Page 29 of Expiry Dating

She’s embarrassed to be seen with you, dumbass. She sees you as a booty call, remember?

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He wasn’t going to go in. He really wasn’t. But when that designer-suit-wearing son of a bitch tried to touch her, he was no longer in control of his actions.

He’d been watching from his truck, which was parked across the street from Get Pied. Alice had only been inside five minutes, but he could see from here that she wasn’t happy.

Not caring what kind of scene he might make, he jumped out of his truck and started toward the café. Alice’s eyes swung to him as soon as the bell rang out above the door. It was when he headed in her direction, though, that they widened in panic.

Tough shit.

Brady didn’t hesitate to slide into the booth next to her. His arm went straight around her shoulders, and he instinctively tugged her close. After planting a soft kiss on her forehead, he turned back to face a shocked-looking Rob.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, sweetness?” Brady asked Alice, but his gaze didn’t waver from the man sitting opposite him.

She cleared her throat. “Brady, this is Rob. Rob, Brady.”

“And Brady is who exactly?”

Brady didn’t wait for Alice to reply. “Her man.”

Rob’s eyes narrowed on him. “No offence, Brady, but this doesn’t really concern you. Ali and I have some stuff to work out, so maybe you two can catch up later?”

Is this guy for real?

“None taken, Rob, but I think I’ll stick around all the same.” Brady then turned to face Alice; he needed to check in with her. “Come help me choose a pie, sweetness?”

“Okay.” He was sure he saw a glimpse of relief in her eyes before she turned to Rob. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

Brady and Alice slid out of the booth and went toward the pie display counter. Once he got there, he prepared himself for her wrath.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered, leaving him in a state of shock. “It’s harder than I thought it would be. So even though I’m kinda mad you didn’t listen to me, I’m also kinda relieved you’re here.”

His heart was aching now. Admitting she wanted him there, that she might possibly need him, that would have been hard for her. He didn’t care they were in public, he needed to taste her. Which is what he did next. In front of God and all of Get Pied, he bent down and took his woman’s lips. When she kissed him back, he felt like he was ten feet tall.

They returned to their table hand in hand. No pie in sight. But who needed pie when he had Alice Hart? Rob didn’t look very pleased, which only seemed to make Brady happier.

He stayed out of the conversation about Rob and Alice’s apartment and watched on as she signed the papers her ex had brought along.

As a silent participant, Brady had nothing better to do than observe the man sitting in front of him. He could see why a woman might go for him. He was well-spoken, wore an expensive suit, he probably had a nice car too, and looks wise, he wasn’t ugly. He had short dark hair, was clean-shaven, and had some muscle on him, but nothing about him screamed Alice. Brady’s Alice wouldn’t go for this guy. This guy couldn’t get any more vanilla. While Alice, well, she was all fire.

What the fuck was she doing with this asshat?

And as if on cue, the Ali he knew came out to play.

“So, now that you’ve got some extra cash, you gonna get that surgery that pulls your head out of your arse?” Her expression was so serious, Brady couldn’t help but snigger. A snigger he was quick to hide with a cough.

Rob simply rolled his eyes.

“Or ... let me guess. Becky is gonna do it for free?”

“Ali,” Rob warned, despite there not being anything remotely scary about this man. “Don’t.”

“I hear she’s an expert when it comes to arse play. But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”

Damn. There was that fire.

“I’d watch it if I were you, Ali. That’s the mother of my child you’re talking about.”

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