I was pissed. These were their fucking rules, not mine.
I’d also made it clear that I didn’t want him calling me at work. If he needed me, then he had my mobile number. I loved Finn like a brother, but the guy couldn’t keep his trap shut. If he got even so much of a sniff of my business, all the guys would know within the space of an hour.
I screwed up the scrap of paper and shoved it in my pocket.
I’ll deal with this later.
#
“Hello?”
“Do you want to stop calling my work?” I growled. I kicked and empty bottle along the ground, checking back to the garage to make sure Finn wasn’t looking for me.
“Sorry,” he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. “I guess I forgot.”
“Right. Sure. So did you want something?”
“Just wanted to check how you were going. The boss is happy with your work. You’re bringing in some big sales, apparently. Consider this your three-month evaluation.”
“It’s been four,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
“So we’re a little slow,” he replied. “Have a good night, Mace.”
I switched off my phone, trying to figure out what their game was. Were they trying to show me they could reach me anywhere? Because I already knew that.
Reaching into my back pocket, I grabbed my wallet and pulled out the half-smoked joint I’d stashed in there. I stared at the photo of Anna as I lit the joint, crouching down onto my knees.
Calm down. Just go back inside and act normal.
I snorted. Normal. Fuck, I hadn’t been acting normal for the past year.
Chapter Three
Leeta
Dropping my keys on the kitchen bench, I sighed as I began to undress. Walking through to the bathroom, I ran the bath. My biggest demand when house-hunting last year had been a huge bath. That was my only non-negotiable requirement.
It was the best way I knew how to relax, and in my job, I got stressed a lot. Nothing beat a nice, long soak after a stressful day. Well, I could maybe think of one thing . . .
I smirked and put my clothes in the laundry hamper, then grabbed a towel from the closet. Back in the bathroom, I switched off the taps and dipped my fingers in the water. Perfect.
“Oh, hell yeah.” I sighed as I immersed myself in the hot water, the steam rising up and filling the bathroom. Instant gratification.
I’d texted Mace to see if he was coming over. He hadn’t replied—which wasn’t unusual. He had his friends, and I had mine. After six months together, we spent most nights at each other’s homes, but we were still at the stage of having our own space. I liked that. I was far from clingy, so having our own places worked for the moment.
Closing my eyes, I felt myself relax. It had been a big few days at work, and I was glad it was over. My closing argument had gone just as I’d hoped, and I was quietly confident that I’d be racking up my first win the next day. They say the first one is always the hardest, and that seemed especially apparent in my job. Standing in the front of that courtroom had given me such an adrenaline rush. I was born to be in the courtroom.
Stepping out of the bath, I wrapped a towel around me just as the pounding on the door began. I knew it wasn’t Mace, because he had a key. I contemplated pretending I wasn’t home when a familiar voice echoed through the walls.
“Leet! Open the fuck up!”
I raced to the door, still only in my towel, and flung it open. I looked in his arms and sighed. I fucking knew it.
“No. No fucking way, Tim.” My warnings went unheard as he pushed past me and into the living room, where he plopped down on the couch.
“Leeta, meet your new friend, Marcus.” He handed me a little bundle of pillowcase from which a tiny, fuzzy grey head was poking out. My heart melted a little at the sight of him and his huge green eyes.
“You fucking bastard, Timothy. You can’t bring him here knowing I won’t be able to say no . . .” My words deserted me. Totally gone. I smiled as a tiny little paw hit my finger. I was officially smitten.