Текст книги "Easy Melody"

Автор книги: Kristen Proby

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***

“That was fun,” I say as we pull away from the inn into the dark Bayou. It was surprisingly easy. As rich and intimidating as the Boudreaux family can be, I found them to be welcoming and funny.

“They liked you,” Declan says.

“It was mutual. Thanks for taking me.”

He kisses my hand and rests our hands on his thigh. “That place,” he says and points to a colorful plantation house, “is Laura. Another plantation here in the Bayou, it was one of the first built.”

“Are you giving me a tour? In the dark?”

“It’s not my fault that you women can talk for hours on end about shoes,” he says defensively.

“If I’d known I was going to get a tour, I would have cut it short,” I reply.

“Well, this will give you a start.” He points out different homes and tells me stories about the families that originally homesteaded them.

“You know, if you ever lose your night job, this might fit you perfectly,” I say when he pauses. “You know your history.”

“A lot of this could be bullshit,” he admits. “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”

“Isn’t that what most tales are?”

He’s headed back to the freeway now and I turn the music up, singing along with an old Goo Goo Dolls song. “I met Johnny Resznik once,” I inform him.

“Really? Do tell.”

“It was at a Goo Goo Dolls concert. I got VIP tickets and got to pose for a photo with him.” I giggle and shake my head. “So, I didn’t really meet him, but I did get to touch him.”

“He’s a nice guy.”

I turn in my seat and stare at Declan. “You know him?”

“I’ve just met him a couple of times when they recorded in Memphis.”

I sit back in my seat and stare straight ahead. “You know Johnny Resznik.”

“I’ve met him,” he corrects me.

“That makes up for the lack of cooking skills.”

Declan lets out a loud, surprised laugh. “I’m glad.”

“Besides, I like your cereal breakfasts.”

He sends me a naughty grin. “How about dessert?”

“We had dessert at your sister’s house.”

“I could go for second dessert.”

I wrinkle my nose. “That’s a thing?”

“Oh yes. It’s a thing.” Just as we enter the city, he pulls off the freeway and turns into the parking lot of a divey little diner. “And this place has the best peach cobbler in Louisiana. Wait here.”

He jogs inside, places his order to go, joins me again and then lays the warm box in my lap.

“It’s hot.”

“Yes, ma’am. And there’s a pint of vanilla ice cream in there too.”

We’re not far from his house, and he pulls into the driveway and escorts me to his door.

“I guess you’re not dropping me off at home.”

He turns the key in the lock and grins knowingly. “You’re a good guesser. Let’s go this way,” he says when I would head back toward the kitchen. “I haven’t had a chance to show it to you yet. I just finished it the other day.”

He opens a door, and my jaw immediately drops. “Oh, Declan.”

Chapter Eight

~Declan~

Her eyes are wide with wonder as she wanders around the music room, the dessert, and me, long forgotten. I hang back and gaze about the space with her, proud of the finished product. The walls are painted a soft grey with one wall lined with old grey barn wood. Antique brass instruments are hung on the walls, and the instruments I play are on stands, placed throughout the room.

But her eyes are glued to the piano in the corner, where wide windows look out over the back yard.

“You have a baby grand,” she breathes and gently runs her fingertips over the top of it.

Every move, every sound she makes is pure sex. I want to boost her up and take her right here, on this piano, but I have to reign myself in.

“Can I play it?” she asks without looking back at me.

“Of course.” I sit in a chair, giving her space, surprised that she plays. Not that I should be surprised; I never asked her. She opens the keys, settles her bottom on the bench the way she’s comfortable, and then begins to play a song that I played at the bar a few nights ago.

Funny, I was thinking of her when I played it. But that was on the guitar. The piano makes it softer, more romantic. She’s humming as she’s playing.

Jesus, I’ve never seen anything sexier than Callie in this very moment. I’d wondered how I would feel about having her around my family. Would it be awkward? Uncomfortable? I’d never taken anyone to family dinner before, but it was none of those things.

Callie was gracious and friendly, despite being nervous, which she’ll deny, but her sweaty palms didn’t lie. She charmed my family almost as quickly as she charmed me.

