Page 35 of Blackbeard
“No.”
“Hm.”
Suddenly, his touch wasn’t soothing anymore. It was suffocating. I needed to get away. I needed another drink.
“You have an opportunity to make some new friends here,” Blackbeard said after a pause.
I sputtered a laugh.
“You’re joking, right? Crash looked like he was ready to spit in my face.”
Blackbeard clucked his tongue as he smoothed his hand up my calf.
“And whose fault was that?”
I huffed.
“Okay, fine, so I didn’t exactly make a great first impression with him. But Baby Doll wasn’t giving off warm and fuzzy vibes when I tried to chat with her.”
“She never does. That’s not her style. I’m sure you weren’t a saint, either.”
I sulked.
“I’m your wife. You’re supposed to take my side.”
He shook his head.
“That’s where you get things mixed up, princess. As my Old Lady, you treat my club with respect. You blindsided Crash, then you went after Baby Doll. Next time, don’t come in like a wrecking ball and maybe you’ll find people are more receptive to you.”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Do you really believe that would work?”
Blackbeard shrugged, sweeping his thumb back and forth over my calf.
“It won’t be an overnight success. But you’re only making life harder for yourself right now by pissing people off. If you want to belong here, you have to earn it.”
A touching speech,I thought. Useless advice though. I’m the bomb that will bring the Blackjacks to their knees when this is all over. Blackbeard had a family and a club that I envied. But I could never be part of that. My people were waiting for me back home, with Dad and the Forsaken.
Blackbeard patted my leg and waved me off.
“Go on,” he said. “Go to bed. Get off my couch, I need to sleep. It’s late and your hangover will be brutal in the morning.”
“But it’s so far to the bedroom,” I whined, plastering myself against his chest. My T-shirt was thin enough that he would definitely feel my nipples through the fabric. If he could resist that, he had nerves of steel. “Can’t I just stay here with you?”
“Not a chance.”
Blackbeard rose to his feet, grabbed my arm, and hauled me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. The world reeled, spinning dangerously, and I swallowed a groan. Bile seared the back of my throat.
He swatted my ass, the meat of his palm hot and heavy through the sheer lace of my panties. My core clenched with need.
“Like I said,” Blackbeard added. “You won’t get princess treatment in this house.”
“Fuck you,” I rasped, deeply regretting all that beer I had.
“Maybe when you’re sober, sweetheart.”
My head bobbed as Blackbeard carried me through the house to the bedroom. He dropped me onto the mattress unceremoniously, flicking the sheet up to cover my body. Beforehe turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of his nightstand and froze.
