Page 82 of Beast

“Is that how you got the bruise on your cheek?” I ask.

Knowing my cousin, she probably got into a fight over it.

“No, I got that when my boot heel got stuck in a cobblestone and I face planted into the sidewalk.” She holds up a broken fingernail. “I got this when I picked up the sign outside the butcher’s and threw it into the drain because he has three of the damn stickers stuck to his window. Blacklisting fuck.”

“Who else has the anti-biker stickers?”

“Thirteen out of the twenty-one stores.” She slides off her stool and it takes her a moment to find her balance. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make out with my husband.”

“Which is a mental image I didn’t need right now,” I say as she walks past.

She flips me a middle finger as she leaves the bar in search of Ryder.

I bring my attention back to Belle who has passed out, hanging off my neck.

Lifting her into my arms, I carry her up to our room and gently lay her down on the bed.

She wakes up and looks up at me through heavy- lidded eyes. “I’m going to be such a good old lady.”

She looks cute when she’s drunk and trying to be fierce.

“I don’t doubt it,” I say, removing my cut and hanging it over the back of the chair.

“I’m going to serve my old man like a good first lady.”

I can’t help but chuckle. She’ll probably regret these words when she’s sober. But I’m going to have fun reminding her.

“Is that a fact,” I say, amused.

“Yep, I’m going to be a strong queen.” She sighs and stretches out on the bed. She’s floppy and messy and so damn adorable.

Our eyes meet.

“You know, you can kiss me if you want,” she says.

She parts her dewy lips and all I can think about is kissing the fuck out of them.

And then tasting those tight nipples pressing against her T-shirt.

But I don’t. No matter how much I want to. “How about I take a raincheck.”

She sits up, her hair falling wild around her shoulders. “You don’t want to kiss me?”

Her feelings are hurt.

“Little one, I want to kiss you more than I want to breathe right now. But you won’t remember it in the morning, and I’m not the kind of guy to take advantage of that.”

She pouts. “But I want you to. I want you to kiss me and then I want you to fuck me.”

Fuck.

And I mean, fuuuuuck.

I sit on the edge of the bed and turn her face to look at me. “You don’t really want me to fuck you, and I’m not going to. Not when you’re like this. You need to sleep off the Wildfire.”

I brush her hair from her face and she looks up at me with those big blue eyes. “Will you at least stay with me?”

How can I say no when she’s looking at me this way.

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