I tried not to laugh. “Is this weird for you? I mean, discussing your brother’s sex life has to be weird.”
She shook her head. “No.” Shrugging, she added, “Sex isn’t something we’ve kept secret or never talked about. Hell, King was the one who had to give me the birds and bees talk when I was twelve. Annika was too busy with her boyfriends to do it. I remember him sitting me down and shoving me that What’s Happening To Me book before giving me the rundown on penises and vaginas and periods. He also took me shopping for my first bra, but Nik did come for that, too. He drew the line at talking me through my first period, though. He made Annika handle that. And let’s just say that he wanted nothing to do with discussing the loss of my virginity. I think he was ready to take a gun to the guy I was dating in year twelve.”
It was both funny and touching hearing how King had manoeuvred his way through that time in Skylar’s life. Funny because I knew the difficulties a parent faced when explaining puberty to their child, and from what she’d said, I imagined King had felt a little out of his depth, and that wasn’t something you often saw with him. But I was far more touched than entertained by her story. It peeled back more layers to the man I couldn’t stop thinking about. Layers I really, really liked.
By the time I made it to my car, I’d decided to call him. We hadn’t made plans for tonight because he’d said he had club stuff on, but I just wanted to hear his voice.
“Lily,” he answered the call in the way he always did when I rang. God, how I loved the sound of my name from his lips.
“Hey you,” I said, feeling all fluttery again. “I just wanted to call and say hi. See how your day has been.” It struck me that he never called me during the day to check in with me, but it didn’t bother me. I knew he was busy. And I was busy, too. King definitely wasn’t a man who was about needless interruptions.
He blew out a long breath. “It’s been long. Busy. Yours?”
I frowned at the exhaustion I heard in his voice. “Are you okay? You sound tired. And stressed.”
“I’m good. Tell me how you are.”
“Liar,” I murmured before answering him, “I’m really good. My first day back at work went well. Brynn’s doing great, and I just stopped by to see Skylar, and she’s doing well, too. And the best part of my day is that I now get to go home and enjoy the peace and quiet of no freaking children. Just me, a bath, and some wine. The only thing that would make it better was if you were in that bath with me.”
“Fucking hell,” he muttered. He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to. I may not have known a great deal about King yet, but I’d worked out the inflections in his tone and his body language. And while I couldn’t see him, I could hear the desire in his voice.
“You busy right now? I could stop by for a few minutes if you aren’t. I won’t stay long.” My tummy knotted a little as the words fell out of my mouth. I didn’t want him to think I was trying to force my way in and steal his time when he was busy with the club. And I certainly didn’t want to come across as a needy woman who always had to be with her man, but damn, I really wanted to see him.
“I’m never too busy for you. Get your ass over here.”
And holy shit just like that, he caused an almighty whoosh of lust deep in me. He might have said a lot of filthy stuff to me, but he also had a way of saying exactly what I needed to hear sometimes.
“Okay,” I agreed softly and hung up.
He’s never too busy for me.
Oh God.
This man.
17
Lily
The club was partying tonight. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. There had to be at least twenty guys and just as many women here, drinking and laughing as they celebrated something. I wondered if it was someone’s birthday, and then my mind jumped to the fact I didn’t know when King’s birthday was. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about him yet, and suddenly I wanted to know every last one of them.
A couple stumbled out the front door as I entered. His hands were all over her; they barely noticed me there. That was the kind of passion I’d always wanted in my life, and I smiled as I thought about King and how he’d given me that.
“Lily.”
I glanced up to find Devil standing in front of me, watching me with a smile that lit his face. “Hey, Devil, is King around?”
“You mean you don’t wanna hang out with me?” He winked as he said that. I also didn’t miss the slur in his words.
I grinned, liking this fun side to him. “I’m sure you’ve got someone willing to do that.”
His smile grew and his eyes flashed with happiness. “I do,” he said, turning to point towards a group of women. “She’s right over there.” I struggled to hear him over the beat of the music, but I didn’t miss the happiness in his voice that matched what I’d seen in his eyes.
I also didn’t miss seeing King who sat at the table next to the one the women were at. He was with two other guys, leaning back in his chair, beer in hand, legs stretched out in front of him, causal in a way that wasn’t
normal for King. His eyes were firmly on me, watching with an intensity that was anything but casual.
Without another word to Devil, I drifted across to King, my mind and body completely focused on him and him alone. Being here in his clubhouse with all his people around him, and none of mine, nerves fluttered in my chest. Or maybe that was simply because of the way he watched me. I wasn’t sure. But I needn’t have been, because he put me at ease the moment he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. The kiss he claimed eased any remaining nerves.