Page 18 of Wild Card (Foster Bro Code #2)

Axel

Glitter Balls made good on its name with a dozen glittering balls suspended from the ceiling. Tonight, they swayed above tables and chairs set up in front of a small stage for the drag show.

The bar, made of glass and chrome with a strip of neon blue lighting, was at the back of the room.

“This way,” Gray said, leading us toward the table they’d selected close to the front of the stage.

“Hope you brought cash for tips.”

Gray grinned. “Emory has a whole roll of cash. I’m a little worried about how excited he is to shove it down some drag queen’s cleavage.”

I laughed. “Well, you could always spice up the bedroom. You’d rock a miniskirt.”

He flipped me the bird over his shoulder. I turned to bring Dalton in on the joke, only to find his eyes locked on my ass. Well, well. The deputy’s icy exterior had sure melted away.

“Eyes up top, Deputy,” I said just to rile him.

His gaze flicked up to my face. Goddamn. That was not better. His heated stare blasted into me, making my heart miss a beat. I was supposed to be running this little game, not faltering under the intensity of Dalton’s lust.

I turned forward, watching Gray’s back as we approached the table.

Allison and Matteo sat together, Emory beside them, and the empty chair for Gray to his right.

Gray retook his seat, slinging his left arm over Emory’s shoulder.

“Thanks for making time to talk to us, Ms. Prince,” Dalton said as he took the seat beside me. “This is an interesting place to have a meeting.”

She laughed. “I know. Sorry. I’ve just been slammed at the office, so I couldn’t really fit you in during business hours. We were going to just hit the sports bar, but I heard Sassy Solo was performing last minute and didn’t want to miss it.”

I leaned forward to better see her on the other side of Gray and Emory. “If you don’t have time for this, you really don’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh, no. I always make time to help my friends.”

“But you barely know me.” I glanced toward Dalton. “Unless you two?—”

“No,” he said. “Though I’ve met her father on the job, obviously.”

“Any friend of Emory’s is a friend of mine,” Allison said, shooting me a warm smile. “Besides, you all helped Matteo when he needed it. I’d never forget that.”

“Oh. Well, thanks,” I said awkwardly.

Holden had hired Matteo at the auto shop. I didn’t really have much to do with that decision. But if Allison wanted to help me as a result, I wouldn’t turn her down.

“And my dad’s said nothing but good things about you, Deputy Harvey,” Allison continued. “He thinks you should be our next sheriff.”

My eyebrows shot up, but Dalton didn’t look surprised by that announcement. He didn’t look happy about it either. Huh. Weird.

“So, not to be all business,” Dalton said, “but the show will start soon. Did you find anything that would help the animal shelter with their strained resources?”

“Yes and no,” Allison said. “I can’t help the shelter much. It doesn’t meet the terms for our community grants because it gets taxpayer funding. So I had to think out of the box a little.”

A ginger-haired, freckled server stopped next to our table. He was rocking a tight T-shirt with Glitter Balls written in sparkly text, with two disco balls suspended between the words in a suggestive manner. He also wore tight shorts that left little to the imagination.

“How about I get you all some drinks before the show starts?” He tapped the laminated drink menu on the table. “We’ve got some great specials tonight. I recommend the Rum Job or the Pink Banana.”

He ran a tongue over his lips, then shot a searing look at Dalton. “Either one would taste awfully sweet on your tongue, honey.”

“The only one tasting his tongue tonight will be me, honey .”

“Well, let me know if you decide to share,” he purred, gaze flicking over me. “Now, what are we getting you all to drink?”

Dalton cleared his throat. “I’ll take a water.”

The ginger pouted. “Boring, but okay.”

“Tequila for me,” I said. “Beer chaser.”

The ginger shifted from flirt to server mode, taking down our orders. Emory asked for a Glitterbomb, whatever that was, and Allison and Matteo both ordered a Rum Job. Gray played along, ordering a Pink Banana, which was apparently some kind of daiquiri-pina colada mix with strawberries blended in.

As soon as the server was done, he turned to Allison. “We don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Allison said. “We have a little while till the show starts.”

Dalton looked almost disappointed at that. He was eager to get down to business—probably so he could get out of here—but I wasn’t about to let him run out on our little agreement in the car.

I was fucking that man tonight. Maybe then he’d finally be like every other conquest, and I could move the fuck on.

I didn’t like the way he constantly tugged at my focus, dragging my eyes and my ears—even my nerves—his way every time he moved.

My skin practically begged for his arm to brush mine, and that was just ridiculous.

It wasn’t me.

