of this godforsaken dive and take Erin home to bed. The captain seemed to have the same idea, because he’d only dropped four beers off at the table.
“Heading out?” Connor asked.
“Yeah. My wife saved me a piece of chicken potpie for dinner. It’s the worst.” Funny, he didn’t look displeased by that at all. He looked like he couldn’t wait to get home and eat it. “Take a couple of days off. I’ll let everyone know when the next meet will be.”
Polly picked up a pint and saluted Derek. “To our fearless leader, who is turning out not to be an epic asshole like his brethren.”
“Give me time.” Derek leveled them all with a look. “And stay out of trouble.”
Erin reached for her beer. “What if it finds me first?”
Connor shook his head at the same time as Derek. “You’re my star pupil so far, O’Dea. Don’t screw it up.”
She turned her face into Connor’s shoulder but not before he saw her smile. The four of them sat quietly for a while, mostly speculating on what their next assignment would be and if Bowen would be twice as crazy now that Sera had seen some action. When Erin excused herself to go to the bathroom, she was forced to crawl over his lap to get out of the booth. His dick had already been hard from the way her hand rested on his thigh, but now it grew demanding behind his fly. Yeah, he wouldn’t last much longer in here. Time to let her know.
Erin glanced back in surprise when he rose from the table to follow her to the bathroom. “I don’t need a babysitter. Haven’t I proven myself to you yet?”
The way she glided away and let the question hang in the air told him she didn’t mind him following her one damn bit. Her hips snapped side to side with every step, those painted-on jeans wrapping up her tight body like a sexy birthday gift he didn’t deserve. They entered the dark hallway that led to the bathrooms and Connor wasted no time halting her in her tracks and wedging her up against the closest wall. When he nudged her belly with his erection, those blue eyes darkened and her mouth fell open on a gasp.
“Is this your way of telling me it’s time to go home?”
“Caught that, did you?”
He gritted his teeth when her smoky laugh vibrated her curves against him. “What’s wrong with right here?”
“This place isn’t good enough for you.” He gave a downward roll of his hips, satisfied when her head fell back and hit the wall. “I just wanted to pass on a warning.”
The inside of her thigh slid up the outside of his leg. “A warning about what, baby?”
Connor ran his tongue along her bottom lip, bit it gently. “I didn’t like hearing you flirt with Stark. Let him think he was going to get what only I take. My head knew you were doing it for a job, but the rest of me didn’t care.” He drew her leg up around his waist and ground his hips against her, drawing a whimper from her lips. “It’s going to be sweet reminding you all night that no one gets you but me. That includes Sera.” He petted her rounded ass with one hand, ending with a hard squeeze. “We’ll be dealing with that kiss later.”
After a long, deep delving of his tongue that left her clinging to his shoulders, he stepped back. Any more of her mouth and they would never make it home. Erin fell against the wall, breasts rising and falling. “Get the check.”
Connor knew he wore a self-satisfied grin as he turned to leave the hallway, but he didn’t give a shit. If you could make a woman like that moan, what the hell else did you need in life? Feeling the sudden urge to say something, he turned and found her staring after him. “Hey, sweetheart?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m so fucking proud of you, I can barely stand it. You know that, right?”
Her laugh was pure joy. “Yeah.”
He stood there and watched her disappear into the bathroom, boots tinkling the whole way. Returning to the table with a smile on his face, he spotted his mother at the entrance, going up on her toes to scan the crowd. When she saw him, her face transformed with relief and she met him halfway across the bar.
“Son. This place could use a mop. You bring our girl here?”
“Hey, Mom.” He kissed her