Page 22 of Ice Cold Hearts
I giggle then stop in horror as I glance at my shoulder. Quickly, I bend down and grab my jacket from where he threw it.
“You left a bite mark on my shoulder,” I scold as the car comes to a stop. “What are Ian and Oliver going to think?”
“I can tell you exactly what they’re going to think,” he says flatly.
“And what’s that?” I wonder.
Instead of answering right away, Alexei offers his hand and helps me out of the car at what I assume is the back entrance of the club.
He pulls me roughly against his chest and whispers in my ear, “They’re going to think that you’re even more beautiful after you’ve been thoroughly fucked.”
7
IAN
Iknow the minute Emily enters the club even though I can't see her right away. I track her path through the trail of heads she's turning. It's like watching flowers turn toward the sun. As she gets closer, I can see the wolfish desire on their faces and my hands itch for a weed whacker.
The only thing keeping them from reaching out and touching her is Alexei’s icy glare. Seeing him guide her through the crowd, keeping the assholes at bay, is the only thing that soothes the possessive monster in my chest. I watch as his hand glides down the side of her nearly transparent dress to splay across her waist in a show of ownership.
If anyone else had put his hands on her like that, I’d be in the tabloids for fighting… again. I glance over the table at Oliver, and the look on his face tells me we’re thinking the same thing. For tonight, at least, she’s our girl, and none of us plan to let some drunk schmuck take her away from us.
When she briefly meets my eyes, I can’t help but notice a glimmer of guilt in them. Is she regretting coming out tonight or is she feeling guilty for a more interesting reason?
Oliver and I stand up when she reaches the table. Emily smiles gratefully up at us but looks away immediately. As she slides into the corner of the booth, her jacket slips off her shoulder. I catch a glimpse of a bite mark just below where her shoulder meets her neck before she hastily tugs it back into place.
That explains the guilty look. We’ll have to fix that if this lasts more than a night.
I rack my brain for a way to gently bring it up without making her feel on edge.
“Looks like you two had some fun on the way here,” Oliver says, winking at her.
I feel Emily stiffen next to me.
“I… I…” She trails off, staring into her lap.
So much for subtlety.
My head drops into my hands and I massage my temples. When I finally look up, I see Alexei is glaring at Oliver, who currently bears a strong resemblance to a kicked puppy.
“Damn it,” he says softly. “I’m sorry, Emily. I was hoping to make you laugh. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you.”
“You idiot,” I snap. “This is new for her. She was clearly nervous walking in, and the best thing you could think to do was pick at her.”
“I thought trying to lighten the mood was a good move,” Oliver says, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Clearly not,” I growl.
“Stop it, please,” Emily begs.
Even though her voice is barely above a whisper, we all freeze.
Alexei sighs. “Clearly, we’ve got some things to talk over before we start our night. Why don’t we start with some drinks?”
“And nachos,” Oliver pipes up. “What?” he adds after I glare at him. “Nachos make everything better.”
As I open my mouth to argue, Emily laughs and relaxes next to me, so I think better of it.
“Nachos too, then,” Alexei adds dryly. “Anything else?”