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“You don’t know that,” I tease, and he lifts his gaze, aiming a pointed stare over my shoulder into the floor-length mirror in my room. I glare back at him, but falter, glancing down at my feet in an attempt to calm myself.
Asshole.
Once again, his hands fall to my hips when he’s done. Looking at our reflection, awe rises inside me. It should be criminal for us to look this put together and sophisticated. His hand splays across my stomach, pulling me back into him, and I feel the outline of his cock at my ass. Instinctively, I place my palm against his hand and he presses another sweet kiss to my temple.
Who knew it would be Creed that was the biggest fucking tease?
Clearing his throat, he takes a second to hold me close before taking a step back. “We should go. The others are waiting.”
I nod, my pulse thrumming in my ears as he takes my hand, grabs my purse from the bed, and guides me to the door.
Tingles run up and down my spine, the chemistry between us palpable, and when he opens the door to reveal the rest of the Bishops, I’m almost positive I died in the Gauntlet because this is surely what Heaven looks like.
Eldon is wearing a white shirt, a deep-navy suit, and a matching tie. His hair looks like he spent hours raking his hands through the ends, but it’s the sultry shimmer in his eyes that has my lips parting. Zane is dressed in all black like Creed, only his tie is silver, making his hazel eyes gleam. The corner of his mouth is tipped up as he rakes his eyes over me from head to toe and I’m sure I’m going to combust from his look alone.
Brax stands a step back from the other two, not looking directly at me, but I spot him glancing out of the corner of his eye a time or two. The gray suit fits him like a second skin, reminding me of his ability, and it befits him perfectly.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to try and talk to him again about the Gauntlet, but Eldon steps closer to me, interrupting my thoughts. “You look radiant, Little Bird.” He places his hand under my chin before peppering small kisses at the corner of my mouth.
“Stop hogging her,” Zane grumbles, shoulder-barging Eldon to the side so he can stand in front of me. “We got you this, beautiful.” He holds up a white rose corsage decorated with pearls and silver and my heart lurches.
Everything is so overwhelmingly gorgeous that I have no words. I hold my hand out and he slips it onto my wrist.
“Thank you,” I manage, and he smirks down at me.
“It was Brax’s idea,” he replies with a wink, making my eyes widen in surprise. The man in question just grunts and stomps toward the door as I gape after him.
Creed is the secret tease, Eldon the declarer of being claimed, Zane the handbook king, and Brax is the one that runs so hot and cold that it leaves my head spinning.
“Are we ready?” Brax grunts from the door, swinging it open with a glare, and I smile despite his animosity.
Tonight suddenly feels more exciting than it did before, and I’m more than ready for the distraction. Following him outside, I gasp at the carriage that sits idle at the end of our path.
“What’s this?” I ask, turning to Zane at my side.
“They’re old school when it comes to events like this, so they use traditional carriages to escort each house to the ballroom.”
I turn back to the grand mode of transport, noting the jingling of chains as I get closer. They hang up front as if attached to an animal, but there’s nothing there…not that I can see, at least.
Brax climbs in without a backward glance and I shuffle in after him, sitting right beside him instead of taking the spot facing him like Creed and Zane do. Eldon slips into the seat to my right, his hand instantly finding my thigh, and I place my hand on top of his but focus my attention on the broody asshole on my other side as the carriage starts to move.
“Brax…”
“Don’t.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to not let his gruffness get to me, as my usual response is to be an asshole back, and that’s exactly what I’m tryingnotto do right now.
“In the Gauntlet—”
“I. Said. Don’t,” he bites, swinging his deathly glare in my direction, but I match it with one of my own.
“You’re an asshole.”
“You’ve already told me that,” he grunts, rolling his eyes at me before turning his attention back to the window.
God, I would love to kick him in the dick and listen to him squeal like a pig but, despite the excitement at the thought, I bite back my anger, remembering that the only reason I’m sitting here is because of him.
“Thank you.”
