13
Liam sprawled on one of the obscenely comfortable sectionals in the lounge of the Shields’ headquarters. Everyone dealt with the tension of waiting for the hackers to activate Ruby’s booby traps in their own way. His arms were spread wide on the back of the cushions. Ace was next to him, tucked into one of the corner spots, while Ruby practically curled up in his lap as they were watching some animated show she was excitedly explaining to him on her tablet.
He had no fucking clue what they were talking about, but they looked cute as fuck huddled together. Nearly as incredible as they’d been snuggled up in his bed that morning.
Liam figured he really should invent some device that applied cold water directly to his junk so he could quit freezing his ass off in the shower. Sure, he’d thought about waking them with his dick in one of their mouths, but he’d used them both thoroughly the night before. Ruby especially had very little practice and he didn’t want to push her too far, too fast.
Hell, even with his history, the night before had beena lot. He was pretty sure parts of himself he’d never involved before had partaken in their activities. Liam rubbed his chest over his heart.
JRad raised a brow at him, but there was no way Liam could answer his unspoken questions with so many busybodies around. Sola, Aarav, Cash, Marcus, Kennedy, and Knox were playing cards at a table nearby while Jace and Kason worked on their latest song together by the fireplace. Nolan, Wren, and Jordan were the perfect audience for their guys, paying rapt attention to the music they made effortlessly together.
And worst of all…James ambled in with his sister, Laurel, who went directly into Nolan’s outstretched arms and perched in his lap. “How’d the pole dancing lesson go?”
“He’s sickeningly good at it.” Laurel rolled her eyes at her brother. She’d been a pro once, but James was limber and impossibly skilled at harnessing his sexual appeal, none of which should have surprised him given the way he was the centerpiece of the nine-person polyamorous Powertools crew.
“I’m in it for the costumes.” James grinned. “I’m ordering these massive sparkly platform heels I found online that will make me like seven feet tall. And I’m thinking of bedazzling a jockstrap to match. I can’t wait.”
That would be a sight to behold in the Shields’ gym, where they had a track, climbing wall, a pool, all the usual weights and gym equipment and now a spinning stripper pole too. To be fair, Liam and Ace had attempted some of the moves and failed spectacularly. The core strength Laurel and James had was impressive.
When Tavish finished skimming through his fitness magazine and tossed it over Legend, the glossy paper skidded off the surface of the coffee table and onto the floor. James pointed. “Pick that up.”
Uh oh.He’d been on a rampage lately. Not that any of them were unnecessarily sloppy, but with their team growing, it was hard to keep things as tidy as they’d once been around headquarters.
Tavish must have had a death wish. He crossed his booted ankles and said, “I thought you were the office manager. Isn’t that your job?”
Though he was only kidding, Liam could have told him it wasn’t a good idea. JRad grunted from where he and Lucas sat next to them. From the cop that was about as bad as if he’d smacked the other man.
James flipped Tavish the bird. “As good as I would look in that get up, I’ll remind you I amnotyour fucking maid. You know what? I think we need a housekeeper, Jordan.”
Their boss looked up from where his wife, Wren cuddled in his embrace. Her head rested on his shoulder as she smiled dreamily while she watched Kason singing to her while Jace accompanied him on the blue acoustic guitar that was his prized possession. Jordan agreed. “Yeah, sure. Hire someone.”
James took one of the communal tablets from the entertainment center and plopped down on Liam’s free side. He started tapping away. Still he glared at Tavish until the guy groaned and peeled himself off the couch that mirrored the one across from it where Liam, Ace, Ruby, and James lounged.
Probably just to get back at them, Tavish made a show of bending over in his kilt, fully mooning James and Liam, who clapped his hand over Ruby’s eyes to protect her from Tavish’s hairy asshole winking at them. And also because he got a bit jealous thinking of her or Ace looking at other men. Well, shit.
Ruby cracked up along with Ace, and the rest of the Shields. “Guess that answers the question of what you wear under those things.”
Liam noticed Legend wasn’t laughing, though. He was staring at his roommate, and the private parts he’d exposed, a little too intently to be casual.Huh.
“You’re lucky I’m not close enough to smack that pasty white ass.” James seemed entirely unimpressed. “You need a fucking tan.”
“I’ll be sure to sunbathe naked this summer for you.” Tavish grinned as he set the magazine in its proper place then reclaimed his seat next to Legend.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before.” James shrugged without looking up from whatever he was doing. “There. I’ve put an ad on the local job board. Don’t fucking scare away our candidates when they come for interviews or you’ll be the one on clean-up duty permanently.”
“Who’s going to be desperate enough to take that job?” Legend chuckled. “We sort of have a reputation around Middletown.”
“I made the pay good since they’re going to have to put up with all this.” James waved his finger around the room. “And threw in room and board because security is important.”
Jordan nodded at James.
They probably would have kept talking shit except right then Kason sang a lyric into the lull in the conversation. Jace stopped playing. “No. I think that could be better. What about… And I promise I’ll be the dad I never had.”
“What’d you say?” James’s head cocked, on high alert. Given that his sister dated Jace and their mutual boyfriend, Nolan, Liam didn’t blame him. His jaw went slack and he stared at Laurel.
She waved her hands in front of her chest. “No. I’m not. It’s not me.”
“Whew. I mean, not that I wouldn’t be happy. Ecstatic even. I just… I was surprised, that’s all.” Nolan put his perfect hair back into place with a swipe of his hand.