Even Ailish went right to her, and if seeing Callie holding a baby wasn’t a kick to the balls, I don’t know what is. How can I barely know this woman, and already be thinking of something… permanent?

I don’t do permanent.

While she plays, I pull the cobbler out of the bag, open it and the ice cream, and help myself. Good music and good food. I could live on this alone for about a week.

Suddenly, she stops and turns around.

“Hey! Don’t eat it all!”

“Don’t stop now, sweetheart. I’m getting food and a show. I’m never on this end of it.” I grin and take another bite, but she gets up and joins me, kneeling between my legs. “Oh, you want me to share?”

Her lips purse as she tries not to smile. “Yes.”

“Okay.” I scoop up a tiny piece of cobbler and hold it up for her. “This is all you get.”

She sticks that suckable lower lip out in a pout. “But I played you a pretty song.”

“Okay.” I add just a tiny bit more. “There you go.”

She eats it off the spoon, then takes the utensil from me, loads it up with a huge bite of cobbler and ice cream and holds it up for me to eat.

“Delicious.”

“See? I was generous.”

I nod and return the favor, then lean in and lick a drop of ice cream off the outside of her lips, making her purr in that sexy as hell way she does that makes my cock come to full attention.

Next thing I know, she’s taken the whole damn thing and is running out of the room and toward the stairs.

“Mine!” she shouts and squeals when she hears my footsteps behind her. I could easily catch her, but I let her run, enjoying the way her ass moves up the stairs. She runs into the bedroom, to the bathroom, and shuts and locks the door.

“Does this mean you’re not sharing?” I ask calmly, enjoying the fuck out of her.

“Not sharing,” she confirms, panting. “Mmm, it’s so good.”

“Callie?”

“I’m sorry, Callie’s not here.”

I chuckle, pull my pocket knife out and get to work on the lock. It’s easy to pick. Her eyes widen when I open the door. Her mouth is stuffed full of cobbler.

“I think you should share.”

“I mox daf,” she says around the food.

“I know you locked it,” I reply, advancing on her. “I unlocked it.”

“Rude.”

“Yes, you are.” She smirks and is about to put the last bite in her mouth, but I catch her wrist in my fist and quickly take the bite instead. “You’re also a dessert hog.”

“It’s your fault for only getting one.”

She wipes her mouth on a towel, stands, and smooths her hands down her shirt and jeans. “I’ll be going home now.”

I simply grin at her prim declaration. “No. You won’t.”

“No?”

I shake my head.

“What am I going to do then?”

I take her hand, the grin still firmly on my face, toss her over my shoulder, and slap her ass with a loud whack.

“Hey!”

“Did that hurt?” I ask, carrying her down the stairs.

“No. Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“You’re not taking me to bed?” I love that her voice sounds disappointed. I want her to crave me. To need me. Because I sure as fuck need to be inside her any chance I can get.

“Not yet.”

“Declan!” The frustration in her voice makes me laugh, and then she’s laughing with me. “You’re such an ass.”

“Yep.” I stop out on the back porch and set her down, then turn her to face the yard. “I wanted to show you this too.”

“Wow.” The yard isn’t huge, but the privacy fence keeps it quiet and free of prying eyes. “When did you do this?”

“I had it done last week while I was working on the music room. I’m not a landscaper, so I hired it out.”

She nods, steps off the porch and walks into the yard. She’s barefoot, and doesn’t even think twice about stepping into the grass. “I love the pond back here.”

“I’m going to stock it with koi,” I reply, walking a few steps behind her, my hands in my pockets. Why am I so nervous about this? Why do I so desperately want her approval? It’s not like I’m doing this for her. It’s for me, and, at some point, it might turn a nice profit.

Regardless of the reasons, I do want her to like it.

“It’s really beautiful, Declan. The crew you hired did a great job.” To my utter surprise, she sits down, right on the bare grass. “Sit with me.”

“Whatever the lady wants,” I reply and sit next to her, leaning back on my hands. We’re both looking up at the sky. “Even with the light noise of the city, you can see the Big Dipper.”

