Macen frowned and rubbed at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m afraid I’m not far behind him. Hell of a day.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Let’s not wake up later and have this much drama.”
“You got it, precious.” He curled an arm around her. Then from one breath to the next, he dropped into a deep slumber, too.
And despite the fact that the December temperatures had dropped tonight, sandwiched between Liam and Hammer, she might as well have been curled up in a furnace. And the three of them definitely needed something bigger than a queen bed.
It was her last thought before she succumbed to fatigue, as well.
She woke with a start to some god-awful chainsaw-like noise. Heart racing, she sat up in the dark room, wondering what that sound was. Then she realized it wasn’t a power tool at all but Liam and Hammer grinding out dueling soundtracks of some of the loudest snoring she’d ever heard. A glance at the bedside clock told her she’d barely been asleep for an hour.
Sighing, she tried to lie back and catch more shut-eye. Liam rolled to his side and tried to take his third of the bed out of the middle. With his mouth near her ear, it only increased the decibel level of his snoring. Hammer decided to fight someone in his sleep, and Raine ended up with knees and elbows in her back. As they closed in on her, her body temperature went from toasty to roasting.
There’d be no peace in this bed tonight—or what was left of it.
Shaking her head, she crawled out from between them and pulled on the robe she’d discarded while making love to Liam earlier. He was naked next to Hammer, who wore only his boxer briefs. They looked cute in bed together. What a shame she didn’t have her phone to snap a picture. If she did, though, they’d paddle her ass silly.
Raine pulled the sheet over the two of them. She could find her own bed, she supposed, but she found herself incredibly exhilarated by the promise of their future. The house, the love, the way they’d worked through more of their issues… She didn’t want to sleep now; she wanted to live.
They wouldn’t be up for hours yet, but she could make their coming morning much better than the one they’d just had. Hammer had his apple spice muffins, but she intended to make date scones for Liam.
Grabbing her laptop, she rushed to the kitchen while searching for a recipe. Orange and date scones, no. Maple and date, no. Bacon and date scones? Oh, just hell no. Finally, she found a recipe that sounded edible. If he didn’t like this version, she’d try another next time until she got the pastry right.
She bustled around the kitchen and grabbed her ingredients. Self-rising flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, milk—check. Dates…no. She glanced at the time on her computer and debated. Go to the store now or wait until sunrise? Raine sighed. She was awake and wanted to get these baked, try one herself before she unleashed them on Liam, just in case they sucked and she had to start over.
With a little curse, she tiptoed back to Liam’s room, tossed on some yoga pants, a T-shirt, and some flip-flops. She searched the club until she found her purse, phone, and car keys. It had become an old habit of hers to inform Hammer before she left, but he looked so peaceful sleeping. She’d run out to the twenty-four-hour market just around the corner and be back in less than half an hour. They’d never miss her.
Pushing her way out the club door, she heard it click shut behind her. The parking lot was fairly well lit and mostly empty. Of course, her little compact sat there, along with Liam’s Escalade. Hammer kept his Audi in the garage out back. Some of the other cars she didn’t recognize, except Beck’s Mercedes. When had he arrived?
With a shrug, she glanced past what looked like Seth’s rental and a van she’d never seen, then strode to her four-door. She’d just pressed the button on the fob to unlock it and opened the door when someone behind her growled, put a brutal hand over her mouth, then shoved something hard against her ribs.
Hammer rolled over in bed, not fully awake, but floating in and out of sleep. As he breathed in, the scents of Raine, sex, and something unfamiliar filled his senses. Slitting open one eye, he saw that he wasn’t in his own room but Liam’s.
Hammer remembered exactly why. Raine had climbed on top of his friend and ridden Liam like a goddess until it seemed Liam’s hurt and insecurity had melted away. Watching and listening to their erotic melding, Hammer had stroked his own cock and joined their shared orgasm by coming all over his stomach in a hot, spine-tingling rush.