He didn’t protest. Just wrecked me with his fiery gaze, burning me alive without laying a single finger on my bare skin. Sending me hurtling back to this morning when he’d fucked me in the Carter family cave.
Rough.
Messy.
Raw.
Just like him.
Just likeus.
Alexei said something.
To me. “Hmm?”
“Never mind, chaplain. I will leave you two alone, but before I go, I have something for you.” Alexei reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and removed a brown envelope.
Brow raised, I took it from him and peeked inside, bracing myself for Esteban’s teeth or something equally weird.
Instead, I found a weathered book. “Lao Tzo?”
“I thought you might like it for balance. Too much war, no? You have been fighting a long time.” Alexei tapped his temple. “Or you could just stop thinking and end all your problems.”
“That a quote?”
“Find out.”
Alexei left us, catching Saint by the hand and towing him out of the room.
It wasn’t long before Cam followed, though to go where, I had no idea. Juana was in their bedroom and no one was sober enough to ride anywhere.
Least of all Mateo.
His heated stare pulled me back in. Without Alexei between us, it reached nuclear levels. Only his slightly bloodshot eyes gave away the fact that we wouldn’t be fucking tonight. His nuance, not mine.
“I’d cut my dick off before I did something wrong when I was too hammered to notice.”
Unlikely. These days, Mateo was more aware of my state of mind than I was. But his sweetness made me love him a hundred times more than he thought he was worth.
I dropped into Alexei’s empty seat. “You shouldn’t look at me like that around other people.”
Mateo edged closer, wrapping his leg around mine. “Like what?”
“Like you want to eat me.”
“I do fucking love you.”
I laughed. “That’s not what I said, but I’ll take it.”
“Mm-hmm.” Mateo rolled a joint.
Dropped it.
I picked it up and tucked it behind my ear. “Come on.”
“Where to?”
“Bed.” To sleep. It had been a long day and it was so late—or early—thewintersky was beginning to turn grey.