Page 77 of Release Me

‘Thank you,’ she repeats in a breathy voice.

‘Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.’ I kiss her lips again, slow and tender.

‘It is now.’ She smiles and prises her dress from my hand. ‘I didn’t get you anything.’ Her face falls.

‘You did.’ I hold up her lingerie. I’m keeping this.’ Her laughter sets my soul alight as I stuff her thong in my pocket.

Chapter Thirty-Four

REBEKKA

My legs are still shaking when Rian leads me back down the stairs to the bar, with my new charm tucked inside my purse. The place is wedged. The lighting has been significantly lowered, offering us slightly more privacy. He slips his hand around mine and guides me through the crowd to where Ivy, Avery, Scarlett, Layla and Zara sit with his brothers. All eyes are on us, alight with curiosity.

‘Finally!’ Ivy cries, patting the seat beside her.

‘Oh, no!’ Avery shrieks, motioning for me to sit beside her. ‘She’s sitting next to me.’

I laugh as Rian rounds the table and helps me into the seat beside his sister Zara. ‘You’re safest here. Zara doesn’t want all the gory details of my dick.’

Zara’s face wrinkles in disgust. ‘I most certainly do not.’ She hands me a glass of champagne from the table.

‘Well, I do.’ Avery climbs over the table in six-inch peep toes in her desperation for details. ‘This was an accident waiting to happen.’

‘It wasn’t an accident!’ Ivy yells. ‘It was an inevitable turning point in their love story, right, Beks? Probablyshould have happened in the first act, but better late than never!’

‘Leave the books to me, honey,’ I tell her with a grin.

‘Mind the glasses, Avery!’ Rian raises his hands in the air in despair. ‘Killian.’ He turns to his middle brother, the scary looking one. ‘Control your woman!’

Killian snorts. ‘If you can control your woman, you don’t have the right one! Trust me.’

Caelon, James, and Sean guffaw from the other side of the booth.

‘Fuck. My. Life,’ Rian mutters, pressing a kiss to my cheek. ‘Guys, I’m going to do the rounds. Look aftermywoman, or no one will be able to control me if something happens to her, got it?’

‘Oh, Baby Beckett’s all grown up!’ Scarlett coos.

‘Beat your chest like a caveman,’ Ivy calls. ‘You know you want to.’

‘I’ll be back shortly, okay?’ Rian’s eyes linger on my lips for a long beat.

‘Okay.’ I reach for the champagne in front of me as he backs away like he’s leaving for a military tour instead of a lap of his new bar.

‘Oh. My. Fucking. God. Tell us everything,’ Ivy demands, leaning over Zara.

‘Don’t,’ James begs, shaking his head. ‘Spare us the details, please.’

‘If you don’t like it, sit somewhere else,’ Scarlett says, blowing him a playful kiss.

‘Let’s start with the “my woman” remark,’ Layla says. ‘That was soooo hot.’

‘Layla!’ Avery squeals. ‘It’s always the quiet ones. Next you need to spill the deets of your and Sean’s sex life. I bet you two are filthy behind closed doors.’

‘Oh, you have no idea.’ She winks, and Sean snorts.

‘Spill,’ Scarlett demands. ‘Chemistry’s been brewing between you two for months.’

‘Years,’ Sean interjects dryly.