“You mean I gotta get past this.”
Well…
Yeah.
He didn’t say that.
Her attention darted to the bar and then back to him. “She good with you rushing after me?”
“She told me to hurry because you were leaving.”
Her chin slid into her neck.
Yeah, Alex being all she was was a surprise.
Though he never thought Peri would benefit from it.
He gentled his tone. “She’s good for me, Peri.”
“I was good for you once,” she said.
“Not when I most needed it.”
She looked like he’d slapped her.
But seriously?
Did she not remember when she’d walked away?
She recovered quickly. “Fuck you, Rix.”
Now, that shit wasn’t right.
“Peri—”
“Let go of my door.”
He wasn’t going to do this either.
He let go of her door and stepped back.
She slammed it and started up the car.
But he was already walking back to the bar.
He heard her pull out and then he saw her drive at a crawl by his side with her window open.
Fantastic.
He stopped.
So did she.
“Tell your buddies at the station they can go fuck themselves,” she hissed.
Say what?
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“Ask them, they know. Hint for you, I didn’t show up tonight out of the blue.”
Ah, shit.
He pulled in a breath that expanded his chest, and let it out.
She raced away, and he hoped she didn’t hurt herself or anyone else, driving like that.
He returned to the bar and did a sweep of it.
And…goddamn.
Sure as shit, there was Erin, who used to date Dylan, one of his buds in the crew at the fire department.
They’d broken up, but when it had to do with someone wronging one of their own, the tentacles of that family spread wide and didn’t break.
No surprise, since she orchestrated it, Erin hadn’t missed what had gone down. And when he caught her eyes, she smiled huge at him.
Considering what she did was loyal, but uncool, he tipped his head to the side to acknowledge her smile and that was it.
Rix resumed his seat, and again no surprise, the fun-night-out vibe had vanished.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
“Yup,” he answered, reaching two ways. One for his beer, the other for her.
He took a sip and installed her where she was before Peri showed.
“She okay?” she asked.
“Nope,” he answered.
They were all quiet.
Great.
That was when Gal shocked the shit out of him.
“I hope this sopping wet blanket isn’t messing up my hair,” she joked.
Katie giggled.
Alex gave him more weight.
“So, you know, all good,” Gal bizarrely declared in Rix’s direction. “There was a drama, and it’s over. But on the bright side, practice for you when Alex gets you to the Big Apple and Blake is on the bridezilla warpath.”
“I keep having dreams of her growing to the size of a skyscraper, wearing a wedding gown, and laying waste to Manhattan because one of the boutonnieres drooped,” Katie shared.
“If she’s the size of a skyscraper, I wanna go to this wedding, because can you imagine the size of the cake?” Gal asked.
Those two busted a gut laughing, with Alex in her way joining in. She was quietly chuckling.
Right.
Wait.
That was it?
No filthy looks or lingering stares or any other bullshit because his ex showing interrupted their evening?
This was not his experience with Peri’s friends. Even if the situation had been out of his control, like this one, they’d find a way to make their feelings known about it.
“So,” Katie started when she’d quieted down, aiming this Rix’s way, “we’ve never met them. Alex’s family. I’m still having nightmares.”
“Do you have a hat for this crazy tea?” Gal asked Alex.
“No,” was Alex’s fortunate reply.
“Bummer,” Gal muttered. “I think you should wear one so huge, it takes up three seats.”
“Helena would have a hissy fit,” Katie noted.
“Helena can go jump in a lake. Who does tea? We’re in America, for God’s sake,” Gal replied.
Rix grunted his agreement.
“See?” Gal pointed at him. “Rix agrees with me.”
“I didn’t disagree,” Katie pointed out.
“Americans do tea,” Alex put in.
“Not with hats. With ice and lots of sugar,” Gal retorted.
Rix started laughing.
Katie did too.
And Alex did too.
Yeah.
He settled in with his girl and a sip of beer.
Because Alex’s friends were the shit.
Rix drilled into her.
“This is mine, hey?” he growled.
“Yes, Rix,” she gasped into the bed.
He sensed she didn’t get him.
He slid in, stayed in, and bent over her, his cock snug inside, her ass snug to his crotch since they were both on their knees.
“Pay attention, baby. I mean it. Exclusive. Mine.”
She turned her head as best she could and looked at him.
Now she got him.
“Okay, honey,” she whispered.
He slid out and back in.
“That’s yours,” he told her.
“Yes,” she breathed.
Yes.
Rix took hold of her and fell to his back, taking her with him so she was on top, bent slightly forward, which was perfect.
It was the first time since they took his legs he positioned his partner into a reverse cowgirl.
He didn’t notice.
He grabbed two handfuls of a sweet, round ass, one thumb tracing her crease, and ordered, “Bounce, sweetheart.”