Scanning the room again, I stop and watch Kai hold his son, Maxim, close to his chest as he feeds him, and then I watch as his eyes soften and a smile twitches his lips when Myla throws back her blonde head, laughing at something Frank says to her. Kai and Myla fit perfectly; she’s the soft to his hard, and you can tell just by watching him that he knows what kind of beauty he has in his grasp and that he would die before allowing something or someone to take that from him.
Pulling my gaze from them, my eyes land on Autumn and I smile, and she returns it then tips her head back toward her husband, Kenton, when he leans over the back of the couch. He bends toward her, placing his mouth close to her ear so he can whisper something to her. Watching a smile form on her lips, I curiously wonder what he said, and then I watch her mouth soften and her eyes pull back to meet his. His hand moves to her lower jaw and his mouth drops to touch hers.
Dragging my eyes from them, I take another sip of coffee. I learned from Sven when he introduced me to everyone that his best friend, Asher, is also Kenton’s cousin. I could see this, since I had seen pictures of Asher and knew that he was very good-looking, just not as gorgeous as Sven. Though I’m sure me being in love with Sven has some effect on that decision, still, the family resemblance was there.
“You okay?” Sven asks, taking a seat next to me, and I turn my head to look at him.
“Yes, everyone is really nice, and Myla and Autumn are both very sweet,” I tell him quietly as he places his hand around the back of my neck so he can pull me closer.
“They’re good women,” he mutters back just as quietly.
“Kai and Kenton are both really nice too—a little scary, but really nice,” I confide, and he smiles then leans in to press a kiss to my forehead, not replying to that comment. “What is going to happen now?” I ask on a whisper, pulling back to search his face. Having eaten a huge breakfast with everyone laughing and joking, this whole thing feels like a few friends getting together for a weekend of hanging out. It doesn’t at all feel like the men in this room are going to be discussing and taking out a man even the FBI fears.
“We’re letting you guys settle while we wait for Justin.”
“Who’s Justin?”
“Remember I told you I had a friend follow you to your parents?” he asks, and I nod. “That was Justin.”
“I never met him.”
“Nope, but you will. He should be here in a bit,” he mutters as his eyes go past me over my shoulder. I watch them narrow slightly, and then he pulls me closer by the back of my neck so he can kiss me. It’s not a soft kiss; it’s a kiss that has me almost dropping my coffee as I fall into him.
When he pulls away, I look at him, and his eyes hold mine for a second before moving back over my shoulder. Using my coffee as an excuse, I lift it toward my mouth then look to my right, where his eyes are pointed. Zack and Teo are standing near Kenton, and both of them have their eyes to the left. Turning that way, I watch Lane’s retreating back as he leaves the room.
“What was that?” I ask Sven.
His eyes come to me and he shakes his head, but I can see annoyance there as he mutters, “Nothing for you to worry about.” The whole ‘don’t worry your pretty little head’ act is going to get old quickly. Even knowing the reason behind it, I still find it annoying.
Pulling my eyes from him, I scan the room and find Myla watching me. I smile at her, and she smiles back, but her eyes move from me to the door behind me, and I wonder if she saw what just happened with Lane. Then I move my eyes from her and see Autumn with the same curious look on her face. When her gaze comes to me, I know she’s trying to tell me something; I just have no idea what it is.
“You girls are not getting involved,” Sven rumbles, and I jump, turning my head to look at him.
“What?”
“You are not getting involved,” he repeats, and I hold his stare then snap, “I know that.”
Shaking his head, he rolls his eyes toward the ceiling. I have no idea what that means, so I ignore it and go back to drinking my coffee.
*
WATCHING A MAN walk into the room looking like one of the Vikings from the show on TV, I sit back on the couch and hold Maxim closer to me. Sven, Kenton, and Kai disappeared an hour ago, leaving the girls and me alone so they could go “talk”. When they left, I asked Myla if I could hold her son, and she instantly handed him over. I couldn’t remember ever holding a baby, but holding him, looking into his sweet tiny face, seeing how small and delicate he is, I know I want that for Sven and myself—more now than ever before.
“Um…” I mutter, looking at the guy and wondering if I should ask him who he is or how the hell he got inside.
But Autumn gets up from her seat, runs across the room and into his arms, and cries, “Justin!” as she slams against him.
Relaxing back in the chair at his name and the way Autumn greets him, I hear him mumble, “Hey, Sweetcheeks,” as he dips his head, placing a kiss on her cheek. Then, his huge arms wrap around her in a tight hug as he lifts her off the ground.
“What’s with the beard?” she asks, tugging on the end of his bushy facial hair that matches the rest of his appearance. He’s hot—in a scary kind of way, but no less hot.
“My lady needs a comfortable place to sit, and I’m accommodating.” He grins, and she smacks his chest then rolls her eyes, but I burst out into a fit of giggles, and so does Myla, who is sitting next to me.
“Girls, this is Justin. Justin, this is Maggie and Myla,” she says, turning toward us with his arm around her shoulders.
“Nice to meet you both.” He smiles and we both say hi.
“Is there a reason your hands are on my wife?” Kenton asks, coming into the room, pulling a grinning Autumn away from Justin, and tucking her into his front.
“You know she loves me more.” Justin smiles, and Kenton narrows his eyes then surprises me by pulling him in for a one-armed hug.
“Glad you could make it, man,” he mutters, patting his back hard.
“Wouldn’t miss it. Where is everyone?” Justin asks, taking a step back.
“We’re in the kitchen, though it doesn’t surprise me that you found the women before you found us.”
“Pussy magnet.” He taps his nose, and Autumn hits him in his chest as I start to laugh again hearing Myla giggle at the same time.
“I don’t know how Aubrey puts up with you,” Autumn says, quietly shaking her head.
‘She loves me.” Justin grins, then looks at Kenton and mutters, “Let’s go. I got some information to share, and then I need to talk to Sven alone.”
That comment has my ears perking up, and I wonder what he needs to tell Sven or what he needs to tell him alone.
“You good, babe?” Kenton asks Autumn, and she nods then looks at Justin and takes a step closer to him.
“Are you coming back with us when we leave?” she asks him quietly, and when he gives her a soft smile and nods, I see her body relax. “Good,” she whispers, and his face softens even more.
“I miss my girls.” he tells her quietly, and her face softens even more.
“I know they miss you, too.” She mumbles and he taps her under her chin with his knuckle, and then his eyes come to Myla and me.