Wednesday night she’d seen him at the Salty Hog, but her brothers and cousins had joined her after church, which was what they called the meetings of the Dark Knights, and in order to avoid their scrutiny, she hadn’t spoken to Tobias. Instead, she’d texted him. Your place, half an hour? A cute blonde had sidled up to him as he was reading the text, and he’d responded with I’m busy and a winking emoji. Madigan, struck with jealousy, had quickly replied, Your loss, and had walked out of the bar. She hadn’t gotten halfway across the parking lot before she’d sensed Tobias behind her, felt his heat and frustration, like a volcano ready to blow. He’d growled, You getting jealous on me, Blue Eyes? Because that’s not part of this game. She’d continued walking and said, Not even a little. You’re the one following me. He’d spun her around, taking up all her personal space, his big body pushing against her, dark eyes devouring her, but before he could say a word, she’d said, I thought you were busy. He’d reached around her and grabbed her ass, pulling her tight against him. The feel of him had made her insides go hot as he’d said, Thought you weren’t jealous. She’d held his gaze, refusing to admit the emotion she hated, and had said, You can fuck anyone you want. None of them will be better than me. She’d barely gotten the last word out before his lips had claimed hers, releasing them long enough only to grit out, You think I don’t know that? and drag her into the woods, where they’d torn at each other’s clothes, and he’d taken her against a tree.

She shuddered. The memory of that risky night just as earth-shattering as the real thing.

She blew out a breath, returning her focus to the book she was supposed to be finishing. But as she read another steamy scene, it was her and Tobias she pictured, his hands and mouth she felt on her skin, her body flooding with heat. She grabbed her yellow highlighter, circled the scene, and took a picture of it with her phone. She began thumbing out a text—Next up on our to-do list—nearly jumping out of her skin when someone knocked on the window.

Starr peered through the glass, her kinky blond hair curtaining her face, the diamond in her nostril glittering from the interior light. “Are you coming?”