Rowdy || 18+ || RH

Chapter 27 🌶️

Emersyn

"Great, let's go," Locke says, downing the last of his drink and placing the empty glass on the counter.

Cruz finishes his as well, and we all rise from our seats. As we make our way to the exit, I catch a final glimpse of Marx behind the bar. He meets my gaze, and I give him a small smile and wave. He nods back.

The ride back home is filled with an electric tension, a kind of anticipatory silence. Nobody speaks much, but the air is thick with unspoken promises.

We arrive, and Locke leads the way to his room. I've never been inside Locke or Cruz's personal spaces before, and as he opens the door, my curiosity piques.

Stepping inside, I'm struck by how the room feels like an extension of Locke himself. It's neat but not overly so, with a lived-in comfort that's instantly welcoming. The walls are a deep charcoal, adding to the room's cozy atmosphere.

A large, well-made bed takes center stage, flanked by two dark wood nightstands. On one, I notice a stack of books, each spine revealing titles that range from classic literature to modern thrillers. A sleek, black leather chair sits in the corner, next to a floor lamp that gives off a warm, muted light. It's a masculine space but not overly so, and I find it strangely intimate to see this personal slice of Locke's world.

Cruz closes the door behind us, and I turn to find him leaning against it, watching me with an unreadable expression.

The atmosphere in the room is palpable, full of a tension that's different from before—it's more intimate, filled with the promise of something more, something deeper.

Locke steps closer, until he's right in front of me. "Tonight has been incredible, Em," he says softly, his eyes searching mine.

"It has," I agree, my heart pounding in my chest. I can feel Cruz's gaze on me from where he stands, and the awareness of him there, of what this all could mean, sends a shiver down my spine.

Locke's hand reaches up to gently stroke my cheek, and I lean into the touch. "I think we've reached a point where we need to decide what comes next," he says, his voice tinged with a seriousness that I've rarely heard from him.

I look over at Cruz, who pushes off from the door and joins us. "And to make sure that you are sure about this."

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of their words, of the decision that lies before me. It's a crossroads, one that could alter the course of whatever it is that's developing between us.

Locke's hand moves from my cheek to intertwine his fingers with mine, and Cruz places his hand on the small of my back, anchoring me between them.

I stand there, caught in the gravity of their gazes, feeling both overwhelmed and incredibly seen. It's a lot to take in, a lot to decide. But as I look from Locke to Cruz, I realize that my mind was already made up when I walked into this room.

"I'm sure," I say, finally breaking the silence.

Both men exhale, almost as if they've been holding their breaths, and the tension in the room shifts, becoming something less like a question mark and more like an ellipsis.

Locke leans down and kisses me. He tastes of liquor and mint. The anticipation that's been building all night morphs into a surge of electricity that courses through my veins. My heart pounds against my chest, as if trying to match the rhythm of this new, exhilarating beat.

His kiss is gentle at first, as if testing the waters, but as I open my mouth to deepen the kiss, it grows more passionate. The taste of liquor and mint intermingles with a flavor that is uniquely Locke.