Page 45 of Savage Lust

“You went to jail?” I wasn’t surprised, but the way Dekes watched me, he was itching to talk about it.

There was something cute and innocent in the way Cam’s cheeks reddened when put on the spot. “Yeah, juvie here and then in Clark County a few years ago.”

He pushed his hand through his hair and Dekes chuckled. “Don’t be shy now, Savage. If you ain’t going to tell your little girlfriend about it, I will.”

“I’m not—”

He waved off my protest.

Cam, for what it was worth, reacted like a shy little kid, shaking his head and rubbing his hand over his face. Could he be any cuter?

“We were all in Vegas, doing the Casino shit during a bike week event. Cam got a little too hot handed, security got involved—”

“What’s that mean?” I interrupted him, leaning forward with genuine interest.

“I was winning too much.” The cockiness seeped back in and Cam straightened. “They thought I was cheating but couldn’t prove shit.”

“They saw you leaving that blond dealer’s apartment the night before.” Merc tossed a wadded-up napkin at him.

Cam swatted it out of the way. “You can’t prove that either, brother.”

“Don’t need to.” Merc leaned back with a snort.

“Can a man tell a story?” Dekes barked with playful exasperation.

“Please, I’m riveted.” I didn’t bother looking at Cam. I could feel his smile. Like something warm, it tingled across my skin and left me far too comfortable at his side.

There was a rush of pleasure when he draped his arm over the back of my chair and twisted a lock of my hair around his fingers. His touch, however innocent, made me hyper aware, and I almost squirmed.

“He mucks it up with security, breaks one guy’s nose, knocks a table over, and hauls ass out of there. Jumping over shit, going full on parkour with stacks of chips in his hands.”

Dekes paused long enough to kiss his wife as she left the table, bored with a story she’d probably heard dozens of times.

I cast a quick glance at Cam as Dekes continued. He was happy here, letting this man tell his story.

“Jumps on his hog, shoving chips in his pockets, those mother fuckers falling everywhere, some homeless guy scrambling around scooping them up—”

“I’m standing there, taking a smoke break, and trying to figure out why the hell the kid is tearing ass out of the parking garage, and then I hear the sirens.”

“I almost made it.” Cam chuckled.

“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Dekes flipped a toothpick into his mouth. “We follow behind the cops, breaking a hundred miles an hour outside of the city, just seeing if the kid could make it to the county line.”

He leaned forward and shook his head. “He didn’t.”

When I glanced at Cam, he lifted his shoulders like,what can I say?

“Why not?”

Merc actually laughed, and Dekes’ grin shone all the way to his eyes. “This idiot ran out of gas.”

The entire room erupted into laughter, Dylan standing to clear plates even as she chuckled. Shooting Cam an amused grin I followed her with more dishes.

“Thanks, I’m glad you came,” she said once we were in the kitchen.

I rinsed utensils and plates, passing them to her as she loaded the dishwasher. The aroma of garlic and marinara was slowly swallowed by the crisp, fresh scent of the dish soap she was soaking pots in.

“Me too.” I glanced out through the door, Merc and Cam with their heads together whispering, AP at the end of a table, watching them all with a happy smile on his face. “This feels more like a home than anywhere I’ve ever been.”

---