“Are you high on pain meds?” Jinx asks as he approaches me. “Because you look like you’re about to cry.”
“Just really fucking happy, man.”
“Cara?”
“Yeah, Cara,” I confirm without having to explain myself. He’s newly in love and knows exactly what I’m feeling right now.
God, is it love? Is this what it feels like, as if I’m walking on clouds and so ecstatic that bad news short of her leaving me can’t drag me down?
Is that cheesy?
I grin. Doesn’t matter if it is. I want to feel like this forever.
I busy myself making toast and cutting up fruit for my girl, remembering that she said she isn’t a big breakfast person.
“What did that fruit ever do to you?” Rocker asks as he notices the mangled mess I’ve made in front of me.
“We need sharper knives.”
“Don’t blame the damn knife. Let Misty or Khloe see you abusing the food like that and they’re going to make you take one of those beginner cooking classes down at the college.”
I laugh, trying to rearrange the fruit on the plate so it doesn’t look like a complete mess.
“That’s not helping,” Rocker teases.
“Would you get off my dick,” I snap, but there’s no real heat in my words.
“I think it’ll be okay. At least I don’t think your girl will take off because you have horrendous knife skills. Hopefully, your tongue game is better.” He chuckles as he walks away.
I don’t bother mentioning just how good my tongue game is because I wouldn’t disrespect my woman like that. We aren’t at the bar trading stories like I’ve done with some of the guys before, and it hits me that most of the stories I told these men are lies. I’ve worked so hard for the last thirteen years, that I haven’t had much time to have a life. I told them about times in the military, none of them true.
I’m wondering if they’ll still have my back when I have to make those confessions when a hush falls over the room.
I turn to see Cara walking toward me, my phone in her hand and a bright smile on her face. If she noticed the quiet as she enters, she doesn’t show it.
“I made—”
Her lips crash against mine, her tongue not wasting a second of hesitation before she sweeps it across mine. I groan into the kiss, my hands resting on her hips, all the while resisting the urge to lift her up so her legs can wrap around me.
A throat clears from somewhere across the room, and she pulls back but not completely away.
“You’re the most amazing man in the world,” she whispers. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re not mad you didn’t find out sooner. April said she wanted it to be a surprise. She was supposed to call yesterday.”
“I’m just happy she’s safe.”
I pull her against my chest, looking at the guys on the other side of the room. Comically, they pull their attention. Legend is looking up at the ceiling whistling like a fool, as if I didn’t just catch them watching us.
Who cares? There shouldn’t be a doubt in a single mind in this club that Cara is off-limits.
“Did you make a snack?” Cara says as she pulls away and looks down at the plate in front of us on the counter. “That’s… sweet.”
She blinks up at me, and it’s clear she wants to give me shit just like Rocker did.
“Clearly I’m not an expert,” I mutter. “I think the grapes are okay.”
“Because grapes don’t have to be cut up,” Rocker says from the other side of the room, leaving no doubt all of their attention is still on us. “But please explain how you managed to completely mangle a banana.”
I flip him a middle finger behind Cara’s back, and several of the guys chuckle.
“Should we take our snacks back to the room?” she asks as she picks up the plate.
I step in closer to her. “Are you not comfortable out here?”
“I just wanted to properly thank you for the video chat with my sister.”
“You don’t have to thank me for something like that. Apollo and Legend went to get her, not me.”
“Jesus, man. Does she have to spell it out for you?” Jinx mutters.
I take a long look at Cara, her lips pinned between her teeth, a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks, and I feel like an idiot.
“Huh… oh!” My cock thickens with the promise it took me a minute too long to catch on to.
The guys laugh again, but I can’t be bothered to look away from her.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
A chorus of laughter follows us out of the room.
“You have to ignore the guys. They’re all horny bastards. I’m surprised the ones in relationships are even here. Usually, they can’t be bothered to come out of their bedrooms unless Cerberus is having some sort of official party.”