He sounded peeved, not quite pissed, yet. A good sign, except it didn’t bode well for the rest of the night.
Truth told, she didn’t want him in her apartment. She didn’t want to get him a beer or cook him dinner, and she really didn’t want him sleeping on her couch. It would be too easy to pretend they were more than acquaintances. But, she couldn’t be rude to the man who’d saved her twice just because she couldn’t think, much less cook, or sleep with him in the next room.
Her cheeks flamed. “Yeah, sorry, I just…wasn’t expecting you.”
He parted his mouth, then shut it, clenching his jaw. Yep, she’d done it. Definitely pissed now.
She stood aside, and he strode through, his presence filling the room. He didn’t sit. Instead, he turned to face her and crossed his arms over his chest.
She closed the door and locked it. “Do you want a beer or something stronger?”
“Beer.”
She nodded. “I planned to make chicken parmesan with spaghetti unless you wanted something else.”
He dropped his arms and looked away from her. “You don’t have to go through the trouble of making me dinner. I can order something for us.”
Of course, he’d say that. He was the only member of the club who’d never eaten her food. Why? Probably because he hated her. When she lived at the compound, she cooked all the time and made plenty for everyone. He’d look at her in his angry biker way and walk away. She couldn’t help but feel insulted then and now though she knew she was a good cook, even smug Wyatt told her so. “Are you scared I’ll poison you or something?”
Apparently, this amused him, he grinned. “No, Allie.”
“Then?”
“You don’t want me here, so I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
She didn’t, but he didn’t want to be there anyway. “You don’t want to be here.”
His eyes darkened. “If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here.”
What did that mean? He rather be with her than at Friday Night Fiasco at the compound? Her heart fluttered with hope. She fought to ignore it then released a breath. “I’m making dinner for myself. I don’t mind making a little extra for you. Besides, I think I owe you several home-cooked meals considering…”
He took a step, and her voice faded away. “You don’t owe me anything.” His tone rough.
She held his gaze. “Okay.” What else was there to say? “I’ll start dinner then…or no, I’ll get you a beer first, then start dinner.”
“Don’t you wanna change?”
She glanced down at herself, still wearing jeans and a blouse, the same clothes she’d worn to work. She always changed after work, putting on a pair of shorts and T-shirt, something comfy. But he was there, looking hot and angry, standing too close, and staring down at her intensely, and it made her forget everything. Why couldn’t he be normal like Cuss, sit down, watch a game, and drink a beer? Why did she have to be so attracted to him?
She looked back at him then nodded weakly. Still, she turned, headed for the kitchen. He grasped her wrist, holding her still. Heat shot up her arm. She angled her face to his.
“You gonna change?”
“I was going to get you a beer first.”
He nodded and released her. She walked the rest of the distance to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and stared into it, not seeing anything. With the cool air hitting her face, she took a deep breath, grabbed a beer, and turned, almost bumping into Jace. A small gasp escaped her lips. How long had he been there? How was it possible a man as tall and wide as him moved soundlessly? And why was he in her space?
She sidestepped, reached into a drawer for the bottle opener, uncapped the beer, and handed it to him. “Going to change,” she announced. “You should…relax and watch TV. I’ll get dinner started soon.”
She fled as quickly as her legs could take her.
Chapter Seventeen
Allie strode away. He watched her go, took a long gulp of beer, and headed into the living room. She came out a moment later, wearing shorts and a top that exposed some of her shoulder.
Damn, she was beautiful, so beautiful.
She headed to the coffee table, picked up the remote, and handed it to him. “You can watch whatever you like.”
“What do you like?” She seemed baffled by his question, so he rephrased, “What do you wanna watch?”
“I’ll be cooking.”
“You won’t be cooking all night, Allie. We can watch a movie or two. It’s Friday. You don’t have to get up for work tomorrow.”
She swallowed. “You’re the guest, why don’t you pick something out?”
He didn’t want to pick anything out. It’s not like he could pay attention with her sitting next to him anyway. “I wanna watch what you wanna watch.”
A soft smile spread across her lips. “I’ll think about it.”
He watched her as she headed into the kitchen, and then he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels aimlessly, waiting for her.
