As ill-advised as the kiss had been,damn, was it nice.
His kiss had been tender, and even a little romantic, the kind of kiss that made everything else melt away into the background. Feeling his cock against me, huge and stiff, only took it to the next level. I could only imagine what might’ve happened had Ajax not been there to stop us.
Lying in bed, Kid on my mind, I glanced down to find that my hand was tucked underneath the waistband of my panties, on its way to between my legs. My eyes went wide, and I yanked my hand out, looking at it as if it were an alien object. Through no thought of my own, I’d very nearly touched myself to the memory of what had gone down with Kid.
It was bad. All of the men were crazy hot in their own ways. They’d all shown that they were patient and kind when they needed to be, tough and uncompromising at other times. All the same, I’d already crossed a line when it came to my attraction, and I couldn’t do it again.
I slipped out of bed and quickly threw on some jeans as if wanting to put an extra barrier between myself and acting on my naughty thoughts. My phone was on the nightstand, and I picked it up wishing that I could make a call or text. Ajax had told us he didn’t want any calls going in or out until they’d secured the satellite internet connection. It made sense, but all the same, not being able to talk to Anna or Evie, the only two friends I had on this earth, was making me feel more than a little isolated. I took one last look at the icon for Airplane Mode, then set my phone back down.
After I’d thrown on a new shirt and stepped into some sneakers, I headed down the stairs to hear the commotion of the guys in the kitchen. I was so embarrassed at the idea of facing them again. I’d wanted to lay low the day before, so I’d taken my post-workout meal and dinner alone. No doubt they all knew what had happened, and all had their own thoughts on the matter.
Sure enough, the guys were all gathered around the kitchen bar, a huge plate of what looked to be cheesy scrambled eggs, another plate of toast next to that, along with a third plate covered in patties of breakfast sausage.
They were digging in, chatting among themselves as I entered. The moment I stepped over the kitchen threshold and into the sunlight pouring in through the eastern windows, the conversation stopped.
“Morning, Princess Vic,” Hud said in that Scottish accent that managed to be lovely and brash at the same time. He waved his hand as he did a mock bow.
“That’s not necessary,” I said as I approached the men. “‘Vic’ is just fine.”
“I know,” he said. “Just fun to say, yeah?”
“I suppose so.”
I glanced at the rest of the guys, Ajax, Pyke and of course, Kid all there waiting for me.
“None of you need to stop eating on my account,” I said, wanting the strange silence to be over as soon as possible. “Please.”
Ajax nodded to the coffee machine. “There’s a fresh pot on—help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
I made my way over to the coffee and poured myself a cup. The conversation that they’d been in the middle of, whatever it might’ve been about, didn’t pick up. The back of my neck began tingling with nervousness at the idea that they’d been talking about me.
I cleared my throat. “So, I was thinking about meals. How about I do one a day? After all, you four are working and I’m just lounging around. Makes sense that I’d pitch in a little more than I am. Does that sound alright?”
That seemed to go over well with the guys.
“Hey,” Ajax said. “If you can make other meals as good as your French toast, you’ve got my approval to cook.”
I smiled, pleased to hear that my breakfast had been such a hit.
“Well, I’ve only got a handful of other meals up my sleeve. Maybe I can find some cookbooks around here, however.”
“Or you can check online,” Pyke said.
“I thought the internet was off-limits?”
He shook his head. “Not anymore. I got up early this morning and encrypted the satellite feed. It’ll need some regular upkeep, but for now, you can go ahead and use it.” He raised a finger. “But keep the texting and calls to a minimum. If this Jurgen guy’s got billions at his disposal, there’s a good chance he’ll know how to break through my amateur work.”
My heart skipped a beat in excitement at the idea of being able to get in touch with Evie and Anna. I did my best to keep my happiness in check, but all the same, it was impossible to prevent a big smile from spreading across my face.
“Duly noted,” I said, practically buzzing with eagerness.
Kid hadn’t yet said a word. Instead, he stuffed one big forkful of eggs into his mouth after another. At first, I wondered if he was upset with me. After all, I was the reason he’d gotten chewed out by the rest of his crew.
Before I could think about it for too long, Hud, who was sitting next to Kid, gave him a quick shove with his elbow.
“What’re you doing, lad? Offer the woman a plate.”