Page 9 of Painted Truths

It’s entirely out of left field, but it doesn't throw her in the slightest.

Daintily swallowing the sip of Dom she’s just taken, she utters words that make my stomach drop. “Would it matter to you if I wasn’t?” One side of her mouth lifts into a half-smirk as she pops a brow in what I hope is sarcasm.

Seeing the confusion mixed with mild horror on my face, she reaches out and pats the hand resting on my thigh, putting me at ease.

“Relax. I’m turning twenty-one in a couple of weeks.” I immediately feel my shoulders descend from my ears, where they had migrated.

There’s that sweet laughter once again. I glance around to see that most of the men in our secluded area are staring straight at my girl. Her head is tipped back, her slim neck on display, and her breasts thrust forward in her delight.

I am not like Cade; I don’t like sharing. I don’t even like these asshats looking. But, as I remember the host telling us earlier about a roof terrace, a lightbulb goes off in my head. “Would you like to go somewhere a little quieter?”

Her eyes shoot to mine, and I see temptation and hesitance play across her features in equal measure.

“To talk. Just talk.” I don’t want to spook her now that I have her within reach.

“We… I… That’s to say, you haven’t even told me your name yet.”

Her bumbling is cute and a little bit out of sync with the bold sassiness she’s displayed up to this point. Hmm, interesting. My girl has two very different sides, and I’m honestly not sure which one turns me on the most.

“Let’s start with your name so that I can stop referring to you as Peaches in my head.”

There’s that damn trowel laying it on thick once again. Her eyes sparkle with laughter as she reverts to that saucy minx from before.

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence!” Her cheeky grin is contagious as hell. “That’s my name.” The amplified innocence on her face sends a shot of unfiltered lust straight to my cock, making my balls tingle in anticipation.

“Nice to meet you, Peaches.” The fact that I placed extra emphasis on the word doesn’t go amiss, and mischievousness flashes in her eyes.

I think it’s fair to say we’re both enjoying this game.

“I’m Henry. But you can call me Get-your-coat-love-you’ve-pulled if you’d like.”

Cocking an eyebrow at her, we both dissolve into floods of laughter, my deeper tone rumbling just under the lilting resonance of hers, before she unfolds herself gracefully from the large seat.

“I just need to use the little girls’ room, and then we can discuss what you can do to earn the knowledge of my name, Henry.”

Bending to press a small peck on my scruff-covered cheek, she straightens up, sends me an exaggerated wink, and sashays in the direction of the Powder Room.

That fucking peachy, perfect ass. Yup, definitely reinforcing the fact that I am an ass man through and fucking through.

There’s a scuffle to my left as Nate and Caden collide when they both try to crash into the seat she’s just vacated before I can even take a breath. You’d swear we were teenagers all over again with how these two were acting.

“What the fuck, dipshits? Act your goddamn age!”

They don't even acknowledge my annoyance before launching into a round of twenty questions.

Who is she? How does she know Alex? Is she legal?

That last one is all North. Obviously.

Both pricks grin manically at me, and I can’t help the cheesy ass smile that slashes across my face at the thought of possibly having found the woman that all wet dreams are made of.

“We’ve barely exchanged a handful of words, and none of them included my brother. She’s gone to freshen up, and then I’m going to bring her upstairs to the roof.”

Caden elbows Nate frantically, as if I can’t see what the idiot is doing right in front of me.

“And no, it’s genuinely only to talk, dickhead. She’s worlds beyond being a quick fuck and dump, yeah?”

Nate snorts out a disbelieving laugh. “That does not sound like you, DeMarco. I’ve known you forever, and your only rules are no kissing…”