Page 70 of Their Starlight
“What about me and Elle?”
I stroke his hair again. “You were right,” I say with a wry smile. “I quite enjoyed sharing.”
His smile is infectious before he bends down to kiss me again. “Fuck, I’m so fucking happy.”
“Me too.” It’s the truth, my smile won’t leave my face.
“But you should know…” Hayden starts kissing down my neck.
“Hmm?”
“I won’t be a bottom every time.”
I chuckle, pulling him back up to face me. “I’ll give you everything you need. Just give me time, okay?”
“All the time you need, handsome,” he winks before working his way down my body again.
36
BRENT
What the hell am I doing?I stop the car outside the large yet modest house that I have thought of as home all my life. Turning up for Sunday lunch with a girl is going to send Mum all sorts of wrong messages. I should leave, take Elle back to the apartment, then come back. Mum won’t mind if I’m late, she’ll just be pleased I showed up. The thing is, when I saw that guy put his meaty paws on Elle and her subsequent panic, I saw red. I’ve been trying to calm myself for sixteen hours but I’m barely holding it together. No one gets to touch my girl.
Wait, what?Not your girl, idiot. She’s Lance’s. Even if they never get together again, I can never have her. Still, anyone else touches her without permission, I’ll rearrange their face. That guy from last night was only safe because of the crowd and because my priority was getting Elle away. I have this uncontrollable need to stay close and keep her safe, which is why I came up with this ludicrous idea of bringing her to Sunday lunch. She looks cute today too, in a loose-knitted, stripey jumper over skinny jeans. She’d obviously showered at the gym as her hair is wet and braided, and she has applied a minimal amount of makeup to her gorgeous face.
Elle looks around at our surroundings as I cut the engine but doesn’t question where we are. “What does Ruby do exactly? I thought she ran the gym, but she said Briggs keeps sleeping with her clients, and he said they were women but everyone in that gym was definitely male.”
“She does run the gym, but she has a personal security firm too. Briggs is one of the team, most of the guys in the gym are on her team.”
“Oh,” she says absently, staring out the window towards Mum’s house. “Is she some kind of gang leader? Like Lance?”
I stare out the windshield, it’s still strange for me to divulge this kind of information to Elle. “Her father was, some shit went down a couple years ago that put him in prison. She didn’t take over his territory, so it’s uncontrolled right now. She’s trying to live a semi-legitimate life.”
“Semi-legitimate?”
My lips twitch. “Some of her methods of protection may not be entirely legal. But she genuinely helps people.”
Elle nods as though deep in thought before she switches topic. “Where are we?”
I clear my throat. “Uh, my Mum’s house.”
She snaps her head to me, her shock evident. I don’t give her time for more questions—or myself time to change my mind—I’m out the car and rounding the bonnet to open her door in a hurry. For the second time today, I take Elle’s small hand in mine, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and imagining how soft she’d be all over. I lead her up the drive, which is already full of cars, to the front door that opens before I can reach the handle.
“Uncle Brent, tell George that Batman would beat Ironman in a fight,” my nephew shouts, even though we are a few steps away. His little cheeks are red from obvious frustration.
“Sorry, mate, I honestly don’t think I have the expertise to weigh in on this argument.” I pull Elle into the hall after me.
“Hey, who are you?” Brayden says, screwing his face up looking at Elle.
I flick him lightly on the back of his head, “Hey, manners.”
He gives me an apologetic look before turning his attention to Elle. “Sorry. Hi, I’m Brayden, what’s your name?”
“Hi Brayden, I’m Elle.”
“I’m George!” my other nephew calls from halfway up the stairs, waving excitedly.
“Twins,” I tell Elle as she looks back and for the between the two boys. They don’t look too similar but both have rusty red hair like mine and their mother.