Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,112

gets what she wishes,” he teased as he smoothed down the chain. “This is a gift that made me think of you instantly and what you do for us.”

Glancing down, I found the infinity pendant in his palm as he held it up for me to see. The rose gold metal was soft and almost luminous in the half-light of the kitchen. The huge emerald in the center though had me catching my breath. Holy crap.

“Archie,” I said, repeating the earlier sentiment.

“It’s nowhere near as valuable as you are,” he told me and traced his thumb around the double infinity loops. “This has been a bitch of a year, babe. Probably some of the worst and best moments happened during it. From when you shut us out to when you let us back in to when you said yes to dating to when you said yes to me.”

Emotion clogged my throat as he pressed the pendant against my chest.

“Seventeen got off to a rocky start for you.” He didn’t have to explain why. It wasn’t long after that birthday that Rachel dropped that bomb on me. “It kept trying to suck you under.” When he cupped my nape and tilted my head so he could brush another kiss against my lips, I sighed. “You didn’t sink.”

“None of you let me,” I reminded him.

“You didn’t need us, babe. You are fucking amazing, but that will never ever stop me from wanting to be there and throwing you life line after life line. Because that’s exactly what you do for us. You push me to be better…”

“Archie…” I choked out his name this time as tears welled. “You’re going to make me cry.”

“Can’t have that,” he whispered, but it was all there in his face. “Happy birthday, babe.”

Then he claimed my mouth for a long kiss that had me arching up on my toes and clinging to him.

“Damn, I’m glad you two turned out to not be related,” Jake drawled from by the door. “’Cause that’s hot as sin. Not that I wouldn’t have gone for the taboo if I’d had to.”

I don’t know which of us started laughing first, but I managed to flip Jake off before Archie did, so I’d take that as a win. Archie gave me a gentle nudge as he let me go, and I skipped over to give Jake a good morning hug. He picked me right up and claimed my mouth in a kiss that left me panting and ready to wrap my legs around him.

“We still have school, Don Juan,” Coop said as he smacked Jake on the back. “And lemme have her. I need to give her my birthday kiss, too.”

My nipples were so tight they hurt when Jake let me go, but instead of backing off, he sandwiched me right up against Coop and started kissing the back of my neck while Coop devoured my mouth.

“Oh, I can already see this is going to be a problem.” Heat flushed me from head to toe, but when Coop tugged me away from Jake and then turned to pass me to Ian, I just sighed. “Happy birthday, Angel.”

They all tasted minty. Every single one had hit the bathroom before coming out here, just like me, and kissing them was better for my wakefulness than coffee. As it was, I sighed against Ian’s mouth as his tongue plunged against mine, teasing and coaxing. With warm hands, he cupped my ass and lifted me until I could wrap my legs around his hips.

“Hey,” Jake called. “Don’t start something we can’t finish.”

Ian chuckled against my lips as I groaned. “Pretty sure I wasn’t the one that got her all wound up.”

Somehow, I found myself sitting in Ian’s lap with my back to his chest and my legs spread open and hooked over his thighs.

“And I don’t think it’s remotely fair to send the birthday girl to school all needy and wanting.” The press of his erection against my ass had me wiggling, but the lightest of slaps against my hip stilled me. I leaned my head back to find him looking at me. “Be a good girl, and I’ll take care of that for you.”

When he slid his hand over my tank and cupped each breast, I groaned. Using both hands, he massaged them, flicking the nipples through the shirt until all I wanted to do was squirm. Sitting still was torture. Ian sucked against my earlobe as he dipped one hand between my legs and under