Everywhere and Every Way
Page 68
“Already done. I knew the cop was an ass. Anyone could see you’re as proper as they come.”
Morgan sighed. “Yeah, I know. Boring, right?”
Raven smiled. “You? Don’t think so. I have stellar instincts, and you’ve got more hidden layers than an onion, as Shrek would say.”
“Thanks.” Somehow the comment from such an interesting woman spiked her ego. “I do.”
“Which one’s yours?”
A glow settled over her. “The one on the right.”
Raven nodded with approval. “Good choice. Stay away from the one in the center. That man’s a heartbreaker.”
“Came on to you, huh?”
“Darling, he probably comes on to anyone with a vagina.”
She smothered a giggle at the accurate description. “Thanks for taking care of them.”
“Part of my job.”
Morgan headed over to the men. Heart pounding, she hoped they wouldn’t feel as if she was intruding on their private time. The need to check and make sure Cal was okay won over her nervousness, so she stopped beside them and laid a hand on his broad shoulder.
“Cal?”
He looked up. Those charcoal eyes lit up with pleasure, and without a word he reached up, tangled his hands in her hair, and kissed her.
The dim hoot from his brothers singed her ears, but she didn’t care. She kissed him back in full public view in the bar she’d gotten arrested in. And she loved every moment.
“Hey, baby,” he drawled. The slight slur told her he’d been drinking awhile. “What are you doing here?”
“My plans with Sydney got canceled. I wanted to come see you. Give you a ride home. Hi, Tristan. Dalton.”
Dalton treated her to a sloppy grin. “Morgan! Wanna drink with us?”
Tristan raised his glass. “Another bottle of Jack!”
She laughed. “No, thanks. Just think of me as your designated driver. Are you ready to go home yet?”
She had no problem letting them have their time with one another. As long as they were together, she’d wait till closing time to drive them home, so at least she knew they’d be safe. Raven strolled over and leaned her elbows on the bar.
“I’m out of Jack, gentlemen, so I’d advise taking the lady up on her offer.”
Tristan looked mournfully at the bottle. “It’s all gone.”
Cal nodded. “We drank it all.”
Morgan pressed her lips together. “You certainly did. I’m impressed.”
“Sh’okay. I’m ready to go.” He stumbled a bit getting up, but for a man who had downed a whole bottle, he was pretty steady on his feet. Tristan and Dalton got up carefully, swaying just a bit. “It worked.”
“What did?” she asked.
Cal gave her a beautiful smile. “I feel better. You’re pretty.”
Morgan linked his hand with hers and squeezed. “So are you.”
Dalton grinned at Raven. “You’re pretty, too,” he said. Raven laughed. “I’ll be back for my keys tomorrow, and maybe you’ll even give me your name. My name is Dalton. Dalton Pierce.”
Raven jerked back. Her mouth made a tiny little O, and shock filled her eyes. “Pierce?” she whispered. “Your name is Pierce?”
Dalton didn’t seem to notice her reaction. He slapped his hand on the bar. “Yes, sirree. This is Cal and Tristan. We own Pierce Brothers Construction. You’re pretty. I’d like to take you out.”
Morgan would’ve laughed, but Raven suddenly looked like she’d seen a ghost. She pressed her hand against her trembling mouth and gazed at each of them, a frantic look on her face. What had just happened?
“Raven? Are you okay?”
Raven backed away from the bar. Her voice turned to ice. “Get out of my bar.”
Morgan blinked. “But—”
She couldn’t finish because Raven turned and disappeared.
Dalton gave a longing sigh. “I don’t think she likes me.”
Morgan made a note to check on Raven later in the week. She didn’t know what had happened, but she didn’t have time to figure it out now. She led the men out of the bar and into her tiny sports car. Tristan’s head bumped against the roof, and Cal groaned as he folded his long legs up so his chin almost rested on his knees.
“Open the windows,” Dalton croaked. “All I smell is Tristan’s breath.”
Morgan hit the button and the roof rolled open. They breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and drove.
The stars streaked overhead, and the wind was warm as it whipped against her face and lifted her hair. She loved driving a convertible and the small sense of freedom it gave. Finally she pulled up to the mansion and helped them inside the house.
Balin and Gandalf leaped up, knocking down Tristan and unleashing an array of curses from Dalton as he fended off paws and licking tongues.
“They need obedience school, dude,” Dalton said.
Cal surrendered to the affection. “They flunked out twice. I don’t know what else to do. Someone’s gotta give them water. And walk them.”
“I’ll do it,” Morgan said. “Just tell me what to do.”
Dalton groaned. “I gotta go to bed. Night, guys.”
Tristan stumbled to the stairs, fingers pressing against his head. “Me too. I’m too old for this shit.”
“Night,” she called to them. She placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, what do I do for the dogs? How do I walk them?”
“You don’t. They’ll trample you. Just let them go potty down the path toward the woods.”
“Do I watch them? Or would they rather have privacy?”
He grinned. “Just let them do their thing. Then give them fresh water. I gotta sit.”
She led him to the couch and brought him a glass of water. “Here, drink this.” Once she was sure he wasn’t going to get sick, Morgan faced the dogs. Shaking with enthusiasm at the thought of a different routine, they waited. “Okay, pups. Let’s do this.” She opened the door and they bounded out with her, following her down the woodsy path they’d taken to get to the shed earlier.
Morgan dragged in a deep breath as the darkness closed over her, but the sound of paws in the brush and panting breath soothed her. Gandalf and Balin wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Gandalf squatted, then gave her a sidelong look of concern, so she turned her back and let him go without an audience. Balin kept sniffing and running ahead, leading her in a bit deeper.
