That’s me and Reba. That’s me and Grey.
Our souls and hearts and personalities resonate.
Our humanity resonates.
Those three months I spent with Grey weren’t like a normal three months. We were together twenty-four hours a day, trapped together, facing death together. Shit, that was just a cherry on top of our friendship. As soon as our eyes met in the cabin that day, we knew each other in a way that would make it hard for anyone else to understand.
A throwaway prince. A hard-knuckled princess.
A very unconventional friendship.
“I want to work,” I agree as Grey lifts his gaze up to look at the vice president.
“If you and Beast are done fucking for now,” Crown says dryly, and I can feel his jealousy radiating down his arm and into his hand. His fingers tighten slightly. “There are plenty of tasks that need doing—especially with Sin and Grainger out of the office.”
“Just tell me what you need,” I agree, taking another bite of the sandwich and then slipping out from under Crown’s hand to head to the fridge. I know what I look like in the short-shorts I’m wearing, bending down to push beer bottles aside, looking for something non-alcoholic to drink.
I see a green bottle with Asian writing on it, and figure maybe it’s a bottled tea or something. I take hold of it and stand up to examine the label when Crown plucks it right from my fingers with a growl.
“Not that. It’s soju,” he says, and then gets close to me. “You won’t drink any alcohol when you might be carrying my baby.” He whispers this last part, his mouth far too close to my ear for comfort. I shiver all over, but I also laugh.
“Don’t think me marrying into this shit or considering having a baby gives you any control over me whatsoever.” My voice is too low for Grey or Reba to hear, but I can feel them both watching our interaction carefully. I toss my hair at Crown again, and he’s so close that it hits him in the face. I turn around suddenly, looking up at that hard frown on his pretty mouth. “And I didn’t know it was alcohol, you prick.”
Crown reaches past me into the door of the fridge and removes a water bottle, offering it up. I snatch it from his hand with a cocky grin.
“Thanks chief.” I use my hip to push past him, taking a seat in the chair again and heading for my second sandwich. I’m fucking starving. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“I’d prefer to have this conversation elsewhere,” Crown begins as more footsteps approach the kitchen. It’s intentional that sound, meaning that whoever is coming wants us to know he’s here. Beast. My entire body shivers in remembered pleasure, and I shift on the old wood chair—this one is pale blue with flaking paint—and revel in that sweet soreness between my legs.
“Mornin’,” Beast grumbles, reaching past me to snatch the bag of sandwiches. “You want any more of these, wife?”
“No, I’m good with what I’ve got,” I reply, trying and failing not to get any pleasure out of this simple domesticity. The guys and I have never had this or anything even remotely resembling this. I’m obsessed. It’s been a long time since I had people around me this regularly—people that I like, anyway. People that I’m close to.
I take another bite of sandwich, wondering what my sisters would think of this whole situation.
Posey would be jealous that I managed to snag the four hottest guys in the club for myself; Queenie would be happy as long as I was happy and being treated well. She’d encourage me not to let club business affect the rest of my life; she’d make me get my GED for sure.
It hits me suddenly that I have a third dead sibling to consider.
I’m the only Kesselring left, the only club brat still standing. Based on my behavior—or rather misbehavior—it’s not something anyone could’ve predicted. A friggin’ oracle would be shocked.
Beast surprises me by moving around to sit on the opposite side of the table, digging through the bag on his lap and taking out a sandwich.
“Cat isn’t going to let you hole up here forever,” Crown warns him, but Beast ignores him. I get a thrill remembering what he said last night, about how he was wandering until he found something to live for. Until he found me. That’s one hell of a romantic confession.
My gaze slants over to Crown as I think about what Grey said, the undercover cop thing.
I’d love to know his full history, too.
“I had a task to complete; I’ve completed it.” Beast looks up, and a lewd smile spreads across his face. “We deserved a proper wedding night.”
“That was an entire day,” Crown quips, but Beast just shrugs.
