Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable Book 7)

by Heather Long

  “Thank you, Rachel, I appreciate the feedback.” Ian’s slow smile had me biting back a grin as Rachel considered the other guys.

  Archie raised his eyebrows, and I could practically see that vicious tongue of his prepping, but Rachel surprised me. “Arch, you kicked ass with booting your dad out of Standish. Hats off, man. Remind me not to piss you off. At least without being prepared.”

  He laughed. “Maybe next time, I’ll call you in for backup.”

  “Huh, I might answer that call.”

  Pressing my thumbs to my lips, I kept my hands clasped together as Rachel squinted at Jake.

  “Great restraint today, I think anger management is really working for you.”

  Jake frowned. “Great restraint where?”

  “At lunch, you didn’t knock those freshmen on their asses. Good stuff.” Pivoting she looked at Coop. “You don’t stink.” With that, she whirled to me all smiles. “There, I was nice.”

  Except now Jake was squinting at her and then over at the guys mouthing ‘freshmen?’ And I’d bet money there had been no freshmen but there might be.

  “Yes, you were nice,” I said. “Within reason. Now, true or false, do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend or both that you would like to have join us for a special event?” I’d been dying to ask her, but I wanted to ask her in person and the boys promised to not let it slip, particularly after how enthusiastic I had been about thanking them.

  A week of almost nothing while I convalesced made me very horny. Good to know.

  “Girl, you have a busy enough dating life, you do not need to worry about mine.”

  I made a face. “Rachel, I’m not asking for top secret data. Just yes or no?”

  “No.”

  I frowned. “But I thought…”

  “It’s done.”

  “But…”

  “It was an experiment, it’s over. Nothing to see here. So, I’m free and clear. You may run away with me now.”

  Coop made a negative bzzting sound that earned him her middle finger. Pleased with her response, he fist-pumped.

  I made a face. It was a good thing I loved them all.

  “Whatever this thing is that you think I need a date for, I can borrow one of your guys, right? Or better, you and me can pair up.” But behind that smirky smile and teasing look were shadows, and they were making me crazy.

  I wasn’t going to push it, not in front of the guys.

  “That would be a negative, Ghost Rider,” Jake said. “Frankie’s very much taken. Coop can be your date.”

  “Hey,” Coop said. “Don’t I get a say?”

  The guys started ribbing each other, but I focused on Rachel. “You don’t need a date, but you absolutely have to come with us and you can’t tell me no. I want you there.”

  “Done. Where are we going?”

  “The Torched concert with backstage passes.”

  Everything in her expression froze, and then Rachel did the last thing I’d ever expect—she burst into tears and hugged me so tight, I couldn’t breathe.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It’s My Birthday

  Frankie

  My birthday fell on a school day. That was fine, it was also…bizarre. All week, awareness of the approaching day had been like a buzz under my skin. The guys surprised me with concert tickets. The fact we’d seen Torched in Colorado in no way diminished the fact we’d get to see them here. Archie had gotten us backstage passes and scored an extra couple so we could take Rachel and her SO.

  Her tears when I told her had stunned me, and I’d never seen the guys move so fast. I swore they left cartoon like vapor trails as they scattered. Thank God they’d been happy tears. When Rachel realized she’d scared the guys off, her laughter had been epic. By unspoken accord, the guys never mentioned her tears, only asking me if she was okay and whether or not they needed to beat the shit out of someone.

  I really loved them.

  The plan, because of course they had a plan, was school—because blowing it off wasn’t an option after my rather spectacular head cold—followed by grabbing food and then hitting the concert. Archie and the guys wanted to do a big splashy dinner the next day, and apparently, something else fun. The weekend, apparently, was going to be my birthday weekend.

  No complaints from me. I just loved that I got to spend it with all of them and that they’d included Rachel. I’d missed her the last few weeks.

