“We’re going to be late.” I could tell she wanted to sound annoyed but it faded away on a sigh when I moved a hand around to her front and tickled her inner thigh as I searched for her hot center.

I had to laugh. We were late a lot. That’s what happened when your girl looked like her and had a preference for skirts and dresses and not wearing anything underneath them. Her head dropped forward and I felt her body get tight around me. I bent a little so I could kiss her on the back of her neck where her hair was pulled up in a complicated twist that looked like something from a Good Housekeeping ad from the 1950s.

“No one cares if we’re late.” They all knew the reason why by now, and as long as I was happy, as long as Salem and I showed up smiling, no one gave a shit if we rolled in a half an hour or so behind schedule.

She swore at me but her dark eyes glittered where they were locked on mine in the mirror and I could tell she was close. That was a good thing because I wasn’t going to last much longer. I tapped her cl*t with my thumb, sank my teeth into her neck, and that was all it took. I felt her shudder under my hands and against my chest, I felt her come apart for me, and I quickly followed.

When I pulled back all I had to do was get resituated and zip my pants up. She had to redo half of her makeup and make sure she didn’t look thoroughly debauched and rumpled. I grinned at her because even as she slicked red lipstick back on, there was no hiding the languid and satisfied gleam in her dark gaze.

“You’re a sex fiend.” She was laughing about it now because even though she might not like showing up late, she never told me no when I turned all my amorous attention onto her, which I did a lot since I had moved her into my place almost as soon as she had unpacked from her trip to Texas.

For a while we had thought Poppy would want to move into Salem’s old apartment, but as of now the younger Cruz sister was still bunking with Sayer and it seemed like she was in no hurry to leave. It had been months, and while Poppy was making tiny steps of progress, she was still skittish and jumpy, still a shadow of the young girl I had known so long ago. The only person she really seemed comfortable around was my sister, and as long as Sayer was willing to be her guiding light, neither Salem nor I saw a reason to push the issue.

“You love it.” I made sure I didn’t have her lipstick all over my face and walked out of the bathroom.

She followed me, rolling her eyes. “I love you—it is just one of the side benefits.”

I chuckled and helped her into her long coat. It was the middle of December and all the ups and downs of summer and fall had changed just as fast as the Colorado weather. The new shop was a raging success. The store was generating steady income and the online market was so busy that Salem was trying to convince Nash to hire someone specifically to manage that branch of the business. The grand opening of the store has been a major party, and every last Saturday of the month Salem arranged different art installations that turned the store into an eclectic gallery showcase. It was opening doors to new customers, to a new breed of clientele, and showcased tattooing and art in the same kind of light. She was brilliant and she was making all of us a whole lot of money. So much money in fact that Rule and Nash were throwing around the idea of opening a third store in either Boulder or Colorado Springs the following year. Salem had turned the Marked into its own little tattoo empire.

Tonight we were headed to the Bar for a combined baby shower–farewell party. Shaw was due at the end of January and Jet and Ayden were moving after the first of the year. It was a bittersweet celebration and there were bound to be tears of sorrow and happiness. Life just kept moving forward and everyone had to find the path they were meant to be on. As bummed as I was to see my best friend go, I knew it was what was best for him and his wife. Jet deserved to be happy and the only way for him to do that was to be with Ayden as much as he possibly could. Besides, with a baby on the way and a wedding lurking on the horizon, it wasn’t like Ayden and Jet were going to be strangers. They would be back often and they would always be welcomed with open arms.

The Bar was packed when we got there. Rome had closed the business to the public for the night but that didn’t mean the place wasn’t filled to the brim with family and friends wanting to say good-bye and welcome the newest addition to our crazy family. Salem looked at me with wide eyes as we walked through the door because we were obviously the last to show. There was no missing the way Asa winked at me in approval from behind the bar or the way Nash gave me a high five. I just shrugged at her and gave her an incorrigible grin. She wacked me on the stomach with the back of her hand and glided away on those sky-high heels that were part of the temptation that made us late to start with.

Jet walked over and handed me a beer that I clicked against the top of the one he held in his hand.

“Gonna miss you, dude.”

He nodded as we watched both of our ladies hug. That was a lot of dark-haired beauty to take in.

“I know. You’ll come to Austin.” It wasn’t a question and it didn’t need to be. I would go to Austin to visit.

“You know it.”

“I would have been worried about you if Salem hadn’t shown up to stake her claim. I’m glad you have her.”

She threw her head back and laughed at something Saint said to her and reached out to put her hand on Poppy’s arm where she was hovering uncertainly off to the side of the group where the girls had gathered.

I was going to say something dirty about having her up against the sink not even twenty minutes before but I caught sight of Zeb moving toward my sister where she was leaning against the bar and talking with Asa. He had been working on her house for the last month and every time we talked he dropped none-too-subtle hints that he would like to nail more than her rotting floorboards. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that yet or if I was even allowed to have an opinion, so I just watched him pursue her with a scowl.

“She makes everything in my life better. She always did. I love you guys and was really lucky when Phil brought me here and I finally found a place where I fit in and belonged.” I pointed at Salem with the top of my beer and lifted and eyebrow at her when she caught me staring at her. She grinned back at me and slicked her tongue across her bottom lip. It made me chuckle and want to pull her dress up over her ass again. I looked back at my friend. “But she is my home. I didn’t know I was wandering until she found me.”

Jet muttered his agreement and we both had to grin as Shaw waddled with her big belly to where Ayden was so they could hold on to each other. They were both crying and blubbering all over each other and as girlie and emotional as it seemed, it was really beautiful. Those girls really loved one another and both of their lives were about to change in major ways.