Chapter 25
It was five minutes before Alex and Phoebe emerged from the back.
I didn’t know how the hell she did it, but Alex had slyly maneuvered everyone around like a chess master, making it so not only did I have to drive Olivia home, thanks for that, Mom, but I also now had Phoebe in the backseat of my truck.
The way Alex played it, making it seem completely natural that she, Preston, whom no one was sad to see go, and Prescott had to head back to the city urgently, didn’t have anyone so much as batting an eye.
That included my mother, who hugged her and told her to drive safe, heading for Helen’s car, with Erik playing designated driver.
City streets passed as we drove to Olivia’s.
Every chance I could, I looked at Phoebe in my rearview mirror.
With her face turned to look out the window, I wondered what she was thinking.
I’d come to recognize her daydreaming face once I knew about her writing. And the look on her face was not that.
Tension radiated between us, and I couldn’t put my finger on why until her gaze flicked to Olivia, only to fall to her lap, unaware I was watching her in that moment.
Olivia was completely oblivious, chatting away about the night, the weekend, oh, and if I wanted to have dinner with her tomorrow?
“I have plans.” The most important part of those plans was making sure Phoebe understood I absolutely did not want Olivia. Signaling, I turned down our street, driving past my apartment to her building at the end of the street.
“Oh.” She deflated. “Hey! Shouldn’t we drop Phoebe off first?” She finally clued in we were at her apartment, not Phoebe’s place across town.
Showtime. “Wade needs me to pick up Bones.” The excuse I’d prepared slid off my tongue.
I didn’t lie as a rule, and I knew Olivia wouldn’t question it too much.
I often had to grab Bones for Wade if he was working a double shift or something came up and he wouldn’t be home.
Wade didn’t want him doing his doggy business in his house.
I’d make sure I let Bones out, just so what I said wasn’t a complete lie. I’d already texted Wade, letting him know and asking him to cover for me. He would, no questions asked.
“Oh, well…I could come with you to get him. I haven’t seen Bones in years!
” She brightened, clearly pleased she’d outmaneuvered me.
It was beyond clear she wanted to make it so she and I could be alone, something I definitely didn’t want, and something she’d been trying to achieve since last Sunday.
Now, being alone with my little scribbler was something I was all too desperate for.
“Naw. I’m going to hang out there and chat with Wade about some work things when he gets off.
” It also wasn’t unheard of for me to crash at Wade’s until he rolled in.
“I’ll just drop you off and then Phoebe.
Her house is two streets away from Wade’s anyway,” I reminded Olivia. “Then head to get Bones.”
“Oh…”
“Here we are.” I pulled to a stop in front of her building, hopping out before she could come up with another excuse.
I told Phoebe to climb into the front seat while I walked Olivia to the door.
Despite not wanting to encourage her, it was past midnight and she was a woman alone, which meant I was walking her to her door for safety reasons. Period.
Climbing back into my truck, I wasn’t surprised to see Phoebe still sitting in the back, her face turned away from where I’d just walked Olivia.
I had a feeling the physical distance she was keeping from me was a metaphor for the emotional distance she wanted to put between us. That just wasn’t going to work for me.
Throwing the truck into drive, I let her think. I could see her rationalizing what happened, convincing herself we shouldn’t happen. Olivia, I knew, was a big part of why.
She could rationalize all she wanted. Not only were we going to happen, but I was done waiting.
Tonight, I was going to make it real clear that she’s mine.
The rage I felt at watching Prescott dance with her practically all night had my hand gripping my steering wheel so hard the leather squeaked.
Yeah, tonight she was going to find out that I’d kill any man who touched her. Friend or not.
We were almost at Wade’s when she emerged from her reverie.
I’d thought about dropping her off at home, sparing her the walk, but I figured she’d lock the door and pretend to be asleep when I came back.
“This isn’t my house,” she stated the obvious when I pulled into Wade’s driveway.
“Nope.” I hopped out of the truck, opening her door. Not bothering to wait for her to get out, I reached in, unclipped her seatbelt, and pulled her from the truck, thinking the confused look on her face was rather adorable.
“I need to go home,” she pointed out, glaring down the quiet street. I could see she was trying to work out where she was.
