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Chapter Twenty-Nine

S he always looked sexy. Tight skirts, jeans, one of my old shirts or her pyjamas, it didn’t matter, she was gorgeous. But I think Marlee in a dress was up there with the best and this one in particular was a highlight. While it was tight on her chest, it gently flowed over those mouthwatering hips, so when I twirled her on the dance floor, it lifted easily, providing a nice little glimpse of the handprint I left on her arse only moments ago. Pulling her into me, I took her mouth, no longer caring who saw me doing so even on a busy night.

She was mine and I wanted the world to know.

“If I spin you again, can you swing those hips so I can see that swollen pussy?” Her cheeks flamed and I grinned.

“Where’s my drink, Micallef?” Her eyebrows were raised, the playful side of her making me especially happy. This sassy little streak I was beginning to see more and more another highlight of her personality.

She could be so sweet yet so angry. It was ridiculously charming, and I was already thinking of ways to antagonise her later just to see her fire again.

Cooper was at the bar and when Marlee spotted him, she strode over and claimed the adjacent stool while I moved around to serve them. Clara was busy with other customers, but I saw her notice Marlee and hoped she’d seen us on the dance floor. I would be dealing with her later after the bullshit she pulled.

Handing them both a drink, I caught the end of Coop apologising.

“You’re not forgiven,” I grinned, enjoying his discomfort as my girl put him in his place.

“But it looks like you forgave him,” he gestured towards me with his thumb and then choked on his beer at the glare she shot his way.

“That’s because he’s my boyfriend,” she stated, so matter-of-factly that I nearly yanked her across the counter and claimed her properly in front of the entire club.

Coop’s face split into his huge shit-eating grin, and he winked at me. I was going to pay for not telling him though when he would be hollering the whip sounds at me with every chance he could.

“Incoming,” he mumbled into his glass and Marlee stilled, her eyes darting to my right.

“Hey, I’m Clara, we didn't get to meet properly earlier. I went to school with these two,” she gestured between Coop and I, standing far too close to me again and Marlee’s eyes narrowed in on where Clara had her arm resting against mine. As much as I wanted to shove her off me, I was conscious not to cause a scene when my reputation was at stake.

Cooper investigated his beer, studying it like he was a cicerone. Smart man.

Walking around to stand behind Marlee, I placed an arm on either side of her, kissing her cheek. It was petty and intentional but the way her fingers dropped below the bench to squeeze my thigh told me she appreciated the gesture.

I was barely even paying attention to Clara who was so obviously trying to stake her claim by sharing a story about our high school days. She needed to get back to work like I was paying her to do.

“Clara, I’ll have a whiskey. On the rocks.” The story was pointless, and I was tired of listening to her speak. Turning to Marls, I asked, “Would you like anything else, my love?”

Clara stilled at the endearment, but Marlee simply nodded again, the corner of her mouth tipping up in a slight smirk.

Firing Clara was going to be awkward, and I knew my mother would be on the phone within 56 seconds, but I no longer cared. She was done the second she upset my woman. I wasn’t having an employee who tried to mess with her like that let alone someone who continued to cause shit despite all rebukes.

When Clara placed my drink on the bar in front of us, Marlee leaned forward, her elbows resting on the bar.

“I’m Marlee, Seb’s girlfriend. Thank you so much for your unwarranted advice earlier, but I think I will hang around, even if that is embarrassing for me,” she punctuated her final words with air quotations before sitting back properly on the stool. “You can imagine my confusion when you said you were dating him.” Her slow exaggerated blink as she pointed between the three of us forced me to bite my lip to hold back a laugh. “Seb definitely cleared things up for me in his office just now though, didn’t you, babe?” Glancing behind me and pointing up to my office, she turned back to Clara who was watching her with wide eyes.

“See that glass up there, Seb showed me exactly who he was dating right up against it.”

