Page 89 of Gather the Storm

He was wearing his signature faded jeans, his chest bare as always. I wondered why he didn’t have tattoos like Wolf andJace, if he was opposed to them or if he just hadn’t thought of anything he liked enough to have inked onto his skin.

Anyway, there was something sexy about the contrast — Otis’ smooth, unmarked skin next to the beautiful images inked onto Wolf and Jace.

“Morning,” I said. “Is there coffee?”

The question seemed like a better icebreaker thanthanks for stopping Gray from raping meandsorry I threw up on your shoes.

“Always,” Wolf said. He put a mug of steaming coffee in front of me along with a tall glass of slushy purple liquid and I caught the scent of his body wash and a subtle tang of man sweat that awakened the hunger I’d thought he’d squashed by making me come with his mouth. “Made you a smoothie too. I thought you could use it.”

I wanted to trace the ink on his arms, lay in bed and look up close at the images on his chest, pull on the chains around his neck until he bent his head to kiss me.

I had to force my gaze away from the pool of his eyes.

“Thanks.” I looked at Otis, back to looking at his phone, and Jace, staring murderously at me. “I’m sorry about last night. I drank too much, got stupid. You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did. Thank you.”

Otis looked up. “You think we’re going to let some asshole hurt you?”

Like all of Otis’ questions, it didn’t sound rhetorical. When Otis asked a question, it was because he wanted an answer.

I took a deep breath. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“You don’t have to think about it,” Otis said. The morning sun reflected off the gold flecks in his eyes. “The answer is no.”

I nodded. “I appreciate it.”

I took a drink of the smoothie and was surprised to find it was an exact replica of the one I made myself every morning: oatmilk, water and ice, blueberries, bananas, protein powder, hemp hearts, chia seeds.

Still, the morning after my drinking binge, it turned my stomach a little.

I looked at Wolf. “How did you know what I put in my smoothie?”

He grinned. “Let’s just say I’m observant.”

Jace was still glaring at me. I met his gaze, wondering why he looked like he wanted to slit my throat, if he was going to hold last night over my head forever, when he reached into the pink box.

He grabbed one of the danishes and tossed it on his plate, then shoved it across the table.

“What’s this?” I asked. “I mean, I know what it is, but why are you giving it to me?”

“Eat it,” he said.

I shook my head. “I have my smoothie, but thanks.”

His gaze hardened, his green eyes like cold chips of emerald. “It wasn’t a request.”

“Give it a rest,” Otis said. "She’s probably not feeling good.”

“Don’t care,” Jace said. “Eat the danish.”

I sighed. “Is it really fun for you just to fuck with me? Just to pull random stuff out of your ass to make my life miserable?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jace said. “You agreed to play by my rules and I’m telling you to eat the fucking danish.”

I glared at him, then picked up the danish and took a giant bite. I exaggerated my chewing motion, then took another big bite and closed my eyes.

I was trying to get a rise out of him, but the truth was, the danish tasted heavenly. Way better than my smoothie (no offense to Wolf), the buttery dough and gooey cream cheese mixing with the strawberry puree in a burst of flavor on my tongue.

I opened my eyes to find them staring at me, but I wasn’t done yet.

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