Apex Predator (The Game Series Book 11), page 15
I chewed around another wonderful combination of flavors and shook my head. “You’re a little too good at that, sweet boy.”
He bit his lip, wondering silently, never breaking eye contact, hesitating—until he couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “Is it suddenly okay to flirt again?”
He was so straightforward. So goddamn refreshing.
I could get hooked on that easily.
I smirked and reached for my wine. “Absolutely not. That would be inappropriate.”
He saw through my bullshit, thank fuck, and looked adorably excited.
I groaned as he locked his arms around me, plastering himself to my body, and deepened the kiss.
“Grand tour?” he panted. “Oh, fuck.”
“Sure.” I pressed him up against my door and locked it. “Hallway, living room behind me—guest bath here—kitchen to the right of the living room, bedroom and office to the left. Done.” I kissed my way down his neck and pushed off his jacket. Then I started unbuttoning his shirt, needing to get my hands on his skin.
He moaned as I slipped a hand down his open jeans and found him hard for me.
I shuddered and kissed him again, tasting him on my tongue.
“I’ll do anything,” he gasped.
The things we said in the heat of the moment…
I nipped at his bottom lip and eased down his jeans. “Call me Sir.”
His eyes flashed open, and they flooded with dark lust. “Yes, Sir,” he whispered.
“Good boy.” I kissed him once more, softly, then let him kick off his jeans completely. I dealt with the rest of his clothes—until he stood there before me, stark naked and fucking stunning. A hungry sound emanated from my chest as I drank in the sight of him. “That’ll do.” I stepped back and gestured for the living room. “Go to the bedroom.”
He grinned salaciously and flicked my tie. He really did that. “You’re gonna be fun, Sir. I can tell.”
I watched him walk away—and that perfect fucking ass—and loosened my tie.
Was I in over my head with this brat?
God, I hoped so.
I loved a good challenge.
5
Macklin McKenna
Just get through the night.
Get through the hour.
The minute.
I threw back another shot of tequila, laughed when the others laughed, talked a lot, and was all for the change of plans for tomorrow. We’d postpone the live porn between Shay, Lane, and me, and we’d head out to one of the islands for a day of kink in the sun.
I’d bring alcohol.
Maybe Lane could get me more Xanax.
Shame he hadn’t brought any weed. Right now felt like the perfect time to try that out for the first—no, wait. I’d gotten high once before in my life.
“Can you fly with weed?” I blurted out.
Everyone quieted down, possibly because I’d interrupted a conversation about something else. I didn’t even know.
“You’re not smokin’ any fuckin’ weed, son,” Colt told me. “Get that idea outta your head right now.”
I blew him a kiss.
His concern was sweet.
“Tell your fiancé that,” I said. “He got me high the first time—”
“Macklin!” Lucas admonished. “This is really not—”
“What the fuck?” Colt swung his incredulous stare to Lucas instead. “You used to do drugs?”
Whoops.
“Go make us popcorn, li’l pup,” River joked.
Lucas sighed. “It was before we met, Colt. Don’t overreact.”
“You pumped a child full of hard drugs,” Colt stated.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I laughed. “I was almost twenty, and it was one joint. You need to relax.”
“Hey, I remember that.” Reese grinned and stretched out in his chair. “Good times. Wasn’t Walker there too?”
Okay, now we could change the topic.
“I’m surrounded by junkies,” Colt muttered, rubbing his temples.
“Grow up, Carter,” Ty chuckled lazily. “I can bring my newfound stash tomorrow so you’ll see it’s harmless.”
Colt was back to incredulous. Lane, who was sprawled across Ty’s lap, looked very intrigued. My boyfriend didn’t smoke often, but sometimes he lit a joint by the bedroom window. Or so he’d told me; I’d only seen it once.
“Since when do you—” Colt accused.
“I don’t,” Ty interrupted. “Well, I don’t buy it. I confiscate Marina’s stash when I come across it, and it’s happened maybe half a dozen times. Most recently last week. Actually, she surrendered it willingly, given the circumstances.”
