“I don’t need your jokes right now, ass**le.” Dane glowered, then turned that nasty stare on Lan. “So when were you going to tell me about this new plan? I’m betting never. Because, oh, you didn’t want the big bad Dom touching your pretty princess and scaring her away, right? That’s why you waited to f**k her until I was busy.”
Alea flinched at the ugly accusation. “It just happened. I—”
Lan held up his hand to her, and Coop pulled her back with a shake of his head.
“What are you saying to me?” Lan challenged, his voice going low and guttural.
She was a little surprised they didn’t start beating their chests like aggressive apes. Only minutes ago, she’d felt so languid, sated. Happy. Now all she felt was the weight of the moment. Everything she wanted, everything they all needed could be in jeopardy if she couldn’t pull them together.
“I’m saying you had no f**king right to deviate from the plan.” Dane was a good two inches taller than Lan and he seemed intent on proving it by looming over him. “We were all supposed to be here with her the first time. But I shouldn’t be surprised. You broke from the plan to bring her to the meeting with the Anders brothers, too. Think you’re the big smart man making all the decisions now?”
The last of her sated peace dissipated and fury replaced it. “Don’t talk to him like that! I belonged in that meeting, so he took me. I wanted him, and he gave me what I desired.”
Dane pinned her under an icy stare. He raked that cold gaze up and down her body until she shivered. “I’ll bet he did. Did he f**k you good? Is Coop going to back him up now?”
God, his snide tone made her feel cheap. She’d wanted to make love, and they had given her a special memory to treasure. She’d felt special. Now, she just felt like a bone the gentle lab and the rabid hound would fight over. And she felt more than vaguely guilty for something that wasn’t her fault.
“It wasn’t like that!” she insisted, feeling sick to her stomach. “You’re being a bully.”
“Shut the f**k up, Dane. Are you even thinking about her?” Cooper rose and dove into the fray.
“All I’ve done is think about her,” Dane shot back. “I’m the only goddamn one of us who thinks with his head at all. You two have done nothing but think with your dicks since the moment you saw her. You tongue-fucked her in a bathroom and couldn’t get the job done,” he sneered at Cooper, then shifted to Lan. “You took a virgin and a princess on the ground like any ol’ hook-up because your c**k got hard. You were supposed to treat her right, but no. You just chucked her on the ground and sank your c**k in, spewing all your swimmers in her unprotected womb. That’s a great first time for her.”
“I enjoyed it. It was a great first experience.” Or it had been until Dane had stomped in and made it sound crude with his destructive accusations.
“You weren’t here, so you don’t know shit.” Landon ignored her, too. “I took care of her.”
“Dane, you need to calm down, brother.” Cooper got in between the other two men, obviously ready to stop them if they threw down.
Lan took a step away, his gaze tangling with hers and now full of regret. “Lea, I’m sorry. Darlin’, let’s wash up. If Dane is determined to fight, he can do it with himself. But he’s right about one thing; I’m not taking care of you the way I should right now.”
When he tried to lead her away to the pool, Alea dug in her heels. It was obvious Dane had a serious problem with what they’d done. Maybe she hadn’t understood the “plan” well enough. Maybe they should have talked more first. They were damn sure going to talk now. “Dane, stop being a hothead. I’ll get dressed, and we can discuss this like rational adults.”
Dane looked down at her, his eyes cold. “I wouldn’t dream of interrupting your little party. I’ll just take myself off, so you can get back to f**king my friends.”
If he’d slapped her across the face, he couldn’t have hurt her more. Shame coursed through her, shoving out all the happiness she’d felt just minutes ago. Then Dane pivoted away and stalked back toward the beach like she didn’t mean a damn thing to him.
“I’m going to kill him.” Landon started to stomp after him.
Cooper put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You want to go and beat the shit out of Dane with your junk hanging out? Don’t, my brother. Dane fights dirty. He will not have a problem trying to pull your dick off.”
“You stay here. I’m going.” She looked around for the nearest garment and found Cooper’s shirt, then dragged it over her head. It wasn’t much but it would cover her long enough to give him a piece of her mind. “I am not letting him get away with that.”
Dane had talked and talked about taking it slow and easy. He’d assured her that the choice was hers, that when she was ready, they would all be here for her. Yeah. He’d really meant that bullshit.
“I am glad I’m not the one she’s mad at,” Lan said under his breath.
“She’s really pissed off.” Coop sounded proud.
Furious, actually. She didn’t have a thing to be ashamed of. Dane did. He wasn’t allowed to make her feel like a whore, then walk away. He’d tried so hard to convince her this relationship would work, but the first time he got angry, he pouted and threw a tantrum.
She took off after Dane, anger thrumming though her veins. She took a deep breath. He wanted a fight? He’d better brace himself for what he’d claimed to want all along—the real Alea al Mussad.
Chapter Ten
The minute Dane’s feet hit the beach he knew he should go back and apologize. Hadn’t the fight at the palace and Tal’s dressing down taught him anything? Everyone with a successful plural marriage had told him they had to behave like brothers. Brothers didn’t normally walk away from brothers. Well, his biological ones had, and he’d resented the f**k out of it.
Hadn’t he just done the same to Landon and Cooper? Yes, but they’d taken Alea without him. And he hadn’t really listened to what they’d said. He’d just lost his temper and his f**king mind.