“No.”
That was all Brick said and Juliet had to hide another grin.
Brick leaned over her. “You need anything, you get my attention. I’m going to be standing by the wall behind you. Elias is over there. Sterling on the other side of you.” They formed almost a triangle around her.
Sheesh, she wasn’t stupid. Of course, she remembered. They’d only spoken about it again before coming into the bar. She’d been here hundreds of times without incident.
As he settled against the wall behind her, Kiesha leaned over. “Is he just the bodyguard? Or is there something more going on?”
The others leaned in.
Shit. She was going to need something to give her some courage.
She slid close to her friend to whisper. “Pour me a drink and I’ll tell you.”
Kiesha’s eyes widened. “Holy. Shit.”
“What?” Isa asked.
“What is it?” Cleo demanded.
“Are you okay, Juliet?” Georgie sat next to her, looking concerned.
“Juliet wants a drink,” Kiesha stated.
Cleo and Isa just stared at her.
“So?” Georgie appeared confused.
“Juliet never drinks. Not once. Not ever,” Kiesha explained.
She blushed. She shouldn’t have asked.
“No reason why she can’t have one, is there?” Georgie asked.
Well, other than her medication. But one drink wouldn’t hurt, right?
Georgie poured her a glass. “Here you are. Go slow, though. If you’re not used to it, these concoctions of Noah’s can go straight to your head.”
Juliet was drunk.
Not just a bit drunk, but she was headed to completely intoxicated drunk.
Maybe he should have stopped her. He’d considered it. But she’d only had one and a half glasses.
His girl was a lightweight.
And yes, somehow, despite spending half her time giggling over nothing, she’d managed to slaughter everyone else at quiz night. Her team didn’t seem to do much but sit around and chat. While Juliet got every question right.
Damn, she was brilliant. That was sexy as fuck.
Elias stared over at him, wriggling his eyebrows as though to ask whether Brick was seeing the same thing he was.
Brick shrugged.
“And the winners are, Beersal Suspects!”
Kiesha and Isa jumped to their feet, high-fiving. Cleo continued to file her nails although she smiled. The sheriff’s woman was congratulating Juliet.
“Loki’s Warriors are defeated,” the big man across the room cried out. “The defeat is crushing.”
“Told you, Loki,” Kiesha said, shaking her head. “Face it. You’re never going to beat us.”
“I can do it. All I need to do is turn one of your own.” He spun towards Juliet.
Brick stepped forward, moving closer to Juliet. Not happening.
Loki climbed onto his table, then he dropped to one knee. “Marry me, Juliet. Run away with me. We’ll hide in the mountains where Reuben will never find us.”
The room hushed.
And his possessive instincts went into overdrive. Before he could stop himself, it barreled out of him.
“She’s taken,” he boomed into the silence.
Now the whole room was gaping at him as she turned to stare up at him in shock. Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have said that in front of half the town . . . but no, screw it.
“Oh fuck, if Reuben didn’t know before, he will now,” Kiesha said.
“I’m just glad I didn’t spend any time getting to know you,” Cleo added, not bothering to look up from her nails, “since you’re a dead man.”
16
Had he really just done that? Declared that she was his to all of Wishingbone? Okay, not the entire population. But about a lot of the town was here tonight.
Reuben was going to explode.
“Sorry I did that.” He crouched next to her. “Juliet?”
He was sorry? Because he didn’t mean it? Or because Reuben was going to murder him?
“Did you just say you were sorry you claimed her?” Kiesha scowled at him. “Why? Because you didn’t mean it?”
“No,” Brick snapped back. But he didn’t explain himself further. “We should have this conversation in private.”
“I don’t think so,” Kiesha said.
The other women all nodded and he noticed that the sheriff had moved closer with a frown.
Brick sighed and looked around. “I would rather get out of here, Duchess.”
“Duchess?” Cleo asked. “Why Duchess?”
“None of your business.”
Juliet frowned at him. These were her friends.
He grimaced. “Sorry. I don’t have the best social filter.”
“You want us to trust you with Juliet, then maybe you should start talking to us,” Isa pointed out.
“She isn’t going with you until we know she’s going to be okay,” Kiesha added.
“I would never harm her.” Brick gave them all an insulted look. Of course, he wouldn’t.
“Not physically,” Cleo said pointedly.
“Why did you claim her if you didn’t mean it?” Kiesha demanded. “We’re not going to let you play around with her feelings.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t mean it,” he told them. “Just that I was sorry for blurting it out like that. We’re meant to be going slow.”
She smiled at him. Or she thought she did. It was hard to tell when her face felt kind of numb. She pressed her fingers to her lips. They were definitely curled up. Oh good.
“Also, Juliet is capable of making her own decisions.”
They all gave him surprised looks while she sat up straight. She was capable, wasn’t she? And she would just have to tell Reuben that this was her choice. She was an adult. And he could just butt out. Okay, she wouldn’t say it like that.
She whispered to Kiesha, “Tell him I won’t let Reuben kill him.”
“She said that she won’t let Reuben kill you,” Kiesha repeated.
