Page 20 of Breaking the Alpha (Serpent’s Tongue Ink #2)

R iver yanked the piercing schedule out of Birch’s hands as he walked by, checked out the upcoming appointments for the day, and ran some of the more complicated procedures over in his head until he realized his brother was watching him.

“What?”

Birch gave him a goofy smile and crossed his arms. “Nothing. Except you’ve been grinning like a fool for a solid week and I’m wondering when I’m going to get to meet the woman who has you practically singing show tunes during closing duties.

Because there’s no way you’re this happy just because you have your own apartment. ”

Try as he might, his mind went straight to Angelina and forced him to thwart his attempt to scowl. “I don’t sing.”

It was the best rebuttal he had in him, because his brother wasn’t wrong. When he wasn’t working out, poking fresh holes into eager clients, or uploading Jodie-approved photos to his social media, he was being the best fucking tenant ever.

Sometimes they made dinner together then went for late-night drives through the county back roads.

Other times they curled up on the sofa and watched movies.

His favorite nights were when she broke out her beads and threads and wove him a new bracelet, giving him free rein to brush and braid her hair until she finished and clasped his new piece on his wrist. But every night since they’d crossed the invisible line they’d drawn, he went downstairs to his own room, knowing she was sleeping two flights up.

Birch continued to watch him with amusement as he turned to the cabinets to lay out new supplies. “Jocelyn was wondering if Saturday or Sunday works best for your girlfriend.”

Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder. “Works for what? And I don’t have a girlfriend. I have a landlady.”

“Fine, we’ll call her your landlady. Invite your landlady to your birthday party.

” Shrugging, Birch gave him an apologetic smile.

“I tried to tell Jocelyn not to make a big deal of it, but her mom overheard us and now, well, now it’s a thing with dinner and cake and streamers.

I warned them we weren’t really big on birthdays, but Carter women are not exactly easy to redirect. ”

His stress level ratcheted up in a heartbeat at the thought of Angelina in their old kitchen, sitting at the table and surrounded by his ghosts. “Uh, I fly out to LA Sunday and my, uh, landlady works Saturday.”

“Until five.”

“What?”

“She works until five, because that’s right around the time you start watching the clock on Saturdays.” Birch walked over to him, all humor gone from his face as he leaned against the counter and stared him down. “Are you keeping us away from her or her away from us?”

Taking a deep breath, he mimicked his brother’s stance. “I’m keeping her away from that house,” he replied after a moment. “I don’t want to see her in there, Birch. If Jocelyn wants to do something here, fine. But Angel—”

“My god, a name,” Birch hollered to the ceiling before motioning for him to continue.

Rolling his eyes, he ran his hand through his hair. “Just my landlady, Birch. And I know it sounds stupid, but I don’t want her stepping one foot in that place. I—” His phone buzzed in his pocket and he checked it, groaning when he saw his agent’s number on the screen. “I gotta take this.”

With his phone tight to his ear, he walked to the front of the shop and slumped into one of the chairs in the waiting area. “Hey, Jodie. What’s up?”

“I need the maker of your bracelets,” she stated without a hello. “Yesterday’s post is popping in the comments. I wasn’t sure about featuring such a niche item, but it seems to be garnering the kind of attention that leads to collaborations.”

He glanced down at his wrist and lied through his teeth. There was no way in hell he was going to give Windy Leigh’s horde Angelina’s name or store to hunt for online. “I don’t know who did them. No tags or anything.”

Jodie went silent and he could almost hear her mind working. “We’ll track them down when you’re back home. Remember, you fly out of the boonies Sunday at eleven.”

*

Angelina slipped a jeweled bobby pin into her hair, smiling when River bounded up the stairs and did a slow turn to show off his outfit for her appraisal. “Very nice, Mr. Genetically Blessed.”

He snorted and ran a hand through his hair. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? There’s going to be questions and it’s probably going to be awkward and weird and embarrassing as hell.”

She met his gaze in the mirror. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? I’m more than fine staying home if it’ll put you in an uncomfortable position with your family.”

He linked his arm with hers. “If you get to stay home, I get to stay with you. And since I’m the one who’ll get yelled at if we skip out, you’re stuck with me all evening.”

