Page 127 of Crushing Clover

The two of them laughed, and the heavy feeling in the room completely dissipated.

“So, you’re here because you’re choosing to be here,” Lucky said.

“You seriously thought…” I shook my head. “Even if I was going to take off, do you honestly think I would steal from you?”

“You’re both so fucking gullible. That red-headed viper doesn’t have anywhere else to be,” Saint said sourly, talking about me like I wasn’t in the room. I hadn’t even noticed him leaning in the doorway—dark, brooding, and infinitely smackable. “That’s the only reason she came back, so don’t go falling in love with her.”

Viper? What the fuck had I done to deserve that? I thought of saying so, but there was no point—he wouldn’t change his mind, and the other two didn’t agree with him anyway.

Eventually, I simply said, “I don’t want to be anywhere else.” Weirdly, it was the truth.

“Sure.”

I half expected Rush or Lucky to defend me, but they opted for keeping the peace.

The private smile I got from Rush made it all better.

Chapter 26

The restaurant we were trying out was new, and had great reviews. I’d worn my prettiest dress, and had fussed with my hair.

We were seated promptly for our reservation, which was a mark in their favor. The place was packed, even though the ambience wasn’t as nice as Cygnet’s. As far as I was concerned, the mural that had been painted on the longest wall made the space feel too busy. The servers weren’t as good either, but maybe loyalty was clouding my judgement.

“I still don’t understand why we had to come with you,” Lucky grumbled.

“Trusting the two of you alone together for twenty-four hours seemed like a bad idea,” Saint said, scanning the classy menu.

“We’re not teenagers. We’re not going to throw a party.”

Saint lifted a brow. “You’re soft on her. You’d either help her run off, or you’d drag her to the courthouse and marry her ass.”

I’m not sure which of us blushed more, but the look on Lucky’s face made me warm all over.

He hadn’t denied it.

Even after all my years with Noah, I hadn’t been able to joke with him about getting married one day. He always got pissy about it, and said getting married was for rich people. He wasn’t wrong, but seeing the flush on Lucky’s face made me realize that was the reaction any woman would hope to see—excitement and pleasure, rather than irritation.

“Your crush on our little captive is officially out of control.”

“It’s not like we could do that anyway.” Lucky glanced at me then quickly looked away. “She doesn’t have any ID.”

“Wow, this isn’t a new idea for you.” Rush didn’t look upset, which was good. They loved each other so much. I’d hate to get in the way of that.

Lucky’s blush traveled further up his face until it reached his hairline.

“There was a time you’d be the first one in the truck to go to a new restaurant,” Rush said.

“I’m just tired,” Lucky admitted. “Work’s been busy.”

Lucky grabbed Rush’s hand under the table, and they shared a look that made Saint quietly gag. It was a polite gag, since we were sitting in a packed, trendy restaurant, and we were all dressed up.

It almost felt like a four-way date.

The server returned as soon as Saint had put aside his menu, and we ordered, even though I’d almost fainted when I’d seen how much everything cost. Then again, Cygnet’s prices were steep, too.

I’d half expected Saint to act like an asshole, but he was unfailingly polite. He didn’t even complain when I ordered something that sounded suspiciously like chicken fingers.

“So, how did the three of you end up together?” I’d wondered since I’d met them, but this was the first time it felt like we might be something approaching friends. Well, friendlier…

---