Ben was lazed on the love seat, hands busy on the game controls, when I walked in the door. There was lots of blood and guts happening on the TV screen. The novelty of walking in to find famous people hanging in my apartment would probably never fade. I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t. Disappointingly, Mal was nowhere in sight. I’d been rushing through tasks, eager to see him all afternoon. Lizzy had called me and it’d almost killed me not telling her about him. But I honestly didn’t know how to plausibly explain his sudden appearance in my life. She’d been furious about the shit with Skye. I hadn’t been able to muster much anger about it, funnily enough. Good things were happening. That was all in the past.
Now I was finally home, my heart banging around inside my chest, and I felt inexcusably shy. Hesitant almost. Forget it, this was my apartment. My home. And he had chosen to live here, with me, for whatever reason. Back straight and boobs out, what little there was of them.
“Hey, Anne,” he said.
“Hi, Ben. Is Mal around?” My ability to play it cool was improving. I hardly stuttered at all.
“In the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” I dashed past him, trying not to mess with his on-screen killing spree.
Mal was staring out the small kitchen window, his cell to his ear. “What aren’t you telling me?”
A pause.
“Yeah, okay. What’d he say?”
Another pause.
“No. Just lay it out for me. C’mon.”
The break was longer this time. After a while, he grabbed hold of the edge of the counter, gripping it so hard his knuckles turned white. Obviously, this was a private moment, but I couldn’t walk away. The pain in his voice and the lines of his body were acute. He was hurting.
“That can’t be right. What about if we–”
He listened in silence. Back out in the living room, the boom of explosions and the rattle of gunfire continued on.
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.” He pressed end on the call and threw his cell aside. Both hands now gripped the edge of the counter, squeezing so hard it creaked.
“Mal?”
The whites of his eyes were huge, rimmed with red. What the hell was going on?
“Anne. Hey. Didn’t hear you come in.”
“Are you okay?”
He breathed in hard, shook his head. “Yeah! Slept like shit. Then the run with Jimmy wore me out. But all good. Aren’t you cute, worrying about me? That’s very girlfriendish.”
“Ha.” I smiled. He didn’t smile back.
“Let’s, ah … You say hi to Ben already?”
“Yes, I did.”
His hands grasped my shoulders, turning me and marching me back out into the living room. “You really need to greet your guests properly, pumpkin. You don’t want him thinking you’re rude.”
“Mal, I—- ”
“Ben. Look, my awesome girlfriend came home.”
“Hi, Mal’s awesome girlfriend.” Ben didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “This place is a bit smaller than your LA pad, dude. You gonna stay here or buy bigger?”
“Anne’s been talking about getting a dog, so I’m thinking we’ll trade up eventually.”
Ben nodded.
I didn’t bother to correct Mal. Really the best way to handle him was to simply roll with it. Plus, this current mood of his concerned me.
“Time to beat drums,” Mal announced, rubbing his hands together, then shaking his arms. He still wasn’t smiling. The manic energy was clearly back despite his claim of being tired.
This time, Ben did take his eyes off the screen. “Thought we were getting dinner and hanging out with Miss Awesome here.”
“Need to burn off some energy. Anne understands, don’t you, pumpkin?”
I pushed my disappointment aside and nodded. A man had to do what a man had to do. I just wish I knew what was going on. Whatever the phone call had been about, it wasn’t good news. It also wasn’t my business, I know.
“She’s very supportive of my career. Always has been. In many ways, she is my inspiration.”
“You only met her two days ago.” Ben turned off the game, throwing the control aside.
“And I’ve done some of my best work in that time.”
“Whatever. So that’s what you wanna do, go play some music?” Eyes narrowed, Ben watched Mal bopping up and down beside me.
“That’s what I said. Keep up, Benny boy.” He curled his hands into fists. “Let’s go.”
“’Kay.” Ben’s sharp gaze turned to me like he expected me to have answers. I shrugged. As he’d pointed out, I’d only known Mal for forty-eight hours.
No, I didn’t know what was going on with him, but damned if I wasn’t going to find out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Someone was yelling. A male someone. Then another voice joined in, the noise carrying through my bedroom wall. I bolted upright, bewildered but wide awake. Five-fifteen glowed green on the little alarm clock beside my bed.
Damn, it was early.