  I woke up so early, it was still dark outside. Coop and Jake were both sound asleep on either side of me. Ian and Archie had crashed in the other room the night before. The best part of my day was having them all here. Maybe I was turning into a total sap, because I loved the fact they all stayed here. Every once in a while, I got an evening to myself. But even if I went to bed alone, I was never alone when I woke up.

  Jake’s arm was wrapped around my middle, and I had my back flush against his chest. We were even sharing the same pillow, and the tickle of his breath on the back of my neck made me smile. Though his face was hidden in the shadows, Coop faced me, one hand over mine where it rested on him.

  The cats—two of them at least, I’d bet Tory had gone to sleep with Ian—were crashed out on the bed with us. Tiddles and Tabby were sleeping in the dip between my legs and Coop’s. It was just warm, familiar, and safe.

  And I’m eighteen.

  Just like that.

  I went to bed seventeen and woke up eighteen.

  It was just another day, and at the same time it was… How long had I been waiting for this?

  Emancipation had freed me from Maddy. Since that day at Standish, I hadn’t seen or heard from her. As glad as I was for that, I couldn’t help the twinge in my gut. When I was little, she would come in here on my birthday morning and tell me the story of the day I arrived in her life.

  She’d always made it sound like a huge event. How she’d paced uncomfortably the day before. How she’d gone to bed aching, woke up an hour later with cramps. How she finally decided at midnight that she should call the doctor. They told her to go straight to the hospital, and she’d called a taxi to pick her up because she didn’t think driving would be a great idea.

  Then once she got to the hospital, her water had broken and what should have been a swift labor took all day. The staff had been attentive, holding her hand, sharing stories with her. They’d made her feel special, especially when she said she’d been there alone. Then I arrived, perfect. I looked like her even then, and from the moment they put me in her arms, it was her and I against the world.

  Recounting the story, even in my own head, seemed anticlimactic. Maddy had stopped bursting into my room to tell me that story after I turned fourteen.

  Made sense.

  That next autumn, Archie arrived.

  I thought it had more to do with high school, and I was being silly for missing it. She could be distant and volatile, but that one moment… I could still treasure those, even if they had probably been more about her than me. And enough about Maddy. Today was not about her. We had five weeks if that left of school, everything was about AP exams and getting ready for graduation, then we would spend our summer… Hell, I didn’t even know what we were going to do this summer.

  With care, I eased out from under Jake’s arm and then slid out from the covers and off the bed. I’d gotten pretty good at disentangling myself, because I always ended up sleeping in the middle. No complaints, seriously. But a girl still needed to pee, and sometimes imagining the Mission: Impossible theme as I worked my way out amused me.

  The cats followed me, the boys did not. After I peed, I washed my hands and face, then brushed my teeth. We’d all showered late last night and I’d probably shower before the concert, so I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail before padding my way to the kitchen.

  There were little signs everywhere of the guys. Game controllers on the coffee table. Jackets on the back of chairs. Backpacks scattered around the room. Sheet music on the side table. Ian’s guitar sitting on a stand next to my own. T
he kitchen had similar touches. Pictures of us on the fridge held there by quirky magnets that just kept showing up, not that I was complaining. The little white board with notes, like what we needed from the grocery store, and all the takeout menus that officially had their own little drop box that Archie had stuck up there.

  The kitchen table sported different things, including Jake’s watch he’d taken off before helping with the dishes and the European history notes we’d been quizzing each other on. There was also a single rose in a vase with a card sitting in front of it.

  That had not been there when I went to bed.

  I waited until the coffee was brewing and the cats were fed, since they were cheerfully scolding me for taking so long, before I slit the card open. The front of the card was roses, chocolate, and wine with the words, The best things… I opened it to the rest of the message, …become more valuable as they age.

  I chuckled. The sentiment was cute, but the actual note inside made me swoon.

  Our darling Frankie,

  We debated four cards, then we debated the message, we even debated whether to leave it for you to find in the morning or giving it to you ourselves. What we decided, however, was that since we love you together, we’re going to celebrate you together. You’re the best friend we’ve ever had, whether it was beating up punks on the playground, saving our lives with homework, making us smile with how you love to play, or just challenging us to be better because you only deserve the best.

