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The tops of Liam’s ears heated. “Yeah, so I went and got mated. You can knock that smirk off your face right now.”

“Can’t blame me.” Jericho stopped fighting that smile, lips curling into a grin. “I never thought I’d see the day you allowed any female to lay claim to you.”

He snorted. “She sank her hooks in me all right.”

“Vivian Laurent.” Jericho canted his head. “Isn’t she the one who purchased Alex at the auction?”

“She is.”

“Seems I owe her a debt as well. Strange, I’ve never heard you talk about her.”

Jericho was digging for gossip like an old woman. Since he needed Jericho to watch over Vivian for a bit, he may as well fill him in on the details.

When he was done, Jericho met his eyes. “It’s not like you to lose your head with a female. Regardless of how inebriated you are. Are you certain Dante’s herbs were the only reason you claimed her?”

Liam scowled. Male was newly mated himself, and suddenly, he was an expert. “Hell, I don’t know. What does it matter anyway? Come on, you’ve seen her. Vivian is pure class. Females like that will expect a fancy mansion, parties with caviar and champagne fountains, diamonds, and furs. No way a miserable bastard like me can keep her happy. For now, I’m going to focus on keeping her alive. Guarantee you, soon as this is over, she’ll want to be rid of me.”

Jericho smirked. “Didn’t look that way to me while she was pulling Alex’s hair out.”

Liam’s chest tightened, and he fought a grin. No, she hadn’t. In fact, she looked right pissed at the sight of another woman in his arms. His ears twitched, and he canted his head. “You hear that?”

“That sounded like Alex,” Jericho said, already headed to the door.

Liam was directly behind him. “Swear to the gods, if Alex tries to crack Vivian’s melon again, there will be hell to pay.”

In a flash, they bolted to the cabin and charged inside. The sight that greeted them stopped them both in their tracks.

Music pounded from a wireless speaker on the mantle. Vivian and Alexandra faced the fire with their backs to the door. Vivian gyrated her hips in an explicit way while Alex matched her beat for beat. “Good. Now raise your arm and slowly glide your hand down your body.”

“Like this?”

“Oui, but arch your back more.”

Liam stared, caught in a gonad-wrenching place between horny and horrified.

Before he could sort it out, Alex lost her balance and stumbled, belting out a laugh.

“Satan’s balls, Vivian,” he barked. “What the hell are you teaching her?”

The startled women spun. Alex blushed as red as her hair and wrapped her arms around the broad expanse of skin between her flannel pants and knotted shirt.

Jericho prowled to his blushing Bride, growling low, “Don’t know what you were learning, but I like it.” He snagged Alex’s hand and towed her down the hall behind him. “Getting late. Good night.”

Alex fluttered a wave, saying, “Good night.” She winked at Vivian, and then they were gone.

Liam rubbed his face in a sad attempt to scrub the image of Alex’s gyrating booty out of his mind.

When he forced his abused eyeballs open, Vivian planted a hand on her hip, unsympathetic to his discomfort. “She isn’t a child, Liam.”

“Maybe not.” He thrust a finger in her direction, blustering, “But my Sunshine is a good girl.”

Vivian closed the distance between them, leaning in close. “You have a problem with bad girls,mon coeur?”

He frowned. “No. I mean, yes. I mean…” He clamped his teeth together and shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

She smirked, petting his chest. “I know what you mean. It’s sweet the way you’re protective of her. Knowing your former Chosen is a grown woman and seeing her act like one are two different things. Still, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Alex can take care of herself, even without her old protector or her powerful mate hovering over her shoulder.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” He caressed his Bride’s silken cheek. “How’s your head?”