“I bet the stars are amazing out at the inn,” she murmurs. I glance over at her and take in the angle of her jaw, the curve of her neck as she continues to look up. Her shoulders are hunched up from leaning back on her arms. “I’ve never experienced a family like yours, Declan.”

Her voice is suddenly soft, and not a little sad. I want to wrap her up in my arms, but I also don’t want her to stop talking. “Most families aren’t like mine,” I murmur, eyes trained on the skies above.

“I didn’t think they really existed,” she says and I feel her turn her blue eyes to me. “I don’t know what it’s like to have that many people love me. And I don’t say that to sound pathetic, it’s just an anomaly to me.”

“I get it.” I shrug and pull my knees up, rest my elbows on them. “Having a big family is both a blessing and a curse.”

“How so?”

“There’s always someone else to blame when Mama gets mad,” I say with a grin and tug on a piece of her soft blonde hair. “The bad thing is, you can’t get away with anything. People are always telling on you.”

“When you were kids?”

I smirk and shake my head. “All the time. They’re all a bunch of pests.”

“And you love them.”

“Every last one,” I agree and sigh. “I’m sorry that you didn’t have the comfort of a loving family, Callie.”

“My dad loved me,” she says, carefully choosing her words. “And Mom did too, but when she passed away, Dad just couldn’t deal with it.”

“So you became the parent,” I say softly, and she simply nods. “You have Adam.”

“I do, and he couldn’t be more of a brother to me if we shared blood. I’m loved, Declan, I’ve just never seen the Waltons up close and in person.”

I laugh at the comparison and decide she isn’t far off.

“I didn’t know you were a twin,” she says.

“We are three minutes apart,” I reply, thinking of Van. “She’s older.”

“And you’re close.”

“We are,” I reply, nodding. “We were even roommates in college, along with Kate.”

“Eli’s Kate?” she asks, surprised.

“She was our Kate first,” I say and play with a strand of her hair. “She’s one of my closest friends.”

She’s staring at the sky again. The pulse in her throat is steady and delicate, and I can’t help but trace my finger over it softly, just to feel her skin.

“You’re beautiful.”

She rolls her head over to look at me with soft blue eyes. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

“I want to fuck you, right here, under the stars, but I don’t have any condoms on me.”

She frowns. “I have the birth control covered,” she replies, still looking me in the eye.

“Do we trust each other?” I ask. I’ve never, ever, had sex without a condom, and the thought of doing this with Callie… well, it would knock me off my feet if I were standing up.

She nods, a smile teasing her mouth.

“So, can I fuck you, here under the stars?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

***

She’s still sleeping. She’s warm and sweet, and snores like a lumberjack.

Bless her heart.

The sheets have slipped down to her waist, leaving me with a gorgeous view of her chest. Her breasts aren’t large, but they’re firm, and the nipples are small and pink. I brush my thumb over the tip and watch in fascination as it tightens.

Callie’s legs shift, she rubs her nose and opens one ocean blue eye. “’Mornin,” she mumbles.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Did I snore?” she asks right away.

“Not bad,” I lie easily. “And even if you did, it just means that you slept well, and that’s good.”

She frowns, her eyes still closed, and rolls toward me. “Need a shower,” she murmurs.

“Let me hold you for a minute first,” I whisper and wrap my arms around her, hugging her close. Her legs scissor between mine as she holds on, her nose buried in my chest. “You feel good.”

“Mmm,” she purrs. God, that purr of hers almost undoes me. “You’re warm.”

“Are you cold?”

“No, you’re just warm.”

I grin and plant my lips on her head, breathing her in. This not-so-little moment is one that I was talking to her about before. This is when I feel the most settled, where my spirit is calm, and the chaos of life is outside.

It’s the closest thing to bliss I’ve ever experienced. It’s even better than performing, and I didn’t know that was possible.

“Hungry,” she says against my skin.

“Get in the shower,” I say, pulling back. “You’re covered in grass stains.”

A slow, satisfied smile spreads over her gorgeous face, and I’m tempted to roll on top of her and take her again.

