Page 46 of Total Abandon

He grumbles, but jerks his gaze away from Chase, his cool eyes softening as they land on her. Hard bastard that he is, he’s practically a teddy bear for his wife. I feel a morsel of envy in my chest and then give my head a sharp shake. Since when do I envy marital bliss?

“Cute.” I hear from my right and glance down to see Chloe grinning at the pair, swaying lightly on the spot. Chase groans and mutters something about his brother getting all the good ones.

Mia giggles and flashes Chloe a grin. “Thank you for having my back.”

Chloe blows a harsh breath through her lips, batting Mia’s comment away. “Your back, your ass—I got you, girl.” She returns the grin.

Mia laughs and I’m forced to reluctantly let Chloe go when the two women hug.

“And thanks for bringing hot husband along. He makes my eyes happy.” I roll my eyes at that. “Kudos to you, by the way. Hecould smile a little more though,” Chloe says happily as she pats Mia on the back.

I groan quietly, pressing my forefinger and thumb briefly into my eyes. Drunk women are a pain in the ass. Mia snorts a loud laugh, letting Chloe go, her eyes alight with glee. Chloe turns to Mason and points a manicured finger at him before she can reply. “You should smile more, handsome. I mean, the grumpy and broody thing totally works, but lighten up a little. You’re married to an absolute smoke show!”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I bite, pulling Chloe gently into my arms so that her back is flush to my chest.

Mason’s brows have jumped to his hairline as he stares at the five-foot-nothing ball of tequila-fueled fire in front of me. Then, he surprises us all by letting out a low chuckle. “I’ll take that under advisement, Miss Devlin.”

Mia is beaming up at him like he hung the sun, moon, and stars—which is our cue to leave.

“Home for you,” I grumble, maneuvering Chloe away from the group.

The small smirk and nod of his head as I walk away with her tells me everything I need to know. Mason Walker approves, which is saying something when the guy barely tolerates people.

“Keep it spicy, Red!” Chase hollers as we reach the car.

“Stay fresh, cheese bags!” Chloe yells, throwing her arm up in the air and trying to twist in my grip as she cackles.

“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself, frowning and ignoring Chase’s booming laugh from behind. I open the car door and force her gently in before sliding into the back seat next to her. She sighs happily, surprising me by draping her head over my shoulder. The car begins to move, and I lean my head back. This chick is quickly becoming the bane of my life. She definitely has a screw loose, but instead of putting me off, it hooks me in more.

“That was fun.”

Tipping my head back down to look at her, I raise my brows. “Assaulting a man and nearly getting arrested is fun?”

She rears back to look at me, narrowing her eyes. I’m sidetracked by how deep and blue they are, like a summer sky justbefore dusk. Her mascara is a little smudged on one side and I want to drag it down her face with my thumb. “He had his hands on Mia’s ass and wouldn’t let go, so I grabbed the nearest thing and swung it at him.”

“A chair?” I bite back a laugh, incredulous at the woman’s gall.

“Technically it was a bar stool.” She sniffs, turning her head away.

“Still, it wasn’t the smartest idea you’ve ever had, Chloe. You could have gotten into trouble.” The thought of her being arrested had I not been there makes my lips thin as anger flares in my chest, the words coming out a little harsher than I intended.

“Oh, for god's sake,” she scoffs, pulling away from me and crossing her arms. I groan internally as her tits squeeze together, almost spilling out right beneath my nose. “I appreciate the Richard Gere act, but don’t chastise me like I’m a kid. You’re not my dad.”

Thank fuck for that. Because if so, I would be seriously fucked up with these thoughts running through my head. “Richard Gere act?”

“Yeah, Pretty Woman. Rich man pulls up in a fancy car to save a beautiful woman—enter me—from a life of crime.” She wafts a hand airily in front of her before flicking open her little clutch bag and beginning to rifle through it.

“Are you…” I prop my elbow on the window and lift my fist to my mouth, fighting back laughter. “Did you just call yourself a hooker?”

She freezes, her eyes going wide and snapping to mine. A beat passes and then another. My shoulders shake, and her breath catches in her chest. Then, we’re both laughing. She’s drunk enough to find that hilarious, but I don’t know what my excuse is. I laugh harder than I’ve laughed in years, maybe ever. Infected by her giggling. She claps a hand over her mouth, doubling over.

“How much for the night?” I manage to get out as she wipes moisture from her eyes.

“Oh, you couldn’t afford me, Guerra.” She laughs, twisting to look at me.

“Try me. I’m a rich man.” I grin, tracing my eyes over her delicate features. I drink in her sharp cheekbones, freckled skin, and puffy lips like a drowning man searching for air. God, she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of beautiful women.

“You’re the one with a price to pay, Zeke. Not me,” she breathes, suddenly serious. Her eyes sparkle like priceless sapphires in the dim light seeping in from the streets flashing by outside the windows. Her gaze drops to my mouth and the simple act has my dick swelling in my pants. I know what she’s talking about, the fact I won’t touch her until she begs. Until she uses that pretty little mouth to say please like a good girl.