that… She didn’t want to admit how scared she was. But every week that passed, she had to admit to herself that Alex appeared to be settling. He’d rented out his condo in LA. She hadn’t seen his city car in months. Sure, he hadn’t bought a house, but she was refusing to think about the reasons why right now. Holding on to that excuse just seemed stubborn and immature at this point.
She still worried.
“We’re not kids anymore, Alex. We have responsibilities.”
“We always did, Ted. Even when we were twenty-two. We can deal with that.”
“There’s so much stuff in the past.”
He took her hand and held it, playing with her fingers. Light. No pressure. Just… there.
“We can’t go back. I’m not who I was then. You’re not who you were. We’ve grown up. Hopefully. But… You know there’s still something there. Something good between us, along with the bad. Something that could be great.”
Could it?
It could.
“It’s complicated, Alex.”
“The good stuff always is.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m willing if you are, Tea.”
Tea .
He was the only one who called her that. The only one who ever had. A soft name for those times he held her close. Groaned her name in passion. Whispered it in his sleep. For a long time, the memory of it hurt. But now?
She slowly leaned over and kissed him. Light. Just a taste. His firm lips angled over hers when he took the kiss farther, but he wouldn’t be Alex if he didn’t. He was hungry for her, and she liked it. His callused hands were light against her skin. Holding her, but not bruising.
When he finally pulled away, she said, “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
“Fair enough.” He smiled. “Now, lets go ask a shady old man about money.”
Chapter Eight
Progress on the Ted front was slow, but steady. He’d take that. Her kiss still burned on his lips as he turned the corner to see three of the Quinn boys sitting on Old Quinn’s porch, beers in hand and a scattering of empty cans around them.
“Oh, this looks promising,” Ted muttered.
“Only one way to honor a loved one, getting shit-faced in their memory.”
“Give them some credit. This might just a normal afternoon for them.”
“I recognize Connor and Marcus’s brother, Rory. Who’s the other one?”
“Kellan. Another cousin of Marcus’s. He’s a follower. Not that bright, but loyal.”
Alex parked carefully, but a cloud of dust kicked up anyway. Quinn didn’t waste his money on gravel for his drive. His home didn’t have any pretense of a yard. It was dry brush and cactus. Rocks and scrub and the occasional kids’ toy tossed in the dirt. Alex opened the car door and stepped out, standing by the truck as he called to the house.
“Hey guys. The old man around?”
Connor walked forward. He had a typical Quinn build. Whip thin with lean muscles. They were all quick. It was hardly surprising that most of their clan shifted into rattlesnakes or some other deadly reptile. Connor’s natural form was a coachwhip, a lean, aggressive snake with the habit of eating his prey live. As human, he was just as aggressive.
“He’s not here,” Connor said. “And you’re not wanted, McCann.” His lip curled at Ted. “Neither are you, pussycat.”
Ted didn’t react to the provocation. While some of the cats in the Springs did shift to domestics, everyone knew Ted was a mountain lion. She wore her power like other women wore heels. It was one of the sexiest things about her.
Nevertheless, Alex warned, “Watch your mouth, Connor. Poking a lion is dumb, even for you.”
He heard Rory snort behind him, but the young man quickly covered his smile.
“Why?” Connor turned back to Alex. “You going to kill me and tear me up like some dog did to Marcus?”
The other men stood, walking to the edge of Old Quinn’s porch, still holding on to their beer.
“Marcus was my friend. And I don’t make a habit of shooting my friends in the back.”
“Maybe
She still worried.
“We’re not kids anymore, Alex. We have responsibilities.”
“We always did, Ted. Even when we were twenty-two. We can deal with that.”
“There’s so much stuff in the past.”
He took her hand and held it, playing with her fingers. Light. No pressure. Just… there.
“We can’t go back. I’m not who I was then. You’re not who you were. We’ve grown up. Hopefully. But… You know there’s still something there. Something good between us, along with the bad. Something that could be great.”
Could it?
It could.
“It’s complicated, Alex.”
“The good stuff always is.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m willing if you are, Tea.”
Tea .
He was the only one who called her that. The only one who ever had. A soft name for those times he held her close. Groaned her name in passion. Whispered it in his sleep. For a long time, the memory of it hurt. But now?
She slowly leaned over and kissed him. Light. Just a taste. His firm lips angled over hers when he took the kiss farther, but he wouldn’t be Alex if he didn’t. He was hungry for her, and she liked it. His callused hands were light against her skin. Holding her, but not bruising.
When he finally pulled away, she said, “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
“Fair enough.” He smiled. “Now, lets go ask a shady old man about money.”
Chapter Eight
Progress on the Ted front was slow, but steady. He’d take that. Her kiss still burned on his lips as he turned the corner to see three of the Quinn boys sitting on Old Quinn’s porch, beers in hand and a scattering of empty cans around them.
“Oh, this looks promising,” Ted muttered.
“Only one way to honor a loved one, getting shit-faced in their memory.”
“Give them some credit. This might just a normal afternoon for them.”
“I recognize Connor and Marcus’s brother, Rory. Who’s the other one?”
“Kellan. Another cousin of Marcus’s. He’s a follower. Not that bright, but loyal.”
Alex parked carefully, but a cloud of dust kicked up anyway. Quinn didn’t waste his money on gravel for his drive. His home didn’t have any pretense of a yard. It was dry brush and cactus. Rocks and scrub and the occasional kids’ toy tossed in the dirt. Alex opened the car door and stepped out, standing by the truck as he called to the house.
“Hey guys. The old man around?”
Connor walked forward. He had a typical Quinn build. Whip thin with lean muscles. They were all quick. It was hardly surprising that most of their clan shifted into rattlesnakes or some other deadly reptile. Connor’s natural form was a coachwhip, a lean, aggressive snake with the habit of eating his prey live. As human, he was just as aggressive.
“He’s not here,” Connor said. “And you’re not wanted, McCann.” His lip curled at Ted. “Neither are you, pussycat.”
Ted didn’t react to the provocation. While some of the cats in the Springs did shift to domestics, everyone knew Ted was a mountain lion. She wore her power like other women wore heels. It was one of the sexiest things about her.
Nevertheless, Alex warned, “Watch your mouth, Connor. Poking a lion is dumb, even for you.”
He heard Rory snort behind him, but the young man quickly covered his smile.
“Why?” Connor turned back to Alex. “You going to kill me and tear me up like some dog did to Marcus?”
The other men stood, walking to the edge of Old Quinn’s porch, still holding on to their beer.
“Marcus was my friend. And I don’t make a habit of shooting my friends in the back.”
“Maybe
Similar Books
