Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,404

barks it out so convincingly my stomach is right back to tensing up in a knot for far more nefarious reasons. “We’re not serious.” Her hand floats to that triple X necklace I just gifted her, and she fingers it as if it were a life raft. “I’m in control, Marlin. And what the heck is this, I’ll huff and puff and blow your doors down routine? I’m not amused. Yes, I missed meeting you for coffee. Yes, you probably sent a million text messages I didn’t see, but does that really justify what went on here? How the heck did you find me, anyway?”

His eyes enlarge with rage. “That roommate of yours made it real easy. And since when did you get a roommate, anyway? How many more things about your life don’t I know about, Lex? Anything else you’d like to spring on me while dressed in last night’s clothes? Hell, it’s not even your shirt.”

Her mouth opens and closes, and she clenches her knees together as if just remembering her scantily clad state.

“We’ll do lunch this week. I promise.” She scuttles up and presses a quick kiss to his cheek, but he turns his head slightly as if repulsed from any physical contact with her in this less than chaste state.

“Make it dinner. I’m on days all week. And yes, I know you work nights at that—that ridiculous bar this twerp owns.” He darts an accusing finger at me. Twerp? He’s lucky I don’t shove him out the window and call him a twerp all the way down. “That new roommate of yours sang like a canary.” He heads for his belt and straps his weaponry back into place. “And why the hell didn’t you tell me you had some nut job orchestrating a PETA protest in front of your home?”

Lex groans. “Son of a motherless goat, why did Stumpy have to drag PETA into this?” She rolls her head back and moans as she walks Marlin to the door. “Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”

“Too bad, I’m calling,” he snaps as he crests the threshold. “We need to talk about Serena. Or have you forgotten that family comes first?”

Her spine straightens as she stiffens. Ever since Lex’s mother ran out on them, she’s taken on the role of primary caretaker. Her father passed a while back, and she’s been mothering not only her sister and Marlin—even though he’s too much of a douche to admit it, but she had taken her cousins, Rush and Sunday, under her wing. Nolan, their brother, is about my age. I’ve known him for a while. Good guy. But in the last six years, I’m sure Rush and Sunday have grown up. I figure they’re in college themselves about now. This is the first time in Lex’s life that she gets to focus on herself—and hopefully, she’ll make a little room for me in the equation.

“Family comes first,” she repeats as she starts to shut the door.

“Hey, Collins!” Marlin shouts as she proceeds to entomb us inside. “I know where you live now. You better watch your back.”

“Nice,” I say, twisting the lock as soon as Lex seals the door shut. “Which one of us ordered a beating for brunch?” I tease, peppering her neck with kisses.

Lex pulls me back, tears glittering in her eyes, and my gut coils right back into that knot again.

“Hey”—my arms steady her by the shoulders—“I’m sorry I hurt your brother. I had no intention of doing so. Things just got out of hand. In no way did I—”

“Stop.” Her finger bounces over my lips, and I pull her in close again. “Marlin is right. What am I doing here?” She holds out her hands, confused as if she just materialized into the room. “I’m not the girl who sleeps with guys on a whim. I should never have had a drop of wine last night. I’m so stupid to think we could do what we did and there not be any repercussions. It’s going to be awkward now.” She drops her face in her hands and takes a hard sniff before coming back up for air. “I’ll try to get another waitressing position somewhere else.”

“No.” A rife panic sets in, and suddenly it’s as if my feet were to the flames. I’ve had Lex in my life for less than five minutes, and already she’s anxious to slip away. I can’t lose her twice. I couldn’t bear the torment. I almost didn’t survive the first