That did it.
And what it did was get him another smile.
*
Ally
“Babe.”
I snuggled into the pillows.
“Ally.”
I batted around my head like an annoying gnat was there.
The hand warm on my back slid to my hip and gave me a squeeze. “Baby, wake up. It’s nearly noon.”
My eyes fluttered open. I turned my head and saw Ren sitting on the side of the bed wearing jeans and a tee and looming over me.
His eyebrows went up and his tone was teasing when he asked, “Sleep is overrated?”
“Whatever,” I muttered, looking away and snuggling back into the pillows.
I heard his chuckle before, “Honey, your phone is buzzing with texts and Hank called. He’s on his way over.”
Shit.
I rolled from my side to my back and asked, “Why is Hank on his way over?”
“He didn’t say. He called me when he couldn’t get you and just said he was comin’ over.”
Interesting.
“And Eddie brought your stuff,” Ren went on.
Interesting.
Time to check for Firefly DVDs.
Also time to haul my ass out of bed.
I threw the covers back, leaned into him, touched my mouth to his then jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
I was brushing my teeth when Ren walked in and slid a mug of coffee beside the sink. He looked into my eyes in the mirror, his smiling, before I watched him dip his head and kiss my shoulder.
Nice.
Then he left me to it.
I was in running clothes by the time I made it downstairs. I also had my phone in my hand and saw that I had texts from various Rock Chicks (Roxie asking me if I wanted to go shopping; Jules telling me her Uncle Nick was going to look after Max, Vance was on the path of some dude who skipped bond, so she asked if I wanted to go to a movie; and Daisy asking if I wanted to come over and do home facials).
I also had a text from my ex-landlord.
Ren came out of the kitchen when I stopped by the boxes on the floor in his living room and I looked up at him.
“Do you know Snookie Rivers?” I asked him.
“Who?” he asked back, coming to a stop by me.
“Snookie Rivers. I asked my landlord who lives in that apartment where you saw a dude looking out and he said his name is Snookie Rivers.”
Ren shook his head. “Never heard of him.”
I looked back at the phone, murmuring, “Me either.”
“Sounds like a drag name,” he commented.
I grinned and looked at my man.
My man looked down the length of me.
When I got his eyes back, they were burning. “You goin’ for a run?”
“After I talk to Hank.”
“Right,” he muttered, his mind, I could tell, on happy things.
My mind was on those same things when I dropped to my knees and started rooting through the boxes.
Ren crouched beside me.
“Anything good?” he asked.
No. There wasn’t anything good. Kitchen utensils. A lamp base without the shade. A picture frame, slightly scorched. But the picture was of the Rock Chicks at one of Stella’s gigs, standing with her and her band, The Blue Moon Gypsies, on the stage. All of us were doing devil’s horns (even the band, except her saxophonist, Hugo; he was checking out Ava’s ass). Every Rock Chick had one of those pictures so I could get another copy. Still, nice to have it.
And, in box two, although it needed soot cleaned off it, my Lelo Lily vibrator.
Righteous!
“What’s that?” Ren asked, and I looked at him to see him studying it.
“Pure goodness,” I answered.
“What?”
I tested it by hitting the on button.
It vibrated.
Perfect working condition (once the soot was cleaned off).
Ren’s eyes came to me and they were again burning.
A knock came at the door.
Ren stood from his crouch and headed to the door. I dropped my Lelo back in the box and straightened to see Ren letting Hank in.
“Yo,” I called to my brother.
“Ally,” Hank replied.
Ren looked between me and Hank, came to me and slid a hand along the back of my waist, leaning in.
“Goin’ to the store, you need anything?” he asked.
He was giving us time for whatever this was.
My man.
So cool.
“No, but do you want to wait and I’ll go with you?” I asked back.
“No. I want to have it done and be back when you get in from your run.”
I wanted that, too.
Big time.
“All right,” I said.
He gave me a touch on the lips and turned to Hank. “Hank.”
A chin lift, then, “Ren.”
Ren looked in my eyes again with a small smile before he sauntered out the front door.
“You want coffee?” I asked my brother.
“Hit Fortnum’s before hitting here. I’m juiced up,” he answered.
“And you didn’t bring me one?” I asked.
“Sorry, Ally. Didn’t think about it. Gotta have a word with you about a coupla things, then I gotta get back to Roxie.”
Hmm.
I was curious, so I decided not to give him shit about dissing me on the coffee.
I moved to a couch and sat with my leg tucked under me. I dipped my head to the other side and Hank moved there, settling in.