Jesus, I can’t get enough of her.

“I didn’t mind getting the stains,” she says, then rolls away and gives me a prime view of her naked ass as she saunters into the bathroom. “Find me food!”

“Yes, ma’am,” I reply and pull on a pair of basketball shorts before padding downstairs to the kitchen. I really am a shitty cook, so it looks like we’ll be eating cold cereal again, which she doesn’t seem to mind, but it still feels lame. I should be able to provide a heartier breakfast than this.

As I move about the kitchen, the melody of the Adele song that Callie played on my piano last night is stuck in my head, so I decide to go play it. It’s a beautiful ballad about being in love, and making the one you love feel it. It makes me think of Callie every time I play it.

The music room is washed in rich, gold sunlight this morning. I love this room. I sit on the bench and begin to play, and when the song is over, I start at the beginning and play it all over again.

The music washes over me, and I’m awash in Callie. Her smile, her laugh, her scent. Her skin.

God, her tattoos are beautiful. I want to know what they all mean, why she chose them, and why are they only on her left arm?

I hear a noise behind me, and without pausing, I turn to see her standing in the doorway, wearing one of my button-down shirts in blue. Her eyes are happy. Shining. Full of lust and mischief.

She slowly walks across the room to me, and as I’m playing the bridge of the song, she stands on the bench at my hip, balances on my shoulders, and turns to face me, then plants her perfect ass on the piano above the keys, her bare pussy spread before me at eye-level.

Holy fuck.

I love that she knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it. Or demand it.

I take my hands off the keys, but she slowly shakes her head no, a half-smile on her perfect pink lips, so I continue to play, starting the song over again at the beginning. She spreads her thighs wide, and drags a perfectly manicured forefinger from her wet opening to her clit and down again, then licks that finger clean.

Jesus, I’m rock hard and yearning for her, but she’s in control here. As my fingers move over the keys, she grips my hair in her fingers and guides me forward to her pussy, and I need no other invitation. I lick her, tracing the path of her finger a moment ago, then I suck on her clit, in tight, rapid pulses. Her fist tightens on my hair, and then it’s gone, and she’s leaning back on the piano, on her elbows, so she can still watch me.

She tastes so fucking good. Musky and sweet at the same time. I lick down to her lips, suck them in my mouth and fuck her with my tongue, lapping at her. Her head is thrashing and she’s mewling, her noises moving through my body and straight to my pulsing cock.

My fingers fumble on the keys. Fuck it. My hands grip her thighs and spread her wider as I push my face more firmly against her. She’s going to come. My hands scoop up her ass, pulling her against my lips, and she jerks violently, her heels making the piano shout loudly as she plants them on the keys and pulses against my mouth.

Finally, she melts back into the top of the piano, panting, moaning, shaking.

I pull back and watch my fingers gently pet her swollen pussy. She raises her head to look down at me, and seeing that look in her eyes sends me over the edge.

I stand abruptly, sending the bench over on its side, and I don’t care. I need to be inside her.

Now.

“Fuck me, that was hot,” I growl.

Chapter Nine

~Callie~

Hell yes, it was hot. Declan’s given me some pretty amazing orgasms, but I don’t think I’ve ever come like that.

I want to curl up in a satisfied ball and sleep like a kitten.

Instead, Declan grips my hips and pulls me off the piano, tugs me around to the side and bends me over it, so the very tips of my toes barely reach the floor.

I’ve never felt so small in all of my life. Because I’m not small. But Declan moves me around like I am, and I freaking love it.

“Do you have any idea,” he growls against my ear as he pushes inside me, and grips my throat with his other hand, tipping my head back. “Any idea how fucking amazing you are? Jesus, I can’t see straight.”

He’s keeping me pulled back against his chest, not choking me, just making sure I stay right where he wants me, his mouth is pressed to my ear, and he’s fucking me harder than he ever has before.

“Never stop wanting you,” he mutters, then groans when I tighten my pussy around him. He wraps my left leg back around his hip and finds my clit with his fingers, and proceeds to play it like he did when I was splayed before him, and that’s it. I can’t hold back.

