Adverse Possession (The Anna Albertini Files #3) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,13
text me about the fight than you’d expect. Seeing Tessa and Donna fly through a crowd and tackle people was a new one on everyone.” He moved toward me and ran a gentle knuckle down my aching cheekbone. “I also heard you gave better than you got.”
I knew how to fight. “I tried to stop it, but then it was all too late.”
“It usually is.” He ducked his head to study my lip. The swelling had gone down, but my mouth was still tender. “You keep getting hurt around me.”
“You weren’t even there,” I said reasonably, my body reacting instantly to his. “Sasha wants another chance with you.” Might as well get it all out there and now.
“Yeah. I know,” he said, tilting my head to the side by clasping my chin. “You have a bruise on your neck.” He leaned down to kiss my cheekbone, fat lip, and bruised neck. “You know how much I dislike seeing bruises on you.” Then he kissed them all again for good measure. “I told Sasha that you and I were together.”
“I told her the same thing,” I said, my wounds somehow feeling better just from his kiss.
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “You did?”
“Yep.” I loved how gentle he could be with me.
“To tick her off?” He brushed my hair away from my face.
Surprise caught me. “No. Because it’s the truth.”
His grin showed a rare dimple in his left cheek. “I like you, Aingeal.”
Aiden was as solid as they came, and yet, I still felt the sand shifting beneath my feet with him. He’d saved my life as a kid, and I’d harbored a huge crush on him for years, even though he’d all but disappeared. Then he returned, and we started something fast during several dangerous moments. It was way too early for the ‘where are we going’ insecurities, but I didn’t feel settled.
“What’s going through that big brain of yours?” he murmured, his brogue light enough to compete with the slight breeze.
“Too much,” I admitted. Yeah, I needed to halt my horses and just relax into the moment. Enjoy the moment. We didn’t have to get too serious or too deep right now, so why was I looking for problems? If whatever we had could be demolished by a sexy redhead who couldn’t even aim a potato gun, it wasn’t worth worrying about.
His phone buzzed and he tugged it from his pocket to place at his ear. “Devlin.” No brogue. One eyebrow lifted. “I thought it was Wednesday. No. I need to—” He listened for several more moments. “Fine. Got it.” He clicked off and faced me again.
Ah. I pressed my lips together. “Don’t tell me. Your meeting with your boss Wednesday in Seattle was moved up to tomorrow.”
One dark eyebrow arched. “How did you know?”
Good guess. So he was going to miss my law firm opening. Nice move, Sasha. “Don’t worry about the opening tomorrow. It’s just a cocktail party, and it’s the same people you see at the Albertini family barbecue every Sunday. Mostly.” There should be a few law colleagues and maybe even a potential client or two, hopefully. Aiden had already helped put the office together, and it wasn’t like he’d miss anything.
“Are you sure?” He leaned in and kissed me, all strength and male.
“Yeah. Definitely.” I kissed him back.
“Good.” He pulled back, his eyes a deepening blue. “James Saber and I are headed over to pitch the operation because Sasha has something going on with the Lordes’ old ladies. Her cover is good, and she’s getting more info from the few real former members than I probably could.”
I’m embarrassed to admit, even to myself, that I was pleased Sasha wasn’t headed off to the Emerald City with Aiden. “Then we better make good use of our night.” I grinned.
He sighed. “Raincheck. Let’s eat dinner because afterward, I have to head to the Lorde’s complex and help put the plan together that we’re going to pitch.”
Of course he did.
Chapter 6
I strode into my new law office, excitement, pride, and definite nervousness quickening my pace. I was a couple of hours early for the opening, and my hands were full of boxes.
“What do you have?” Oliver Duck rushed from the receptionist’s desk to help me. Oliver was eighteen with short claret colored hair, broad shoulders, and bright red ears. I’d hired him to help out at the law office after defending him in court, mainly because he was a good kid without anybody in the world.