Forever You're Mine (MINE #4)(17)

Cannon cupped my cheeks, his touch and the warmth in his eyes set me on fire. “Of course you can stay here.” He leaned in to kiss me and it took everything I had to pull away from the happiness in his eyes.

I shook my head and stared at my hands. “That’s not all I have to tell you.”

He tensed next to me, a wave of irritation followed. “There’s more?”

“Alexis,” I stated, meeting his eyes.

My voice cracked when I said her name and I cursed myself for allowing her to affect me this way.

“What about her?” He gritted and the air between us froze.

“After Lyssa came to pick me up, we went by Archer’s so I could find someone to cover my shift and figure out what I was gonna do next.” I attempted to pull in a calming breath, but every time I thought about what that bitch said to me, my anger became a boiling rage of fire. “After Jesse said he’d stay on for a double, I was working on my second drink when she walked up to me and asked if I was f*cking her man. You. She was all up in my face, saying if I knew what was best for me I would stay the f*ck away from you.” Cannon remained silent, anger pouring from his body in sheets of overwhelming heat. I continued. “If I didn’t need my job so damn bad I would have beat the shit out of her right there, but thankfully Archer was there to take care of it. I mean, I know you two had sex, but is she more to you? Do you love her?”

“Fuck no!” His immediate response had me sagging with relief. Cannon stood from the couch. “I’m about to settle this shit right now.”

“Cannon, please. I believe you. I don’t want to stir the pot.”

“She had no right to say that shit to you.”

My heart was racing a mile a minute. The protective look in his eye. The knowledge that he didn’t belong to her left me breathless.

“I’ve gotta meet Holden at a new property he’s lookin’ to buy, and then Alexis Davis and I will have the longest conversation we’ve ever had. She won’t be bothering you again. I can promise you that.”





A real friend is the one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

~Walter Winchell





I’d never had the urge to put my hands on a woman.

Ever.

I was a born protector. It’s the way the good Lord made me. But the way my blood boiled and my hands itched, I was wondering if today would be the day.

After I’d met Holden and did what I needed to do with him, I texted Alexis to make sure she was home so I could set her ass straight.

We did not have a relationship.

We f*cked.

That’s it.

Aside from the few times we’d gotten drunk together and she’d poured her heart out to me about her controlling father, which I half ass paid attention to, we didn’t share shit.

Not even a bed.

She knew the deal, so I was more than a little confused as to why she would confront Cora the way she did. Holden had warned me to stay away from her, but I’d dipped my dick into the crazy jar anyway. I should have known better. I should have thought this whole thing through.

But I’d completely underestimated her. I was standing in front of the woman who’d unknowingly helped me keep the bad shit buried, defending the woman who could dig it all back up.

“You stay the f*ck away from her,” I warned, my temperature rising as I stared down into her eyes.

Alexis’ version of the story had been a lot different from Cora’s. Then again, I expected it would be. I don’t even know why I was still standing here listening to her bullshit. I’d seen Alexis spit words of hate like it was second nature. I knew how vicious she could be.

“Why are you so angry?” she asked innocently. “It’s not like she’s your girlfriend. We both know you don’t want that.” She brushed her hand across my jeans, taking a step closer while stroking me with the palm of her sure hand. “She can’t give you what I can, baby.” Her other hand moved to my neck, pulling me down closer to her mouth “Eventually, she’ll want more. Commitment, marriage, kids…it’s what they all want. But not me. I just want this. This is all I’ll ever need.”

Her lips covered mine and for a second I lost my head. This felt safe. This was my comfort zone. I didn’t have to be anyone or anything with her and that was a feeling I wanted to hold on to.

She was absolutely right.

Alexis didn’t come with any obligations. No commitments. No promises. Just pleasure. That’s all she needed from me. That’s all I wanted from her. * anytime, and I didn’t have to share my feelings to get it or work to keep it. I didn’t have to share shit but my dick. For a while now, Alexis had been enough.

Then Cora happened.

And enough became inconsequential.

I needed more.

I gripped her arms and gently pushed her back before looking into her eyes. “We’re finished, Alexis.”

Those eyes went from soft blue to cold stone in an instant. “Because of her?” she asked, her voice rising in anger. I could feel the tension beneath my hands, so I let her go and made for the door. “You’ll regret this.”

I didn’t respond.

I’d said everything I came here to say.

We were done.

I’d stopped off at the grocery store on my way back, knowing I didn’t have any food Cora liked stocked up at home and honestly, I was a little freaked out by the revelation I’d just had. What did it mean? What did I want?