in so far tonight, I’m a little worried about what else you might have in store for me.”
His smile turns predatory. “There are a few things I haven’t tried yet.”
If he intends to make good on that offer tonight, the front door bursting open definitely kills the already tenuous mood. Like he’s afraid we might be riddled in a burst of gunfire, Mike pulls me down to his chest so fast and hard that my teeth snap together. He rolls me beneath him like he’s practiced this move a million times.
Maybe he has.
“Who is it?” I can’t see a thing beneath my human shield.
“Alex? What the fuck are you doing here?”
“You gonna tell me why you’re really here, or am I just gonna watch you drink yourself stupid for the rest of the night?”
He didn’t want to talk in front of Tori, and I wasn’t about to push. Not when I have no idea why he’s sitting at my kitchen island. Peaches isn’t willing to leave me alone with the guy, so she’s upstairs, getting ready for bed. He doesn’t have any excuses now.
Alex raises his already bloodshot eyes to mine. “Jesus, Mike. What’s with the interrogation? It’s my bye week. I can’t drop in on an old friend?”
“Unannounced? No.” I’m just thankful Tori wasn’t naked on top of me in the living room when he arrived. We’ve christened most of the house already. I never had to worry about unexpected visitors before.
He rolls his eyes then lifts his third beer to his lips. “I told you I was coming. It’s not my fault you never read your texts.”
He clams up when Tori comes into the kitchen, wearing nothing but one of my t-shirts. She glares at him the entire time. He winks and checks out her bare legs.
“You really do have a death wish tonight, don’t you?”
He smiles at my threat. “Maybe.”
Tori grabs a bottle of water from the fridge then slams the door shut. She stops at the edge of the island, staring Alex down.
She’s too beautiful to ever look threatening, and Alex is too stupid to consider cowering—even if only for show.
He smiles his trademark grin at her but weirdly says nothing.
She points at him, points at me, shakes her finger in the air, then finally slides it across her throat.
He outright cackles at her silent threat.
I have to bite my tongue to hold in my own laughter. I hold out an open palm for her. “I’m dying to hear how many curse words he can pull out of you. You can talk again.”
“Ooh. Silence games.” Alex winks. “Kinky. Didn’t think you had it in you, Mitchell.”
Surprisingly, Tori doesn’t lunge at him. She places her hand in my own and squeezes tight.
That simple gesture erases all my fears—over what she thinks of me now, why Alex is really here, all of it.
She lets me pull her into my side and wrap my arm around her waist.
I drop a kiss onto her shoulder. “We’re good, babe. Don’t worry. You can go to sleep if you want.”
Alex showing up might actually be the perfect reason for her to take some time and really think things over. I dropped a hell of a bombshell on her, and I don’t want her automatically reacting with pity. It’s obvious she isn’t afraid. She didn’t run away screaming after all. I want her to be able to look at the guy sleeping next to her in bed and feel like she can trust him—even knowing all the reasons why she shouldn’t.
Peaches slides her hand down the back of my head in a way that would make me purr if Alex wasn’t watching us like a hawk. She leans down to press a kiss at my temple. “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”
Such simple words, no innuendo, but full of promise anyway. I can’t fight the automatic smile on my face. I don’t even try. I don’t want to.
She ascends the stairs like she does almost every night.
“She looks good on you, Mike.” His tone is genuine. He’s not talking about the compromising position he caught us in when he barreled through the front door. “Been a long time coming. I’m happy for you, bro.”
I’m not out of the woods yet, but I don’t think Alex is popping the top off a fresh bottle to hear all about my problems.
“You get a call from Rob?” I guess.
He nods and stares at the marble surface of the island. “I’ve already lost her, haven’t I?”
“Yeah.”