"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

Wakey-wakey, he thought.

Time to go to work.





THIRTEEN


Around the same time Qhuinn was cleaning himself up at the main house, Blay came awake in the chair in that little underground office. The headache that served as his alarm clock was not from the portтАФit was from the fact that heтАЩd skipped Last Meal. But man, he wished the booze had been behind the pounding in his skull. He could have used the out that heтАЩd been a total, sloppy, lost-his-mind mess when heтАЩd come down here.

Cursing, he withdrew his legs from the desktop and sat up. His body was stiff as a board, aches blooming in all kinds of places as he willed on the overhead light.

Crap. He was still naked.

But come on, like the modesty elves would have snuck in and clothed him in his sleep? Just so he wasnтАЩt reminded of what heтАЩd done?

Putting his shorts on, he shoved his feet into his trainers and then reached for his shirtтАФbefore remembering what heтАЩd used it for.

As he stared at the crumpled folds of cotton and felt the stiff places in the soft cloth, he realized that no amount of rationalization was going to change the fact that heтАЩd cheated on Saxton. Physical contact with someone else was only one way of measuring infidelityтАФand yeah, that was the biggest divide. But what heтАЩd done last night had been a violation of the relationship, even though the orgasm had been caused by his brain, not his hand.

Getting to his feet, he was half-dead as he went to the door and opened it a crack. If there was anyone around, he was going to duck back inside and wait for a clear shot into the corridor: He so completely did not want to get caught coming out of this empty office, half-clothed and looking like hell. The upside to living at the compound was that you were surrounded by people who cared about you; the downside was that everybody had eyes and ears, and no oneтАЩs business was just their own.

When he didnтАЩt hear voices or footsteps, he exploded out into the hall and started walking briskly, like heтАЩd been somewhere for a good reason and was heading to his room for an equally important purpose. He had a feeling heтАЩd gotten away with it when he hit the tunnel. Sure, he didnтАЩt usually go shirtless, but a lot of the Brothers or males did when they were coming from the gymтАФnothing unusual.

And he really felt like heтАЩd won the lottery when he stepped out from under the mansionтАЩs grand staircase and got another good dose of empty-bowling-alley. The only problem was that, going by the sounds of china being cleared in the dining room, it must be later than heтАЩd thought. HeтАЩd obviously missed First MealтАФbad news for his head, but at least he had some protein bars in his room.

His luck ran out as he took the stairs up to the second floor. Standing in front of the closed doors to WrathтАЩs study, Qhuinn and John were dressed for fighting, their weapons strapped on, their bodies covered in black leather.

No way in hell was he looking at Qhuinn. Just having the guy in his peripheral vision was bad enough.

тАЬWhatтАЩs going on?тАЭ Blay asked.

WeтАЩve got a meeting now, John signed. Or at least, weтАЩre supposed to. DidnтАЩt you get the text?

Shit, he had no idea where his phone was. His room? Hopefully.

тАЬIтАЩll hit the shower and be right back.тАЭ

You might not have to rush. The Brothers have been sequestered for the last half hour. I donтАЩt have any idea whatтАЩs going on.

Next to the guy, Qhuinn was rocking back and forth in his shitkickers, his weight shifting like he was on a walk even as he went nowhere.

тАЬFive minutes,тАЭ Blay muttered. тАЬThatтАЩs all I need.тАЭ

He hoped the Brotherhood would open those doors by thenтАФthe last thing he wanted was to get stuck passing time anywhere near Qhuinn.

Cursing as he went, Blay jogged down to his room. Usually he took his time getting ready, especially if Sax was in the mood, but this was going to be a wham-bam, thank you, maтАФ