Page 22 of Tangling Hearts

She smiles slowly, figuring out that I was jealous. “You can handle an ex, huh?”

I grin at her, hugely relieved. “Yeah. An ex is an ex for a reason. He’s not really competition…” I wink at her. “…if I play my cards right.”

Her smile widens and she looks so beautiful, it’s like she’s glowing. “If you play your cards right?” She laughs.

More animated, I explain, “That’s right. I’ve got this. He won’t be but a memory. You just watch. That frown when he called? Gone.” Slicing my hand through the air like an escaping plane, I stick her phone in my pocket, and start walking to the door. Looking back, I see her watching me with a look that makes me stop in my tracks, like I’m some sort of hero. It makes me want to be one for her. My jokey cockiness vanishes and my hands fall to my sides. “Okay, Annie, I’m just going to come right out and say it.”

“Okay.” She walks up, waiting.

“I saw that guy and it drove me fucking crazy.”

She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes on my lips as she asks, “It did? Are you normally the jealous type?”

On a sarcastic chuckle, I say, “Not at all.”

“Oh!” A small smile appears as she realizes what I’m trying to tell her.

“The way you look at me – no, it’s not just that. It’s being around you. I feel things I don’t think I’ve ever felt. Give me those lips.” She bends her head up and I kiss her smile, whisper against it, my voice hoarse. “I don’t want anyone else touching you. You got that?”

A thousand thoughts pass over her eyes as she pulls away from me, staring up with a sort of awe. Is it love? I wouldn’t know. She slowly reaches up and touches my bottom lip. Something strange happens in my head as I feel her gentle fingertips. A strong Déjà vu feeling comes over me like this has happened before.

“Then I won’t let anyone touch me, Brendan, if that’s what you want.”

Struggling to remember, I stare at her. “There’s that familiar feeling again, like I’ve known you before, like this has happened before or something.”

She frowns and blinks up at me. My phone interrupts us and even though I would have ignored it, Annie pulls away and laughs. “Well, at least we had one night without an interruption.”

I grin, happier than I’ve been in a really long time. “We did have that! I guess that’s all we get.”

“Let’s go get some coffee.” She walks to her purse.

I pull out my phone, see Rebecca’s name and the words: I have something to tell you. Quickly I shove it back into my pocket. “How about we go see a movie? I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have to be at work on a weekday.”

“Ooooo! Let’s! Who was that?”

“No one I want to talk to.”

We walk to the exit and she looks up, tilting her face for a quick kiss, which I’m more than happy to make long and slow. When I pull away, she’s breathless and her eyelashes take a second to drift up. “Wow.”

I walk out so she can lock the door. When I turn my head, I catch her looking at my ass. “I saw that.”

“I’m only human.” She smirks. “Philz, right?”

“Yup. Let’s walk. No, don’t even think it. I need the exercise and it’s just a few streets over.”

She holds up her hands after adjusting her purse on her shoulder. “I wasn’t making a peep!”

---