“No, I don’t mean it like that.” Fear swept up out of nowhere, spurred on by the hard set of his jaw and the darkness in his eyes. “I know it’s not bad, because I trust you. And I don’t care. I like it. I want it.”
He looked around and exhaled roughly. “You know, you’re right. It’s your party. You should hang out for a while.”
She hadn’t fixed it. The words she’d blurted without thinking had damaged something, and she didn’t know how to get him back, the fond Jasper with the possessive glint in his eyes. She hovered, torn between storming away in a fit of newly claimed independence and buckling under in pleading submission.
Neither appealed to her.
The stern set of Jasper’s jaw softened, but he shook his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He took a step back, another, then turned and made his way through the crowd.
He left her alone, swaying for reasons that had nothing to do with music. The room swirled around her, heat and music and warm bodies, but Lex had vanished and Rachel was just as absent, and no amount of alcohol made seeking sanctuary in Ace’s arms seem like a safe option. She was stranded in a crowd of strangers who were supposed to be her family.
And Jasper had left her alone. To her horror, tears stung her eyes. She whirled to follow him, ready to beg for forgiveness if she had to, and slammed into a solid chest instead.
Brendan caught her before she pitched over. “Chin up,” he murmured, “and dance with me. Jas is mad at himself, not you.”
Hearing so many words from the usually quiet man shocked her into compliance, and she had both hands around his neck before she knew it. She didn’t think he’d said two words to her before tonight, but he and Jasper seemed friendly. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“I didn’t help much.” She dropped her forehead to Brendan’s shoulder with a groan. “I
He patted her back. “All the more reason to take the night slow.”
Brendan was solid like Jasper. She supposed he was attractive, too—not handsome like Ace, but appealing in a raw, starkly masculine sort of way. Her body appreciated being pressed up against his every bit as much as it had approved of Lex, even though his touch was friendly, not seductive. Noelle sighed shakily. “He’s the one who started all the fondling. It seems unfair now.”
A crooked grin curved Bren’s lips. “Life, Noelle. I heard it’s like that.”
She made a face at him. “Who would ever believe I’d have more luck getting sex in Eden than I have in the heart of O’Kane territory?”
“Well, you’re looking at it backwards.” He spun her slowly under one upraised arm before drawing her close again. “You can go anywhere and get fucked. You come here to get it good.”
This time, pressed against him, she shivered. “You O’Kane men are all very confident.”
“That sounded almost like a complaint.”
The words came without warning, bubbling up and out in a tangled jumble. “He wants me to figure out what I want but he won’t give it to me and something tells me he won’t be any happier if I get it from someone else.”
Bren brushed his thumb over her lower lip and nodded. “Now you’re starting to catch on.”
She licked the pad of his thumb. “Maybe I’ll just decide not to care if he likes it or not.”
“If you figure out how to stop giving a shit whenever you want, let me know how, huh?”
Time to be bold. Time to be a fearless member of the O’Kane gang instead of a sheltered fool from the city. She bit the tip of his thumb and gave him what she hoped was a sultry look. “I could start by having sex like everyone else.”
He shook his head, a genuine look of regret painting his features. “Nah, you don’t want me. I’m convenient, that’s all. But I appreciate the offer.”
“You’re more than convenient,” she protested, because it was the only thing to do other than sink into the floor and die of mortification.
“Are you always this apologetic?”
Noelle hesitated. Considered. “I suppose…yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what I was raised to be.” She dropped her cheek to his shoulder and closed her eyes. “I was supposed to marry an important man and entertain his important friends. I was supposed to be invisible except for when I was supposed to be decorative, and capable enough to keep everything running smoothly. If anyone was dissatisfied with anything, it meant I wasn’t doing my job.”
Bren pressed his lips to her temple. “But you’re not in Eden anymore.”
His touch was almost tender, and Noelle melted against him. “I thought you were supposed to be scary, but you’re sweet.”
“I’m both, darling. Most everyone here is.” He paused. “Remember that.”
Lex
She ducked into the closest room with a door that locked. The storeroom was packed high with boxes, but it also held an extra corner booth from the Broken Circle, its table stripped away, leaving only a semicircle of plush black leather.
She didn’t have to wait long.
Dallas closed the door and twisted the lock. “Your little pet’s growing up fast.”
“Isn’t she?” Lex backed up to the wall beside the leather seat. “It’s enough to give a woman ideas.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He slid onto the leather and stretched his arms across the back of the booth. “The boys are stroking their dicks half raw imagining what you do to her every night when you close your bedroom door.”
She eased onto the seat beside him. “You don’t have to imagine. You could watch.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is that an invitation to start something, or confirmation that you’re corrupting her when the lights go out?”
It was hard to tell which answer he preferred. “It could be an invitation,” she murmured. “If Jas doesn’t mark her soon, you could step in. No one would fault you for it.”
“No one except Jas.” Dallas continued to study her. “I can’t tell if you want me to fuck Noelle or collar her, but I’m sure as hell not doing the latter.”
“Don’t you like her?”
“She’s not my type, love. If Jas handles her right, he’ll have a sweet little sub to pet and cuddle. That’s fun for a night or two, but it’s not for me.”
And yet Lex could have sworn that was exactly what Dallas wanted—a woman who would gladly, happily be owned. “I think it might be—under the right circumstances.”
His dark gaze didn’t shift from her face. “And what are those?”
Always so intense, and it was that intensity that drew her closer even as she felt locked into place. Ensnared.
Lex straddled his leg and settled with her hand resting lightly on his fly. “I know what you were thinking the other night. What you wanted to see while she was sucking your dick.”
His expression remained bland, but his dick hardened. “What did I want to see?”
She leaned in, putting her mouth close to his. “My head between those pretty, pale thighs, for starters.”
“Your head between anyone’s thighs is a hot sight.” He stroked her cheek and then brushed his thumb over her lips. “You’ve never been under me. You don’t know what I do with the women in my bed.”
The lack of personal experience was irrelevant. “I know what you like, Dallas. What gets you off. I pay attention.”
He nodded once. “And when you bring Noelle to my bed? What do you imagine we’ll do with her? It
