Page 103 of Alphas Like Us

But this is mylife.

And they need to know… “It wasmychoice to quit the auction,” I almost growl, needing to defend him. “Not Farrow’s. If anyone is territorial in this relationship.” I motion back and forth between his chest and mine. “It’sme.”

Farrow tilts his head at me, his eyes raking me up and down. And he says, “I’m just as territorial of you, wolfscout.”

He’s not letting me take all the heat to protecthim.

We are a publicist’s worst nightmare. Setting fire to our public images out of stubbornlove.

* * *

Tony’s Pizzasmells like greasy cheese and beer, and after a half hour, it’s completely packed. Rowdy kids in soccer jerseys span a long checkered-cloth table and help drown out the paparazzi outside. So do the mounted televisions that air the Stanley Cup and NBAplayoffs.

But not much can distract my stupidly in love brain fromhim.

“It’s not thatbad,” I say while I pick black olives off my slice of supreme pizza and look up at Farrow, whose brows rise the longer I defend my motorcycle’scapabilities.

Our table is against the wall, and behind Farrow, an orange neon sign hangs that saystrue lovewith a pizza between the words. I keep skimminghim.

All ofhim.

He sits slightly sideways. His tattooed arm hangs casually over the back of his wooden chair, and he set the sole of his boot on the empty seat next tohim.

Farrow Redford Keene is infuriatingly cool, and God, I can’t believe he’smine.

I’ll never get over it. To think that I’d be here one day. On a public date with the only guy I’ve ever truly needed or wanted—it’s adream.

He watches me checking him out, and then his gaze drops down my naturally rigid body in a swelteringwave.

I’m aware that I look ready for an Armageddon. I always fucking do. But I think about how Farrow is attracted to that part of me. To everypart of me. I’m already comfortable in my skin, but he makes me love who I am timesinfinity.

I feel the start of my smile. “I can push seventy-five on it,” I add, returning to the motorcycletalk.

The corner of his mouth lifts with a short laugh. “Your bike’s throttle is shot. I couldn’t even accelerate to thirty when I tried. If anything,Ishould be buying you a new bike for your birthday in July.” He hoists his dish and holds it out tome.

I scrape my black olives, which I hate and he loves, onto his pizza. “You can’t get me a bike,” I say. “I only got you a pair of boots for your 28th.” He’s wearing those boots rightnow.

“Rip up the Birthday Rulebook.” Farrow folds his slice of pizza. “Because if you want to start comparing the prices of our gifts to each other—I only spent five bucks on you for Christmas.” He smiles before taking a large bite ofpizza.

That five-buck gift is buckled on my left wrist: an olive-green wristwatch. Right beneath lies the gray paracord bracelet that he gave me out-of-the-blue.

And I loved that the watch was really cheap. He wasn’t trying to replace my old one with something flashy. He gave me what fitme.

“Look, all I’m saying,” I tell Farrow, “is that if you buy me a bike, I’m gonna buy you one. I can’t even ridea motorcycle until I’m out of this damn sling. You need it more than me.” I’ve wanted to buy him one since he sold his FZ-09 for the auction, and this whole conversation started because his residency beginstomorrow.

He has to drive my Audi until he can get another vehicle. I offered my bike to him, and he called it a piece of shit. And that’s how this spiraledhere.

I bite the thick pizza, bell peppers and sausage falling onto my plate. “Fuck,” Imumble.

Farrow looks too amused. Like he has me beat at something else. He’s eating his pizza without an avalanche oftoppings.

Yeah, I don’t fold-and-hold my pizza, and I don’t know how he made that lookcool.

After he takes a swig of water, he tells me, “Okay, let’s do this.” His eyes meet mine. “We’re not gifting any bikes since we both need new ones. I can’t afford a brand new MT-10, and that’s the Yamaha I’d want. I’ll split the cost with you, and then when you buy a new bike, we’ll split the cost of thatone.”

I swallow my food. Thinking about this. “So we’ll both own bothbikes?”

His pizza hovers near his mouth. “Technically, my insurance will be on mine, but personally I’d consider them both ofours.”