I lean in even more toward Brooke, giving the rest of our group most of my back. I murmur low enough that only she can hear me. “How’s it going with your unexpected company?”
Frustration simmers in Brooke’s eyes. She moves a bit closer to me. “She invited herself to stay at my place.”
“Rude,” I say in a hushed voice.
“It is,” she agrees. “But what was I going to do…say no?”
No, there’s no way Brooke would do that. She would open her door if that’s what a friend wanted.
I rub my thumb over the back of Brooke’s hand. “Does she understand I’m coming home with you tonight, so if she expected quality girl time with you, she’s not going to get it?”
Brooke flashes a broad smile. “Oh, you’re coming home with me, are you?”
“You said you like me to be in control, so yes…I’m coming home with you tonight and your guest might get an earful if you can’t keep quiet.”
Tipping her head back, Brooke lets out a deep laugh. When her eyes come back to mine, wet with hilarity, she brings her other hand up to my face again—and fuck it feels good there—and nods. Her voice is but a whisper. “Yes…I do like you in control and I’m glad you’re coming home with me tonight.”Chapter 17BishopFinally having my breath return and the strength in my arms to do so, I roll off Brooke and collapse to my back beside her on the bed. With my eyes on the ceiling, I feel her move rather than see her, a slight shifting of the pillow we share.
“It was nice not to have to keep that quiet,” she says in a voice raspy from too much screaming.
My head rolls and I look at her. Her face is inches from mine, those amber eyes with gold specks staring right at me and her mouth forming a crooked smile. I grin back at her before giving her a quick kiss. “Always better when you can just let it all out.”
And since Nanette hadn’t come back with us, Brooke held nothing back. I might have roared to the heavens myself when I finally let loose and came so hard I was convinced I’d stroke out.
“Let me go get cleaned up,” I tell her as I roll off the bed.
“Okay,” she murmurs, and rolls the opposite way. She’ll put on panties and a T-shirt to sleep in as has become her habit. Makes it a little more difficult in the morning to get to her good parts—because I love waking her up that way—but I like a challenge.
By the time I make it back out of the bathroom, Brooke is sitting cross-legged in the bed with the comforter pulled up over her lap. Head bent over her phone, her thumbs are flying over the screen.
“There’s a bottle of water on the table,” she says to me without looking up.
I slip under the covers without bothering with my underwear. I don’t mind sleeping nude or clothed, but since I’m already naked, I just dive right in. I grab the bottle, open it, and take several long pulls. By the time I’ve returned it to the table, Brooke is leaning over to put her phone on her nightstand.
“That was Nanette,” she says as she turns back to face me, still sitting cross-legged. “Texted to say she’s staying with Dax tonight.”
“Now that’s surprising,” I muse out loud as I lean back against the headboard, placing my hand on Brooke’s knee. No clue why…just feels right. “I really thought it would be Erik.”
“Me too,” she says with a laugh.
When Brooke and I called it an early night after two beers, we’d left Nanette happily accepting the attentions of three hockey players. She told Brooke not to wait up for her or worry. I gave meaningful looks to all three of them, then added to Dax as I walked out, “Make sure whoever she goes with tonight gets her home safe.”
“Always, brother,” he said in return.
I just didn’t think it would be Dax.
Not that Dax wouldn’t have been good enough for her. In fact, he’s the best dude out of the three, in my opinion. I just thought Erik would win the evening, as he’s the most aggressive and charming at the same time.
But good for Dax. Hope whatever he gets tonight is good and worth having to listen to Nanette to get it.
I feel comfortable saying this to Brooke, because I didn’t sense any major warm fuzzies between the two women tonight. Nanette only paid attention to the men, which was fine by me. That meant I had Brooke’s attention.
“Can I ask you a question?” I think it’s a given I can, but I sort of want to set the tone that this is somewhat serious.
“Yeah, sure.” Her expression is open and unguarded.