I could get off with anyone I wanted. Hell, I could pull Ginger aside and convince him I was the one he wanted.

But when Ginger returned with all our drinks, I took mine without comment. Without so much as a flirty look. Damn it. Dalton had me off my game.

Dalton cleared his throat. “So, you were saying you looked outside the box?” he prompted Allison again. “Any luck?”

She sipped her Rum Job, which looked a lot like a simple rum and Coke. “Mm. Some. But not for the shelter. I found some potential grants for animal rescue efforts. They wouldn’t mesh with a public entity like the shelter, though.”

“Damn. So there’s no way to help the shelter?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Depends on how you look at it. The shelter is overtaxed. An animal rescue program could relieve some of that stress. It just can’t run through the shelter.”

“Who would run it, then?” I asked.

Allison met my gaze boldly. “I don’t know, Axel. Who do you think?”

My heart lurched. “Who, me ? That’s just crazy.” I laughed. “Gray can tell you. I’m too erratic to trust with something like that. I mean, hell, that must be a big job, right? Starting up something new like that.”

“You love the dogs you take in,” Emory said. “I bet you’d be great.”

I tossed back the shot of tequila, itching to get away from this conversation. I shook my head. “No. I don’t see it. Sorry. Maybe someone else, but not me.”

“You already take in abandoned strays,” Dalton said. “Consider it a way to formalize what you do. Maybe expand on it. Right, Allison?”

“No,” I snapped out, shoving my chair back. “I’m a fuckup. Find someone else to do it.”

“Axel, you’re not—” Gray said.

I walked away, heading for the bathrooms, before he could try to convince me I was someone I wasn’t.

I wanted to help these animals. Of course I did. But that’s why they needed someone else to take this on. I wasn’t good enough. I’d make a mistake or get in trouble with the law again, and then this whole opportunity would go down the drain.

I slammed through the bathroom door, startling a couple kissing by the sinks. They broke apart, giving me an uneasy look. I was feeling a little wild, so no doubt, I looked unhinged.

“Sorry,” I said. “Just needed a minute alone.”

“Sure,” a dark-haired guy with pretty long lashes said. “We were just leaving.”

He grabbed his guy’s hand and hustled past me out the door. The door clicked shut behind him.

I ran water and splashed it on my face. When I came up for air, Dalton was behind me, his forehead creasing with concern. “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I whirled toward him. “Especially now that you’re in here with me.”

“But out there?—”

“How about we focus on in here?” I suggested, grabbing a fistful of T-shirt and pulling him into a kiss.

Dalton was hesitant, like he wasn’t sure this was a good idea. I bit his lower lip, making him gasp, then drove the doubts out of his head with my tongue. By the time I drew back, his eyes were dilated and his cheeks flushed.

I shoved him toward the large stall in the back. “Get in there.”

“What? But?—”

I pressed up behind him. “Unless you want everyone to see me fucking you in front of the mirror? You want to watch while I wreck your hole, Dalton? Maybe let other people watch?”

He shuddered hard. “Fuck.”

I shoved him forward, and this time, he didn’t resist, stumbling forward into the stall. I locked the door behind us, then pressed him up against the stall wall.

“I’ve got lube. No condom. I’m on PrEP.”

His breathing was rough. “I’ve got a condom. Use it. PrEP doesn’t protect against everything, and you play a lot.”

“Get it out, then.” I unzipped my jeans. “Because I’m not in the mood to take it slow.”

Dalton fished his wallet out of the back of his jeans while I pulled out the lube packet I had in mine. He handed me the condom.

“Up against the wall,” I growled. “If you want any prep, take care of it now.”

Dalton spun and pushed his jeans down to mid-thigh, baring his tight, round ass to me. I tore open the condom and slid it on, then slicked it with lube.

“You ready?” I asked.

Dalton laid his forehead against his forearm, which was braced against the wall. “Do it.”

He’d done nothing to prep himself. Either he liked a painful entry or he bottomed enough his body took dick easily. Still, with the piercing, I didn’t want to risk tearing him.

I dropped to my knees, parted his cheeks, and lashed his hole with my tongue. He cried out in surprise, the sound cutting off abruptly. When I glanced up, he was biting into the flesh of his forearm to muffle his sounds.

I teased the tip of my tongue around his rim, getting him nice and wet. Then I used my fingers to spread his hole and speared my tongue inside him.

He groaned, deep and feral, as his hole twitched. Yeah, he liked that. I worked him with my tongue until he was soft and relaxed, then shoved two fingers in.

“Fuck!” He raised his head. “Just fuck me already. I can take it.”