“Christ. Just shoot me now.”
Dog grunted. “With pleasure. No one wants to listen to you whine about your miserable life. Just shut up and become bitter and resentful like the rest of us.”
Crystal looked over at Mack with his dark hair graying at the temples and his salt and pepper scruff. “Dog’s going home to his wife. And what about you?”
“I ain’t got a wife.”
“No, but Natalie’s probably waiting on your ass.”
His eyes crinkled at the corner as he grinned, and she watched his brows raise as he replied, “She’s a little pissed at me right now. But I guess that’s what I get for falling for a damned redhead.”
“Hey!” Red Dog protested. “What’s wrong with redheads?”
Crystal shook her head. “You’re so full of shit, Mack. Am I right, Dog? If she wasn’t the firecracker she is, our ‘fearless-leader’ here never would have looked twice.” Natalie was in her lat
e forties, but she still looked like a young Ann Margret. A redhead with the temper to match. Somehow, she and Mack worked. Him with his gruff ‘I’m-in-charge-and-don’t-you-fucking-forget-it’ attitude and her with her fiery ‘straight-talking’ personality. She was classy and soft-spoken, but she also had a way with Mack that had him eating out of her hand. She was also the only one who had ever called him on his bullshit, and apparently, that was exactly what he’d needed because he’d fallen for her hard.
“Firecracker. Yup. Just like you, darlin’,” Mack agreed.
Crystal winked at him and started to walk off, but not before Mack reeled her in for a peck on her forehead. “Not that I don’t appreciate how clean you keep this place, but go on home, kid.”
She smiled as she pushed away. “You know what a type-A personality I am. I couldn’t sleep if I went home without mopping this floor.”
Mack chuckled. “You’re crazy, girl. But have at it. Whatever floats your boat, honey.”
She moved off toward the tables and began upturning the chairs and setting them on top so she could mop. When she got to the table where Cole and Crash were kicked back, she moved behind Cole and slid her arms around his neck, leaning down with her head next to his blonde one, her long dark hair falling over his shoulder and leather cut.
“Uh-oh,” Crash murmured, grinning. “She wants something, boss.”
Cole grinned back, one palm sliding over her forearm to rub back and forth. “Something I can do for you, darlin’?”
“Um-hmm,” she purred in his ear.
His grin widened and he purred back, playing along with her game, “Name it, sweetheart.”
“Move your ass, so I can mop.”
He pulled her around his chair and down on his lap so fast she squealed as he captured her in his hold. “Move my ass?”
“You might need to spank her ass for talking to you like that, VP,” Crash teased.
Crystal looked down at Cole’s smiling face. “You wouldn’t.”
His palm dropped from her waist to squeeze an ass cheek. “I might.”
She squealed and struggled to break free, laughing.
“Settle down. I’m kidding.”
Crash lifted his glass to his mouth, but spoke right before he downed the last of his drink. “She’d like it too much, anyway.”
Crystal threw her dishrag at him, hitting him in the face. “Shut-up!”
Both men laughed, but then Cole tightened his hold, squeezing the hand at her waist, his voice turning serious. “You doin’ okay? Wolf been giving you anymore problems?”
Her smile faded at the reminder of the man who held her heart, yet continually broke it. A man she’d fallen for the minute she’d first laid eyes on him. The energy in the room would change when he’d walk in. At least for her it would. But Wolf wasn’t looking for an ol’ lady no matter how strong the connection was between them or how good the sex was between them. He’d made that clear from the beginning. And she’d had to come to terms with it. Any relationship they’d ever had, had always been on his terms.
Wolf had a bossy, demanding, not-to-be-denied way about him that drew her like honey.