Page 89 of Lesson In Honesty
“Then why are we going backwards?”
“Give me a second, damn it. It’s not like these things have interior lights so I can see the fricking controls.” Mack muttered under his breath. “The next time Evander has the bright idea to build a BDSM club with open walkways, convince him to choose somewhere warm like the goddamn Bahamas.”
Liam chuckled. “I had no input into the location. My role is bartender and manager, that’s all. I’m sure he’d listen to your complaints if you want to write him a note.”
The quiet purr of an electric motor entered her peaceful bubble, followed by a triumphant “Aha!” from Mack. A moment later, the brisk chill on her skin was accompanied by the rush of wind through her hair.
For an eternity, she hovered in her sanctuary, using Liam as a giant hot water bottle. As the minutes ticked past, the cold began to rouse her, making true sleep elusive as she fussed and fidgeted to keep warm.
“Almost there, pixie.”
Where was there?
Moaning, she wiggled and stretched. The cold hit her teeth when she yawned, seared her throat as she breathed deep. “Bedtime, Daddy?”
“Sorry, babygirl. It’s nearly time to wake up properly.”
“Ugh.”
The relentless whirr of the motor slowly died, and the breeze stopped.
She willingly latched on to Liam as she was cradled securely on his hip yet again and carried. This time out of the bitter chill into blessed, skin-tingling warmth.
Sierra sniffed, catching the scent of various aftershaves and a whiff of woodsmoke. Fighting to open her eyes, she found herself on her feet, swaying as she was stripped down to her underwear.
Yawning again, she gripped Liam’s arm and managed to blink until her eyes took the hint and stayed open. Her mouth froze in theOposition.
Taking a hurried step back, she tripped over her own stupid feet. “What the hell is this?”
Liam kept her upright. “Intervention, minx.”
Oh boy, she wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for this kind of intervention.
Masters Merrick, Fordham, and Levi stood around the flickering flames in the firepit of Levi’s home—no wonder it took so long to get here; his studio-slash-house was at the very edge of the club property line, overlooking a freaking valley.
They waited patiently, bare arms folded over equally bare chests, and they did not look happy. She sensed their displeasure as though it was a tangible wall just on the verge of collapsing and crushing her under the weight.
Mack was peeling off his upper layers, his boots already cast off to one side. When his torso was delightfully naked, he moved to stand beside Merrick.
One thing was for sure—she was well and truly awake now.
“You seem to find it difficult to understand the lengths people who love you are prepared to go, Sierra. Every time we make progress, something undermines it and sets you back. Why?” Liam released her, yanking his sweatshirt off and tossing it aside.
Christ, he expected her totalk?
Seriously?
“Ack,” was the best she could manage.
“I think he wants an answer, pixie.”
Another strangled noise escaped her.
“The lesson in honesty is ongoing,” Liam warned her. “Why do you let people steal your confidence? I’ve shown you how much I love you. Mack’s proved how attractive he finds you. Your friends tell you in so many ways how much you mean to them. Yet we end up in an episode like tonight.”
Mortification erupted, sending blood rushing up her throat into her cheeks and ears. Surely, please, he hadn’t told these Masters what state of mind she’d been in less than an hour ago? How low she’d sunk.
No, not Liam, she realized. He hadn’t had the time or opportunity.