Probably because he wasn’t sleeping well. Lacey’s fault. Every time he closed his eyes, he dreamed of her touching him, running her hands over his chest, down his stomach, of her circling his cock with her mouth and . . . Jesus, he had to get a grip, or he was going to come right there.
“Soon we’re going to have to start paying people to come here,” Simon commented as he sat beside him.
“What?”
“Because you’re scaring everyone away. That morose look on your face seems more at home at a funeral than a BDSM club. What’s going on? Woman problems?”
Gray frowned at his old friend. They’d met in school when Simon had bloodied Gray’s nose for stealing his girlfriend, Missy, even though she hadn’t even known she was his girlfriend. Simon had a tendency to decide things without asking anyone else. They’d both ended up bloodied and bruised and in the principal’s office. They’d been best friends ever since.
“What makes you think it’s woman problems?” Gray asked, taking a sip from the scotch he’d been nursing for the last hour. He didn’t normally drink at the club, but tonight he needed it.
“Because only a woman can put that look on a man’s face. Well, that or there’s a blockage in your bowels.” Simon grinned, and Gray snorted.
“My bowels are fine, thanks for caring.”
“Oh, caring is my middle name,” Simon drawled.
“Where’s that wife of yours? Shouldn’t she be keeping you occupied?”
“She has a headache.” Simon frowned briefly.
“Everything okay?” Gray asked.
“I think so. These headaches are coming a bit too frequently for my liking. I think it’s time for a doctor’s visit, and you know how Sasha feels about doctors.”
She was terrified of them after a bad experience as a child.
“Poor thing.”
“Poor me. I’ve got to be the asshole who forces her to go.”
“You should be home with her. If Ben couldn’t come in, then I would have managed the club tonight.”
“What? In between the dozens of subs flocking to you with their heartfelt sob stories?” Simon scoffed. “Although they’ve been steering clear tonight. Maybe they think you’ve got a bowel blockage as well.”
Gray growled as Simon clicked his tongue and gave him a mock-sympathetic look.
“Remind me again why we’re friends.”
“Because you stole my girlfriend and I broke your nose.”
“She wasn’t your girlfriend; she didn’t even know you were alive.”
“She would have been my girlfriend once she’d realized what a good catch I was.”
“I should have pounded on you some more. Obviously, you’re delusional.”
“You punched like a girl. You’re lucky you had me to teach you how to fight, or you’d never have survived the year.”
They grinned at each other.
“Oh, to be six again,” Gray said and clinked his glass against Simon’s glass of water. He never drank when he was on duty.
“Amen, brother.” Simon nodded over at Hunter who’d walked into the club then stood there, scowling at everyone. He started to pace back and forth.
“Seems you’re not the only one who has woman problems. Wonder what Cady’s done now.”
“I don’t have woman problems. And I’m guessing Cady is giving him hell over something. Good for her.”