Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

“You’re right,” she says as our eyes meet. “But if I didn’t know, I wouldn’t have been able to tell her how much of an idiot she’s being.”

I bring my lip between my teeth. I’m about to ask what Aviva said to that when the door opens. Aviva comes out, looking as gorgeous as ever, carrying a tray holding a fountain drink cup and a sub. She looks from Callie to me, her eyes, those green depths, full of wickedness. Wickedness I want to consume. She doesn’t want me here. I can tell. She sets the tray down and pushes it toward me.

“You haven’t been by in a couple days. Figured you might be hungry.”

I pull the tray toward me. “Thank you. I have missed this.” And other things. But from the way she is looking at me, she doesn’t want to hear it. She taps her foot against the ground as our eyes stay locked. “You look really pretty today. I like that you pinned your bangs to the side.”

She touches the pin, her face turning red. Her eyes are so dark and burning into mine. If Callie weren’t here, I’d grab Aviva and throw her on this table. Kiss that pouty mouth of hers and make her cry my name. “Thanks. Um, er…” She pauses to look at Callie. I don’t have to glance at Callie to know she’s giving her big sister a look. “Thank you for helping her. I have no clue about that stuff.”

I nod. “Anytime.”

“I didn’t want her bothering you, but Amelia said you wouldn’t mind.”

“I don’t. She can call anytime,” I say, opening the wrapper on my sub. “You can too.”

When I wink at her, she presses her lips together and looks away. The color is creeping up her neck, and I want to trace it with my tongue. I’ve missed her. So damn much. As I take a huge bite of my sub, I’m in heaven. There is one thing that would make this even better, and that’s if Aviva came and sat in my lap. I almost invite her to since she looks silly standing there, all unsure of herself. I don’t care about our fight; I’m over it. I just want to see her. Be with her. Kiss that mouth of hers.

Around my bite, I ask, “Can I take you out?”

She whips her head back toward me. She furrows her brow as she asks, “What?”

“Can I take you out?” I ask again before I swallow. “I think we need a do-over.”

“A do-over?”

“Yeah,” I answer before taking a sip of my Cherry Coke. Aw, she remembered. “I think things heated up the other day, and we should go out. Maybe I was in the wrong for not showing you a good time.”

Her eyes cut to Callie and then back to me. Once more, they go to Callie before she says, “Do you mind?”

Callie kicks her feet up on the table. “Not at all. I’m just listening as I work.”

I snort, but Aviva is not amused. “Callie.”

Callie waves her off and points at me. “Pay attention to him.”

Aviva groans loudly as her eyes settle on mine. “You showed me the best time. I had a blast. First time in a while.”

“Good. I was worried you hadn’t.”

She swallows hard. “I think we were both in the wrong, but I really don’t want to talk about this right now.”

I nod. “Which is why you should let me take you out.”

“When?”

“Now.”

“You’re eating!”

“Yeah, but I’ll be hungry again in a bit. Or we can get ice cream.”

Callie perks up. “Oh! Can I go?”

“Sure,” I say, just as Aviva says, “No!”

I point to her sister. “Or no.”

“Rude.”

“So rude,” I say under my breath, and again, Aviva is not amused.

Her eyes look like they’re about to pop out of her head. She crosses her arms over her chest and sighs deeply. “I have things to do.”

“Then afterward.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I think it’s for the best—”

“Do you not want to see me?”

She widens her eyes, and her face burns with color. Damn it, if she isn’t the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. She licks her lips, setting me on edge, and I think I’ve almost got her.

“Come on. You know you do.”

She looks down at the ground just as a car pulls up. It draws all of our attention, but since it’s no one I know, I start eating again. I bring my focus back to Aviva just as she tenses up. What in the world? I look to Callie, and she’s doing the same.

“Callie, get the hell inside,” Aviva says quickly, but before Callie can even get up—though, I’m unsure she would have—the man who is getting out of the car says her name.

“Calliope, come here and give Daddy some sugar!” His thick accent is very Southern. Almost reminds me of Shelli’s. I take in the man. He’s tall, like Aviva, real skinny, and looks sick. Like too many hits of the crack pipe. I thought he was gone?