Claimed By The Devil - Joanna Blake Page 0,58

not saying much. Just watching the show. Nick sipped his beer, looking outwardly calm. Until you noticed his hand. He was white-knuckling that beer. I was halfway afraid he was going to accidentally shatter the glass.

He barely moved, just watching the girl eat. She looked a little nervous. I knew Nick would never hurt a female, let alone one he was obviously smitten with. But she did have a long night ahead of her.

“That poor girl,” Kaylie said.

“She won’t be able to sit down tomorrow,” Janet predicted with a snicker.

“You women are evil,” Callaway said, shaking his head. But he had a look of admiration in his eyes identical to my own.

Everything happened fast. It was a split second after Melissa put her plate down. Nick handed her a drink, threw out her paper plate, waited for her to finish drinking, and then bam, he lifted her up and kissed her. He kissed the hell out of her. Everyone started hooting and hollering. He was grinning when he lifted his head.

He set the stunned girl on her feet, grabbed her hand, and said, “Let’s go.”

I thought I heard her ask, “Where are we going?” but it was too soft to be sure. I did hear what Nick said.

“We’re going to bed and we’re not getting out for three days.”

We stared after them for a full minute before breaking into almost hysterical laughter.

“I hope your fridge is stocked, Jack. They’re going to need to hydrate,” Dev said with a laugh.

“There’s lots of cold drinks in there,” he answered calmly. The man was a mountain. A mountain who rarely worried, other than about his wife and kids. He trusted Nick with his life. We all did. We knew he would take good care of Melissa, especially considering how innocent she was.

“Well, that was . . . interesting,” my sweet woman said from beside me. I slung an arm over her. With Melissa gone, I didn’t want any of the grubs around here slobbering all over her. Looking the way she did, I needed to keep her close at all times.

“I bet you we’ll be seeing a baby in about nine months,” Kaylie said with a giggle. Sally and the girls cackled like cute little witches. Witches who could tie any of us up in knots any time they wanted to.

“I wonder if the baby will have Nick’s hair?” Drake said dramatically. I kicked him. He was almost as bad as Lucky used to be. Insufferable but lovable assholes, both of them.

Moose shook his head. He was just back from another tour of duty. He rubbed his hand over his own buzzcut.

“Not another one. I’m jealous of him and Preacher.”

“Do you have time to grow it out before you ship out again?” Kaylie asked, looking worried. She hated it when any of our guys went overseas. Moose grinned at her adoringly and shrugged. He looked up to Kaylie, even though she was a tiny little thing. We all did.

“Nick finally broke down,” Suzannah said with satisfaction. I could tell the women were pleased with themselves. Watching them congratulate themselves was almost as funny as Nick’s reaction to Melissa’s makeover. “We got him.”

“We have no control over our destiny, do we?” Mac said with a grin.

“Not even a little,” I agreed. We had no power over our women. They held all the cards. And I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it.

“Now, what am I going to do with you, Missy?” I breathed into my wife’s ear. She just smiled.

“I have a few ideas.”

“Oh, honey, you’d better share those with me.”

“Here?” she teased. “I wouldn’t want you to get too . . . excited.”

I growled at her and decided right then and there that Nick wasn’t going to be the only one making a scene by laying one on his woman.

I lifted my petite blonde wife in the air and kissed her. Hard.

“Come on,” I said, tugging her toward the SUV.

“Donnie! We aren’t leaving yet! We just got here!”

I lifted her up and plopped her cute little fanny in the passenger seat.

“But that’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair?” she asked as I pulled her seatbelt across her body and slammed it home.

“Why should Nick be the only one to have all the fun?”

Bless her heart, she didn’t argue with that.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Melissa

“Is this where you live?” I stammered as Nick opened the front door. We were standing in front of an enormous red brick building. He walked in and entered a key into the massive elevator.