Page 20 of Extraction Play

As if thinking of Micah summoned him, the door to her apartment creaked open.

He stepped inside, his hair rumpled and a dopey grin on his features he tried to hide. Her prickly friend hated people seeing him happy because he’d spent years donning a mask. She could see the same with Eva, who shoved her feelings under the rug constantly. Where Micah had gotten snarkier with sharper edges from his upbringing, Eva pasted on placid smiles, her competence masking the hurt she dealt with.

Pixie had only received glimpses so far, and she was well aware those were rare.

“How was your date night?” Pixie asked and blew on the steam billowing from her coffee. If she avoided talking about her own evening, that had everything to do with the hum of guilt rising inside her. Micah had stated Eva was off-limits, but he also knew they’d all gone to Play Night.

“Parker didn’t take it easy on me in the slightest,” Micah said, waggling his brows. Based on the finger-shaped bruises around his exposed shoulder from the too-large shirt he wore, she had an idea of what they’d gotten up to.

If she had a new relationship, she’d be fucking like crazy too. Except that wasn’t in the cards for her. It never had been.

“How about Play Night?” Micah sauntered over and grabbed a mug from the cabinet.

Pixie’s heart thudded a little harder. Telling Micah the truth should absolve her of this guilt. “I did a scene with Meg and Fin, and Meg invited Eva to participate.”

Micah wrinkled his nose. “I know my sister’s into kink, but I definitely don’t need to hear about that.”

Pixie’s shoulders relaxed at his lack of a negative reaction. Still, the guilt gripped her chest tight. Eva wasn’t anyone she could pursue, yet her thoughts continued to circulate around the woman. At least when she went back to Reno, Pixie could stop fixating on her.

“Well, I enjoyed myself,” Pixie said, needing to lighten the conversation.

“You always do,” Micah teased, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Her gut twisted because she projected that out there—forever smiling, forever chill—but she just wanted someone to see beneath the surface.

Even though she kept everyone at a distance.

Pure contradiction, she was.

“I’m off today, so I’m going to drag Eva somewhere.” Micah took a sip from his coffee. “I’ve been a shitty brother, spending so much time over at Parker’s. She’s supposed to be leaving at the end of the week.”

The reminder tossed a splash of cold water onto her afterglow.

There was no point in crushing on Micah’s superhot older sister. Pixie should be focusing on her own life and what the hell her next steps were. With each passing day, her restlessness had increased, the urge to find some new real estate and relocate one she’d had to fight in the past.

Most times, her mom had needed her, and that responsibility had kept her in the area, but now Maisie was thriving. She didn’t need Pixie anymore, and honestly, no one seemed to.

“What are you thinking?” Pixie clutched her mug like a raft to drag her mind to safer waters.

“I don’t want to do the shlocky tourist stuff. Maybe I’ll ask her what she wants when she gets up.”

“Conservatory of Flowers,” bubbled up on Pixie’s lips before she could help herself. The little details she’d learned from Eva had imprinted on her brain, even though she’d been trying and failing to keep herself at a distance.

Micah’s brows lifted. “That’s perfect. She adores flowers and green shit in general, and I’ve been curious about it. Don’t suppose you have the day free too?”

She had some freelance graphics on the docket, but the itch to paint was building, and being around all those colorful flowers would tip her well of inspiration right over. Truth be told, being around Eva would make it spill.

Ever since the woman had come to stay with them, Pixie made more progress on her art than she had in the past year, and she was grateful, even if anxiety loomed at what would happen when Eva left.

“Yeah, I can join,” Pixie said. Her heart squeezed tight at the thought of tamping down the budding emotions that unfurled whenever Eva was in the room. Guilt tugged close on its heels. Micah wasn’t aware of what brewed beneath the surface. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be inviting her along.

“Join what?” Eva’s low, throaty voice coaxed her pussy to life. The woman strode into the kitchen, wearing those sage-green pajamas that drew her attention to those smooth thighs far too easily. She had been between them last night, a place she could happily live. Her thick auburn hair was up in a ponytail, which somehow looked even hotter than when it was down. Something about her looking so put together just did it for Pixie.

“We’re all going out today to the Conservatory of Flowers,” Micah said. “I’m done being a shitty brother.”

“Says the person who massacred Gerald.” Eva slid next to Pixie and took a mug. Her arm brushed against Pixie’s, and the touch sent a jolt straight between her thighs. Before Pixie could figure out if it had been on purpose or not, Eva pulled away and poured herself some coffee from the ever-dwindling carafe. Luckily, Pixie had thought ahead and made the whole twelve-cup.

“Dare I ask who Gerald is?” Pixie asked.

“Her stupid stuffed platypus.” Micah rolled his eyes. “I was, like, seven.”