Page 54 of Kandie Shoppe

“Blowing off a little steam.” I shrug.

“Ahh.” He nods, not believing me one bit.

“Looking gorgeous as ever, luv.” Marcus’ eyes eat me up from where he stands beside Nebraska.

“Thank you kindly, sir.” Giving him a mock curtsey, I wink over to him. Another blond god in the midst of the mortals among us. Marcus Sommerland and my cousin tower over most of the men in the space with the exception of my other cousins and the Carrington brothers, who are hanging out on the other side of the club and Ulysses and Mathias, who I can see are at the edge of the crowd opposite watching Nikki — well, Mathias is. Ulysses is lasered on me.

“Humph.” Turning back to the guys, pointedly ignoring him, I ask, “Do y’all want to go to the truck stop and eat when we’re done here?”

“Ahh,” Nebraska hedges.

“Oooooweee, getting into something, I see,” Joi cuts in over my shoulder.

“Not that we’d let your little nosey tail know,” Nebraska tells her dryly.

“Indeed.” Marcus turns away before Joi can register his words. I hear them and see the look of unmitigated animosity on his face.

The hairs rise on the back of my neck. This is the first time I have ever seen him show any emotion aside from polite amiability. Joi better watch out where he is concerned. I wonder what she could have possibly done to upset the British aristocrat.

Before I can ask her, Nikki is finished with her ride. The men are at her side in seconds.

“Great job.”

“You were majestic.”

“Perfection.”

We all say, surrounding her as other patrons cheer her on.

Seeing a free space, I hurry to get on the bull. Almost slipping on something wet on the floor, I wobble a little.

“Like hell,” comes right before hard angry hands grab my waist.

“The fuck you think you doing?” This man has nearly folded his body in half so that he’s eye level with me.

“Are you going to answer me, darling?” Ice-cold eyes slice through me before spreading with an unhinged light. “Who you trying to get killed? These motherfuckers daring to ogle what’s mine or me when your cousins try to stop me from dragging your little fast ass out of here?” He’s never been this mad. Not even when I burned the bed of his truck.

Pulling up to his full height, he catches me under my arm with a firm grip, dragging me close to his body.

“Aye,” Nebraska calls in a tone that has my heart tripping. I already know if he and Ulysses get in a tussle, Bahir and his brothers won’t be far behind than the other Love cousins who came to blow off steam after a long day at their perspective farms and ranches. Mathias glances our way and something in Ulysses’ face has him turning back to Nikki with barely a glance our way.

“It’s okay.” I hold a hand up to my cousin, adding a shake of my head for good measure. I let him know everything is fine. His eyes narrow on the way Ulysses is holding me and I see a defiant clench of his jaw, but he nods, giving me a look to let me know he’s here if I need him.

I hope against hope that I don’t. At this point I’m not even sure whose safety I’m concerned for—my family or Ulysses, who seems in this moment far deadlier.

The crowd parts for us like the Red Sea did for Moses. He guides me over to a darkened corner of the club. Pivoting, he has me pressed into the wall.

“I asked you a question,” he grounds out.

He fills my entire vision. His black Henley smells of crisp lime, honeysuckle, and spice.

“You lost the right to question me when you treated me badly yesterday.” I push on his chest. He doesn’t budge. I kick his ankle but he has on Gor-Tex boots and they only make myfoot sting from the impact. Leaning in, I bite the fuck out of his chest. He grunts. I bite harder. Gripping the back of my head, he doesn’t do what I expect and pulls my hair. Instead, he pushes me closer. His body presses in. I bite again, hoping I’m causing him pain. He pushes harder — so hard, I think he’s going to break my nose — not to mention I can’t breathe pressed this close. With no choice but to gasp for air, I release him.

Manacling my neck, he slams my head back against the wall. His hand tightens around my neck tightening with each word that follows. “You must want to get fucked in this club.”

His dick is a hard, menacing promise. My swallow is trapped beneath the press of his fingers, his palm pressed against my throat.

“See.” He gives a little shake. “You like to try a motherfucker. Your grandparents let you run around wild.” He leans in, pressing a soft kiss against my forehead. “Shh.” He pulls back when I try to squirm out of his grasp. “Shh, now. You’ve pushed me too fucking far.” Another shake.

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