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“I am?” Tilly practically screeched that, her eyes darting to Gage. Did Kenny know? The urge to lean into Gage for strength was strong.
Kenny shifted his eyes between the both of them. “Yes, she is.” He looked around the room. “Is there a table available yet?”
“Over there, I’ll grab it,” Arty said and started for the empty spot before anyone occupied it. Kyle followed closely behind him, and Dom threw an arm over Kenny’s shoulders, moving him away from Gage and Tilly.
Gage grabbed the glass off the bar, threw a few bills down and turned to Tilly, offering her the drink. Then he asked, “Why the hell does he wanna talk to me about you?”
Tilly didn’t answer right away, taking a long sip of her drink. If she thought it would calm her nerves, she’d be wrong. “I have no idea.” She leaned closer to Gage. “He can’t know, can he?”
Gage moved in closer until their bodies were aligned side by side and touching. “Kenny’s a good guy, but not sure he’d pick on that shit if it slapped him in the face.” Gage jerked his head in the direction of the others. “Let’s find out.”
Tilly took another long sip, feeling the effects now. She didn’t argue with Gage when he moved them through the crowd, but she did mutter, “We should have stayed up in the room. Your mouth between my legs would have been so much more fun.”
Gage felt those words travel into his ears, down his body and land in his cock. “For fucks sake, Till,” Gage bit out, looking down at her with narrowing eyes.
She looked up and grinned. “Pay back for the room comment.”
Gage laid his hand on Tilly’s lower back, guiding her through the mob. “I thought your unstimulated comment was enough,” he whispered firmly.
She thought about that for a second. “Okay, maybe not payback. Wishful thinking.”
Right before they made it to the others, Gage leaned in and whispered near the back of her ear. “No need to wish, baby, I’m gonna eat you till you fucking scream.” Gage lifted his head and said to the table, “We getting apps, I’m fucking starving?” Then took one of the open seats, smiling when his eyes drifted to Tilly to find her flustered by his comment.
Tilly’s glass almost slipped from her hand; her legs felt funny as she dropped down in a chair.
“You okay, Tilly?” Kenny asked.
She couldn’t look at Gage, not with his words swimming around in her head. Dear God, she needed more alcohol. “I’m fine,” she said, then added more softly, “feeling stimulated now.”
Gage reached for a bread stick and said, “Told ya it’d kick in.”
Dom shook his head, knowing very well what his friend was up to. Enjoying the fact that he seemed happier than he had been, but also worried that Gage was doing more damage to himself than he realized.
“Arty Freeman.” He pushed his hand across the table toward Tilly. “I work at Sutherlands.”
It took effort for Tilly to move past Gage’s declaration, but it dawned on her that she was meeting his crew. She and Gage had talked about them, felt like she already knew them, but actually getting a peek inside his world... Her smile was genuine when she took Arty’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” She then asked, to keep up the pretense, “Sutherlands?”
“Gage Sutherland,” Kenny pointed to Gage, and Gage smiled at Tilly. “He owns Sutherlands, a very successful landscaping company in Yardley.” Kenny looked to Gage when he finished. “And bleeding out into the neighboring towns.”
Tilly again feigned surprise when she said, “Yardley. Small world.”
Kyle lifted his hand at the other end of the table when he caught Tilly’s eyes, “Kyle Hillden.” He smiled.
“Hi, Kyle.”
Gage lifted his beer. “It is.” He took a swig and said, “You live up in West Chester with Kenny?”
Tilly took another long drink, her eyes on Gage. He could so easily make her forget where she was with just a simple look. She was speaking only to him when she teased, “I don’t live with Kenny, but I do live in West Chester.”
Gage drew his top lip into his mouth, biting back the smartass remark that wanted to fall from it. “Well, I figured that out.” He chuckled.
“She’s gonna give you a run for your money,” Dom uttered lowly.
“What was that?’ Kenny asked from across the table.
Dom shook his head and tossed a breadstick in his mouth. “Nothing.” He mumbled around the chewed dough.
Gage took his eyes from Tilly and moved them to Kenny, getting ready to question him on what exactly he wanted to talk about that included Tilly, just as the waitress appeared. Her focus was on her pad, ready to do the same routine she’d done countless times that night.
