Page 50 of Midnight Dissonance

“Nothing. It’s one of my favorite fruits. But it doesn’t belong on a pizza.”

“That’s what we’ve said, but the wanker keeps putting it on perfectly good pizza and ruining it,” Aiden exclaimed.

When the pizzas arrived, Lexi was up grabbing plates while he and his brothers got the meal set out on the kitchen island.

The four of them sat at his kitchen table, devouring pizza, salad, wings, and breadsticks. And he watched Lexi with his brothers. She held her own with them. And his brothers were charmed by her; each of them gave him a nod of approval. Not that he needed it, but it was nice to know they did. It meant the rest of the family would welcome her too. And given her history with her own family, he wanted his to be the family she always needed.

But he was certain the debacle at the singles night had made the rounds in the gossip pool at Eros.

By the time they finished dinner, there was a newfound respect for Lexi in Aiden and Sean’s eyes. Fuck, if he could, he’d march her to Eros and do the collaring ceremony tonight. But he couldn’t allow her suspension to be lifted. With a sub as strong-willed as Lexi, she would keep him on his toes. If he bent the rules, she would walk all over him.

But what she needed most wasn’t getting her way all the time—it was to be cared for and protected. She sparked those needs in him. The need to provide. The need to protect. It was a key fitting into a lock. He was certain as their relationship developed and deepened, more compatibilities would arise. But those key pieces were elemental to him.

And she was independent enough that she didn’t need him. Without him, he’d bet she would still succeed with her band. But she wanted him, which was an important distinction. Because she had been getting along fine without him.

She submitted because she wanted to, not because she had to. It meant a part of her had chosen him, trusted him enough to gift him with her submission. And it was heady as fuck when such a strong woman offered her surrender.

Aiden leaned back in his chair, tossing his napkin on his empty plate. “We appreciate you feeding us after we barged in like that.”

“Yeah, we promise to call ahead next time.” Sean winked at Lexi.

Josh wanted to kill him for flirting with his woman. But considering their mum would be quite put out with him, he refrained. But just barely. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t add a few extra hits the next time they went to Jase’s gym for a match in the ring.

“I’ll walk you guys out.” He tossed his napkin down before rising.

Sean and Aiden each gave Lexi a hug before heading toward the door. Josh followed them out to the elevator.

“From now on, call before you come over unless it’s an emergency. And say nothing to people at Eros about Lexi and me. It’s still new, and I don’t want to do anything to scare her off. And I’m going to bow out of dinner tomorrow since we had it tonight.”

“We won’t,” Sean and Aiden agreed together.

“Good enough. Have fun tonight.”

“Later.” Sean and Aiden filed into the lift.

With a chin nod in parting, he walked back to his place. He hated that some of his time with Lexi had been eaten up by his brothers’ unannounced visit. But they had the rest of the night.

He stepped inside and flipped the locks, engaging the alarm system. He located her in the kitchen, cleaning up after their dinner. It was such a homey thing. He walked up behind her at the sink and slid his hands around her waist, pressing a kiss against her neck. “Sorry. I didn’t know they were showing up tonight. They are under strict orders to call before coming.”

She leaned against him. “They have a key to your place?”

“Aye. We each have a spare key to one another’s home in case of emergencies and that type of thing. They’ve been known to drop by unannounced, but it was usually at the end of the night at a nearby bar, and they’d have a taxi drop them off here to sleep off the booze.”

“And you like each other? You’re friends?” She sounded so surprised.

“Are you and Lisa not friends?” He couldn’t imagine his life without his brothers. They were his best friends. And even on the days he wanted to knock their heads together, he still didn’t know what he would do without them.

She snorted. “No. We’re more like hostages who survived our parents’ rigorous upbringing.”

“But you live together.” It didn’t make sense to him. Lisa was nice enough at the office, if a mite set in her ways. He could see how that might cause some friction, given Lexi colored outside the lines of what was considered normal.

She turned and faced him, looping her arms around his neck. “When I quit school two years ago, I needed a place to live. My parents had stopped speaking to me and wouldn’t give me access to the trust my grandparents left me until I turned twenty-five. And considering I work at the Java Hut, it’s not like I can afford an apartment on my own without that trust. But it’s cool, I don’t need much. And I’m hardly there except to shower and sleep.”

“Your parents aren’t speaking to you just because you left school?”

“Yep. They’ve cut off all communication because I’m no longer following the life plan they set out for me and am their biggest disappointment.”

“Have you tried talking to them, letting them know how you feel?” His mum and da were his most ardent supporters. He missed having them nearby every day and couldn’t imagine not having that support growing up.

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