Execution (Off Balance 2)

Forgetting that anyone else was in the room, I placed my hands on his chest and slid them around his neck. His muscles flexed under my touch and I felt the power of his strength.

A provocative whistle came from the other side of the room, and Hayden broke the kiss. He looked down, one side of his mouth tugged up into a flirtatious grin. His pupils were dilated, and cheeks flushed with a tint of pink. He ran the pad of his thumb along the bottom of my lip, wiping away the lipstick he just smeared.

"Don't be mad."

"I'm not," I said breathlessly. And I wasn't. I was more surprised than anything.

"I had to. You deserved to be kissed, especially when you look this stunning," he said, whispering for only me to hear.

My cheeks bloomed with heat, and I looked away.

"Well," Avery said dramatically. "Someone get me a cigarette. That was hot as fuck. Guess we all know who Adrianna is kissing at midnight."

Chapter Twelve

"You know Mom is going to slaughter you for wearing that dress, right?" Xavier stated, giving me a passing look as he sauntered into the makeshift dressing room, followed by Michael and Connor.

Their hands were occupied with bottles of champagne they must've swiped from the kitchen and glass flutes held upside down at the base between their fingers. The glasses clinked together as they walked. I winced inside. Mom would rip them a new one if they ruined any more of her crystal.

Xavier looked back at me again, examining my dress as he peeled the foil from the top of the bottle and threw it to the side.

When he turned away to pour the bubbly, I tugged the hem of my dress down a little.

"Will she be that mad?" Holly asked, walking up next to me. She looked worried.

"Fuming," Xavier answered as he handed me a glass. He still looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Normally I sure as shit wouldn't let my sister walk into the viper pits with her tits and ass out for all to see, but I'll let it slide this time to see her reaction. It's going to be priceless."

"Gee, thanks, asshole."

"Even I know she's going to blow her lid," Connor added, passing out the rest of the champagne flutes. "Your mother needs to loosen the buttons of her cardigan. She's so fucking uptight."

"I can work that right out of her," Michael said with a massive, sleazy grin on his face. His eyes gleamed as he wiggled his brows, and I cringed.

Xavier slapped him on the side of his head, then dropped his hips to the counter, leaning casually next to him. Michael didn't flinch. Instead, his grin reached his eyes.

"That's my mother, you sick fuck. Stop talking about her like that."

It was a known fact that Michael had a serious attraction to women who were older than him and already in relationships. It was like a prerequisite. The way he saw it, if he could make them sway even for a second, it wasn't solid. They were fair game.

"What? Can't stand the thought of calling me Daddy one day?" He chuckled.

"I guess you wouldn't mind if I fucked your sister, then, would you?"

Oh, shit. Xavier was out of line. Then again, he always knew which buttons to push.

"That's not even funny, bro," Michael growled, his gaze deadly.

I revolted at the thought of both scenarios and faked a loud gag. I didn't like the direction of this conversation.

"Michael, the last thing I want to think about is my mom, and your sister for that matter, having sex. Just stop."

"I think about it all the time," he instigated.

"Ew, you're fucking gross, Mike. You think about me having sex?" Avery shouted from the bathroom.

He didn't miss a beat. "No, you weird fuck! Not about you."

"Don't worry about anything Mom says to you, I'll take care of it," Xavier said, bringing the topic back to the center.