Page 9

He turns, pinning me to the wall with his hips, grazing and grinding my swollen clit with his rigid cock through my jeans until I’m moaning, my hips pumping and thrusting in time with his.
“Fuck.” he growls another curse, tearing his mouth away from mine while he pushes his hands between us. Turning again, he locks his hands around my waist and tears us apart, pushing me away so fast I stumble while he backs himself away from me until he’s standing in the doorway of his apartment.
We stand there for what feels like years, staring at each other. My mouth buzzing and tingling. His chest heaving, fists clenched at his sides.
“The next time you pull something like that, I will punch you in the fucking mouth,” I say, and he’s either too stunned or too angry to point out that I’m the one who started it. I’m the one who kissed him.
“Good.” That’s all he says.
Good.
Then he closed the door between us, leaving me in the dark.
“You pulling another disappearing act today?”
The socket wrench in my hand goes still and I look up to find Con leaning against the front fender of the car I’m buried in. He’s my best friend and I love him like crazy, but sometimes it takes everything I have to not bash his brains in with a tire iron.
“The girls are planning some sort of kidnapping.” The girls. It’s weird. A few years ago, all I had was Conner. I have plenty of acquaintances. People I can call if I need to move a couch or catch a movie, but he was my only real friend. The only person I did call.
Now I have girls.
And they’re coming to kidnap me.
I set the wrench down and reach for my bandana. “Apparently, I need a dress for Cari’s show. It’s supposed to be a big secret but Grace is about as stealthy as a five-year-old on a week-long sugar binge.” Pulling it out of my back pocket, I start to give my hands a rub down while glancing at the clock. It’s barely eleven o’clock. “I was going to head over to Benny’s before—wanna come?” I make the offer, even though I know he’ll say no. He’s all about Henley these days. I mean, he’s always been all about Henley, from the second we started hanging out—the loss of her is what bonded us in the first place—but now that she’s back for good and they’re together, I’ve shifted down his list of priorities.
I’m not complaining and I’m not jealous.
I’m not.
I’m so goddamned happy for them my chest gets tight every time I see them together.
But I’d be lying if I said that I’m not lonely. Cari has Patrick. Conner has Henley.
I have my cat.
And really, she’s more hostage than companion.
Because she prefers Declan to me.
Ungrateful traitor that she is.
“Uh… actually, I have something I need to do.” He flashes me his dimples, but it’s more nervous twitch than cheeky grin.
“Your girlfriend in the supply closet?” I close the hood to the car I’m working on while he laughs. I walked in on them in the laundry room yesterday. I think I might need therapy. And to install a lock on every fucking door in this place.
“Haha,” he says, not even a little bit embarrassed about it. “Actually, I’m going to New York to meet with her stepdad…” whatever he’s in the middle of saying trails off and his mouth twitches again. Nervous is not something Con is used to feeling and it shows. “I’m going to ask Henley to marry me.”
Holy shit.
I knew it was going to happen. That it had to happen, but I—
“Tessie?” I look up from my hands to find him standing over me. He’s not smiling anymore. He looks worried. Like he’s holding his breath. Exactly how I used to look at him when I knew he wasn’t taking care of himself. When he fell and didn’t care enough to get back up. When I had to yell and scream and fight with him, just to get him to eat.
It’s been months since I’ve had to do that. Even before Henley came back for good, he changed.
You don’t have to worry about me, Tess. I’m solid.
He’s said it to me a million times, only this time it’s true. The torrent of emotion inside me swells. Threatens to carry me away, so I throw my arms around him and hold on for dear life.