“The horror.” She laughed, taking a final look at herself in the mirror. “I think I’m ready.”

His eyes raked over her, starting at the thin straps of her beige sandals, moving up her legs to the uneven hem of her burgundy dress, and stopping at her bare shoulders.

“I think you look incredible. I think I’m going to be smacking my little brother upside the head when he starts ogling you.

I think I’m willing to risk being yelled at if I can get a peek at what’s under that dress.

And I also think it’s technically Indulgence Night, even if there’s nothing indulgent about going to a birthday party. ”

Her brows lifted and she smirked. “Yes, it is. Any reason you mentioned it?”

“No reason. None at all.” He brought her flush against him and pressed his hips into her ass to let her know precisely where his mind was. “I was just thinking.”

Her body responded immediately with the knowledge he’d been counting down the days to Saturday as much as she was all week. Logically, keeping their strange relationship at a quasi-arms-length was the wisest move. But it didn’t mean she didn’t crave him morning, noon, and night.

“Well, I’m just thinking a little anticipation might be good,” she countered as she pushed back against him.

Her plan to tease him went to hell when he inched her skirt up with one hand, the other already unzipping his jeans.

Bracing herself on the vanity counter, she arched her back and looked over her shoulder at him. “We leave in eight minutes.”

Nine minutes later River was sauntering out of the house beside her, wearing a grin of male satisfaction over a job done well as he opened his passenger door.

While a quickie in the bathroom wasn’t the most elegant stress reliever, it had served as a very effective respite for both of them.

Although he’d reassured her it was a small affair, her nerves were on edge all day knowing she would be walking into Birch’s shop with River and there would be questions.

Questions she would struggle to answer honestly.

It was one thing to talk to River’s brother when she and Birch were talking jewelry and pricing, it was something else entirely to arrive at River’s side.

She’d battled fleeting doubts all morning, the distraction apparent enough for Zoe to notice during their afternoon breaks.

With a charged pep talk and a promise to drop one of River’s gifts off at the tattoo parlor before six, Zoe had left her in a significantly better place mentally.

And it had held right up until she’d stood in her bathroom tightening the laces of her dress, River already dressed and ready to go in her bedroom.

*

“Ready?”

Angelina smiled at River and nodded as he pulled into a strip mall and parked in front of Serpent’s Tongue Ink, the artwork of the sign as intricate and skilled as the pieces adorning River’s body.

Opening her door, he held out his hand for her, angling his back to the door as he pulled her close to him. “When you want to bolt, the code phrase is fuck me hard and fuck me now, River .”

She laughed and swatted his chest. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”

He looked down at her, his gaze drifting between her eyes and her lips.

“One more indulgence before we go in?” When she nodded, he leaned down and kissed her with enough heat to earn a whoop from the shop.

“That would be Grey,” he murmured against her lips.

“There’s a good chance I’ll be beating on him at some point tonight. ”

“There’s a good chance that what he just witnessed is going to put a real chink in our landlady-tenant explanation.”

Her voice was steady, but her fear was ratcheting.

What was she thinking? Birch’s weekly jewelry order was a huge boost to her bottom line.

He was consistent, he paid right away, and his selections were always quality.

Kissing his younger brother could rightfully destroy a solid business relationship.

And she had no idea how Birch felt about River’s ex-wife.

What if he adored her? What if he thought she broke them up? What if—

“Whatever is going through your mind, kill it now,” River murmured into her hair as he took her hand. “And remember the code phrase.”

With a nod she let him take the lead, holding his hand tight and stepping closer to him while a gorgeous young guy with long blond hair and the Baker cheekbones ushered them in, announcing their arrival as one might announce royalty.

For such a small group there was a lot of noise and mayhem in the limited space. She was introduced to Grey right away, and the youngest brother gave her a smile she knew would drop many panties over the years.

A beautiful blonde woman strode over and held out her hand, her steel-blue eyes holding a hint of exasperation while an older version of her called instructions from the back of the shop.

“So nice to meet you, Angelina. I’m Jocelyn, the de facto wrangler of that bundle of hormones over there,” she said as she gestured at Grey, her husky voice as warm as her smile.

“Care for a glass of wine? I just broke open a rosé I’m dying to try. ”