Coop coughed into his hand, and I could only watch as the colour drained from Clara’s face, Marlee maintaining a face of perpetual disbelief towards her the entire time while Cooper did his best to hold it together. With a scowl, Clara excused herself and scurried away to serve some customers at the other end of the bar. Marlee spun around to face me, her features a picture of innocence and Coop lost his fight to maintain his composure, laughing hysterically.

“Shiiit. Your girl has game, Seb.”

“Yes, apparently she does,” I said, pressing my lips to hers – hard.

I loved the way Coop called her my girl but more than that, I loved the way Marlee referred to herself as my girlfriend so easily. Hearing her assert her place in my life and dominate a woman who tried to threaten that, made me horny as fuck and I was ready to go all sorts of caveman on her.

“What?” she batted her lashes as if she didn’t just tell my employee and best mate, I’d fucked her in my office and I grinned.

“You're trouble,” I replied with another kiss to her mouth.

We moved to one of the booths in the VIP area, my dick still painfully hard in my pants at her display, and Cooper started telling me about the details of the next poker night.

Marlee, seemingly bored with our conversation, took the chance to go on her phone and I felt her still against me before her fingers moved quickly over the screen. Making a mental note to ask her about it later, I pulled her in closer, tuning back into the conversation while we finished our drinks.

“Mum has been nagging me to bring you over for dinner again,” I said once he was done updating me on the latest drama with his parents.

“Oh, how is she? Haven’t had her food in so long. I still haven’t been to a place that makes better wings than hers?”

“Bro, you’d get them every week if you wanted. She loved having you around when we were kids,” turning to Marlee I added, “even though the rich boy over here had his own personal chef, he held a designated spot at our table because he ate with Mum, Eva and I so often.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up with your rich boy shit. You know nothing they made came close to your mum’s food. Because she added the secret ingredient – love.”

“You had a chef?” Marlee asked incredulously. The first thing she'd said since we sat at the table.

“Yeah,” Cooper rolled his eyes as he spoke, “My Ma and Pa weren’t home much so they paid someone to look after their mistake.”

“You know they love you, bro. Work was just busy for them,” I lied, “but how good were the little butterfly cupcakes your cook would bake?” I signalled to the bar staff for another round as I rubbed my stomach at the reminder of those bites of heaven.

“Dude, they were pretty good, hey? Not that I got to eat many when you were there,” Cooper snarled before dishing the dirt on any embarrassing stories he could remember about me from when we were kids. I watched Marlee as she seemed genuinely interested in our shenanigans, feeling a little better when she laughed and asked more questions.

Maybe she was just tired.

A few drinks later, the club had quietened significantly, and Cooper stood and stretched.

“That’s me. Need to get back as I have an early start tomorrow. See you in the morning for boxing?”

“Yeah,” I shook his hand, pulling him in for a quick hug before he enveloped Marlee in his arms, whispering something in her ear which made her giggle.

I noticed Wayne organising the staff for the end of night duties and looking at my phone, I was shocked to find it was nearly one in the morning. The night had flown by as we drank and chatted. Having my best mate and my girlfriend – the thought of which made me want to puff out my chest – getting along, was nicer than I ever would have expected.

As we said farewell to the team, I felt damn grateful. I hadn’t been looking for someone to share my life with, but leaving with a sleepy-eyed Marls was a pretty good feeling.

“Laters Wayne, see you tomorrow, yeah?” I said on the way to the exit. He grunted in response but when Marlee waved a sleepy goodbye his face softened.

“Night, Marlee-Rose.”

“Marlee-Rose? Why do you get an actual farewell and I get a grunt,” I mumbled softly into her ear, cuddling her close and opening the door.

“Because you aren’t as nice as her,” Wayne replied, and Marlee chuckled. Obviously supersonic hearing was another of his many strengths.

I rolled my eyes and laughed as I held the door open, making sure Marlee was tucked in before moving to the other side of the Uber and jumping in next to her.