  This last year has been hard. For you and for us. It pushed us in all the right ways though, because look where we are! There is no place any of us would rather be. This is not our first birthday spent with you, but it is the first birthday of yours where we get to say we are celebrating our girlfriend.

  Ours.

  We cannot tell you how much it means to us that you not only wanted to date, but that you wanted all of us. We love you and we love having you. Even more, we love celebrating with you. So this weekend is not only all about you, it’s all about us loving you. So brace yourself, babe, we have plans.

  It was signed by all of them, and there was a hastily scrawled addition below their names.

  P.S. I know I’m still your favorite - Coop

  I burst out laughing and hugged the card to myself, even as I blinked back tears.

  “Coop might think he’s your favorite,” Archie said softly from behind me. “But you don’t have favorites.”

  I pivoted and found him leaning against the doorframe, his hair disheveled and dressed only in a pair of boxers. The rest of him just looked edible. “Hey.”

  “Hey, birthday girl,” he murmured as he headed for me. I met him halfway and wrapped my arms around his neck, even as he slid his around my waist. He brushed a sweet, light kiss to my lips before hugging me tight. “Have I told you I loved you since you turned eighteen?”

  “I might have read that,” I teased him, and he chuckled. He pulled back and then wrapped something around my neck and clasped it. The metal was cool against the back of my neck. “Archie.”

  “Birthday girl gets what she wishes,” he teased as he smoothed down the chain. “This is a gift that made me think of you instantly and what you do for us.”

  Glancing down, I found the infinity pendant in his palm as he held it up for me to see. The rose gold metal was soft and almost luminous in the half-light of the kitchen. The huge emerald in the center though had me catching my breath. Holy crap.

  “Archie,” I said, repeating the earlier sentiment.

  “It’s nowhere near as valuable as you are,” he told me and traced his thumb around the double infinity loops. “This has been a bitch of a year, babe. Probably some of the worst and best moments happened during it. From when you shut us out to when you let us back in to when you said yes to dating to when you said yes to me.”

  Emotion clogged my throat as he pressed the pendant against my chest.

  “Seventeen got off to a rocky start for you.” He didn’t have to explain why. It wasn’t long after that birthday that Rachel dropped that bomb on me. “It kept trying to suck you under.” When he cupped my nape and tilted my head so he could brush another kiss against my lips, I sighed. “You didn’t sink.”

  “None of you let me,” I reminded him.

  “You didn’t need us, babe. You are fucking amazing, but that will never ever stop me from wanting to be there and throwing you life line after life line. Because that’s exactly what you do for us. You push me to be better…”

  “Archie…” I choked out his name this time as tears welled. “You’re going to make me cry.”

  “Can’t have that,” he whispered, but it was all there in his face. “Happy birthday, babe.”

  Then he claimed my mouth for a long kiss that had me arching up on my toes and clinging to him.

  “Damn, I’m glad you two turned out to not be related,” Jake drawled from by the door. “’Cause that’s hot as sin. Not that I wouldn’t have gone for the taboo if I’d had to.”

  I don’t know which of us started laughing first, but I managed to flip Jake off before Archie did, so I’d take that as a win. Archie gave me a gentle nudge as he let me go, and I skipped over to give Jake a good morning hug. He picked me right up and claimed my mouth in a kiss that left me panting and ready to wrap my legs around him.

  “We still have school, Don Juan,” Coop said as he smacked Jake on the back. “And lemme have her. I need to give her my birthday kiss, too.”

  My nipples were so tight they hurt when Jake let me go, but instead of backing off, he sandwiched me right up against Coop and started kissing the back of my neck while Coop devoured my mouth.

  “Oh, I can already see this is going to be a problem.” Heat flushed me from head to toe, but when Coop tugged me away from Jake and then turned to pass me to Ian, I just sighed. “Happy birthday, Angel.”

