Hunter - Blaire Drake Page 0,42

gone, and the only reminder of what we'd just done was the crumpled sheets on the bed and her clothes in a heap on the floor. I rubbed my hand across my forehead and picked up Darien's pants. It felt strange to wear them now, but I had no choice, because my own were still soaked from my dip in the pool.

My lips twitched upward for a second. Jesus... She was crazy. It was that very mischievous streak that had made me so protective of her when we were young. I knew that if I didn't keep an eye on her, she'd wind up in trouble somehow.

She had a way of finding it. Call it a knack, a skill, a highly troubling hobby... She always did. She always managed to walk right past people from rival families that wanted to hurt her. She always found the people I'd ultimately end up beating the shit out of.

If she weren't a mafia princess, she'd have been a goddamn good cop.

I grabbed my clothes from the floor next to the pool table and the shirt she'd handed me. I rolled the remaining balls into the pockets and walked down the hall to the kitchen.

Adriana was standing by the sink, her hip rested against the counter, holding a steaming mug of what smelled like coffee. Her cotton shorts barely covered her ass, and she'd re-braided her hair. She glanced over at me as I entered, but sipped her coffee instead of saying anything.

Awkwardness hung in the air, and it tasted like a thousand unsaid words. I hesitated after putting my clothes and Darien's shirt on the island, next to my gun and wallet. I didn't know what I was supposed to say to her. Was I supposed to lie and say I was sorry for not stopping, although she was the one who told me to carry on? I wasn't sorry.

I only regretted that clearly fucking her made her feel like shit, if the look on her face was anything to go by. Her normally bright blue eyes were dull, like the light had gone out, and it only made the downturn of her pretty pink lips seem sadder.

“You don't have to stay,” she said softly, looking out of the window. “I don't need to go anywhere today. There's an alarm system, and I have a choice of three different police officers on speed dial, not to mention Darien, Armo, Angelo, and Gaige.”

Gaige. Even the mention of his name made the hairs on my arms prickle. Fuck no was he protecting her instead of me.

“I don't have to go,” I said back to her, leaning forward on the island. “It's not like I have a place to be.”

“Really?” She looked at me, one dark eyebrow raised in question. “You're going to stay? What a fucking gentleman you are.”

“No, Addy. If I was a gentleman, I wouldn't have just fucked your brains out. I'd have bought you dinner first, at least.” I smirked. I couldn't help it.

She put down her coffee mug and opened a drawer. She pulled out a flier and threw it in my direction. “That's my favorite Italian pizza place. It's fifteen minutes away and they deliver. Try and rebuild your reputation by buying me dinner now.”

I picked up the flier and looked at the menu. “And let me guess—you get the meat pizza, but you have them take off the spicy beef and add extra cheese and ham.”

She pursed her lips.

“And then you have them make the crust extra crispy without burning the cheese, and ask them to bring you extra garlic mayo because eating crusts without it is simply barbaric, and anyone who doesn't should be shot.”

“You think you're so smart,” she fired at me.

“I don't think, Principessa. I know.”

“Shut up and order my pizza, Rosso. I'm hungry.”

“I love it when you tell me what to do.”

“Yeah? Then do it or I'll be telling you to get the fuck out of my house.”

“Why don't you?”

She looked at me like I was stupid. “Because I'm not going to pass up my favorite pizza for free. Don't forget the extra garlic mayonnaise, okay?”

I picked up my phone and dialed the number on the front, then ordered her damn pizza. I smiled and watched her the whole time I made the call, even though all she did was sip from her cup of coffee. She was obviously trying not to look at me, so I put extra effort into keeping my eyes on