After he’d straightened himself, he reached down, holding his hands out to her. She slid her fingers into his grasp and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
Gently, he pulled her jeans up until they were around her waist again. He refastened the fly, his gaze wandering lazily over her face. When he was done, he raised his thumb to her mouth and rubbed the pad over her bottom lip, capturing a drop of his cum.
“Lick it,” he said huskily.
She sucked slowly at the tip, running her tongue over the slip of moisture.
“You make me crazy, Angel girl.”
She laughed, surprised at the cracked way it came out. “What do you think you do to me?”
“Go pick out our room,” he said. “Strip. I want you naked and in bed when I get there. I’ll bring up a tray so you can eat before we go to sleep.”
CHAPTER 22
“Thate this,” Julie grumbled.
“I don’t like it any more than you do,” Faith said from her perch on the couch.
Serena turned from her position by the window. “How long are they going to be? Damon didn’t answer his cell phone and we haven’t heard from them in hours.”
“They’re probably figuring out a plan to keep us under lock and key for the next year,” Julie said glumly.
“You should move away from the window, Mrs. Roche,” Sam said from the doorway.
Serena sighed and walked over to the couch to sit by Faith.
Julie scowled. Damon’s hulking chauffeur had been tasked with babysitting the three of them for the day. What the hell kind of chauffeur was built like a tank?
The sound of the front door opening had all three women on their feet. Damon strode into the living room, Nathan and Gray on his heels.
“How is Angelina?” Julie asked anxiously. The men’s expressions were so grim that fear scuttled around her stomach.
“She’s safe,” Damon answered. Even as he spoke, he reached for Serena, and she went to him, melting into his embrace. “She’s with Micah.”
“You ready to go home?” Gray said to Faith.
She nodded readily and took the hand he extended to her.
“We’ll stay in touch. You all do the same,” Gray said as they headed for the door.
Julie glanced at Nathan, who stood silently to the side. The intensity in his gaze caused her to shiver. He looked positively ... scary.
“You have a choice,” Nathan said as he stalked into her space. “My place or yours.”
Too unsettled to think straight, she merely stared up at him, her brows furrowed.
“We can stay at your place or my place, but you don’t stay alone, so make your choice.”
She reached out to touch his chest, seeking reassurance. “Should I be worried?”
He caught her wrist, and surprisingly, his fingers trembled against her skin. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her closed fist.
“I don’t want you to worry, honey, because I’m going to take care of you. Which means you aren’t staying alone. He saw us, Julie. He had to have seen us that night. He got to me. He can get to you.”
She swallowed nervously. “We can stay wherever you feel is best.”
He relaxed. Had he expected her to argue? Was she that confrontational? Sure, she liked her independence, but that didn’t make her a moron. She wasn’t going to sacrifice her safety or his over pride.
“I think we should stay at your place. He may not know where you live, but he sure as hell knows where I do.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
“Come on.”
He tugged lightly, pulling her into his embrace. For a moment he held her, and only the erratic rise and fall of his chest against hers signaled his unease. He kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her hair.
“Let’s go home.”
She nodded and followed him toward the door.
All the way to her apartment she watched him intently. He held her hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a deceptively calm manner. He was wound tighter than a rubber band, and she wasn’t sure if it was the danger he thought she was in or if it was something else entirely.
Paranoia crept into her mind despite her best effort to keep it at bay
He’s not going to dump you, dumbass. Men don’t move in with you temporarily if they’re ready to move on.
Unless of course it was a man with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. No doubt Nathan and all his buddies were extremely protective when it