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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
DRAKE
“W hat do you think they’re talkin’ about?” I tipped my chin towards the women and Wolf sitting in the booth.
Billy chuckled. “Not sure we want to know.”
“Only because you pissed Josie off before comin’ here,” Pick said.
“What’d you do?” I asked but kept my gaze on the table.
Swan was blushing again about something.
“I ate the last brownie.”
“The last five brownies that she was going to put in the kids’ lunches.”
“How was I supposed to know?” I caught Billy throwing his hands up before I looked back to Swan.
“Not cool, brother,” I teased.
“Whatever. I’ll make her some more.”
Pick snorted, yanking Billy into him to curl an arm around his neck. “Ain’t no way you’re cookin’ after the last time, fucker.”
Snickering, I said, “Sounds like you need to buy premade brownies. You should drive to Ballarat for Channa’s. Bet Josie would forgive you for those.”
“Ha, true. She loves Channa’s baked goods.”
“How’s things with Swan?” Pick asked.
“Why you wanna know?”
“Brother, are you gonna look away from her at all tonight?” Billy teased.
Fuck no . She looked amazing. She did every day, but tonight she wore the same thing she had on the day I’d woken up and started wishing she was mine.
The women and Wolf slid out of the booth.
I straightened. “Where are they goin’?”
The guard by the stairs moved aside, and the group went downstairs.
“Fuck no,” I clipped.
“Jesus Christ,” Pick snapped.
“Bloody hell,” Billy said as we all raced after them.
Ruin, Vicious, Ryo, and Link got to the stairs before us and flew down them. By the time my feet hit the bottom floor, I’d found the women in the sea of bodies dancing together.
Even with my brothers and the other men with us surrounding them, I knew it wouldn’t be enough.
Someone would try to talk to her, touch her, which made my blood run cold.
No one was to ever fucking look at her and want her.
She was mine.
All fucking mine.
We threaded our way through the sweaty bodies. Just as I got close to her, I saw some fuckwit step up behind Swan and place his hands on her hips, ready to move with her.
I gripped his wrist and flung his arm back. “I don’t fuckin’ think so,” I growled, stepping between the two of them.
The guy’s hands shot up in front of him. “She yours?” he shouted over the music.
I said nothing, just wished him dead with my eyes.
He laughed. “If she doesn’t belong to you—” I took a step closer to him, and he backed up so fast, he nearly fell on his arse. He turned and disappeared through the people.
“Dragon,” I heard screamed before a body slammed into me.
Fucking great.
It was the bitch from the library.
I was about to push her back and tell her where to go when—to my utter fucking shock and delight—my little birdy forced her way between the bitch and me.
Petra’s face morphed into a nasty scowl.
When she opened her mouth to spew some shit, I curled my arm around Swan’s waist, leaned over her shoulder, and told the bitch, “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t. Leave,” I ordered loudly.
She glanced around her, and I noticed the other women and men were all staring her down. Especially Rommy.
The woman stuck her nose in the air and walked away.
Swan went to move but stilled when I wrapped my other arm around her waist and brought her back against my chest. I ducked and brushed my nose against her temple.
Jesus. My birdy shivered, and I could feel how hard she was breathing. Was she affected being close to me, or was it the adrenaline from stepping in?
“Why you bein’ naughty, Birdy?”
She made a noise in the back of her throat but nothing else.
Everything else around us vanished.
Right there and then, it was just me and her on the dance floor. Even the music had dulled, and all my attention was locked onto the woman in my arms. And fuck, she felt good there.
I grinned and slid my hands to her waist to shift her around to face me. Her pupils were blown wide as she stared up at me like a deer caught by a predator.
Her gaze flicked down to my lips.
I groaned inwardly. Did my birdy want a taste?
I threaded my hand through her thick locks at the side and used my thumb under her chin to keep her eyes. I ushered her close until we were pressed together, and if she felt my raging hard-on, then she’d know just how much I wanted her.
“Does my birdy want me to kiss her?”