  They all tasted minty. Every single one had hit the bathroom before coming out here, just like me, and kissing them was better for my wakefulness than coffee. As it was, I sighed against Ian’s mouth as his tongue plunged against mine, teasing and coaxing. With warm hands, he cupped my ass and lifted me until I could wrap my legs around his hips.

  “Hey,” Jake called. “Don’t start something we can’t finish.”

  Ian chuckled against my lips as I groaned. “Pretty sure I wasn’t the one that got her all wound up.”

  Somehow, I found myself sitting in Ian’s lap with my back to his chest and my legs spread open and hooked over his thighs.

  “And I don’t think it’s remotely fair to send the birthday girl to school all needy and wanting.” The press of his erection against my ass had me wiggling, but the lightest of slaps against my hip stilled me. I leaned my head back to find him looking at me. “Be a good girl, and I’ll take care of that for you.”

  When he slid his hand over my tank and cupped each breast, I groaned. Using both hands, he massaged them, flicking the nipples through the shirt until all I wanted to do was squirm. Sitting still was torture. Ian sucked against my earlobe as he dipped one hand between my legs and under the sleep shorts.

  “Someone’s very wet,” he murmured as he pressed one finger against the labia and began to rub it back and forth along the slit, not quite touching anything. A moan slid out of me, and a sharp inhale had me opening my eyes.

  Coop, Jake, and Archie all stared at me with hot and hungry eyes, and I’d barely registered that when Ian caught my clit between his thumb and forefinger, the pinch adding a sharp bite of pain, and then pleasure swamped me as he began circle the bud, pressure tipping me right over the edge.

  I came, hips thrusting up against his hand the whole time as I stared at the guys, and holy crap. Ian petted me through it, slowing his caresses until I just lay there trembling. Bliss was a real place.

  He nipped my ear again. “Better, Angel?”

  “Oh, yeah.” My heart hammered, and my legs were like putty. Ian was licking his fingers, and when he pressed one against my lips, I opened up to suc
k it clean. Archie let out a little curse and raked a hand through his hair. It was hard to miss the array of erections visible.

  They were all so pretty.

  All so mine.

  “Coffee is ready for you, babe,” Archie told me as he crossed over to where I was melted against Ian, and he shocked the hell out of me when he replaced Ian’s finger with his lips and kissed me like he was trying to pull the taste of me from me. “I need a cold shower.”

  “Shit,” Jake swore, following right behind him. “Me too.”

  “I can live with my boner,” Coop called after both of them, and helpless laughter rushed up through me, along with heat flushing my cheeks. “Besides, Bubba’s right—the only one who doesn’t suffer today is you.”

  “What if I don’t want you to suffer?” I dared him, and he put a hand over his dick in his boxers.

  Not missing a beat, he said, “Birthday girl gets what she wants.”

  A shiver worked through me, and I glanced up at Ian.

  “Whatever you want, Angel,” he promised me, and I slid out of his lap on shaky legs, trembling as I moved to kneel between his thighs. But first, I tugged off the sleep shorts, and then I worked to free Ian’s erection. Wrapping my hand around it, I glanced over my shoulder at Coop and wiggled my ass.

  Bless him for reading my mind, because I’d barely closed my lips over Ian’s tip when Coop began pressing inside of me. I was already soaked, thanks to Ian’s generous orgasm-inducing play, so Coop didn’t have to take much time to thrust deep. I groaned as I swallowed around Ian’s cock. I began to suck, lick, and stroke like it was my favorite treat.

  When he fisted my ponytail and gave it just a bare tug, I went loose. If he wanted to control it, I’d happily give him that. With gentle force, he urged me to move faster, and I softened my mouth so he could thrust deep. He always pulled back just as I began to gag. Coop held my hips as he powered into me. It was fierce, and every sharp push scraped more stars out of me. I was clenching around him, even as I kept swallowing.