Due to Mal’s nocturnal habits, I hadn’t gotten the best night’s sleep. When he’d eventually returned just after eleven, he’d been dripping with sweat. I’d crashed earlier in the evening and had been half asleep, dragging my sorry ass out to check if he needed anything. He’d said he’d be crashing soon, so I’d gone back to bed. But for hours I’d lain there, listening to him moving around the apartment. He’d watched TV, talked on the phone, and hummed for hours. Actually, I didn’t mind the humming. It was kind of nice. Though humming death metal was more of an art form than you’d imagine. I’d finally fallen asleep to something by Metallica. Good lord, had my dreams been weird.
But why couldn’t Mal sleep?
The shouting escalated. I crawled off my bed and bolted for the door, flannel pajamas, bed hair, and all. Out in the living room, Mal’s back was to me, barring the front door. He wore only a pair of black boxer briefs. Not that I was complaining because good god, the man’s ass. I almost lost my tongue. To the floor or my throat, I’m not sure which. Both were strong contenders.
“Even if you are a friend of pumpkin’s this is not a suitable hour to visit,” Mal hissed.
“Who the fuck are you and why are you calling Anne pumpkin?” That was Reece and he sounded distinctly enraged. Like, rampaging enraged.
My boss and I weren’t an item, though. We were just friends. So a semi-naked man answering my door at odd hours of the morning was actually none of his damn business.
“Morning,” I said, standing tall.
Mal gave me a brief cranky look over his shoulder. As nice as the couch was, I’d probably be in a bad mood if I’d slept on it too. Maybe that was why he’d stayed up so late. He’d ordered another bed for the spare room, but for some reason it had yet to arrive. Tonight, I’d ask if he wanted to share with me. Just as friends.
His shoulders were distractingly large with his hands on his hips. I was no lightweight, but if he was willing to stand with his arms out, I’d give climbing him a try. Years back, before all the shit with mom, I’d been different, braver. Something about Mal reminded me of the adrenaline-junkie tomboy I’d been. I missed that girl. She’d been fun.
“You woke her, asswipe.” For once, Mal didn’t sound the least bit light and easy as he gave Reece hell. “Do you have any idea how stressful shit’s been for her lately? Plus she had to work late last night.”
And as relaxed as Reece was about work, that comment was not good. “Mal, it’s okay. This is my friend and my boss, Reece.”
“Reece?” He sneered. “This is who you were talking to on your phone at the party?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. Figured it was a chick.”
“Guess again.” Reece pushed his way past the mostly naked drummer to shove a box of donuts into my arms. Voodoo Donuts. My saliva glands kicked into overdrive despite the early hour and manly standoff.
To be fair, partly also because of it, yes.
“What the fuck is going on, A? Who is this asshole?”
“Reece, not cool.”
His bloodshot eyes blazed angrily, his dark hair sticking out. The scent of stale perfume lingered around him like a miasma. I’d also question his sobriety because his movements seemed a bit off. Here was a man who had not yet been to bed.
At least, not his own bed.
“A?” asked Mal, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned and winked at me. “You call her ‘A’? What, saying her whole name’s too much of a commitment for you?”
I barked out a laugh. Then attempted to turn it into a cough. Reece didn’t look convinced, but I didn’t care. Relief made me weak in the knees. My Mal was back, cracking jokes and smiling. A real smile this time, not the harsh manic parody from the night before.
It was amazing. I could actually see Reece’s hackles rising. Mal might have had a good half a head on him, but violence was not out of the question. Meanwhile, Mal just looked amused. The depth to which he didn’t give a fuck was actually a large part of his charm. I’d never met anyone like him.
Not to say he wouldn’t throw down with Reece. I had no doubt the man could handle himself.
“Why don’t I make coffee?” I took a hesitant step toward the tiny kitchen, hoping someone would follow. Either one of them would do. Neither made a move so I stayed put.
Reece’s brows drew tight together. “Even for a hookup you can do a hell of a lot better.”
“What?” Not only was it an extraordinarily rude thing to say, it wasn’t even remotely true.
“You heard me.”
“Shit, Reece, how can you even …” I stared at Mal, frowned, and cocked my head. So much skin. I looked and looked until I hit the dusting of dark blond hair leading down from his belly button, heading straight for No-Anne Land. He had a treasure trail. A map to hidden delights. The donut box trembled in my hands.
I could and should avert my eyes. But I didn’t.
“Anne?” Reece demanded angrily, dragging me out of my porny daydreams.
“Um …” Yes, such was my genius statement.
“There’s the crazy eyes,” said Mal in a low, rough voice. “Looks like my pumpkin is ready for round six of the sexin’.”
Oh. Crap. He didn’t.
Reece’s forehead furrowed, his fingers curling into fists.
Alright, so he did.