Brazen and Breathless (Untouchable #6) - Heather Long Page 0,52

you. Besides, boyfriends pay for food. It’s a rule.”

“Where is it a rule?”

“It just is,” Jake informed me. He also had my food since he’d filled a tray, and he started offloading it and putting my food in front of the chair right next to him. Coop stole the seat on my other side as Archie and Ian glared at them.

“No teaming up,” Archie snarked, and Jake snorted.

“Too late, that ship has most assuredly come and gone,” Jake said with a wicked grin.

“And come again and again,” Coop threw on top, and my face flamed.

“Funny,” Archie tossed out there.

“Hilarious,” Ian added dryly.

Almost as one, Coop and Jake grinned and made mock bows. “Thank you,” Coop said. “Frankie definitely enjoyed it.”

That earned him an elbow in the gut, and he grinned at me.

“Now, Frankie,” Ian said in an almost soothing tone. “You have to cut them a break. We all heard about how you staked your claim today. I gotta say, it was hot.”

“You heard?” I picked up a french fry and debated just eating the fries and the ribs. If my mouth was full, I didn’t have to answer any questions.

“Oh yeah, Baby Girl,” Jake said, stretching an arm along the back of my chair and knocking Coop’s off. “We heard you were badass.”

“Remind me to kill Rachel,” I said with a half-smile.

“Wasn’t Rachel,” Archie informed me. “Besides, she’s a vault about you most of the time. She only brings stuff up to smack us back to our place.”

“She does do that,” Ian mused.

“But she gives excellent advice,” Coop informed us as he scooped up his sandwich. “And she knows the best places…”

“Feeling blue?” I asked him, even if my ears were still burning, and Coop gave me a teasing grin.

“Aww, I was just playing.” He raised his eyebrows as if daring me.

I picked up a fry and bit it in half, emphatically, and his eyes danced. We could play chicken, but I had him, blue bobs and all.

Leaning forward, he kissed my nose. “You’re adorable when you get all riled up.”

“We’re missing something,” Archie mused.

“Yep,” Jake said. “They have their own language sometimes. We just need to tickle it out of Frankie later.”

“Ha.” It was Jake’s turn to get an elbow, and he made a mock oof sound, then nuzzled my ear with a kiss that tickled like hell.

“It could work,” he added, still laughing. Across the table, Ian studied me for a long moment and the expression in his eyes intrigued me.

“Good to know,” he murmured, then picked up his own sandwich and another shiver danced up my spine. Jake pulled my chair a little closer as if I were cold, and I liked leaning into him, so I kept the why on that delightful bit of anticipation to myself.

After that, lunch switched to debates about spring training that would start up in a couple of months and various players on the baseball teams. I liked baseball. I was not married to it and I couldn’t quote stats. But I liked games.

I really liked stadium food and hot dogs.

It was also really nice to just listen to them while I leaned against Jake, and I then switched to leaning against Coop when Jake had to hit the restroom. As we were getting ready to leave, Coop snapped his fingers. “That reminds me, I still have your mail.”

Oh. I made a face. “It’s probably just bills. I can get it later.”

“I got it,” Archie said with a grin, and I glared at him. “What?”

“You can’t keep paying for everything.”

“Sure I can,” he grinned. “It’s in the boyfriend rules.”

“Who said?”

“Everyone,” all four of them answered, and I rolled my eyes.

“See?” Archie spread his hands. “It’s done. Don’t worry about it.”

What was I supposed to do with them?

On the way out, Archie wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me against him. “Don’t be mad…”

“I’m not mad.”

“Yeah you are,” he continued, lowering his voice. “You’re a little mad, and I’m being a little pushy.”

I shot him a look.

“Okay, I’m being a lot pushy. But I like taking care of you.”

“I have to be able to take care of myself.”

For the most part, Coop, Jake, and Ian all lagged behind us as we headed out. I guessed Archie was supposed to take this hit for the team.

“You do,” Archie agreed. “Just like you look after us, too. So…maybe a compromise?”

“I thought that was a four-letter word with you,” I couldn’t resist pointing out, wrinkling my nose but having a hard time