Now that their cars were no longer in sight, Trey headed back to the caves.

Dante sighed. “I’ve got a feeling that Don will want to know everything that’s going on – he’ll be pissed to hear his niece was attacked.”

“Do you think Nick will be willing to join us for the battle?” Tao asked Trey.

“There’s only one way to find out.” As Trey was making his way to the kitchen, he heard the words ‘hussy’, ‘disrespectful’ and ‘common’ – clearly Greta was taking a pop at Taryn again. Then he heard his mate’s voice.

“No need to take it out on me that you’re so wrinkled you have to screw your hat on.”

And just like that, he was smiling.

“Do you see what I have to put up with? She’s always talking to me like this,” said Greta, outraged – presumably talking to Don, Nick and Derren.

“You know, I hear that bathing nightly in the blood of virgins is scientifically proven to reduce the effects of old age. Maybe you should try it.”

Entering the kitchen, Trey went straight to where Taryn was perched on the counter and insinuated himself between her swinging legs. He took her mouth in a searing kiss that he hoped told her everything he didn’t know how to say. Near her, surrounded by her scent, he could breathe better. It was odd how this tiny little female could anchor him the way she did. She really was the only thing keeping him rational right now and he wondered if she knew it, felt the weight of that responsibility. Maybe she did, and maybe she felt how close he was to the edge, because she gave him what he hadn’t even known he needed until then. She wrapped all her limbs around him and just held him to her.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Trey was smiling as he made his way to the kitchen four mornings later. Waking up to the feel of his mate’s plush lips around his c**k could do that to a guy. Entering the room, he found a sight that made him halt. Gritting his teeth, he tore his eyes away and glanced at the people around him. Every member of his pack was there, though none of them had acknowledged his entrance. Each were occupied with either eating, staring into their coffee mug, or toying with their cell phone…as if there wasn’t a small pile of gifts in the center of the table.

The pack knew better than to mark his birthday in any way, shape or form – Trey wasn’t the celebratory type and he didn’t like being fussed over. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why other people would want to mark their own special occasions, it was just that Trey didn’t like that whole ‘center of attention’ thing. His pack knew that. There was only one member who would ignore that and force ‘fun’ on him.

He zoomed in on his little mate who was sitting on the counter as usual, dipping mini cookies in her coffee. Slowly he approached her, but she didn’t look up until he snatched the mug from her hand.

“Hey!” whined Taryn, not even slightly surprised by Trey’s reaction.

“What’s all that about?” He gestured with his thumb at the table behind him.

“What?” she asked innocently. “Oh you mean the gifts.”

“Oh I mean the gifts.”

“Well it’s like this: it’s your birthday, people get gifts on their birthday, and we’re all nice, kind people who wanted to buy you something.”

Trey copied her innocent shrug. “It’s like that, huh?”

“Yes, and you’re very welcome.” If she hadn’t been sure that it would have been taking things too far for Trey, they would all have sang ‘happy birthday’ as he walked in.

“If people told you that my birthday was today, then they’ll have also told you that I don’t like to celebrate it. So why exactly have you ignored that?”

“Let me ask you something. If it had been my birthday, would you have ignored it?”

“If you had wanted me to then yes, I would’ve,” he lied.

“I hope you’re not going to make a habit of talking out of your ass because liars go to hell.” Gripping him by the shirt, she pulled him to stand between her legs. “Come on, Trey, it’s only a few gifts and then a fun day out.”

“No.”

She followed after him as he stalked out the room. Once in the tunnel she leapt onto his back. “Can’t you see I took pity on you? There’re no banners or balloons and nobody sang anything.” His response was a Ryan-like grunt. “Wouldn’t you like to see what I bought for you? Aren’t you just a little curious?”

He was, but he couldn’t let her know that. She’d pounce on that weakness and use it against him.

“How about we make a deal,” she proposed as they neared his office which she knew he had every intention of locking himself in.

“No deals, Taryn.”

“That’s a shame,” she said as she slid down his back exhaling a heavy sigh. “It means I went to Victoria’s Secret for nothing.” She watched in satisfaction as he stopped still with his hand on the doorknob.

“Victoria’s Secret?” he repeated without turning.

“Yeah, but never mind.” She went to return to the kitchen, but then he spoke.

“Out of curiosity…”

She twirled to see that he was still facing the office door. “Well, I bought this kinky little babydoll, all black lace like the one I tried on that time when I was tormenting you.”

He cleared his throat. “Black lace?”

“Yeah.” She took a few steps toward the kitchen, knowing what was coming next.

“What was this deal you had in mind?” he called after her as he finally turned. He was well aware that she had played him, but only an idiot would miss out on this.

She faced him and shrugged. “I was just going to propose that if you try to enjoy yourself and celebrate your birthday with us, then later – for one whole hour – I’ll let you do whatever you want to me. I’ll be kind of like your sex toy.”

His c**k jerked and quickly began to harden. “Anything I want?”

The look in his eyes told her that she was going to regret this, but Taryn was determined to make him learn to enjoy himself a little and she wasn’t above using sexual bribes to do it. “Anything you want.”

He approached her slowly, his eyes narrowed. “You sure you can live up to your half of the bargain, Taryn? You can’t make a guy a promise like that and expect him to go easy.”

“You’ve never gone easy.”