’m late. Don’t care. I’m in love.
A fact that annoys Grant when I enter our mom’s office, the last king to arrive. “Goddamn, Prince Pussy Whipped,” he grumbles. “Gonna start charging you by the late minute.”
“What can I say?” I fall onto the sofa to sit beside Nick. “Pussy is priceless.” Nick elbows me. “Oh, so is dick.”
Sasha laughs. “Mama is right. Dick and pussy. Is all you talk.”
My brothers shrug—no sense denying it.
“We have an interesting development.” Not wasting time, Axel leans forward, his elbows on his knees, his inked hands tapping the manila folder in his grasp.
Mom sits at her desk, clicking her gold pen.
No one bites until Nick laughs. “K, Axel. Spare us the drama. What is it?”
He lifts the folder. “The results of our paternity tests.”
