Page 99 of The Guy in the Alley

“Say something,” I said.

“What do you want me to say?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Something cute.”

He flashed one of his “I can’t deal with you, baby” grins and smooched me. “All right, uh…you, uh… You make me feel like I’m starring in a fucking rom-com.”

I let out a laugh and nuzzled our noses together. “That’s a good one. But if this was a rom-com, we’d have a drone circling over our heads to catch us making out.”

“And all the skyscrapers. With an appropriate song blaring,” he added.

He got it.

We mirrored each other’s smiles and met in an unhurried kiss that only the Spawn of Satan had the balls to interrupt.

By fucking catcalling. “That’s what I’m talking about, big brother!”

Ben laughed through his nose and dropped his forehead to my shoulder, and I looked over to where she was walking closer with a skipping chipster.

“Hi, Uncle Trace!” he yelled.

“Hey, buddy.” I gave him a genuine smile before I turned to my sister and scratched my eyebrow with my middle finger.

She just smirked and rolled her eyes, her ponytail flinging from one side to the other. The rest of her was dolled up in a dress.

“Hi, Ben!”

Ben straightened and held out a fist for Chip. “How are ya, champ?”

“I’m awesome!” Chip bumped his fist to Ben’s, and they both made an explosive sound. ’Cause they had their own thing now.

It was cute as shit.

“What’s this event you were talking about?” I asked Sarah.

“Oh, I’m just there for my boss.” Sarah thought that was eye-roll-worthy too. “He can make his case better if someone working the floor is with him. Enter the nurse.”

Ah.

“He better not make a move,” I told her. “I actually like the dude you’re with now.”

I even remembered his name. I was fairly sure it was Chris.

“I assure you, my baby-maker is reserved for one man only,” she commented dryly. “My boss is also hella married.”

I snorted. “Yeah, ’cause that never stopped people from crossing the line before.”

“I think Sarah can handle her own,” Ben noted.

Sarah beamed.

I furrowed my brow. “Is this how it’s gonna be? You automatically side with her?”

He cocked a brow. “Didn’t you just say you were gonna make sure Alvin’s on your team?”

“How the fuck is that relevant? Don’t change the topic. We’re talking about you.”

His response? He shared a look with my sister, like they had some inside joke going on. With a side of, “You see what I have to deal with?”

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