“We already talked about this,” Hammer reminded him.
“Not only that, you’ll be giving her exactly what she wants,” Seth pointed out. “You. Alone. Split apart from everyone who could support you, especially Hammer and Raine.”
Liam paused. He hadn’t considered that. Since Gwyneth was at Shadows, she already knew he was with Hammer, whose lifestyle she abhorred. Likely, she suspected Liam was involved in kink again as well. But she also knew they’d shared Juliet and might assume the two of them had found some sub to fill that role once more. Knowing Gwyneth’s spiteful nature, if she’d come for him, she intended to wreak havoc—and would gleefully spread that to others in his life. She would start by dividing and conquering.
To hell with her. Whatever damage Gwyneth thought to incite, it only served to solidify his commitment to Hammer and Raine.
“Over my dead body,” Hammer returned immediately. “I say we all go back. We’ll tell Raine that Beck has an emergency. It’s not a lie.”
Liam shook his head. “It’s also not the whole truth.”
“Well, unless you’re staying here, you need to be ready to pull out in thirty minutes,” Beck said. “If you’re going, you better figure out what to tell Raine as you pack up.”
“Can I just say you two make me glad I lead a boring life?” Seth jabbed.
“Fuck you,” Liam and Hammer shot back in tandem.
After Liam filled a mug of coffee, he followed Hammer upstairs again. Anxiety still gnawed at him. They had to reach some quick decisions. What would they tell Raine about their sudden departure? How would she react?
“Even if we agreed that we should tell her about Gwyneth, Beck’s emergency doesn’t give us long enough to explain everything and reassure her,” Hammer said over his shoulder. “She’ll have more than thirty minutes’ worth of questions. We’ll never get out the door in time.”
As much as he hated it, Liam couldn’t disagree. “And I can’t see telling Raine in the car.”
“With Beck and Seth there? No. She’d be embarrassed if they see her upset, and I’d rather not have them witness her slicing our nuts off with the sharp edge of her tongue.”
“I don’t like it,” Liam rejoined. “As soon as we reach Shadows, we sit Raine down and tell her everything.”
As they approached the bedroom, Hammer turned back with a scowl. “When we reach Shadows, we figure out our next move.”
Before Liam could argue, Hammer pushed the door open and stepped inside. The soft moonlight reflecting off the snow spilled through the curtains. The scent of their shared passion lingered in the room, and Liam slid his gaze over the sheets draping her curves. His cock swelled instantly behind his zipper.
Hammer charged across the room and flipped on the bathroom light, then began tossing clothes into their suitcase. Liam gathered their condoms and personal items from the nightstand and shoved them in a duffel bag. Once he’d finished, he sat on the mattress beside Raine and skated his knuckles over her bare shoulder. Her skin felt like warm velvet.
Visions of all the ways she’d seamlessly taken them both last night, shattering time and again around them, filled his brain. How long would it be until they could lose themselves in that nirvana again? He had to hope that Gwyneth wouldn’t try to drive a wedge between them.
The chances of that… Liam grimaced. Not good.
Macen zipped the luggage shut, then sat down beside him. Liam switched on the bedside lamp. Raine recoiled and frowned. Her eyes flickered open, big pools of blue, before she slammed them shut again, then grabbed the edge of the pillow and folded it over her face. “It’s too early.”
“I know, love,” Liam crooned.
She sighed, then rolled to her back, the pillow falling away. She wore an adorable pout as she brushed her dark hair from her face.
“What time is it?” Raine asked hoarsely.
“Before sunrise.” Hammer dragged the covers down, exposing her to the morning air.
Goose bumps broke out all over her body. Neither could resist touching her. Liam brushed a hand over her cheek. Hammer stroked a soft hand up her calf, fingertips gliding along the back of her knee, before dipping down to her graceful feet.
Her nipples hardened. Her pale skin flushed. Liam bit back the need to strip off and bury himself inside her, to forget everything else. He held back, instead cupping her head and caressing his thumb over her temple. “It’s time to rise and shine.”
She stretched, her back arching, her nipples thrusting up in invitation. Her legs parted slightly. Beside him, Hammer tensed, his gaze fixed on that bare, slick paradise they both wanted again. Oblivious, Raine groaned and reached up, letting out a happy sigh as she melted into the mattress.
When she opened her eyes once more, the come-hither enticement on her face nearly made him decide that Beck’s timetable must have some flexibility.