Page 68 of Rock Giant

Behind him, Nash growled.

“What’s your plan, Castle?How are you getting out of this?”

“You could be a gent and put me down gently.Not on my head.”

He could.“And then what?”

“Which of us needs that card more?”

Fifty- fifty, he reckoned.

“Let me win, and I’ll give you a kiss.”

“Naughty, naughty… Are you trying to start a fight?”

“I’m negotiating.”

“And I’m right here,” Ronnie reminded them.“Also, with a sock still in this fight.”

“Forfeit and Paul will give you a kiss,” Jodi negotiated.He suspected the blood rushing to her head was addling her thought processes.

“He doesn’t want to kiss me.He thinks I give shit bro—”

“Bro,” Paul said loudly.“You can have a fucking kiss.Two if you shut your gob and take that sock off.”

“Two kisses,” Ronnie replied, a sly grin spreading across his chops.“One from each of you?Plus, I get to see pussy.”

“What the fuck?”Nash barked.

“They’re talking about cats,” Balin said to him.

“That’s right, isn’t it?You want to see my kitties?”Jodi asked still upside down.

Ronnie shrugged and put on his sweetest expression.“As long as there’s fur I can pet.”

“I’m going to strangle you in a moment,” Paul warned him.

“No need.”Ronnie sat back on his haunches and offered up a foot.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”He wasn’t allowed to use his hands, also he was using them to keep Jodi secure.

“Put your toes under my chin,” Jodi said.

Ronnie wedged his foot between her chin and Paul’s leg, then bottom-shuffled backwards so that the sock got left behind.“Oh, dear, looks like I’m out,” he said, collapsing into a star-shaped sprawl on his back.

“Good, make yourself useful and open the door.”Paul had decided the best option was the bed.It’d still be awkward, but at least he could lower her onto a soft surface.Only, he’d forgotten about the hogtie around his ankles.He tripped.Did his best to twist, so as not to fall on her, hit the corner of the side table which sheared across his abs, before flipping over and landing on top of him.Jodi was half under him still in his arms.There were voices all around him.“Shit, I’m sorry,” he said, still dazed.“Castle?”

She kissed the inside of his leg, where the dragon wound around his thigh.“I’m fine.”She gave him a push, and he rolled as best he could onto his back, while she rose onto all fours, then about turned to look at him.“You okay?”she asked, a grin stretching her face, and eyes watering with mirth.

Gingerly he lifted his shirt.

“Fuck,” she mouthed, smile dissolving.

Paul looked down, but he couldn’t really see what she was staring at.His skin looked a bit pink in between the lines of ink.Jodi gently touched his skin and winced when he hissed a breath in through his teeth.“You’ve sustained one hell of a scrape.Reckon that ought to make you the winner.”

He shook his head.“I want my kiss.”

She bent over him and pressed her lips to his boo-boo.“There, all better.”She reached for his foot and tugged off the sock.“I win.”