“Ohmygod,” I cry as I tighten further and, unable to control any muscle in my body, I come around him.

“Oh fuck,” he growls and comes with me, pushing harder and deeper, until it just almost hurts, in the very best way.

He releases his hold on me and I collapse against the piano, gasping for air, drained of all energy. He’s gripping my hips, still buried to the hilt. Finally, he places kisses on my spine as he pulls out, then leads me out of the room.

“Where are we going?”

“We both need a shower.”

“I just took one.” He grins back at me, completely proud of himself.

“You need another one.”

***

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” I ask for the fourth time in fifteen minutes and hate the uncertainty in my voice. Declan just smiles and kisses my forehead before I lower myself into my car.

“You’ll have a good time. My sisters are fun. Plus, there are shoes involved, and for some reason, that makes women bond.”

“Kind of like football for guys,” I agree with a nod. “Okay, I’m gonna go, but just for a little while, so I don’t seem rude.”

“You have no reason to be nervous,” he says reasonably as he leans on my door.

“I’m not nervous,” I lie and square my shoulders. “It’s just shoes.”

“Exactly.” He leans through the open window and kisses me in that way he does that makes my toes curl, then pulls away and waves as I drive away.

I’m still not sure that this is a good idea. I’ve only officially met his sisters and Kate once, and intruding on their shopping time feels… odd.

But then again, there will be shoes, so who am I to say no?

I find a parking space quickly and knock on the locked door of Head Over Heels. Charly has pulled curtains over the windows to block the view of us drooling and making asses of ourselves over shoes, I’m sure.

“Hey!” Charly says as she opens the door. “You came! I’m so glad. Come on in, we have wine and food and shoes.”

“You just said my three favorite words,” I say as I follow her inside. “Hi, everyone.”

“Welcome! White or red?” Kate asks as she holds up two bottles.

“Red, please.”

“You got it.”

“It’s good to see you again,” Gabby says and pulls me in for a hug. For such a little woman, she sure is strong. Savannah waves with a big smile on her pretty face and then points down to her foot.

“What do you think of these wedges?”

“Hmm.” I study them as I take my first sip of wine. “Too clunky for your foot.”

“Told you,” Kate says smugly and clinks her glass to mine. “Van, you should stick with the classic heels. Your feet were made for them.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be classic,” she says with a frown. “Maybe I want to be daring and unusual.”

“Those wedges don’t say daring or unusual,” Charly says, but pulls a red box out of a stack. “But these might work.”

Van takes the box and smiles widely when she pulls out a pair of black peep-toe heels with little white skull and crossbones all over them.

“These are adorable!”

“The style fits you much better,” Gabby agrees and we all sigh when she steps into them and walks around the room.

“Those are sexy,” I say and sip my wine.

“Good. I’m going for sexy,” Van says with a firm nod. “Put these in my pile.”

“You got it,” Charly says and sets them aside. “Callie, what are you looking for tonight?”

“Nothing specific,” I reply. “I’m gonna poke through and I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Good plan,” Kate says with a nod and sips her white wine. “I’m looking for something sexy to wear in bed.”

“You wear shoes to bed?” Van asks in surprise. “Why?”

“Because they’re sexy,” Gabby says. “I never had before Rhys, but let me tell you, he’s very thankful when I do.”

“I don’t have anyone to wear sexy shoes for,” Charly says with a sigh.

“What happened to Harrison?” Kate asks, her nose wrinkled as if she smelled something bad.

“Not dating him again,” Charly replies dryly. “I mean, he didn’t even tap a toe when we heard Dec play.”

“He was pretty uptight,” Kate says with a nod. “Not really your type.”

“What is your type?” I ask and pull a pair of pink patent leather sling backs out of a box and almost die at how pretty they are. “Oh God, these are hot.”

“Put them on!” Gabby exclaims.

“My type doesn’t seem to exist,” Charly replies, eyeing the pink shoes on my feet. “Those, however, are your type.”

“Oh yeah,” I breathe and walk around the store in them, already in love. “These babies are going home with me. Now, back to you.”