“Then you smoke it yourself?” Lane grinned.
“Why waste it?” Ty shrugged. “I don’t get pissy with her for getting high every now and then, and she doesn’t give me attitude for not allowing it near the house.”
“Marina—that sweet angel?” Colt just shook his head. “You think you know someone.”
Ty merely chuckled and returned his focus to Lane. The two had been at it all evening, kissing and feeling each other up discreetly. Somewhat discreetly. He was a lot taller than Lane, so my boy fit perfectly on Ty’s lap the way they lounged on the chair.
I was relieved, to be honest. Lane deserved the best vacation, and I didn’t want him too close to my agony. My week was officially ruined.
“I texted her earlier,” Lucas admitted. “We’re having brunch when she comes home from Mexico. She will make a wonderful mother, Ty.”
“Maybe y’all can get stoned together, you fuckin’ stoners,” Colt muttered into his whiskey glass.
Reese belched and opened a new bag of chips. “I reckon we need to get Colt high tomorrow.”
“All in favor, say aye!” I laughed.
Everyone was in favor.
“Fuck all’a y’all.” Except Colt, of course. “And Luke, you’re gettin’ no sugar from me tonight.”
“No, you’ve had enough, dear.” Lucas stole the tequila bottle from me before I could pour another shot.
I scowled at him. “Why do you things—why do you say—why—”
“Yes, English is hard.” He agreed with me. “Let’s get you to bed.” He started dragging me up, so I went limp in my chair, causing him to sigh at me. “You need water and sleep, Macklin.”
Lucas West was a sigher. A beautiful, patient Daddy sigher who was gonna marry Colt at some point. Colt had proposed over Christmas. Proposed marriage this time, as opposed to eternal engagement like a million years ago when they didn’t know if they’d be monogamous or include a third one day.
I loved Kit for encouraging his Daddies to get married. They deserved it, to celebrate their almost ten years together.
Marriage was great. Until it wasn’t.
“I wanna drink,” I said.
“Lucas is right, honey.” Great. Lane took his side.
“Stay in your lane, Lane,” I laughed. That was so fucking funny!
Almost as funny as the idea of marriage.
“Don’t get married,” I chuckled. “It’s so fucking dumb.”
“Out of the mouths of babes and drunks, right?” Colt drawled.
“Those two do not mix,” I huffed.
“Jesus. I’ll help you, buddy. We’re going to bed too.” That was Reese. Everyone was ganging up on me. Not in the fun gang-bang way either. “Come on, Mack. Lane’s already prepared the couch for you. Luke and I will take turns to check on you.”
I shook my head and briefly closed my eyes, but that was a no-go. Holy shit, the world spun fast. No blinking forever and ever.
I squinted over at Lane. Ty was murmuring something to him. Whispering secret and kinky stuff, I bet. Good. Lane needed a dirty distraction.
“Macklin,” Lucas reminded.
“I’ll go find somethin’ to force-feed him with,” Colt said. “He barely ate at dinner, and he needs some fat to soak up all that booze.”
Urgh.
“Yeah.” Lane nodded at whatever Ty had said and walked over to me. “We’ll stay here, Mack. Reese, Lucas, get some sleep. There are two couches. I’ll keep an eye on—”
“You promised,” I exclaimed. I couldn’t make myself react very strongly to his unfinished suggestion, but I knew I wasn’t gonna like it. “You and Ty will stay on the boat. Period.”
“It’s all right, dear,” Lucas assured him. My concerned boyfriend. I didn’t want him to worry. I just wanted to be by myself and possibly crawl into a hole and die. “Unfortunately, it’s not our first Walker rodeo.”
I snorted and brushed a hand over my face. People needed to stop being so blurry.
Lane became a sigher then too. And a hesitater.
“Text us if you need anythin’,” Ty said. “I mean it.”
“Of course,” Lucas replied.
I yawned and—then found myself wrapped in Lane’s arms.