An hour later, Allie strode into the living room, carrying two plates of food. He stood, freed her of the plates, and set them on the coffee table.
“Um…thanks,” she mumbled then disappeared into the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “Let me get the utensils.”
A moment later, she walked in, set the knives and forks beside each plate, and sat in the far corner of the couch, as far away from him as possible.
“Are you guys volunteering for helpless Alyssa guard or is Ty making you?”
His gaze shot to her, but he didn’t say anything for a while, not until she met his eyes. “You aren’t helpless.”
She shrugged. “Now, are you going to answer my question?”
“I watched you Wednesday night. Cuss volunteered Thursday. After we left last night, Army asked me to watch you.”
“Why?”
He didn’t want to say too much, but he didn’t want to lie either. “Cuss has a way with women.” He took a sip of his beer.
Her eyes widened, and she smiled. “Yeah, I know.”
He tensed, anger and jealousy igniting. “He try something?”
“My brother has good instincts. Sometimes he knows things without me telling him, but other times those instincts fail him. Case in point: Cuss.”
He lifted a brow. “Care to explain?”
“My brother’s right about Cuss. He does have a way with women. Being a woman, I know. It’s his eyes.”
Shit. He didn’t want to hear this, didn’t want to hear she liked anything about any man. His hands curled into fists. He fought the urge to make any sudden movements, show any hint of the emotion flooding him.
“But my brother’s also wrong. I’m not interested in Cuss, and even if I was, he’s taken.”
He exhaled, relieved. “He isn’t taken.”
Her eyes met his and softened. “Maybe not in the literal sense, but trust me when I say, he’s taken.”
She was so adamant about it he couldn’t help but ask. “How do you know? He tell you?”
“I saw it.”
“Elaborate, Allie.”
“I noticed him looking at someone.”
What? Because Cuss looked at a woman didn’t mean he was interested in her for more than a night, and it especially didn’t mean he was taken. “That it?”
“Jace, trust me. I’m telling you I saw him. He looked at her like…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
Now, he was intrigued. Besides, she was talking freely to him. He wanted that more than he cared to know about Cuss. “You brought it up, now you gotta tell me.”
“Right or else I get hardheaded, angry Jace?” She laughed softly. “I saw him look at her the way every woman wants to be looked at. I asked him about it. He didn’t confirm it, but he didn’t deny it. Honestly, even if he denied it, it wouldn’t make a difference. I saw it. He’s taken.”
Could she tell that from one look? If she could, then she knew how much he wanted her, too.
She cut into his thoughts. “Are you planning on trying my food?”
He refocused his attention on the spaghetti and chicken parmesan in front of him, cut a piece, and popped it in his mouth. Damn. So good, no, fantastic. The favors melded perfectly in his mouth. No surprise there, considering all the guys raved about her skills.
He swallowed. “Fuckin’ amazing, Allie.”
Her fork had been halfway to her mouth, but hearing his declaration, she paused and smiled wide. “Thanks.”
“Ever think about being a chef?”
She took a bite, swallowed, and shrugged. “I figured I’d get enough cooking done for my husband and kids, so no. I guess looking back now…” Her words trailed off, a sadness enveloping her features.
“Allie?”
“Sorry…Nothing.”
A loaded nothing. It wasn’t any of his business, but he wanted to ask. He hated seeing that sadness in her eyes, her face. He wanted to make it better, so he tried. “What is it?”
Her eyes met his. “Funny, how things work out sometimes…”
He held his breath, waiting for her to explain.
“When I was a kid, I thought by this time in my life I’d be married, planning a family. Instead, I’m starting over.”
“You’re young, twenty-five. You’ve got plenty of time for a family.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced. She glanced at his plate, then met his eyes. “Let me reheat it for you.” She reached for his plate.
Damn, she wanted to reheat his food because it sat out for two minutes without him touching it? Smart, sweet, beautiful, and attentive on top of that. How wasn’t she married with three plus kids?
He grabbed her wrist. “It’s still hot. You eat.”
She nodded.
He took a bite of spaghetti. “You’d make a great wife.”
She chuckled. “Ahh…if it were only that easy.”
