Hunter shrugged. “You convinced me. I’ll take stiff over sleazy any day. He’s got my vote.”
Serenity swept her eyes across us all. “And I think it’s safe to say he’s got four other votes here too.” She rubbed Dagger’s shoulder. “You’re not saying much this morning. Everything good?”
“Everything’s great.” He scooped up Carrot, who instantly purred and pressed her chin against his jaguar-tat knuckles. “Just enjoying Bryce’s breakfast, just listening.”
Hunter turned to the next page, flapping the paper out to straighten it, mumbling just loud enough so everyone could hear. “Breaking news from Midas, supercop’s listening for once.”
They met eyes, scowling. Hunter was the first to look away, eyes skimming the paper to read what looked like nothing in particular. At some point I was going to get double-gloved and knock their heads together. Multiple times if I had to.
But not in front of Serenity. And not until I’d exhausted my last peacemaker idea.
I cleared my throat. “Who wants to see some more of Nebraska, by helicopter? I know a fantastic place in New Lincoln for lunch too.”
Serenity gasped. “I’ve always wanted to fly.”
After that, no one in the room could say no.
But when Dagger and Hunter both stood to clear their plates at the same time, caustic energy crackled between them, and I thoughtthey might square up then and there, each perceiving the other’s innocent movement as a challenge.
I hoped I hadn’t just suggested putting two bombs in my copter.
Well… no one exploded.
But Serenity and I had tamped out a few sparking fuses. The worst was when Dagger had given Serenity’s butt a playful pinch, making her scream in giddy fright as she peered out the side of the copter. I couldn’t tell whether Serenity’s choice to squeeze herself between the twins on the copter’s cramped, welded bench seat had been a conscious olive branch or not. But with her wide-eyes and oohing over all the sights in her too-big headset, the twins kept their tones cordial and their eyes on her instead of each other.
When we’d landed to stroll through New Lincoln on the way to the bistro I’d picked for lunch, everyone had been in brighter spirits. For a few hours there, I had a fantastic time. Almost as if the glow all of us saw in Serenity, as our mate, had begun forming golden threads between us, binding us closer than ever.
Then, on the walk back to the copter, Seb had thrown his arm around Serenity and had some secret telepathic conversation that put their heads close together and left them both blushing and laughing softly. I thought it was picture perfect, like something out of a timeless love story, but I’d been walking next to Hunter just behind them and could practically hear his jaguar side readying for a fight. He glowered at the back of Seb’s head with a primal look I’d seen before, back in the days when he’d step out of the ring the bloodied victor.
Knowing that Seb—and worse, Dagger—had gone farther than he ever had with Serenity last night was eating into his rational side, chewing a hole that his animal would burst through at the slightest provocation.
I’d distracted him with reminiscences of childhood days, which also drew Serenity’s attention, breaking her and Seb apart. But by the time we piled back into the loft, I was more than ready for the stress relief that cooking always provided.
Dinner came and went. So did Hunter and Dagger. One to check in on his club and the other to talk over recent criminal events with his partner ‘Teddy Bear’ at Chops—a bar and grill that doubled as the favorite watering hole of the police officers’ union.
I cuddled up with Serenity on the largest couch, melting into the bliss of her simple proximity. Seb took one look at us and a knowing spark lit his eyes. “I think I’m going to work on some designs in my room a while.”
How could Hunter begrudge that guy anything?
I wrapped an arm around Serenity’s shoulders and pulled her close. The scent of her floral shampoo filled my nose as I pressed my lips to the top of her head. Her sigh and the circles she traced on my chest encouraged me to let my lips travel along her skin from neck to shoulder.
She unbuttoned my shirt halfway and slipped a hand inside, caressing my chest with her palm. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” Her whisper sent shivers across my body.
“Of course you can.” I tapped a finger on her nose, fighting the wave of excited tremors coursing through my body. “But can I ask whether it’s because Hunter nearly cracked his jawbone a couple times today?”
“So, you noticed, too.” Her lips pressed together.
“Hard not to. I’ve known him a long time.” I shrugged, the motion a bit restrained as she lay on my chest.
“That’s not why I want to spend time with you tonight, but it is on my mind. I’m worried he thinks I picked Dagger over him or something. I wasn’t even thinking like that. I just… Really, it was about getting over my fears with Seb and, well, I mean…” She looked up at me, her cheeks red.
“You have nothing to feel guilty about. And Hunter knows it, deep down. Trust me, if he truly felt jilted or like he had a valid complaint, he’d tell you, upfront.”
Jaguars were jealous, but Hunter was always trying to temper the basic instincts of the predator within. He was probably in his club office right now, meditating over some ancient Greek or Roman wisdom to set his mind straight.
The scare at the charity ball had messed with him too.
“Yeah,” she said on a long exhale. “You’re probably right.” She poked my stomach. “You’re always right.”
