“You going to bitch at me about drinking coffee next?” He tossed the jacket aside, well riled up. His damp hair hung in his face, eyes flashing fury. “It’s just the occasional fucking cigarette. I’ve given up everything else. Hand them over, Lena.”
“You know you shouldn’t be smoking. That’s why you look so guilty.”
“I do not look guilty,” he said, voice terse and face guilty as all god damn hell. “I’m a grown man and I repeat, this is none of your business.”
“I care about you.” I quickly dashed back away from him, putting some room between me and the angry rock star. The nice big eight-seater kitchen table made a suitable barricade. Though ideally an electric fence would have been best given the look on his face. A cattle prod wouldn’t hurt either.
“You gave these up for a reason,” I said. “What was it?”
“Give them back.” He held out his hand demandingly, mouth flat and unimpressed.
“You made the choice to stop using them months ago, didn’t you? Why did you do that, Jimmy? Tell me.”
He declined to answer. Instead, slowly he moved left. So I of course moved right, keeping the same distance and the bulk of the table between us. Safety mattered.
“Lena,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t feel like going out in this storm to buy another pack tonight so you are going to give those back to me. And then you’re going to keep your pretty little nose out what doesn’t concern you.”
“No.”
“That’s an order, Lena.”
Did he really still think orders worked with me? By the firm set of his jaw, I guessed yes. Crazy wishful thinking on his part.
“Let’s compromise here,” I said, pulling a chair out from beneath the table. “I think we should sit down and talk about this like adults. Discuss the pros and cons, and make sure you’re making an informed decision.”
His big body held preternaturally still, strong fingers grasping the back of the chair in front of him. “Sure. We can do that.”
“Thank you. That’s all I’m asking.”
Slowly, he sat himself down in the chair. The he cocked his head, waiting for me to do likewise. Veins in his neck and arms stood out against the skin. Please, as if he wasn’t ready to pounce. The man must think I was an idiot. My breath quickened, breasts rising and falling beneath my shirt. For a moment his gaze stayed caught on them, color lighting his face. Boobs did make for an awesome distraction.
I might not be able to stop him smoking long term. I knew that. But I was sure as hell stopping him for tonight and then talking to him properly about it. Sadly, he sat between me and the garbage composter which would have made short work of destroying the things. I’d have to get inventive.
“Okay. I’m really glad we can be reasonable about this.” I pretended to start lowering my curvy butt onto the chair. “Thanks for agreeing to talk it out with me, Jimmy.”
Shiny sharp teeth filled in his handsome smile. “Course, Lena. Anything for you.”
“That’s so sweet.” I smiled.
And then I bolted.
Adrenaline surged through me and my legs were pumping for all I was worth. I’d flush the fuckers in the bathroom off the front hallway. Perfect. Lucky it wasn’t that far because even with the head start, he was gaining fast. Given he liked jogging and I liked pie, this was to be expected.
The chiming of the front door bell echoed through the house. It kept time with the pounding of my heart and the thumping of Jimmy’s heavy footsteps behind me. I grabbed hold of the edge of the bathroom door, socked feet slipping on the slick marble floor. So close now. Jimmy’s arm looped around my waist, drawing me back. But with his bare feet and my socked ones, neither of us had great traction. We did, however, have a lot of momentum. I flew forward, feet leaving the cold hard ground. If it wasn’t for Jimmy’s hold I’d have cracked open my chin on the hallway floor. As it was, my knees bore some of the impact, but he took the brunt. His palm smacked hard against the marble floor, breaking our fall and holding me up those few necessary inches to spare my face from meeting its doom. I lost my grip and the pack of cigarettes skittered across the floor, stopping.
Again the doorbell rang.
My hair had escaped its topknot, falling in my face in a dark tangle. I spied the pack a few yards out from the front door and scurried forward, clawing after the damn thing.
Jimmy put a halt to this by simply lowering his monstrous weight on top of me, trapping me belly down. Muscle made him approximately the same bulk as a baby elephant.
It turned out then when squished, I made a sound horribly close to “oomph-urgh.”
Jimmy laughed most evilly.
“Get off me,” I yelled, wriggling beneath him.
“Are you going to give this up?” His breath was warm against my ear, the length of his body pressed against my back. In any other situation, it’d be damn arousing. My ass accidentally rubbed against his groin and oh wow, holy hell. A hot flush swept straight through me.
Damn. So, it was arousing. “Never!”
“You’re not going to win.” Sweaty fingers wrapped around my wrist, holding it back from reaching the treasure. I could feel his cock firming, pressing against my rear. Hell, now he was enjoying it too much too. It had to be just a physical response on his part. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Oh, and you’re not?” I panted, nipples drilling holes into the marble flooring.
“Lena—”
Someone banged on the front door. Huh, that’s right, we had a visitor outside waiting in the storm. All while we wrestled it out in a pseudo-sexual manner on the front entry floor. Excellent.
Keys jangled and the lock turned, then David Ferris came in along with a gust of bitingly cold wet air. A damp late-autumn leaf slapped me in the face. Jimmy carefully peeled it off before I could react. The wind cut off as David shut the door behind him. He stood frowning down at us.
“Guys,” he said, eyes alight with laughter. “You taking up wrestling or what?”
“Why yes.” I tapped my short fingers nails against the floor, put my head in my hand. “It was too wet for Jimmy to go jogging, so … yeah. Had to improvise.”
David’s tongue played behind his cheek, his smile huge. “Right. Great.”
On my back, Jimmy groaned. “She was acting nuts about something. Long story.”
“I was doing my job and caring for your welfare,” I said. “Will you get off me already?”
Then David noticed the pack of cigarettes at his feet. Shit. The wrinkles on his forehead were too numerous to count. With the toe of his combat boot, he kicked them toward us. Lightning quick, Jimmy snatched them. Dammit.
“You start smoking again, Jim?” His brother’s voice expressed great displeasure and disappointment. Every inch of Jimmy tensed against my back.
“They’re mine,” I said.
“No, they’re not.” My boss’s gargantuan mass disappeared off of me. Before I could return myself to an upright position, hands gripped me beneath the arms. I was lifted back up onto my feet like I weighed no more than a dandelion.
Jimmy cleared his throat. “Something else for you to disapprove of about me, right Dave?”
“That’s not the way it is,” his brother said, face somber. “I’ve been trying to call you all week.”
“Yeah. Sorry, been busy.”
“Right.”
The two brothers just sort of stared at one another. This reunion was not going well at all. If Jimmy had his lips any more tightly pinned together they’d have disappeared from existence. Women everywhere would mourn their loss. Or at least I would.
The pain and regret in David’s eyes was horrible to see. Surely Jimmy would forgive him. He was family. Mind you, I wasn’t exactly the poster child for absolving siblings. But these two were different, they loved each other.
“It’s good you came over,” I said. “How’s Ev?”
“Fine. Thanks.” David nodded.