Mace and I were in an Explorer on the way to my apartment after the reception and I was riding a kil er happy buzz.
I was with my man, I loved him, he loved me, he was holding my hand against his thigh, my band was going to head to the studio for recording time on an impending recording contract, two people I cared about just had a kickass wedding and no one had been shot at or kidnapped al day.
“Happy buzz,” I muttered to the window, grinning at it like a lunatic.
“What?” Mace asked as he turned onto my street.
I looked to him. “Happy buzz.”
He glanced at me briefly, his beautiful jade eyes smiling, then back at the road.
I tested the boundaries of my seatbelt to lean into him, pul ing my fingers from his hold only to curl them around his thigh; I kissed his strong, square jaw as I heard him engage the turn signal before pul ing into my drive.
“Never been happier, babe,” I whispered, my lips moving against his jaw.
Mace didn’t reply but I felt his jaw get hard under my lips.
This surprised me so I pul ed back a bit, looked at his hard profile then fol owed the direction of angry gaze and saw a limousine at the end of the drive.
Shitsofuckit.
As we pul ed up, the backdoor opened and Preston Mason folded out of the backseat.
Just as I suspected.
Shitsofuckit!
“Great,” I muttered. “If anyone could kil this happy buzz, The Supreme Asshole of Al Time could do it.” Mace ignored my comment and ordered, “Stay in the truck,” as he came to a halt then put the SUV in neutral and set the brake without turning off the ignition.
“Mace –” I started, thinking good advice would be to suggest he ignore his father, I ignore his father, we walk in, forget he existed, resume the happy buzz and get on with our night which would consist of making our happy buzz way happier.
He turned to me and gave me a look.
I shut up.
He threw open his door and angled out of the SUV.
I sat and watched him approach his father. Then I sat and watched him have words with his father. Then I sat and glared at his father as his condescending gaze came to me. Then I sat and watched as Mace’s eyes did a sweep of the area while his father jabbered, probably being a serious dick, before Mace’s hand came up abruptly, palm out.
Preston clamped his mouth shut and Mace turned and strode angrily to the truck.
He yanked open the door and reached into the ignition but his eyes were on me.
“Inside, babe,” he ordered, I nodded then he went on.
“Wait for me to get to your door.”
I undid my seatbelt and Mace switched off the ignition, pul ed out the keys and rounded the hood, his head turned to his father, his deep voice sounding though I couldn’t make out what he said. Then Mace made it around, pul ed open my door and put his hand to my arm to help me out.
Then he marched me to the side door where Preston was waiting.
Fabulous. Now we were going to have unwelcome company in my pad.
I tried to shoot daggers out of my eyes at Preston Mason as Mace and I approached but unfortunately this didn’t work though that didn’t mean I quit.
Eventual y I had to give up when Mace got the side door open and propel ed me inside with his hand now at the smal of my back and I had to start concentrating on walking up two flights of steps in high heels without fal ing on my face.
We made it to my apartment successful y without me turning and giving Preston what for for ruining my happy buzz but worse, pissing Mace off when I knew he too was experiencing a happy buzz, Mace-style. And a Mace-style happy buzz when I was in close proximity usual y included me getting laid, thoroughly and very, very wel which made it even harder for me not to let loose on his dick of a Dad.
Mace dealt with the alarm and I saw Juno was lying on the bed, clearly tuckered out from a day of sleeping. She woofed at us in greeting but made no move. She did, however, train her doggie eyes on Preston in a confused but alert way and it was good to know my dog could read a different kind of vibe, one she’d never had to read before and that was when her people didn’t much like someone.
I moved around to turn on lights and as I did this, Preston murmured, “Charming.”
I stopped turning on lights and looked to him to see he was studying my space and obviously didn’t think much of it.
Seriously, Mace’s Dad was a dick. My apartment was smal , sure, but it stil rocked.
“Kitten, do me a favor,” I heard Mace say and my annoyed gaze went to him to see he was talking to me but his eyes were locked on his Dad, “get changed in the bathroom and hang there, do your thing, give us some time.”
Um.
Hell no.
I had not just been through two weeks of the emotional ringer to end al emotional ringers, letting Mace back in my heart, trusting him, finding out what happened to Caitlin and taking our future in my hands to reunite him with his family only to have his dick of a Dad give him shit without me taking his back.
Unh-unh.