“I need you to feel well, sweetheart,” he murmured.
“I feel wonderful.” I smiled and patted his back. “Go have fun. That will make me happy.”
It took fucking forever, but Ty managed to drag Lane away to the boat, and they took the dog with them.
The Tenley triad was next to retire for the evening, and Reese said he’d set an alarm for two hours. They were crazy. I didn’t need any goddamn babysitting. I was fine on my own. I preferred it. Because then, and only then, I could let the mask slip.
Stupid things happened when I let it slip around other people. Such as my brother-in-law. That was how I’d ended up in his bed.
Don’t think about that.
I kinda shut off once the Tenleys said goodnight. I humored Colt and ate a sandwich he’d prepared with too much mayo. Leftover buffalo wings followed, straight from the microwave, and they were actually good. But after that, I was fucking stuffed. If I ate another bite, I’d hurl.
I stumbled indoors and eyed the couches blearily. A part of me wasn’t sure I deserved Lane. He could’ve just thrown a blanket and a pillow on there, but that wasn’t who he was. Ty must’ve given him fresh linens. With the AC blasting, I was thankful for the duvet. Lane had set a stool next to my pillow too, as a makeshift nightstand, with a glass of water, a chocolate bar, and what I presumed were painkillers.
I went to the bathroom first, knowing I wouldn’t get up from the couch once I sat down. Brushing my teeth would have to wait till morning.
I slumped down on the toilet, planted my elbows on my thighs, and covered my face in my hands. It was too soon to close my eyes, but they felt so damn heavy.
Bad idea. In the woozy, drunken spin, Walker’s face appeared too quickly, too easily, too automatically. Always him. Always memories of good times first. How he reeled me in from the moment we’d met. His charismatic smile and those steely sea-green eyes. Dirty-blond hair that got darker in the winter and more silvery as our relationship ticked one anniversary after another.
I remembered exactly what’d drawn me to him. He couldn’t act interested to save his life. If it wasn’t there, he zoned out. And it’d become fun to watch him. In fact, he’d been my entire focus for a solid hour before I’d approached that afternoon. I’d tagged along as moral support for a friend who’d been invited to a wine mixer at his college professor’s house. Very prestigious stuff. Georgetown professor with his own library and diplomas on the mahogany-paneled walls.
I’d lost sight of my buddy about ten minutes after arrival.
Shortly thereafter, I’d stocked up on wine, shrimp, and canapés, and I’d positioned myself in a corner to people watch. And right there, I’d spotted a guy my age trying to impress a couple professors. Or so I’d thought. Only one of them was a professor, and he didn’t even teach at Georgetown. He’d been invited as a friend. Dean Aavik was a professor at another university, and the man he’d brought was his younger brother Walker McKenna.
The exact second that’d changed the trajectory of my life had been when the young guy had made a joke, at which he’d laughed. Dean had chuckled politely, and Walker had raised his brows and drained his wineglass as he’d looked for the nearest exit.
I’d grinned around a mouthful of mediocre canapés and decided to approach him at some point during that afternoon. I’d already seen him check out a male ass or two, so I’d been fairly certain he was gay.
Worst decision I’d ever made.
I frowned and squinted. Something had changed in the living room besides nearly all the lights being turned off. The porch was dark now too. The house was quiet, and the TV was running silently.
Lucas had been here earlier, right?
The least-expected twin had taken over.
“Get over your surprise and sit down.” River yawned and patted the spot next to him on the couch.
All right, but I was confused and slow on the uptake. I scratched my head.
“What did you do to my guards?” I joined him and hauled my tee over my head.
“I ate them.” He handed me a bottle of Coke. “Drink. You need sugar.”
In a minute. I squirmed my way out of my shorts first, then got under the duvet. “Thanks.”
The Coke did taste good. Ice-cold and refreshing.
River’s presence made me a bit wary. He could be the sweetest guy, unbeknownst to most people who just saw the stone-faced Sadist who never spoke unnecessarily. But it made him unpredictable, because when he did speak up, fucking anything could come out, and it would be something he’d thought about a great deal.