He didn’t get why it amused her. It wasn’t funny. It killed knowing she was perfect and could never be his. “It
is
that easy, Allie. You’re beautiful, smart, and sweet. You can cook, and you keep a clean house. That isn’t enough, you drive a muscle car, drink beer, and manage to look classy doing it. You fit in here with the club, and I know you just as easily fit in with your old life in New York, living in a penthouse with a doorman.”
Fuck. Had he said that?
Her jaw dropped.
He didn’t know why the truth surprised her.
“Thanks…I think.”
He smiled. “You think?”
She flushed. “Yeah, I’m not sure it was a compliment.”
He lifted a brow. “How’re you not sure it’s a compliment, Allie?”
“Um…well…you sounded kind of mad when you said it.”
She hit the nail on the head. He wasn’t pissed she was all those things, but he was pissed he could never have her. Still, he laughed because he was with her. She made him a fantastic meal. They were talking and sharing, and he’d enjoy this for six more days.
Luckiest trailer trash on earth.
“Yeah, kinda.” He held her stare for several moments. When she looked away, he resumed eating.
He finished his meal. Allie being sweet, beautiful, perfect Allie asked if he wanted seconds. He didn’t need the extra carbs, but he would eat all she offered only because she offered.
She headed into the kitchen then walked out minutes later carrying a steaming plate of food. Setting it on the coffee table, she sat beside him.
“Decided what you wanna watch?”
She smiled. “How about
Friends
?”
He nodded and took a bite of his food. She slid a DVD into the player. They watched two episodes while he finished. He’d never watched
Friends
, but he was glad she’d picked it out. He got to hear her laugh, a lot, and she had a beautiful laugh.
When he finished, she grabbed his plate and headed into the kitchen. He followed behind. “I’ll do the dishes.” She’d cooked; he’d clean.
She turned and quirked a brow. “No one does the dishes. I have a dishwasher.”
“Then I’ll rinse and put them in the dishwasher.”
She smiled, made way for him. “Suit yourself.”
He rinsed the dishes, set them in the dishwasher, and ran the load. They headed back into the living room with two fresh beers and watched four more episodes. He got to hear her laugh some more, the entire time trying his hardest not to look her way. After, she bid goodnight and headed into her room.
He did what he always did.
He watched her go.
****
A loud crash woke her. Allie jolted up in bed, her eyes gravitating toward where the sound came from, her bedroom window. Another loud thud sounded. This time, a rock struck the glass. She watched her window crack. She jerked at the sound. Her heart beating a thousand miles a minute, she scrambled out of bed and fell in a heap on the floor. Not a moment later, her bedroom door slammed open. A figure came to view. She gasped, placed her hand over her mouth, and scooted away.
“Allie?”
Jace. She recognized his voice though she couldn’t see his face. Thank God for Jace.
He rushed toward her, kneeling in front of her, and picked her off the floor. He opened the closet door and set her inside. “Stay in here.”
He didn’t give her time to respond. He left quickly, closing her closet door and her bedroom door. A second later, she heard the front door, opening and closing, and the lock.
With her heart pounding so loudly in her ears and her breaths coming out in feverish gasps, she cradled her legs against her chest. Somewhere subconsciously she knew it wasn’t a prank. This was something else, and it had Wyatt written all over it. She knew in her bones he’d take pleasure in terrifying her. She’d seen the gleam in his eyes the night he’d beat her. For him, it’d been a high, and though she wanted to believe he would leave her alone, she knew better. If there was a will, there was a way, and Wyatt always got his way.
Jace. Stupid, macho, biker Jace. He left her alone to investigate instead of staying inside the house. She should’ve never let him go. What if something happened to him because of her?
Her stomach turned. Her eyes welling with tears she fought to hold at bay. She couldn’t make any noise. She listened for any sounds coming from outside.
Just then, she heard the front door unlocking. Her panic overwhelming her, tears choked her. The door to her apartment opened then closed. Light footsteps sounded, coming closer and closer until the door to her room squeaked open.
“Allie, it’s me.”
She heaved a sigh of relief, and tears spilled from her eyes.
He parted the closet door, knelt, wrapped his arms around her, and easily lifted her. The heat of his body permeated her skin, soothing her shattered nerves.