She bit her bottom lip. Teeth dug into the plumpness. I pressed my thumb gently to her lip and pulled it free before tapping her chin.
“Only I get to bite that lip and only when you give me the go-ahead to have a taste.”
Her hands gripped my tee under my cut as she parted her lips, then closed them.
I didn’t want to push her. Maybe she wasn’t ready. My gut twisted at the idea of scaring her off.
There was still a chance she didn’t want anything to do with me. Maybe she only saw me as a friend. But if that was the case, why did she step between me and another woman? Why did it seem like she was glaring at the bartender upstairs?
Dropping my arms, I smiled. “No stress, babe. I get this could make you uncomfortable—Oof.” I let out a heavy breath when she slammed into me, fisting my tee at my chest.
“Please,” she said, her soft cheeks aflame.
“Please what , Birdy?” I growled out low.
Tell me you want me.
“Kiss me.”
With a groan, I wrapped an arm around her back, tugged her close, and cupped her cheek with my other hand. “With damn pleasure.”
I touched my lips to hers once and pulled back. It wasn’t enough for me or her with the way she pushed into me more. I ducked back in for another taste of my mouth to hers and swept my tongue out to trace over her bottom lip before I gently bit there. Her moan went right to my cock.
Releasing her lip, I deepened the kiss. Slanting my mouth over hers, I opened to let our tongues twist and play together.
Fuck me.
Fucking hell.
This was my little birdy.
My Swan.
I had to drag my mouth off hers. I didn’t want to, but I needed to check she was still down for this. I rested my forehead to hers, both of us breathing heavily. She had an almost-dazed look in her eyes. And then my throat closed when she smiled so bright, it had me stunned stupid.
Jesus Christ.
I grinned back as elation filled me to the brim.
This was my birdy. I was holding her. I got to kiss her.
Fuck me.
She wanted me.
I straightened, took her hand in mine, and led her off the dance floor. I caught Wolf and Ruin dancing together while Ryo stood back with his arms crossed watching over everyone. Link had plastered himself to his lover’s back, hugging Ryo close while talking in his ear. Josie gave me two thumbs up from where she was sandwiched between Pick and Billy. I just didn’t see Rommy. I mouthed her name to Pick, and he tipped his head behind us.
Turning, I curled an arm around Swan’s waist and found the little monster dancing between a woman and a man. I met Pick’s stare, and he tipped his chin before swinging it to the stairs. The look told me he’d watch Rommy so Swan and I could have a chat. I shot him a quick wave and led Swan to the second floor.
Since I didn’t want her far from me, I pulled out a chair at a table, sat down, and guided Swan to straddle my lap with my hands to her hips. She let out a meek sound, and a blush rose, but she didn’t move off me. Instead, her hands went to my shoulders to steady herself.
Her beautiful full breasts rose and fell in front of me. If she’d have been ready for it, I would have pulled her top to the side and taken a nipple in my mouth. Then again, there were too many people around, and I didn’t want anyone to see her naked.
Mine.
All fucking mine.
Squeezing her hips gently, I grinned up at her. “Gotta tell you, Birdy, I’m fuckin’ happy you wanted that from me.”
“Y-You are?”
Reaching up, I tucked some hair behind her ear and grazed the backs of my fingers over her jaw. “Yeah, Birdy.” I paused and enjoyed the rush to the head when she leaned into my touch. “And I’m gonna want to do it more.”
She gasped. “You will?”
“Baby, I’m into you in a big damn way.” Fuck, I just blurted that shit out.
Her brows furrowed. “You are?”
Christ . I goddamn loved that she had no clue, but I worried that she wouldn’t understand how gone I was for her. Not that I’d tell her I was in love with her already.
“Loved that you wanted my mouth, Birdy. And I don’t wanna scare you or rush you, but I feel you need to know that the way I’m into you isn’t just for a one-time thing.”
Shit. Was that too much?
The blush deepened before she buried her shocked expression into my neck. I ran my hands up and down her bare back, and my touch made her squirm on my knees. Worry tightened my throat. Had I fucked up by saying something like that? Maybe she was just happy with a kiss.
