“God, Liv, put some fucking clothes on,” James screeches, quickly closing his eyes and covering Dan’s with his hands.
I’m completely naked and straddling Echo’s lap. Echo’s face hardens. His eyes move from me to my best friends, and a glimpse of uncertainty crosses his face as tries to understand what’s going on.
“Echo, can I have your shirt? I’m kind of naked here,” I say. His attention moves back to me and he quickly lifts me from his lap. Standing, he pulls his shirt over his head and drops it over my naked body. Shirtless, he crosses his arms across his chest, and I gulp as arousal washes over me again.
“Liv, you decent?” James’s voice pulls me away from the perfection of Echo’s naked torso.
“Yes. You can stop freaking out now.” I laugh. Scoffing slightly, Dan pulls James’s hand from over his eyes and both guys’ heads dramatically turn to my half-naked biker.
Gawping slightly, James’s mouth drops open before he slowly turns to me. “Liv, you lucky bitch.”
Laughing, I turn to Echo, only to find angry eyes are on me. “Sugar, want to tell me what the fuck’s going on here? ’Cause my mind’s pulling up some pretty fucked-up thoughts and I’m about to lose my shit.”
I pull in a panicked gasp and nod. “Echo, let me introduce you to James.” I point to James and see the recognition dawn in Echo’s eyes. He turns to me and I nod. “And this is Dan. His boyfriend.”
All of the tension leaves Echo’s body, and he pulls me in tightly against his chest.
James and Dan silently watch our exchange before turning to look at one another and bursting into laughter. I fight my own laughter and snuggle against Echo’s chest and scowl at the boys. “You pair are fucking arseholes. Stop laughing.” My words only make them laugh harder, so reaching behind me, I pull a cushion from the sofa and throw it at their heads.
James sobers first, and tilting his head to the side, he assesses Echo. “I’m assuming you’re Echo?” James asks. Echo nods. Unfurling his arms, he reaches out, offering James a hand to shake.
James winces and pulls his hand back. “Easy there, tiger. Liv’s like a sister to me, so there’s no need to go all caveman on me.”
Sniggering, I slap Echo’s chest. “Play nicely. These boys are my best friends.”
Echo relaxes slightly, then says, “Didn’t you say you used to sleep with one of them?”
Dan sheepishly raises his hand. “Yeah, sorry, dude, that was me. But she totally turned me gay, and now I’m in love with a guy. No threat from me,” he says quickly.
A loud laugh bursts from me, and I fling another cushion at Dan’s head, hitting him in the face. “I did not turn you gay,” I shout.
Dan shrugs and smiles. “You kinda did, Liv. Sorry.”
Echo chuckles, and sitting on the sofa, he lifts me into his lap. The guys settle on the opposite sofa, and we descend into an awkward silence. James clears his throat then speaks. “So, Echo, did Liv finally call you?”
Echo looks at me expectantly before turning back to James. “No, she didn’t. I got to Manchester three days ago.”
I gasp and swing around to Echo. “You’ve been here for three days and you only came here tonight?”
His fingers snap out and grasp my chin tightly. “I had no fucking clue where you were, sugar. You fucking disappeared, and I’ve been searching for you ever since. I saw you in the gardens tonight and followed you back here.”
Silence descends again, and Dan speaks, trying to lighten the tension. “You could have stayed in Texas, Echo. She was coming back tomorrow. Saved yourself the journey.”
Echo audibly growls before turning to Dan. “When my woman decides to run, I’m gonna chase her. She’s mine. I don’t take that lightly.”
Stunned, Dan’s mouth drops open, but wisely he doesn’t speak. James mumbles under his breath, “Bloody hell, that’s hot.”
Unsure what to say, I stay quiet and tense in Echo’s lap.
James taps Dan’s knee. “Right, I think it’s time for bed. Are you guys staying here?” he asks us.
“No.” “Yes.” Echo and I both speak at the same time. He ignores me and speaks to James. “No. I’m at a hotel around the corner. We’ll come back in the morning for Livvy’s stuff before we go home, if that’s okay?” James nods, stunned by Echo’s dominant tone.
“Get some clothes on, sugar, it’s late,” Echo orders. I disappear into the bathroom to dress quickly, and return to the living room where the boys in my life are sitting in awkward silence. Seeing me, Echo stands and walks towards me. His fingers cup my chin, tilting my face up to meet his. His lips meet mine in a demanding kiss of ownership. “I need to make a phone call. I’ll see you outside,” he says, then nodding to the guys, he leaves.
James wilts into the sofa dramatically. “Bloody hell, Liv, is he like that all the time?” he asks.
I giggle and nod. “Pretty much.”
James laughs. “Do you guys have a Fifty Shades sort of ‘yes, sir’ thing going on? Because he’s so bloody intense, I wanted to do whatever he told me to do, and I’m not fucking him. Christ, your fanny must be bloody dripping constantly.”
“James,” I gasp, shocked.
James eyes widen dramatically. “Liv, I’m serious. He’s insanely hot, and he’s got that controlled sexiness that makes you want to suck his cock all day just to get him to stroke your hair. How are you not bow-legged?”
I bury my face in my hands and giggle. “I don’t want to talk about this with you,” I say, my voice muffled.
“Come on, Olivia, spill. You have a BDSM thing going with him, don’t you?” James asks excitedly.
“No,” I cry.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire, Olivia Townsend,” James chants.
My cheeks are bright red with embarrassment. I move my hands from my face and look at James again, a wicked smile twitching at my mouth. “We don’t. I swear. I’ve never called him sir. But bloody hell, now I’m thinking about it and I kind of want to.”
James bursts into laughter. “Ha. You totally found a Mr Grey. You lucky bitch.”
Dan’s been quietly watching our conversation, and now he blurts, “James, baby, you can call me sir later.”
James winks at him. “Yes, sir.”
Groaning, I wince. “Ewww, guys, I don’t want to hear that. Right, I need to go. I’ll see you guys in the morning, okay?” I say. The guys take it in turns to kiss me goodbye, and I leave, finding Echo waiting in the street.
He reaches out, and I take his hand. “Come on, sugar. I’m nowhere near finished with you yet.”