was the perfect nickname for him. But with a smile on his face and laughter in those light brown eyes, there was nothing remotely scary about him.
“Ah…that’s one way of putting it.”
Tank’s eyebrows shot up. “You’d put it a different way?”
I shrugged coyly. “No. No. That works.” I certainly wasn’t about to tell him the real reason I’d never been able to look at or talk to Kit. “We’re different people I guess.”
Tank barked a short laugh. “That’s putting it mildly. But Chaos loves you like his own sister.”
My stomach flip-flopped and my eyes slid to Kit. Suddenly I was second-guessing everything that had happened between us. Of course, it could be read as Kit just being kind to his best friend’s little sister. That was probably all it was and the rest was my horny imagination running away with me.
In an effort to push the pang of disappointment down, I smiled and said, “And he’s yet another big brother I never wanted.”
“And you’ve just got yourself three more,” Tank said, and my smile was anything but forced.
Tank and I danced and chatted a while longer, then Rollie came and decided it was his turn to woo the fair maiden – his words.
“So how goes our first Champers Day?” Rollie asked me as he twirled me around expertly.
I grinned. “Very well.”
“We’re doing it right? Tank tried Googling it, but couldn’t find anything.”
I snorted. “Ah. No. It was a thing my friends and I made up. Like girls’ night, but for special occasions. Graduations, passing exams, getting a job, or…” I paused.
“What?”
“Losing our virginity…” I laughed and he grinned warmly.
“Oh yeah?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, I for one am honoured you let us share this one with you.”
I felt a warm and fuzzy inside at his tone, but a familial one. “I’m glad I did, Ryder.”
He wrinkled is nose. “God, it’s been forever since anyone called me that,” he chuckled.
“Why do they call you Rollie?” I asked him.
“Ah.” He smirked. “Most of us got into the habit of smoking while we were deployed. The least mind-impairing stress-relief we’d allow ourselves–”
“You mean weed?” I hissed.
He laughed. “No. Just tobacco. But I’ve always preferred rollies, preferably unfiltered. The name stuck.”
“You still smoke?”
He shrugged. “Not often. The rest of the guys managed to quit all right. Nico replaced nicotine with the dark web or something. Tank replaced it with a punching bag. And Hawk and Chaos…” He stopped almost guiltily and I had an idea where this was going.
“Sex.”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
I smiled. “I guess there are worse vices?”
He shrugged. “It could definitely be worse.”
Talk turned to lighter things after that. And after a while, Nico came to butt in muttering, “They’ll make me at some point anyway.”
“You don’t want to dance with me?” I joked as he put his hand on my waist.
He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I just don’t like dancing. It’s nothing against you. But since this is Amber Appreciation Champers Day, I am beholden to dance with you. So, I thought I’d get it over with.”
I smirked. “And how long is an acceptable amount of time to do so?”
He looked down for a moment. “Actually, now I’m here, I don’t mind it so much.”
“Is that because I manage to make you look good?”
He laughed. “Yeah. Probably.”
His laughter was infectious and I couldn’t help laughing as well. Which meant we bumped into each other and that set us off harder.
“I am actually quite surprised to see you dance so well,” I said.
He nodded. “Sometimes, in the security business, we double as escorts.”
I stumbled and bumped into him without any laughter this time. “You mean you…?” I lowered my voice. “You mean you sleep with the clients?”
He blinked, totally unfazed. “I was referring to the whole escorting them to functions and the like. But…” He leant his lips to my ear. “There is a rumour swirling among the upper class that the Grace Grayson team guarantees complete…satisfaction…”
I burst into giggles and pulled back to look at him. “Seriously?”
Nico inclined his head in a way that was neither a confirmation nor a denial. “That’s what I hear.”
I looked into those blue eyes calculatingly. “Is there any truth to it as far as you could say?”
“Well I wouldn’t be permitted to say. We’re also prided on our confidentiality.” He gave me a wink and I snorted.
“May I cut in?” The voice slid over my skin, sending tingles rushing over my body.
I knew I’d probably had a little bit too much to drink. It