He gave off the impression of having all the time in the world and no agenda. Sitting there in a pair of sweats, hands clasped over his stomach, ankles crossed on the floor, semi-sleepy gaze trained at the flat screen. It looked like some old war documentary.
“I’m not afraid of you.” Ugh, even I heard how I was slurring the words. I needed to sober up.
River gave me a brief frown. “I should hope not. We’ve only known each other ten years.” He tilted his head back at the TV, only to think twice and speak again. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
“You mean when I mistook you for Reese?”
He waved that off. “After that.”
Yeah, well. I’d met Reese at a kink party in DC, and then he’d told me he was gonna introduce me to his brother. He hadn’t mentioned twin, so I obviously hadn’t assumed…
I’d met up with him in a bar, and I’d rambled a mile a minute to a blank expression. Then he’d said, “I guess you’re the kid my brother’s introducing me to. Reese is running late.” Or something to that effect.
“You drove me fuckin’ crazy,” River chuckled quietly. “You couldn’t shut up for a second.”
Thank fuck I was too drunk to be embarrassed.
I took another swig of Coke, then set it on the stool next to my pillow.
“And still, you left things unsaid,” River murmured. “You’d already been with Walker a while. You’d noticed things weren’t perfect. You knew your goals and dreams were a little far-fetched to line up with his needs.”
I didn’t wanna talk about him. But, yeah.
I’d been so fucking naïve.
Walker and I were gonna get married, we’d start a kink community with my new friends, the Tenley twins, and we’d probably adopt a cat. I’d run my restaurant. He would stop by after work, and then we’d go home together. I’d cook dinner for him. We’d fuck all night long. Travel the world on his boat.
I rubbed my forehead.
“We were never gonna work out.” And it hurt like a bitch to admit.
“Not with how y’all handled your relationship,” River agreed. “You were on different pages in life. Far as I know, you only really saw each other in kink. Truly saw each other.”
I swallowed hard and nodded with a dip of my chin. And on Walker’s boat.
“My beautiful little sea monster… I love how you serve me.”
“Till the day I die, Master.”
I flinched and scrubbed at my face. I had so, so, so many memories I just wanted to erase.
Starting with the moment I’d walked up to him at that wine mixer.
“Hi.”
He glanced up from his phone and tilted his head. “Hello.”
I cleared my throat, willing myself to keep my shit together. But to be honest, I was nervous that he’d see me as some random kid. “Since you obviously don’t appreciate crappy jokes from Georgetown students, can I interest you in judging the fuck out of people as we just stand here and get hammered on bad wine together?”
His mouth twitched with amusement, and it flickered in his sea-green eyes too.
“I’m Macklin.” I extended a hand. “Not a student here.”
He smiled slightly and grasped my hand. “Walker. Not a student here either.”
Walker’s eyes were unforgettable and as ever-changing as the color of the sea. In certain light, they were blue. Sometimes green. Sometimes grayish. Always captivating.
We hadn’t judged people together that day. He’d turned to me instead and asked if I was a student somewhere else, and once I’d admitted I wanted to be a chef, our conversation had taken off. I’d forgotten the outside world existed.
“Say what you wanna say, River.” I needed to get it over with so I could try to sleep away the pain.
He tilted his head at me. “I don’t have a grand speech. But while you were in the bathroom, I texted Walker. I told him to get his ass down here.”
I snorted and grinned. “Right. That’s funny.”
He merely gazed at me, his expression open and like…like he was just waiting for me to react properly. But he didn’t mean that. He was joking. He’d witnessed our breakup. Everyone in the community had. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but our closest had gotten front-row seats to some of our fights. Which may or may not have been my fault. Walker had the ability to make me detonate.
“No more excuses, kiddo.” River patted my leg before he rose from the couch with a grunt. “We’re gonna let him take you down this time.”
No.
It became difficult to believe he was still pulling my leg.
Dread crawled up my throat.
