I move to the door, pulling money from my wallet, and picture Mac sitting on a barstool eating Chinese food wearing nothing but my bed sheet. Blood rushes down my body to between my legs.
Yeah, it’s definitely time to send this delivery guy home. I swing open the door, but rather than being greeted by a dude with a bag of takeout, I’m faced with the accusing blue eyes of Emma.
“Oh! Hey, Em.”
Not good.
*
Gia
Rex has been at the front door for longer than I would think it takes to pay for some takeout. I peek over the thick down comforter he threw over me and see him standing in the open doorway. He’s shirtless, and by the sound of the voice of the person on the other side, I’m sure the delivery girl is stalling to gaze at his impressive build.
I grind my teeth and jealousy burns my stomach.
“Em, please, calm down.”
Em? As in Emma?
“Why won’t you let me in?”
Let her in? If she’s asking, that means she’s surprised that he didn’t ask her inside. My stomach drops and I swallow hard. She’s been inside his condo before, and by the sound of it, I’d guess often.
Rex’s muscular arms are crossed at his chest, legs firmly planted wide enough that he looks like a big X.
“So now that we’ve broken up I’m not allowed in your house?” Emma practically screeches, the sound bouncing off the walls.
Broken up, as in . . . they were a couple. My fists ball tight into the bed cover.
“You’re the one who said you wanted to be friends,” she says.
Without thinking, I slide off the bed and, keeping the sheet wrapped around me, move to the door.
“Emma, now’s not a good time. It has nothing to do with—”
I step up to Rex.
“Oh shit.” He moves to step in front of me, and I halt just as my shoulder hits his.
It’s Emma, his beautiful neighbor, and right now she looks furious.
Her eyes rake up and down my body, and then she glares at Rex. “Is this where you’ve been for the last two weeks? Shacking up with her?”
He exhales hard. “It’s not what you think.”
“Well, then what is it? You wouldn’t let me sleep over, but you’ll have sex with her.” She thrusts her hand at me.
“This conversation’s over.” He shuts the door halfway.
“I was right; you are a man whore!”
Memories of him crying on the other side of the door, reassuring him that he’s a good boy, come flooding in. My body tenses.
“Hey!” I grab the door and pull it open. “Don’t call him that. You know nothing about us.”
Rex cages me to his chest from behind.
“Ha!” Her eyes go from his hold on me to my face. “It doesn’t take much to see what’s going on here. Did he tell you that less than two weeks ago he was with me?”
“Emma.” Rex’s growls her name, his patience clearly waning.
“No, he didn’t tell me that, and to be honest that’s not something I’m excited to hear, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s not a bad boy, er . . . man. He’s a great man.”
“Gia—”
“No, Rex.” I shrug out from under his hold. “I know what you’re thinking, and I’d be thinking the same thing if I were in your shoes. But I’ve known Rex since I was eight years old and loved him every day since. He’s a million different things, but the one thing he absolutely is not is a man whore.” My hands shake with the need to defend him. “Now, I realize you two have history, and again, it’s not something I’m interested in hearing, but I won’t just stand here and listen to you call him names.”
She studies me for second, and the anger in her eyes is replaced by a softness that leads me to believe she not only heard what I said but that she agrees.
“Well, as fun as this is for me, ladies, I’m going to have to say”—he looks at his neighbor—“Emma, goodnight. We’ll have to talk later, as you can see now’s not a good time.” He throws his arm over my shoulders and pulls me to his side.
“Right.” She shakes her head. “Forget it. It’s not worth it.” With wave off, she turns and walks away.
He shuts the door and folds me to the front of his body, wrapping me in his arms. “Damn, that was sexy as hell you going all alpha female defending my honor.” There’s humor in his voice.
I take a shaky breath. “I don’t know what happened. It was like I was eight-years-old again.”
“Mountains to overcome.” He mumbles the words, and I wonder if he meant for me to hear them.
I tilt my head back to look up at him. “What?”
His hands run up and down my back. “Us. We have a lot to get through, but, baby, we can do this. We can.” He’s trying to convince me?
“I know.” Hell with Rex is better than heaven without him. “You should know, when we overcome those mountains, I’ll still never be okay with anyone talking bad about you.”