At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(131)
“I did, he kind of… didn’t listen.”
Mike rolled away to his back but I kept hold of him and went with him as he muttered, “Fuck, Vi.”
I got up on an elbow and looked down at him. “You can step back, honey, while I sort this out with him.”
His eyes locked on mine. “You want me to do that?”
I did, to be fair to him.
And I didn’t, to be totally selfish.
“Yes, to be fair to you,” I said and felt his body tense. “No, to be totally selfish,” I finished, voicing my thoughts aloud then I said, “but I know now where Joe’s at and if I wasn’t me, but your friend, I’d advise you to step back.”
“I gotta worry about this shit?”
“No.”
He studied my face then he said, “You sure?”
“No.”
He looked at the ceiling. I dropped down and pressed my forehead to his chest.
After awhile, I felt his hand slide into my hair.
“This a ‘may the best man win’ situation, sweetheart?”
“I’m not a prize, Mike,” I told his chest.
“Yeah you are, Vi, the best f**kin’ prize there is.”
My head came up and I looked at him. “We’re talkin’ hearts, here. You don’t play games with hearts.”
He got up on his elbows but didn’t break eye contact as he declared, “You’re wrong. Only games worth playin’ are games of the heart.”
“Someone loses,” I whispered and he grinned, did an ab curl and his arms wrapped around me.
He rolled me to my back, covered me with his body and put his mouth to mine before he whispered, “Tonight, I win.”
Then he kissed me.
Then he set about winning me.
At least for the night.
And he did.
Chapter Sixteen
Gotta Remind You
The next morning late, Mike leaving me at his house in his bed after I gave him a drowsy kiss and went back to sleep as he went off to work, I got up, took a shower, got ready for the day at Mike’s house and I went home.
I had Mooch in one arm, my bag dangling from my hand, my remote and key in my other hand and I let us in, dropping my bag and Mooch who started instantly yapping his puppy yaps toward the kitchen.
As I closed the door, I turned that way and stared.
Joe was standing there, hand leaned into the counter, phone to his ear, eyes, or I should say irate eyes, pinning me to the spot.
“Yeah,” he said into the phone, his eyes never leaving me as I stood frozen, staring at him. “You got it. Don’t worry.” He paused then he said, “Yeah, even when you get back.” He paused again then said, “I’ll tell her.” Another pause then, “Yeah, later girl.”
Then he flipped his phone shut and tossed it on the counter.
“What’re you doing here?” I whispered, Mooch somehow reading my tone shut up, sat down by my foot and stared with me at Joe.
“That was Kate,” he replied, his eyes still skewering me.
“What?” I asked.
“She called yesterday, worried about you bein’ alone. We made a deal.”
This didn’t sound good.
“You…” I hesitated, “made a deal with my daughter?”
“Yeah,” he replied, not moving, staying leaned deceptively casually against the counter as he spoke. “She and Keira help me out with my house. I keep close and keep you safe.”
“You made a deal with my daughters?” I repeated, though with a frightening nuance of change to one word.
“Works for me, seein’ as I don’t have a kitchen or bathroom or furniture. Now, stayin’ with you, I do.”
My chest seized tight.
“Staying with me?” I breathed.
“She called just now to check in.”
I looked to his phone then to him, ruing the day that I programmed Joe’s phone number into my girls’ phones.
“I –”
Joe cut me off. “You spent the night with him.”
I pulled myself together and stated, “That isn’t any of your business.”
“Thought I made myself clear yesterday, Vi.”
“Yes, you did and I made myself pretty clear too.”
“Yeah, baby, you did, f**kin’ whimpering the minute my mouth got close.”
Shit, okay, he kind of had me there.
“Joe –”
“I told you not to play that game.”
“Joe –”
“You played it.”
I decided it was a good idea to start retreating so I did. Mooch started yapping. Joe stood there unmoving.
“I’d like you to leave,” I told him.
“You forgot,” he said and I stopped moving backward.
“Forgot what?”
“Can’t imagine you did. I didn’t. I feel you at night, even f**kin’ smell you, thought it was the same for you.”
His words and all they meant washed over me and I stopped breathing.
“Gotta remind you,” he murmured.
We locked eyes.
Then he moved.
I turned and ran.
Mooch followed me, thinking it was a game.
It was no game and I was way too slow. Joe caught me, swung me around and then up over his shoulder and stalked into my bedroom.