now nothing could have prepared me for this moment.
His eyes.
His expression.
His downright intense demeanor.
They were all eating me alive.
Brushing away the thought, I was the first to break eye contact with him. Unable to control the emotions surging through my mind, my body, my heart.
One right after the other because of him.
I wanted off this rollercoaster we were spinning on, losing ourselves in.
“Anyway, umm...” I mumbled, not knowing where to go from here. “Yeah, I gave him that pick. It was a long time ago, though. A lot has changed since then.”
“How old are you?” Stixx asked me.
“Old enough.”
He grinned, they all did actually. Well, except for Cash. He wasn’t happy with my response and had no problem expressing it on his sour puss face.
“Just so you know, I’m not wanting to crash your bus or ruin whatever comradery you guys have going on with your groupies. I was here for Liquid Fury, but your lead front man over there won’t let me leave.”
“Lars is a fucking pussy. I wouldn’t let you leave either,” Jude agreed.
“Cash has never held a girl captive before,” Beck informed, sitting in the booth with a cheeky smirk. “This is going to be a lot of fun to watch.”
His statement only earned a stern growl out of Cash’s chest.
“What, mate? We can’t fuck her. You’re not fucking her. The least you can do is let us enjoy the shit show between you two. Stop being such a selfish fuck, you wanker!”
I giggled. I couldn’t help it.
“Oh, her girly squeal is absolutely delicious. I give it a week before you’re balls deep inside of her,” he added, making me turn thirty shades of red.
Sitting in front of him, Jude stated, “I want in on that bet.”
Stixx didn’t falter, throwing down what looked like a Rolex watch with diamonds on the center of the table. “Twenty k on him not lasting more than a month.”
“A month?” Jude scolded. “Do you see the tits and ass on her? Psssh, I give it two weeks. Max.”
“Hello! I’m standing right here,” I hollered, blown away they were talking about me as if I weren’t in the room.
“Get used to it, Junie. They’re fuckin’ animals,” Cash growled.
Beck shrugged. “Takes one to know one.”
I hid back a smile as he questioned, “So how long do we get to keep you as a pet?”
“Beck...” Cash rasped in a demanding tone.
“Oh, sorry. I mean, how long does Cash get to keep you as a pet? Better, you selfish prick?”
“Wow. Do you guys always talk to each other like this?”
“Like what?” Jude snickered. “With love? Naw. Sometimes we fight, but we always make up.” He blew Cash a kiss. “We’re brothers from other mothers. Although, Beck has tried to fuck mine.”
“You said to show her a good time.”
“With sightseeing, not your cock.”
“It’s not my fault you didn’t specify.”
“She’s my mom!”
“And I could be your dad!”
We all laughed.
“Oh wow...” I coaxed. “Never a dull moment, huh?”
“We’re Life of Debauchery,” Stixx exclaimed. “How the fuck do you think we got our name?”
I nodded. “Touché.”
“So where are you sleeping?” Jude probed, winking at me. Purposely trying to get a rise out of Cash. “Are we having a slumber party?”
In less than two strides, Cash put his arm around me. Hugging me from behind, he tugged me close to his chest.
My heart pounded so hard I prayed he couldn’t feel it against his abrupt possessive hold. The simple touch of his arms around me had me weak in the knees and my body stiffening. I wasn’t expecting him to do that in front of everybody. Staking his claim.
As what exactly?
I was so confused by him.
What did I get myself into?
“Chill, Junie. It’s just me.”
My breath hitched. Not only could he feel my hesitation, he could read my mind.
How? I hadn’t seen him in twelve years. How did he still know me so well?
“Journey will be sleeping in my room. On my bed. End of story.”
I was?
With him?
“I’ll be sleeping on the couch in my room.”
Goddamn it. How did he know what I was thinking?
They all stared at us for a few seconds, grinning like fools.
“I’m changing my answer,” Stixx uttered, peering back at Jude and Beck. “I give it ten days.”
“You can’t change your answer!” Beck argued. “That’s cheating!”
“Says who?!”
“Me, you fuck! You already said a month.”
I didn’t pay them any attention as they went back and forth. My mind was thinking about one thing and one thing only. I was sleeping on Cash’s bed. With him on the