“And you are. We’re just dropping my truck here to keep prying eyes at bay. Your street is a couple over. It won’t take us five minutes to get there.”
Her mouth opened, an argument ready to fly, and I laid a finger against it.
Her skin was so soft...
Leaning down, I made my intentions clear.
“We’re going to walk to your house, where I’m going to come inside, and we’re going to get a few things straight.
This”—I nodded to Wade’s place—“is Wade’s house.
No one will question if my truck is here overnight.
If I park at your place, there will be questions. ”
“We don’t need to talk tonight. We can talk tomorrow.”
Glancing around, I made sure no one was up and looking. I slid my hand around her neck. Kissing her hard and quick, I told her, “We’re talking tonight, Phoebe. Now, we can do it here for everyone to see, which really doesn’t bother me, or we do it at your place. Either way, we’re doing it.”
She could hear the resolution in my voice. I couldn’t give a damn about claiming her publicly, but I knew she would care. Those were some of the issues we were going to be sorting out. The sooner we did that, the sooner I could get what I wanted: her. In any and every way I could have her.
Her mouth snapped shut. Turning on her heel, she stormed down the driveway.
I followed her, finding it cute the way she was walking off without knowing exactly where she was going. It didn’t hurt that I got to watch the delicate sway of her ass in that sinful skirt with each agitated step she took. My dick throbbed as I watched her.
“This way.” I grabbed her arm when she went to take a wrong turn.
“And while you’re pretending like I’m not here…
” That earned me a disgruntled frown. I bit back a smile.
“You should know I won’t be taking Olivia to her grandparents’ party.
I made those plans before I even met you, and if I do go, it will be with you on my arm. ”
Phoebe stopped dead.
Yes, I thought, progress. I was getting through.
Just as quickly as she stopped, she started walking again.
Two minutes later, we were entering her darkened house.
The front porch light wasn’t on, which gave me pause.
Looking at it, I could see the bulb wasn’t there and there were exposed wires.
I was going to call the electrician who was supposed to be out this week and give him hell because seriously, what the fuck?
Closing the door behind us, I locked it, not sure what to make of the two new security locks or the security alarm panel I found inside.
Phoebe went to it and punched in a code. Even as I wondered at the sudden implementation of it, I was perversely glad she had more security. I’d never liked the idea of a woman being alone and vulnerable in her home. I found I slept a whole lot less when it was Phoebe.
Dropping her purse and keys onto the table she’d added to the vestibule while I was gone, she turned around. “I don’t want to talk.”
Yeah, that wasn’t happening. “We’re talking, sweetheart.” And if I was lucky, I’d convince her to do it while sitting in my lap. Fat chance, I know, but a guy can dream.
She shook her head and frustration grew in me, and I said, “I’m not going to—”
“I want you.”
Silence reigned in the quiet of the house as her words sank in. I wanted her, too. My cock, hearing those sweet words fall softly from her lips, was already aching. “Phoebe”—I ran a frustrated hand down my face—“I want you, too. Christ, I want you. But until we’re clear on what’s going on.”
“I’m clear.” She took a tentative step toward me.
Her hands hung at her sides, and I saw her fingers press together.
They weren’t rubbing together the way they usually did.
It was still enough to tell me she was nervous.
“Alex explained,” she offered when I started to dig my heels in.
I wanted her more than my next breath. I just couldn’t touch her without her knowing the full truth because I wanted more than just her body.
She came to a stop just in front of me. I clenched my hands into fists to keep from grabbing her.
Her soft hands landed on my shoulders, and she stood up on her toes.
“I want you, even if it’s just for one night. ”
One night? Fuck tha—
She kissed me, and any thought of arguing with her evaporated at the feel of her mouth against mine. It was the first time she’d made any kind of move, and it’d caught me off guard even as it unleashed the savage inside me that needed to claim her.
She trembled from standing on her toes, and my arms closed around her, pulling her tightly against me, so she wouldn’t lose balance. She fit me perfectly. Her soft breasts pressed against my ribs, and I felt the sweet little buds of her nipples through the silk of her top.
There will be time to talk tomorrow, I promised myself, taking over the kiss. Call me a pig-male all you want. There was only so much I could take, and when the woman I hungered for day in and day out told me she wanted me…? I wasn’t going to deny either one of us.