“You better,” Monroe demanded from the door, and we both turned to look at him. “It’s not just you anymore, asshole, so remember that.”
“I’m trying to, Roe. I’m trying. Speaking of…” he peered down at me, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “I do believe I won, so that means I get my prize now.” He bent down to capture my lips when a loud throat-clearing had us all freezing and peering out into the main area.
Sax leaned against the back of the couch, his legs stretched out in front of him, a cocky smile on his face. Atticus stood straight next to him, and I had a feeling he was the one who cleared his throat.
“If I may interrupt, I wanted to check you were okay, Mr. Young?”
“Yes. It was just a graze. Thankfully, I saw Kitten’s reaction and moved out of the way.”
“Very good. He’s been taken down to the station by Agent Clark and won’t be fighting in our arena, and hopefully others, for a while. They’d like a statement from you, but I pushed it off until tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I just want to go home after that fight.”
“Yes, I imagine you do.” Atticus' eyes flicked over to me, and his comment about squinting when I was with the others came to mind, and I smiled. It would be good for him to get used to it, so I didn’t move or try to make this easier on him.
“Lore, if I may offer a suggestion?”
I nodded, hoping he wasn’t about to erase the progress we’d made. “Perhaps, Jude could stay over at our house this evening. We have plenty of rooms for him to use, and then he can finish his work with Mrs. Hildebrand in the morning. I know they’re working hard to get everything ready.”
Shame wanted to rise up, coating me for forgetting about Jude for a second. But it had been a tense situation, a crisis, and I’d gone into survival mode for my immediate surroundings, knowing he was safe. If anything, it proved I trusted Atticus to protect him.
“Yes, that would be great if he’s okay with it. If not, then he can come home with us.”
The corners of his lips tilted up, and my heart sputtered. “I believe he will be fine with it. He and Immy were discussing some epic battle they wanted to have, so I think he’ll be more than pleased with the prospect. I will ensure that they have separate sleeping dwellings.” He looked at me sternly, expecting me to be relieved.
Smiling, I waved him off. “It’s all good. I already had the sex and condom talk with Jude. He’s good to go.”
I’d never seen someone’s face turn red so quickly. “You, what?” he sputtered, and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Laughing, I found myself bending over at the waist, everything hitting me from the day. When I finally caught my breath, I pulled myself together, wiping the tears.
“Sorry, yes, I’ve had the talk with him. I’m responsible like that. But no, I’m not worried about them having sex tonight. Immy’s nowhere near ready for it, and Jude isn’t the type of young man to take advantage, nor do I think he’s ready, either. But you know, one day, they might take that step, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t murder my foster son.”
His face had returned back to its normal color, but his jaw was tight as he looked at me. “We’ll see, won’t we.” He turned to go but stopped, stomping over to me, pulling me from Wells arms. The force had me falling into him.
Atticus’s hand gripped my chin as he peered down at me. “I’m squinting, not blind.” His lips pressed hard into me before he stepped back and stomped out of the room. Sax watched me, an impressed look on his face.
“You learn fast, Spitfire. I’m seriously craving some popcorn now, though.” Tilting my head, I gave him an odd look as he sauntered over, cupping my jaw in a completely different manner than his predecessor. He grinned, taking his time, not caring that the other two behind him were watching.
When he pulled away, I was panting, my body following him as he left. “Be good, Spitfire. Try not to say my name when you cum.” The sexy asshole winked, sauntering off without a care in the world.
The two behind me stepped closer, one on each side. “I don’t know what you see in the first one, but I get the second one,” Monroe admitted, fanning himself.
"I don't know what she sees in me either, but I'll take it,” Wells said, turning to us. “But am I missing something? When did you start kissing Atticus?"
Rolling my eyes, I tugged them out of the room. Their comments had broken the tension and replaced it with a giddy energy that filled us as we left Upswing. The fight had reminded us what was important, and a sense of urgency and desire filled the three of us as we hopped into the waiting car.