Morgan sighed. “Yeah, I know. Boring, right?”
Raven smiled. “You? Don’t think so. I have stellar instincts, and you’ve got more hidden layers than an onion, as Shrek would say.”
“Thanks.” Somehow the comment from such an interesting woman spiked her ego. “I do.”
“Which one’s yours?”
A glow settled over her. “The one on the right.”
Raven nodded with approval. “Good choice. Stay away from the one in the center. That man’s a heartbreaker.”
“Came on to you, huh?”
“Darling, he probably comes on to anyone with a vagina.”
She smothered a giggle at the accurate description. “Thanks for taking care of them.”
“Part of my job.”
Morgan headed over to the men. Heart pounding, she hoped they wouldn’t feel as if she was intruding on their private time. The need to check and make sure Cal was okay won over her nervousness, so she stopped beside them and laid a hand on his broad shoulder.
“Cal?”
He looked up. Those charcoal eyes lit up with pleasure, and without a word he reached up, tangled his hands in her hair, and kissed her.
The dim hoot from his brothers singed her ears, but she didn’t care. She kissed him back in full public view in the bar she’d gotten arrested in. And she loved every moment.
“Hey, baby,” he drawled. The slight slur told her he’d been drinking awhile. “What are you doing here?”
“My plans with Sydney got canceled. I wanted to come see you. Give you a ride home. Hi, Tristan. Dalton.”
Dalton treated her to a sloppy grin. “Morgan! Wanna drink with us?”
Tristan raised his glass. “Another bottle of Jack!”
She laughed. “No, thanks. Just think of me as your designated driver. Are you ready to go home yet?”
She had no problem letting them have their time with one another. As long as they were together, she’d wait till closing time to drive them home, so at least she knew they’d be safe. Raven strolled over and leaned her elbows on the bar.
“I’m out of Jack, gentlemen, so I’d advise taking the lady up on her offer.”
Tristan looked mournfully at the bottle. “It’s all gone.”
Cal nodded. “We drank it all.”
Morgan pressed her lips together. “You certainly did. I’m impressed.”
“Sh’okay. I’m ready to go.” He stumbled a bit getting up, but for a man who had downed a whole bottle, he was pretty steady on his feet. Tristan and Dalton got up carefully, swaying just a bit. “It worked.”
“What did?” she asked.
Cal gave her a beautiful smile. “I feel better. You’re pretty.”
Morgan linked his hand with hers and squeezed. “So are you.”
Dalton grinned at Raven. “You’re pretty, too,” he said. Raven laughed. “I’ll be back for my keys tomorrow, and maybe you’ll even give me your name. My name is Dalton. Dalton Pierce.”
Raven jerked back. Her mouth made a tiny little O, and shock filled her eyes. “Pierce?” she whispered. “Your name is Pierce?”
Dalton didn’t seem to notice her reaction. He slapped his hand on the bar. “Yes, sirree. This is Cal and Tristan. We own Pierce Brothers Construction. You’re pretty. I’d like to take you out.”
Morgan would’ve laughed, but Raven suddenly looked like she’d seen a ghost. She pressed her hand against her trembling mouth and gazed at each of them, a frantic look on her face. What had just happened?
“Raven? Are you okay?”
Raven backed away from the bar. Her voice turned to ice. “Get out of my bar.”
Morgan blinked. “But—”
She couldn’t finish because Raven turned and disappeared.
Dalton gave a longing sigh. “I don’t think she likes me.”
Morgan made a note to check on Raven later in the week. She didn’t know what had happened, but she didn’t have time to figure it out now. She led the men out of the bar and into her tiny sports car. Tristan’s head bumped against the roof, and Cal groaned as he folded his long legs up so his chin almost rested on his knees.
“Open the windows,” Dalton croaked. “All I smell is Tristan’s breath.”
Morgan hit the button and the roof rolled open. They breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and drove.
The stars streaked overhead, and the wind was warm as it whipped against her face and lifted her hair. She loved driving a convertible and the small sense of freedom it gave. Finally she pulled up to the mansion and helped them inside the house.
Balin and Gandalf leaped up, knocking down Tristan and unleashing an array of curses from Dalton as he fended off paws and licking tongues.
“They need obedience school, dude,” Dalton said.
Cal surrendered to the affection. “They flunked out twice. I don’t know what else to do. Someone’s gotta give them water. And walk them.”
“I’ll do it,” Morgan said. “Just tell me what to do.”
Dalton groaned. “I gotta go to bed. Night, guys.”
Tristan stumbled to the stairs, fingers pressing against his head. “Me too. I’m too old for this shit.”
“Night,” she called to them. She placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, what do I do for the dogs? How do I walk them?”
“You don’t. They’ll trample you. Just let them go potty down the path toward the woods.”
“Do I watch them? Or would they rather have privacy?”
He grinned. “Just let them do their thing. Then give them fresh water. I gotta sit.”
She led him to the couch and brought him a glass of water. “Here, drink this.” Once she was sure he wasn’t going to get sick, Morgan faced the dogs. Shaking with enthusiasm at the thought of a different routine, they waited. “Okay, pups. Let’s do this.” She opened the door and they bounded out with her, following her down the woodsy path they’d taken to get to the shed earlier.
Morgan dragged in a deep breath as the darkness closed over her, but the sound of paws in the brush and panting breath soothed her. Gandalf and Balin wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Gandalf squatted, then gave her a sidelong look of concern, so she turned her back and let him go without an audience. Balin kept sniffing and running ahead, leading her in a bit deeper.