He eyed her. “Nobody is killing me. I’m guessing she doesn’t drink much?”
“No, never,” Kiesha told him. “But it isn’t because she’s drunk that she’s worried about Reuben killing you.”
“Yeah, you should be worried too,” Cleo told him dryly.
No, he shouldn’t. Because she would protect him.
Irritation filled his face. “I don’t know why you all have this strange fear of him. He’s just a man.”
Everyone stared at him.
“You’ve never met him in person, have you?” Cleo asked.
“No. I’ve talked to him, though. I’m sure he’s a reasonable man.”
The whole table, including her, gaped at him. She lightly patted his cheek. Good thing he was so damn sexy. She moved her fingers to his lips, trying to get them to turn up in a smile.
“Duchess, we need to get you home. You’re sloshed.”
“So, you really are claiming her and risking Reuben’s wrath?” Cleo asked.
“If he’s that upset, I’ll quit.”
No. He couldn’t quit. She didn’t want him to walk away. She sniffled.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere, Duchess.” He took her hands gently away from his face. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Wow, that’s so romantic,” Isa said on a sigh. She watched them with a dreamy expression on her face, her chin on the palm of her hand, elbow on the table. “Kiesha said you were a dick, but I think it’s just an act. You’re marshmallow on the inside, aren’t you?”
Kiesha snorted. “He’s not marshmallow.”
“I’m not marshmallow,” he stated at the same time. “Jesus.”
She had to giggle at the indignant look on his face. That was cute. Because he totally was marshmallow under the gruff exterior.
Big old marshmallow.
Hm. That made her want s’mores. Yum-yum.
“Juliet, you with me?” He cupped her face be
tween his hands.
Of course, she was, where else would she be?
“You know that it won’t matter to Reuben if you quit or not,” Kiesha told him. “Not with you playing hide the sausage with his little sister.”
“Juliet is an adult. He’ll respect her decision.”
Her friends all just stared at him sadly. Yeah, he was delusional if he thought that. In his defense, he didn’t know Reuben like the rest of them did.
“If I’m not working for him, I don’t see what his objection to me being with Juliet would be.”
Isa sighed. “If only you hadn’t declared it to the whole room. We could have kept this a secret, but someone is going to tell him.”
That was true. Darn it.
“I still think you’re all exaggerating.”
“When we were sophomores, we had this awful calculus teacher,” Cleo told him. “He was really mean. He told Juliet that she was dumb. The next week, these photos of him started to circulate. Pictures of him in compromising positions with the old lady of the president of a biker gang a few towns over. The gang rode into town and he was never seen again.”
“And you’re saying Reuben did that?” Brick asked skeptically.
“I’m saying he’ll do that and worse for his sister.”
Juliet studied him closely. Would that horrify him? Would he run? Most men wouldn’t want to risk being with her. Of course, most men wouldn’t get past the fact that she couldn’t talk to them.
Hm. She wondered if the alcohol would help her talk. Worked for Raj on The Big Bang Theory. She opened her mouth and tried to form words. Nothing happened.
“Duchess? You okay?”
“I think she’s trying to talk,” Kiesha said.
“Or she’s having a fit,” Cleo added.
“Or about to puke,” Isa supplied.
“Okay, that’s it. Come on.” Brick stood and held out his hand to her. As she stood, the whole world spun and she giggled. Brick leaned into her and she attempted to hold him up. Whoa, he was heavy.
“Duchess? What are you doing?”
“I think she’s trying to pick you up,” Kiesha said with a giggle. “Juliet, wanna dance?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Georgie said.
“No, it’s not,” Ed added. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Think you best get her home.”
Who? Her? Aw. That wasn’t fair. It wasn’t her bedtime. Did she have a bedtime? Who cared? She was a big girl!
“What is she doing now?” Cleo asked.
“Dancing?” Isa said skeptically. “I think.”
“Come on, Duchess.” Brick tugged her close and she spun out of his hold with a laugh, trying to move to the dance floor.
“Nope. You’re not going anywhere without me.”
Oh yay! He was going to dance with her. She hadn’t thought he’d be the dancing type. She grabbed his hands and started moving them back and forth.
Was someone watching her? She tried to look around, but all the faces were starting to blur together.
Hm. That felt weird.
“Duchess,” a low voice warned.
Ooh, that sent a shiver up her spine.
“We’re going home now.”
She shook her head. Whoops. More spinning. Bright lights. Fun!
Then she suddenly felt herself flying. Ooh, she could fly? She’d never tried to fly. Maybe she could be like Superman. She should totally try that. All she needed was a cape. Did she have a cape at home?
She put her arms out in front of her. She was totally going to fly!
“Juliet? Juliet, look at me.”
She tried to look at Ed, but he was kind of upside down. He leaned into her. “You okay going home with Brick, or you want to come with me and Georgie?”
She loved Georgie. And Ed. But she wanted Brick.
“I’m gonna fly, Ed,” she whispered to him as he bent down close to her mouth.
“No, sweetheart. You’re not.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Think you better go home with me.”
“No. Brick. Want Brick.”
“You sure? You’re drunk, you’re not exactly making good decisions.”
