“We should have a lazy day tomorrow,” he said.
“A lazy day?”
“It’s Sunday tomorrow, so you won’t be working. We should just hang out here—eat, binge watch TV, fuck, eat some more, maybe shower, then fuck again.” Which would keep her indoors, where she’d be safer. “After all the shit that’s gone on lately, you could use a day to wind down.”
She narrowed her eyes, and he wondered if she sensed he had an ulterior motive. But then she shrugged. “I can go with that.”
“Good.” Watching a droplet of water trickle over her collarbone and settle on the swell of her breast, he felt his gut clench. Keenan scooped up the droplet with his tongue, and a flush swept up her neck and face. His demon wanted him to lick a few other choice places.
Keenan put his mouth to her ear and nipped the lobe. “Go into the bedroom, drop the towel on the floor, lay on the bed, and spread your legs for me. Wide. I want to eat your pussy before I fuck you.”
Her eyes lit up. “Hmm, I approve of this plan.”
*
The female attendant pulled a pair of bowling shoes out of a cubby and placed them on the counter. “Here you go,” she said to Harper, who smiled and thanked her.
Slipping on her own pair of rental shoes, Devon spoke to Khloé. “I can’t believe you bought your own bowling shoes.”
“You think I’m going to wear sweaty rental shoes that are no doubt hosts to all kinds of bacteria and fungi?” Khloé snorted. “No thanks, I’ll pass.”
Behind her, Keenan slid his arms around her waist. “Now that you’ve put it like that, I’m not so sure I like wearing rental shoes either.”
Tired, Khloé leaned into him. In truth, she wasn’t in the mood to go bowling or anything else. She’d been looking forward to the original plan for her and Keenan to spend their Sunday afternoon together alone, but the girls had turned up with their mates and Levi and had proposed a group outing.
She knew why, of course. They not only wanted to take her mind off what was going on, they wanted to keep a close watch on her and figured this was a covert way to do it. Like she wouldn’t know what they were up to.
She hadn’t called them on it, though. Purely because Keenan was ten times more wound up than she was, and he hadn’t been able to relax. He’d tried, but it wasn’t working. She supposed it raked at his insides that he couldn’t do anything to heal her.
As a sentinel, he no doubt wasn’t used to feeling powerless, and the emotional state seemed to be tormenting him somehow … as if it was bringing back painful memories, maybe? She didn’t know and didn’t want to ask. If there was anything to tell, he’d confide in her when he was ready.
Khloé had asked Ciaran to come with them, but her brother was spending time with his girlfriend, who Khloé happened to like. He generally had bad taste in women. Or maybe, like Khloé, he had so many issues with relationships that he was reluctant to get involved with anyone he thought he might fall for.
When demons fell, they fell hard.
Waiting for the others to slip on their rental shoes, she glanced around the Underground’s bowling alley. There were several lanes, all of which included cushioned benches, a plastic table, and a ball-return machine. Electronic score boards hung from the ceiling, occasionally showing animated action replays of the players’ throws.
The sounds of balls rolling, pins clattering, and people cheering echoed through the large space. Music videos played on the widescreen, wall-mounted TVs. There was also a lot of dinging, bleeping, chiming, and gunshot sounds coming from the arcade area.
“Just so you all know, I’m hitting the arcade before we leave,” said Khloé.
“That machine over in the corner near the ATM is my favorite,” said Raini. “I always get a prize, every time.”
Levi frowned at the blonde. “That’s a vending machine.”
“I know,” said Raini.
“How many pins are in the lanes?” asked Tanner, leaning against the counter. “Fourteen? Sixteen?”
Devon gave him a patronizing smile. “Sweetie, there’s actually a reason they call it ten pin bowling.”
Khloé looked at the hellhound. “Wait, you’ve never bowled before?”
Tanner just shook his head.
“Want some pointers?” asked Devon.
Tanner snorted. “You just throw a ball at the pins to make them fall down—how hard can it be?”
Khloé exchanged a smile with Devon. The hellhound was so going down.
“I had to book two lanes because there are eight of us,” said Knox. Well-groomed and smartly dressed, he should have looked out of place. Somehow, though, he always seemed to “fit” into his surroundings. Probably because he was always at total ease with himself. “We’ll need to split into two groups.”
“Ooh, the girls vs. the boys,” suggested Raini.