“Charly likes the assholes,” Gabby informs me unabashedly.

“I do not,” Charly disagrees with a frown. “I just seem to find the assholes.”

“Tell me about this Harrison guy,” I urge her. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He wore khakis and a tie to your bar to watch Dec play,” she begins and I automatically don’t like him.

“Maybe he thought it would be a fancier place,” Van says reasonably, but Charly shakes her head no.

“That’s just what he always wears.”

“Always?” Kate asks and frowns when Charly nods yes. “I didn’t like that he wasn’t very gentlemanly. I mean, it was a first date, and he didn’t hold one door for you or offer to pay for dinner or your drinks.”

“I was mortified that Eli paid for everything,” Charly says with a sigh.

“He didn’t care about that,” Kate says and pulls out a pair of royal blue heels, then passes them to me. “These would look great on you. He just didn’t like Harrison.”

“Well, then it’s unanimous, no one likes him,” Van says and zips up a super hot pair of black leather knee-high boots. “We do, however, like these.”

“Indeed,” Charly says, admiring the boots. “I’ll sell out of those real quick.”

I drain my glass and walk to the counter to pour more. “Does anyone else want more wine?”

“Me!” Gabby says with a giggle and joins me. “This wine is pretty strong.”

“I hope you’re not driving home,” I reply with a smile.

“Nah, she’s staying with me tonight,” Van says and holds her glass out for more too. “We’ll call Uber.”

“Or Eli,” Gabby adds. “He can take us home when he takes Kate.”

“Yeah, that,” Van says and takes a sip of wine, then waves a hand. “Oh! I forgot! I brought food.” She runs into the back room, then comes back with a bag of chips and three containers full of different dips. “This will soak up some of the alcohol.”

“Good idea! I still have some paper plates back here somewhere,” Charly says as she disappears and comes back with a stack of plates and utensils.

For the next hour, we proceed to eat, drink and try on shoes. When all is said and done, I have four pairs picked out, but Van leads us all with six pairs.

“Now I need a man to impress with my new shoes,” Van says with a pout.

“You’re not ready for a man,” Charly says.

“How do you know what I’m ready for?” Van asks, slurring her words and pointing to Charly’s left. “Which one are you?”

“Over here.” Charly moves Van’s finger in front of her. “You told me you’re not ready.”

“I’m ready.” Van sniffs, her nose dripping from the hot jalapeño dip, and flips her dark hair over her shoulder. “I haven’t gotten laid in a long time, and maybe I just want to get laid. Laid.”

“How many times are you going to say laid?” Charly says and drains a bottle, not bothering to pour it into a glass.

Atta girl.

“I’ll say laid all day. Laid laid laid,” Van says and then snorts. “Some of you are getting laid. Even Callie is getting laid.”

All eyes suddenly turn to me. I look around, then simply drink the rest of my wine.

Oh God.

“You’re fucking Declan,” Kate says, pointing at me.

“Kind of,” I reply. God, I can’t feel my lips. What if they say stuff I don’t want them to? Dumb wine.

“You don’t kind of fuck, even I remember that,” Van says with a giggle.

“Well, I mean, she could be kind of,” Gabby says diplomatically. “I mean, maybe there’s just oral.”

“Oral doesn’t count?” I ask, surprised. “I thought it counted.”

“For the sake of right now,” Charly says and plops right down on the floor, “we’re gonna say it doesn’t count.”

“And please remember that he’s our brother, so we don’t want details, because ew,” Gabby adds.

“Um, well, um… yes.”

“Yes to what? Oral or everything?” Kate asks, leaning forward like she’s watching a riveting TV show.

“Everything,” I whisper. “Please don’t hate me.”

“Oh God,” Van says and waves me off. “We know that Declan has sex, but he doesn’t have sex with girls he actually likes. He’s a man-whore.”

“Savannah!” Kate cries and covers her face. “Don’t tell her that.”

“No, I know about his reputation,” I say with a shrug. “But he’s having sex with me, and he even takes me out on dates.”

All four women stare at me with glassy, round owl-eyes, blinking slowly.

