Page 23 of Breaking the Alpha (Serpent’s Tongue Ink #2)

Barking a command for the poor soul on the other line to forward a contract immediately, she set the bags down and looked him over.

“Hook your left thumb in your boxers and cross your right arm over to your shoulder. Just like that.” She snapped a picture, her fingers flying across her screen before she shoved her phone into her purse.

“Friday’s pictures from the coffeehouse are garnering a lot of buzz, but this will give that ‘just woke up, come on over’ vibe. ”

He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and splash water on his face. “I did just wake up. And you did just come over. At seven on a Saturday morning.” Grabbing a shirt from his suitcase, he pulled it on and started the tiny coffee maker. “Why are you here at seven on a Saturday morning?”

Jodie ignored his unimpressed tone and spread the contents of her bags onto the bed.

“We’re going with the blue board shorts today.

And this white button-down.” Tossing the shirt at him, she returned her attention to the pile.

“If I see one button done up, I’ll personally remove them all.

Go. You have ten minutes to show me why you’re my boy. ”

*

Angelina walked Zoe to her car and gave her a long hug. “Be safe tonight, and sleep in tomorrow. You deserve a day to yourself.”

“Will do.” Her friend waggled her manicured brows. “Give that thoroughbred of yours a good riding when he gets back to town and call me when you can walk again.”

“Enough of that. He’s my tenant.” She tried to give Zoe a stern look but broke into a smile when Zoe rolled her eyes and snorted so loudly a couple across the street looked over at them.

With a smile and a wave, she began her walk, with the full moon illuminating the streets.

Although she’d had every intention of heading straight home after work for her Indulgence Night, it wasn’t calling to her like it usually did.

So when Zoe had asked her to meet up for dinner, she’d jumped at the invitation.

And between the good food and good company, the loneliness of the day had all been washed away.

Her mood brightened even more when she patted the head of the purple giraffe and walked inside, her phone ringing as she locked up behind her.

“Hey,” she said with a smile while she set her purse down in the kitchen. “How’s your night going?”

“I keep reminding myself that I’ll be back in Epson in fifteen hours,” River huffed over the din of crowds in the background. “Are you home? All locked up? How was dinner with Zoe?”

“I just got home and yes, I locked up,” she replied, stretching out on the sofa. “I had fun tonight. Zoe is planning her vacation route through North Carolina, so I spent the evening looking at maps and pretty pictures of scenery and hotel rooms on her phone.”

“Good. I—” Someone hollered behind him and he called back to them, his voice sounding strained. “Look, I need you to know that Windy Leigh showed up here tonight. I didn’t think she would since the divorce was finalized Thursday, but she did.”

Turning on the television, she scanned through her options for the evening.

“Considering Jodie wanted you there schmoozing and getting photographed with everyone else there to schmooze and get photographed, I’m not surprised.

Though I’m a little disappointed you haven’t sent me a bathing suit picture yet. ”

He scoffed, but his tone didn’t lighten.

“I’ll do it the moment we get off the phone.

Promise.” The noise behind him softened.

“Something went down between me and Windy Leigh, and pictures are already showing up on social media. Jodie is on it, making sure a few of the writers covering the gala get the story right, but…” He trailed off and cleared his throat.

“Dammit, Angelina. Some of the pictures being posted look bad, but I swear on everything I am that nothing happened.”

Making her choice, she paused the opening theme song and frowned. “What do you mean ‘something went down’? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s just, I’m sorry.” He groaned in frustration, and she could visualize his hand running through his hair.

“Windy Leigh texted me a few days ago, wanting to reconcile. She’s got it in her head that it would be a cash cow, so I should have figured she’d spin something.

I was tripping over her all day. Every time I turned around she was right there, like she was trying to make it look like we were there together.

The last thing I wanted was a public argument, so I ignored her.

But when I was sitting around one of the bonfires on the beach tonight, she jumped me.

Full on knocked me back and straddled me, which is what the photos posted up online are showing.

The shots of me trying to get her off without touching her aren’t out there yet.

Neither is the video of me losing my shit and hollering at her about the divorce. ”

“River?” she said softly as his voice became gruffer and his words started to come out faster. “No harm, no foul, okay? I believe you. You did nothing wrong. And you don’t owe me anything.”

“That right there is as much a pile of bullshit as what Windy Leigh is pulling, Angelina,” he growled. “You and I may not be anything official, but we’re something. I don’t know what it is, but it’s there, and you fucking know it.”

Her heart pounded and it took her a moment until she could speak. “You’re right. We’re something,” she quietly agreed.

“Yeah, we fucking are,” he snarled. “And now there’s all these pictures of me and Windy Leigh looking like we’re back together and they’re all over the festival hashtag. It’s disrespectful to you and I’m fucking furious.”

She opened her search app to see the pictures for herself.

“Who cares? I know you aren’t with her. You know you aren’t with her.

I’m looking at the photos right now, and do you know what I see?

Nothing.” When he responded with a grunt, she zoomed in on his expression in what some might think was a mighty damning picture.

“Actually, I see a man I don’t recognize.

Because the man in these pictures doesn’t look at me like this.

Ever. The River I know looks at me as though he doesn’t see anyone else, not like he’d rather see anyone else. ”