“More like smart-ass. Gonna tell you once more, put Josie and Maddie in the column of un-fuckin-touchables. Right under Reilly, Saylor and Tessa. Yeah? Thought I made that clear at Thanksgivin’.”
“She wasn’t twenty-one at Thanksgivin’.” His brow furrowed. “Hey, d’you think it’s fucked up you’re closer in age to Maddie than to Chelle?”
This wasn’t the first time he’d been asked that, especially after Maddie recently turned a year closer to thirty. “No.”
Easy nudged him again. “Guess seasoned pussy’s better than unseasoned, right?”
“Brother, outta everyone, you’re like blood to me. But that blood could easily be spilled.”
Easy grinned. “Only fuckin’ with you.”
He wasn’t, but Shade let it slide. Especially since they both spotted Chelle walking toward them. Her hips weren’t quite as round as Cassie’s, but they still managed to draw attention. Too much for Shade’s liking.
“Fuck yeah,” Easy moaned. “Fuckin’ lucky bastard. Never thought I’d wanna MILF for my own, but I’m seein’ the error of my fuckin’ ways.”
“Get fuckin’ lost.”
Easy chuckled, gave him a chin lift, whispered something to Chelle in passing and then headed over to the bar to stand the minimum required distance away from Maddie.
Shade would still keep an eye on her. And him. Hell, all of his horny fucking brothers.
“Hi, handsome.”
“Hey, beautiful. You good?”
“Yes.”
The way she answered didn’t sound like it. He wondered if it had something to do with what Easy said to her. “Spill.”
Chelle took a breath.
“Chelle.”
“That one over there...”
She pointed to a sweet butt with long light brown hair. Young like the rest of them, except for Lizzy. He was surprised Josie and Maddie didn’t know Brandy. But maybe the girl hadn’t grown up in Manning Grove.
“Brandy,” he told her.
“Brandy asked if I breastfed you when you were a baby or if I gave you formula. I guess she was hinting that I’m old enough to be your mother.”
Shade blinked, then looked at Brandy, where she was standing behind the bar, now doing Jell-O shots with Lizzy and Ozzy. Ozzy seemed to be working the younger sweet butt with his rough charm, probably for a threesome later.
“Gonna handle it,” Shade murmured.
She grabbed his arm and shook her head. “No, I handled it.”
“How?”
“I told her I didn’t nurse you as a baby, but as a man you can’t get enough of sucking on my tits.”
His eyebrows shot up his head. “Used the word tits?”
She jerked up one shoulder. “I figured it was appropriate for the situation.”
He grinned. Yeah, it was. “Gonna make a great ol’ lady.”
She glanced up at him. “How am I not your ol’ lady yet?”
Fuck. Did she think she was? He shook his head. “There’s a process, beautiful.”
“I figured the process was done earlier.”
“When I filled you with my cum?”
Color shot into her face and she whispered, “When you moved in.” She pushed her glasses higher on her nose and fanned her red cheeks with her hand.
Yeah, he’d give her the cut the ladies got her Christmas morning. Earlier, she claimed wearing a “Property of” cut would look “badass.” He agreed. Especially if that was the only thing she was wearing.
Fuck yeah, he would fuck her in it tomorrow morning after she opened the present in private.
“We’ll get it sorted.” When she sank her teeth into her bottom lip, he stared at her mouth. “Wanna fuck you again.”
She quickly glanced around. “Here?”
“On the bar’s a good place.”
She whacked his arm. “Not funny.”
“Wasn’t a joke. So, what the fuck did Easy say?”
She shot him a bright smile. “That you’re a... quote... lucky fucker... unquote.”
“Yeah, I am.” He hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her into him.
She sighed, leaned back into his chest and pulled his arms tighter around her waist, keeping her hands on his forearms to hold him there.
She didn’t have to worry, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Cassie might give good hugs, but he preferred Chelle’s.
She nudged his dick with her ass. “Are you quietly having a fit about the interest your brothers are giving Josie and Maddie?”
“Ain’t you?”
“I figured you had that covered for me. As long as they don’t disappear from your sight, I’m good with them being here.”
He pressed his nose against the top of her head and inhaled the familiar scent of her hair. “You talk to Rick yet?”
“Mmm hmm.”
That answer didn’t sound promising. “And?”
“And he invited us over for Christmas dinner tomorrow night.”
That was unexpected. “Jude and me, too?”
“Yes, all of us.”
Thank fuck. “He gonna be a dick?”
She sighed, not one of contentment this time. “Probably.”
“Wouldn’t care if it was only me, but Jude...”
“It’ll get better.”
“If it don’t?”
“It’ll get better,” she said more firmly.
He hoped to fuck it did for Chelle’s sake.
Shade should make her wear her Christmas gift tomorrow night at dinner. Rick would probably love it.
He grinned and glanced around the room again, checking on her girls, checking once again on Jude. He spotted Trip and Stella standing on the other side of The Barn. Stella was being held by Trip the same way Shade held Chelle.
One of Trip’s hands was spread flat across Stella’s lower stomach. The man wanted babies badly with his ol’ lady. He never hid that fact.
The second Stella agreed, he’d get busy planting one in her belly.
Shade hoped to fuck for Trip’s sake Stella would agree soon. She was getting to the age where she needed to decide. Maybe that was why the Fury president was pushing the marriage thing, since that was the normal progression of making a family. First marriage, then kids.
Not that any of them in that room were normal.
Fuck. None of them were.
The Blood Fury was a patchwork of Fury blood and outsiders.
Like him. Like Jude.
Maybe not blood, but accepted all the same.
He’d found his family.
He’d found his woman. A woman who was helping mend his splintered soul.
Chelle turned in his arms and noticed whatever was on his face as he looked down at her. He usually hid his shit from everyone.
Everyone but her.
After a few moments of unspoken words between them, she pressed a hand to his gut under his cut. “Are you hungry?”
“Always hungry for you.”
Her eyes instantly heated. As did her cheeks. Again. He loved that even after being around his rude and crude brothers long enough now, she still blushed so easily. He hoped she never stopped.
“I meant food.”
“If I was a starvin’ man and had to choose between you and a meal, I’d choose you, beautiful.”