I hear laughing from the other room and sigh. I need to get up and go out there before Sabre comes and finds me. Maybe it’s because I’m just now getting my first taste of freedom as a woman, I just don’t know, but I know I want more time with Sabre. I like him, or rather I like what I know of him, and the rest of the men seem nice, too. So I’m going to throw caution to the wind and enjoy this for however long it lasts.
With my mind made up, I go into the adjoining bathroom, clean up, search out some comfortable clothes, and return to the kitchen. My face flames with embarrassment as everyone stops talking when I enter the room. I’m having trouble looking any of them in the eye.
“Over here, Peaches.”
Sabre is standing in the kitchen on the opposite side of the others and he looks very pleased with himself. It annoys me, but I had a lot to do with putting that look on his face. I walk to him and when I get there, he takes me in his arms. I return his hug and then let him curl me into his side. I like it. I like how it feels to be with him.
“Hey, Peaches. We were starting to think you weren’t going to join us,” Keys speaks up and I give him a small smile without looking him directly in the eye.
“Have you eaten?” I ask Sabre.
“Nah, sweetheart. I’ll get something in a bit,” he answers, and I grasp at it. I need something to keep busy.
“I’ll get it. Just pull up that seat over there. We all should have eaten at the table. There’s more room there. I never use the darn thing personally, so it didn’t occur to me. Next time, well if there is one, I will set it up…”
“Peaches?” Sabre interrupts my sad rambling and I’m glad. I look up at him in mid-sentence.
“Stop being nervous.”
I huff in response, “Sabre, you can’t just order someone to not be nervous.”
“I just did,” he says all cocky.
“Well okay, you can order someone to do it. That, however, doesn’t mean they will do it.”
“Did you do as I ordered in the bedroom?” He asks as if he’s talking about the weather. It doesn’t escape my notice that everyone has gone quiet again.
“Sabre!”
“Answer me.”
“That isn’t something you just talk about in mixed company,” I chastise getting a plate down and filling it up with what is left of the meatloaf and side items.
“What’s she calling us? Does she not like other races?” Shaft asks, and he is clearly Latino.
“No dumbass, she’s just saying she doesn’t want to talk about how her and Sabre had sex in front of a bunch of men,” Beast growls and I probably glows in the dark. I put the plate down without looking at any of them and go back to the fridge to get Sabre something to drink. I think at this point, I’d rather pour it on him.
“We weren’t in front of a bunch of men,” I grumble, but I don’t think they are listening to me.
“For god’s sake, why? We all sat here and listened to her scream like a banshee as he laid the pipe to her,” Shaft asks and my head jerks up with an unspoken oh on my lips. I can’t believe he said that. I’m rewarded when Torch slaps him on the back of the head.
“Ow! What the fuck is that for?”
“You’re embarrassing, Peaches,” he says looking up at me with a wink and licking some of the chocolate off his spoon.
I guess the boys found the chocolate lasagna. I can’t help but watch the way Torch works his tongue around the spoon and sucks it into his mouth. He’s a really good looking man and, apparently, I’ve just recently found my hormones.
“Peaches!” Sabre snarls and stops my crazy thoughts. I go to him immediately and he pulls me back against his body. “You’ll pay for that later, sweetheart,” he whispers into my ear.
I don’t have to ask what he means—I know. It’s not like I would trade him for Torch, anyway. I was just looking. I reach up and kiss him on the side of his jaw. His five o’clock shadow prickles against my lips. It’s a good feeling. I start to pull away but he keeps me close, anchoring me against him.
“Why does she care if we talk about her having sex? I mean why else would she be screaming ketchup at the top of her lungs? By the way, brother, you really need better safe words. That one is kind of freaky. That’s worse than the time you guys had that red-head screaming cheeseburger and Skull thought…”
This time Sabre slaps Shaft up the side of the head. I don’t mind. I kind of want to join in. His words leave me feeling dirty, wrong even.
“Okay, it’s time for everyone to get out,” Sabre yells and he’s mad; he won’t let go of me. Maybe he can tell that if he let me go, there is a very big possibility that I would go get in my car and drive back to Illinois. Okay, maybe not that drastic but away just the same.
“C’mon Sabre, we haven’t even had any cookies yet,” Keys joins in and they all look at me, and if you could spontaneously combust, well, I’d be doing it right now.
“Get out you fucking assholes. Beast? Have these prospects cleaning out the bathrooms at The Rock.”