“Wow,” Kate whispers. “So what are you gonna do?”

“Keep having sex with him?”

“No, like, after that,” Gabby says, petting a pair of suede boots.

“Sleep?”

“Okay, focus,” Kate says and takes me by the shoulders, looking me in the eye. “What is going to happen in the long term?”

“I don’t know,” I reply and frown. “That’s scary to think about.”

“Just be nice to him,” Gabby says. “Of all our guys, Declan is the most sensitive. It’s probably the artistic side of him.”

“I’m nice to him,” I reply. “I want to give him head, but he hasn’t given me a chance to yet.”

“Does he go downtown on you?” Charly asks.

“Hell yes. On pianos.”

“Wow,” they all reply in awe.

“Yeah. He has mad skills.”

“So, we’re a little drunk, and I really like you, but I have to say this part,” Kate says and pushes her red hair back over her shoulders. “Don’t be a bitch to him. Like, ever. Because we will kick your ass.”

“You’re pretty possessive for someone who isn’t related by blood.” I cock my hip out and brace my hand on it and try to look badass, but I’m pretty sure I’m failing.

“I like her,” Van says with a smile. “She has gumption.”

“I’m as close to blood-related to Declan as it gets,” Kate says and mirrors my stance. She looks more badass than I do, I’m sure. “I’ve known Declan for more than ten years, and he’s special to me.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“So don’t be a bitch.”

“But, what if it’s sometimes just in my nature to be a bitch, but it’s not on purpose?” I ask sincerely. “Because sometimes I just am.”

“That doesn’t count, because we all do that,” Charly says. “She’s talking about the on-purpose kind.”

“Oh good.” I sigh and smile. “I can do that.”

“I don’t want to stop drinking,” Van whines. “I feel good and I want to stay this way.”

“We can’t go bar hopping with a bunch of shoe boxes,” Gabby says.

“Leave them here and come pick them up tomorrow,” Charly says. “That’s easier.”

“We can go drink at my bar,” I offer without thinking. “On me.”

“You don’t have to give us free drinks,” Kate says.

“But if you really want to, who are we to argue? Let’s go!” Gabby grabs Van's and Charly’s hands and leads us out of the shop.

“Wait! I have to lock up!”

We wait for Charly to lock the door, and then the five of us stumble down the sidewalk to my bar, just three blocks over. When we file in and walk to the bar, Adam looks up and grins.

“Hello there, ladies.”

“Oh, you’re cute,” Van says and leans over the bar toward him, as if she’s going to tell him a secret. “I haven’t gotten laid in a long time, hot stuff.”

Adam laughs and pats her hand as Gabby tries to pull Van off the bar.

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’re too beautiful to not have all kinds of men knocking on your door.”

“Really cute,” Van says to Gabby and then giggles.

“Drinks are on us tonight,” I inform him and gesture toward the stairs to the roof. “We’re going up where it’s private.”

“I’ll have Jessica stay down here and I’ll go up and pour drinks for you guys,” he offers, and I simply nod and lead the girls upstairs.

“Oh, it’s so pretty up here,” Kate says, taking a deep breath. “Look! Café du Monde is right there! I want beignets.”

“Later,” Charly says and plops down in one of the plush couches. I turn on the gas fireplaces for light and heat and walk to the bar.

“Shall we keep drinking wine?” I ask.

“Shots first!” Gabby yells and runs to the bar just as Adam comes upstairs. “The hot guy can pour us shots.”

“The hot guy can,” Adam agrees and winks at her. “What’s your poison?”

“Tequila!” all of the girls exclaim at once, and before I know it, we’ve all had three shots and are nursing glasses of wine.

“We should totally drunk text the boys,” Kate says, pulling her phone out of her purse. “Eli will love it.”

“Good call!” Gabby says and pulls her phone out. “I’m telling Rhys that he needs to go downtown on me on a piano.”

I smirk and sip my wine, squirming a little in my seat as I remember the sex on the piano last weekend. Damn, Declan’s good at the getting laid stuff.

Too bad I’m not seeing him tonight.