Hell. My gut plummeted. Where had my restraint gone? I’d gone and spewed what I wanted without even knowing what she was down for. If I’d messed this up, I was gonna beat myself and not in the jerking-off way either.
“Babe?”
Quit forcing her into saying something, dickhead.
“It’s all good, Birdy. You don’t need to say anythin’ right now. How about we head back down, and you can get your groove on?”
Since it was quieter upstairs and her head was resting near my ear, I heard her soft “No.”
My heart clenched painfully.
No? Did she not want anything? Christ, had I forced the kiss on her?
Clearing my throat, I had to be sure. “Birdy?”
“Excuse me, can I get you a drink?” It was the bartender who’d served me before standing at Swan’s back.
Swan straightened, glanced over her shoulder, and said, “We’re good, thank you.”
Her tone was a clear fuck off. My lips twitched. When Swan looked back at me, her eyes had flared like she couldn’t believe she’d said something.
I fucking loved that she had.
I smirked, and she glared. “You’re too good-looking.”
I threw my head back and laughed.
Threading my hand into the back of her hair, I drew her in, smiling and still chuckling low. “Good to know you like my looks, Birdy.”
Her breaths slipped out of her hard and fast. Fingers dug into my shoulders.
“I should get off your lap. I’m too heavy?—”
“Don’t. You’re fine exactly where you are.” She made a sound when I rolled my knees up and down, jolting her a little. “Now, you gonna tell me what that no was about?”
I’d realised then that the fear I’d held for fucking this up had been swept away when she got annoyed for being interrupted by the bartender.
She did want me.
Christ, knowing and seeing it was the biggest high I’d ever felt.
“Drake, I…. I’ve….” She blew out a breath and scraped her top teeth over her bottom lip. “I’m going to be honest.”
I smirked. “I’d like that.”
She stared down. “Are you sure I’m not too heavy?”
I bounced her on my thighs again. “ Never . Talk to me, Birdy.”
She nodded. Her hands relaxed to slide up and around the back of my neck. Fingers idly played with my hair. I clenched my jaw so I didn’t groan, but my dick still throbbed under my jeans. Swan watched her hands for a moment before meeting my gaze. She smiled softly and then told me, “I’ve been fighting my attraction towards you for a while. I couldn’t stop thinking that I was… I don’t know, dishonouring Lockland somehow.”
“I know he holds a big part of your heart, Swan. I’d never?—”
Her fingers rested against my lips. “But you hold the other part…. Maybe even a bigger part.” Her cheeks ignited. “I’m fully into you, Drake Marcus. I don’t want a one-time thing either.” She ducked her gaze down and then back up, smiling shyly. “I want to see where this could go between us.”
She tucked her chin down and peeked at me shyly.
But holy motherfucking shit. My heart stopped. My blood pumped harder to get it going. She just blew my mind. I was surprised I didn’t just come in my jeans.
“My little birdy just made me the happiest man around.”
“Drake,” she muttered, moving in to plant her forehead to my shoulder.
Loved my shy girl.
I brushed her hair off her shoulder so I could lick and nip at her neck, loving the feel of her shudder.
“Loved hearin’ that, Birdy. We’ll go at your pace. I ain’t in no rush. We gotta get to know each other on a different level as well as keepin’ our friendship. I’m already looking forward to it all.”
She sat back and gripped my tee in one hand at my chest. “I need you to know there’s a high chance I’ll have, um, moments where my brain is fogged with unpleasant thoughts.”
I cupped her cheek and brushed my thumb over it. My woman worried about me. She didn’t need to, though.
“Birdy, now you’ve admitted you’re into me, you ain’t gettin’ rid of me. Nothin’ will scare me off. Even when those thoughts overcome you, I’ll still have you in all the ways you are.”
Her gaze misted, but she smiled before she said, “Just remember you said that.”
I grinned. “I will.” I tipped my chin up. “You gonna give me another taste of that sweet mouth before we head back down?”
Heat hit her cheeks as she licked her lips and nodded.
Fuck yeah.