“Brick,” she whispered. “Mine.”
“Okay, sweetheart.” Then he disappeared. She thought he might have said something about flying. That reminded her. She was going to fly.
Whee!
Then something rocked her. Oh. That didn’t feel good. That felt like she might throw up.
“Careful you don’t end up with puke down your back,” someone said. Who was that? Who was going to throw up? Why would they do it down someone else’s back?
Why did she want to throw up? Where was she? Why was the ground moving under her? Was she flying?
“Better than her trying to fly her way out of here.”
That was Brick. Who was flying? Her? That sounded like so much fun. If she wasn’t feeling so sick.
Wait. What was that? There was a mighty fine ass right in front of her face. Well, she couldn’t let that go to waste, right? If someone was going to put their mighty fine ass in front of her, then she was going to squeeze it.
She grabbed it hard.
“Holy shit!”
She was jostled.
“What happened?”
“She just squeezed my ass.”
Someone started laughing and she smiled. She must have done a good job. She started hitting it. One-two. One-one-two-two. This was fun.
“Juliet, stop smacking my ass.”
But it was such a cute ass. But maybe she should go back to squeezing it. That was just as much fun. Squeeze. Slap.
“Thank fuck,” Brick muttered, then she was flying again. Whee! She came to a stop facing him. He still had a hold on her, so her feet dangled in the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
Did he want to dance?
“Duchess, I have to put you down in your seat.”
Seat? What seat? She stared behind her at Brick’s truck. Aww, she didn’t want to go home yet.
“Juliet,” he said in a warning voice.
She liked it when he called her Duchess. Reaching up, she attempted to get his lips to say the word.
“Maybe you best hop into the back with her,” someone suggested. “I don’t think you’ll like it if she starts doing that to one of us.”
Brick just grunted.
When he tried to move her away from him, she let out a protest.
“It’s okay, Duchess,” he soothed. “I’m just putting you in your seat.” He sat her down and pulled the belt over her.
Urgh, the seat belt was cutting right into her neck. She had already unclipped the belt by the time he got in the other side.
“Keep your belt on, Juliet,” he warned.
Duchess. She was Duchess. She frowned at him as he reached over to do the belt up again.
She reached down to undo it.
“Undo that belt and you’re going to bed with a hot bottom,” he whispered into her ear.
She leaned into him. Did he promise? Peering up at him, she realized how much she trusted this man. It was insane. She never trusted people. It took her a long time to let people close. What was it about him?
“What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
She shook her head as he wiped a hand over his face.
He was perfect. Perfectly perfect.
Huh, say perfect often enough in your head and it started to sound weird.
Oh. They were moving. Fresh air. She needed fresh air.
She hit the window button, lowering the window, then she stuck her head out into the cool air. That was good stuff.
“What are you doing? Get in here.”
Brick tugged at her, but she ignored him, opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out. She’d always wondered why dogs liked doing that. Now she got it. Maybe she could lean out of the window and pretend she was flying. She got up onto her knees and attempted to lean out.
“Sit on y
our butt. Right now.”
He was such a worrywart. He needed to stress less. Poor guy would give himself an ulcer. Or diarrhea.
“Juliet,” he warned, before grabbing her and pulling her back in. The window rose.
What was he doing? She glared at him. He pointed a finger at her.
Plop. Into her mouth it went. Hm. He tasted pretty good. She worked her tongue around his finger.
“Juliet, let me go.”
She munched on him lightly and heard him take in a breath. Oh. Was she hurting him?
But when she focused on his face, he didn’t seem to be in pain. Well, not exactly. His breathing was coming in fast pants.
Then he leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Fuck, you have no idea what you’re doing to me, do you?”
No. What was she doing? She swirled her tongue around his finger. To her surprise, he gave her another finger, pressing them into her mouth then out. A small groan erupted from him. Sterling turned from the front seat.
“Everything okay? How’d you get her to settle . . . okay, forget I interrupted.”
“She’s quiet, isn’t she?” Brick grumbled.
“Yeah, man. Like you’re not enjoying the hell out of that. It’s all to keep her quiet. Yep, I’d believe that if you weren’t steaming up the truck.”
“Shut up, Sterling,” Brick gritted out.
She jumped at the snap in his voice and stopped what she was doing. Was she annoying him? Hurting him? She never wanted to hurt Brick.
“Shh, baby,” he crooned. “You just go back to what you were doing. I’m good. You’re good.”
Was he sure?
“Suck on my fingers. That’s it. That’s my good girl,” he whispered in her ear.
The truck came to a stop, and she found herself sliding along the backseat of his truck, his fingers still in her mouth. Huh, when had he undone their seatbelts? Had she been wearing one? She hoped so. It was dangerous to drive without a seatbelt.
“Need help?” Elias asked.
“I got it,” Brick told him as he pulled her up against his chest. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, trapping his arm between them as she continued to suck on his fingers.
“Yeah, we can see that. Ouch, Elias, stop hitting me!”
“Leave them alone,” Elias replied. “We’ll secure the place. You take care of Juliet.”
Her Daddies’ Saving Grace Page 15