“No time. Go later. Your daddy has a speech prepared. You can’t miss it.”
“But I just need—”
“Come on, Calli,” Alex says, sweeping in behind me and wrapping his arm around my waist protectively. A move that my mother certainly doesn’t miss.
“I thought Jerome was your date tonight?” she asks with a frown.
“She’s with both of us, right, Cal? Things are always more… fun in threes.”
A grunt falls from his lips when I shove my elbow into his ribs, but I don’t really mean it, because I would have paid to see Mum’s face turn the shade of purple it does at his comment.
“Lead the way then. I’m more than ready for all the fun,” I tease.
With his hand pressed to the small of my back, he encourages me toward the large table where the rest of our group is already congregating.
“I legit thought your mum’s eyes were about to pop out then,” he jokes in my ear.
“Can you imagine if it were true and I came home to tell her I had two boyfriends? I think she might actually die.”
He chuckles. “Maybe we should try it. Once everything settles, maybe Daemon and I could turn up to take you out on a date and watch the top of her head shoot off.”
“You’re wicked.”
“Gotta get you out on a date somehow, baby C.”
“You can take me out any time you want. Just don’t expect any added benefits.”
“Ugh, but they’re the fun bits.”
“You need a girl,” I state. “Anyone around here catch your eye?”
“You mean there are girls here other than you?”
“You’re cute, and you work wonders for my confidence. But I’m serious. You deserve a nice girl who will put up with your weirdness.”
“I’d prefer a naughty one who will indulge my weirdness.”
“And here I was thinking you were all sweet and innocent.”
“Take off the rose-tinted glasses, baby C. There is no sweet and innocent around this table.” He pulls my chair out for me just as Jerome steps up on my other side, finding his name on the setting beside mine. No huge shock there. “Oh, maybe there is,” Alex jokes.
“Behave,” I warn over my shoulder.
I shiver as he lets his fingers trail over my mostly bare shoulder, and I swear the air actually crackles as Daemon glares at his brother. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed such a promise of pain in all my life.
But being Alex, he doesn’t seem to give a single fuck as he takes his seat and turns toward where my dad is clinking a knife to a glass to get everyone’s attention.