Vi jerked my hand she still held then let it go, crying, “Shit! I am. Sorry.”
“You had a thing with my boyfriend. It was intense. You still like him. You don’t want to lose him from your life. So you’re nervous. I get that. You aren’t the first woman I’ve known who’s known what it’s like to kiss my man,” I offered to put her at ease.
“Stealth kisses,” she muttered.
“What?” I asked.
“Fuck,” Mike murmured.
Vi’s eyes went huge.
“Sorry, uh…” Vi stammered and stopped.
“Stealth kisses?” I asked.
“Fuck,” Mike murmured.
Vi bit her lip.
I burst out laughing, slapping my hand on the bar while doing it and everything.
“Oh my God!” I shouted when I was down to chuckling. “I think of them as slow burn kisses. Stealth is so…much…better.”
“Fuck,” Mike murmured.
Vi smiled a tentative smile at me and said softly, “Slow burn is good too.”
I heard Mike sigh.
I ignored that and turned to Cheryl. “Four tequila shooters,” I ordered.
“Don’t forget me,” Cheryl returned.
“Right then, five,” I corrected.
“Fuck,” Mike muttered.
I looked over my shoulder and grinned at him. His eyes dropped to my mouth. Then he sighed again.
Then he claimed me, turning me into him and dropping his head to brush his mouth against mine.
When he lifted it, he said quietly, “I’m outta here. You need me, I’m down at the other end of the bar.”
“I think that’s a good call,” I approved, grinning.
His eyes swept the area behind me and he muttered again, “Fuck.”
My grin became a smile.
Mike’s arm gave me a squeeze then he got the heck out of there.
“Shots ready,” Cheryl announced and all the women reached in and claimed a glass. “What’ll we toast to?” she asked.
I looked at Vi.
“Stealth kisses,” I declared.
“Absolutely,” she replied.
I smiled at her. She smiled back.
We lifted our glasses and tossed them back.
*
“Cake.”
This was said in my ear by a very deep, very rough male voice.
I turned and my eyes hit a wall of tank top covered chest. They went up, up, up and I locked eyes with a bald man who, I had to admit, wasn’t entirely attractive. In fact, I didn’t get scared easily and, one look, he scared the crap out of me.
“Sorry?” I whispered.
“Cake,” he repeated.
“Uh…” I mumbled.
“As in, you owe me,” he explained.
“I owe you cake?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“Uh…” I mumbled again. “Like, you’re saying I owe you money?” I asked, concerned he would think this because first, he was scary. Second, I’d never seen him in my life and third, whatever money he thought I owed him I knew I’d pay just because he scared me.
“No,” he drew this out like I was a dimwitted child, “like I’m sayin’ you owe me a cake with twelve layers and a fuckload of frosting.”
What?
“Ryker,” I heard Mike say and I felt his chest pressed to my back.
Oh thank God.
Mike was there.
I leaned into him.
We were still at J&J’s. The drinking had progressed but I’d moved to beers since I didn’t want to get shitfaced too soon. As I drank and gabbed with the nutso women The ‘Burg seemed to both produce and attract, I understood with deep clarity why Mike had a thing for Vi. She was funny, she was sweet and there was also the fact I’d mentioned before that she was gorgeous.
Not to be conceited or anything but she reminded me of, well…me.
Except brunette with two daughters and a brutal history that would take most women down to their knees in a way they’d never get up. By her account, she pulled herself up, twice, and knowing that made me like her more.
She was like me even down to the man. Joe Callahan was rough around the edges, he had two scars that curved down one side of his face that only made him look dead cool and smokin’ hot and, unlike Cal, Mike had had his hair cut in the last month. But from all reports (these not only Vi’s but also from Cheryl, Mimi, Jessie and Feb who, with Cheryl, wandered to our hen pack when she wasn’t working) Cal was bossy, alpha, badass, protective and could be a pain in Vi’s ass. Not that Mike was a pain in my ass but I suspected when that happened (as it always did), Mike would be the same kind of pain in my ass. This being bossy, alpha and badass in a good guy up top, bad boy underneath kind of way, of course.
By the by, Feb reported Colt was also like this.
Eventually we decided to wander down to the men where Rocky had stayed and I got this since she had a brother who was a current cop, a Dad who was an ex-cop and she was used to being around the boys. She did welcome us and then joined our klatch after she introduced me to her husband though.
Taking in Colt, Cal, Tanner and Mike I was wondering why I hadn’t moved back to The ‘Burg years ago when the man Mike called Ryker came up behind me talking about cake.