He didn’t believe a damn bit of that. “I don’t have the patience for your antics today.”
“Such a stick in the mud.”
Through the entire exchange, he’d studied her movements as he would any opponent in the cage, waiting for the first signs of frustration or anger. There was none. Her body was just as relaxed as it had been when she knocked on the door. What did it take to ruffle this woman’s feathers?
He jerked his chin to the area behind her. “You know the way home.”
Intending for that to be a dismissal, he started to back away from the door to close it. She grabbed the handle to the screen door and swept past him into the kitchen. Stunned, all he could do was gape at her audacity as she placed the picnic basket on the kitchen counter.
“I didn’t invite you in.”
“I’m not a vampire. I don’t need to be invited.” She held up a hand and lightly shook it. Dangling from her middle finger was a silver key on a large key ring. “Besides, I have this. I get to use it. Any. Time. I. Want. I thought this morning was perfect. Thought maybe I could catch you in bed and slip underneath the covers…you know…wake you with a very pleasant ‘good morning, handsome.’” Pursing her lips seductively, she winked.
Jesus. Christ. Mac swallowed, alarmed by the way his body responded to the image she’d painted. She was fucking with him, she had to be, and she was enjoying every damn second of it, while he was floundering. Never had he felt so outmatched by an opponent. Gayle just kept throwing one surprise punch after another, and all he could do was cover his face with his gloves and wait for the round to be over. Desperate to get the topic away from anything sexual, he cut his gaze to the picnic basket.
“What’s in that?”
She ran her palm over the top in a slow back and forth motion as she pressed her body against the side of the counter. “Wouldn’t you just love to know? It’s a surprise. One I think you’ll really enjoy.”
The woman was going to be the death of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose. When she chuckled, he shot her a dirty look. She pressed her lips together and twisted her face into such an outrageously innocent expression, a bubble of laughter tickled his chest. From irritation to arousal to amusement. All within the span of mere minutes. She was driving him mad!
“Whatever,” he said, exasperated. “Do what you want. I’m going to my room.” As he stalked toward the door that led to the hallway, he threw “alone” over his shoulder as a precaution.
“Aww, you’re no fun, handsome,” she called after him. “I had so many naughty things planned for us to do.”
The husky chuckle trailing her comment was like a kick in the ass and he hustled for escape, wanting nothing more than a locked door between him and Gayle and all the erotic innuendo she kept tossing at him.
Just as he was about to reach the staircase, a movement from outside the front door caught his attention. Pausing, it took him only a moment to realize it was Piper and Skylar climbing the steps to the porch. Everything clicked. He rolled his eyes at himself and groaned. Mother. Fucker.
Gayle must have been eating up every second of their encounter, thinking him a damn idiot. No wonder she had been so outrageous with her suggestions. She wasn’t even here for him. She was here to watch Skylar. And he’d looked like an arrogant asshole while also proving himself to be the curmudgeon she accused him of being. Damn infuriating woman.
Cursing himself, he opened the door before Piper knocked. With a pink pig clutched in her arms, Skylar pushed past him and immediately clomped up the stairs as fast as her eight-year-old legs would take her.
Familiar blue eyes rounded. “Oh. My. God. Mac Hannon. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Piper embraced him in a tight hug that he awkwardly returned, then extracted himself and offered her a stiff smile.
“Piper. Good to see you.”
Unlike Lance, Piper had changed. Her once long, straight, blond hair had been cut off into a very short pixie, which she pulled off well. And it was no longer blond, but a deep raven color. Thick cat-rimmed glasses were perched on her nose. The woman who’d always dressed in chic clothing was now sporting loose jeans and a tight baseball style T-shirt.
“What’s with the getup?” Mac asked. “Halloween was months ago.”
The jest just slipped out and took him aback. Wow. Time didn’t change all things, it seemed. He used to kid around with Piper like this all the time. Anytime he saw her, he picked something and made some sort of snarky remark, which usually got him—
“Ha. Ha.” She stuck out her tongue.
Yep. Exactly that reaction. He fought back a smile.
She grabbed one side of her glasses. “It’s different, right?”