Page 32 of Extraction Play

“Okay, I’ve got a latte.” Kai approached with his coffee in hand. “Now point me in a direction.”

Pixie steered them to the table where Nolan and Krista were sitting. Parker was giving his boy more attention, so they’d be a while. She slipped in next to Nolan and leaned in to give him a hug.

“Hey, lovely,” He ran his fingers through her hair. The touch was soothing and affectionate. “You’ve been quiet recently.”

Pixie swallowed hard. Damn this crew. Even without her ripping herself open, they read her better than most. However, the person who’d honed in on her faster than anyone had been Eva. That had been a startling revelation—maybe the reason why she’d found herself confessing secrets to the woman she hadn’t told anyone else.

“Micah’s sister might be staying a bit longer,” she said instead of diving into her personal shit.

“Oh good,” Nolan said, his eyes twinkling. “I want her to get all dommy on me. Watching her the other week washot.”

A weird brew of longing and jealousy stirred through her in one ferocious sweep. Part of her needed Eva’s eyes fixed on her, while the other part wanted to see Eva teasing and toying with Nolan while he squirmed. Both of those feelings were foreign to her. She rarely wished for someone in her life like that, but the feverish imaginings that had danced in her head lately were downright dangerous.

She’d always believed she was lucky to be alive after surviving her childhood. Asking for more was like tempting the fates to tragedy.

“Definitely hot,” Pixie said, trying to make up for her lapse of quiet. “Anyway, this is Kai. He’s new to town.”

Nolan waggled his brows. “New and gorgeous.” God, this group was a bunch of horndogs. Kai would either fall into the mix wonderfully or get scared off after the first munch.

“Well, you folks know how to make a guy feel welcome.” Kai took a sip from his latte.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Pixie said.

The door swung open again, and Eva stepped inside.

Pixie’s heart somersaulted. She looked far more composed than yesterday, back to her normal self—her auburn hair in a low chignon, her low black shirt showcasing enough of her olive skin to be mouthwatering. Between the tan skirt displaying those curvy hips and tanpumps highlighting her muscular legs, the woman was stunning. Pixie was well aware she stared, but it was worth it when Eva’s gaze snagged on hers across the room. Her eyes softened, and Pixie’s heart thudded even harder.

“Excuse me for a second.” Pixie pushed up from her seat. She left her drink, since she’d be back, but she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to welcome Eva herself.

Eva met her midway, and her lips quirked into a secretive smile. “Hey there.” The words were simple but with a quiet intimacy. Warmth spread through her chest like the spice of the chai.

“You decided to go?” Pixie said, leading Eva toward the coffee bar.

Eva heaved out a sigh. “Yes, but not for fun. I figured I could catch both you and Micah here and I can tell the two of you at once.”

Pixie chewed on her lower lip, unease slithering in. “Is it more to do with back home?”

Eva nodded. “Though nothing drastic.” She stopped in front of the counter, and Micah plucked himself from the conversation he was having with Parker.

“You made it,” he said, grabbing an empty cup. “Do you still drink your boring-as-fuck cappuccinos?”

Eva rolled her eyes. “If that’s your way of making me one, sure.”

Micah let out a bark of a laugh, and Pixie relaxed somewhat at seeing Eva’s sarcastic humor intact.

“I’ve got to drive to Reno tonight to pick up my stuff,” Eva said, red-hot irritation in her tone. “Jack’s getting the house ready for the sale, and he ‘doesn’t want my shit cluttering his space.’”

Micah furrowed his brow. “Do you need me to come with you? I might be small, but I’m scrappy.”

Eva shook her head, even though the strain lines around her eyes were a dead giveaway that the trip would be agonizing, and she wantedto offer to join. However, with the way Eva’s shoulders were braced, Pixie sensed this was something she needed to do by herself.

“Nah, I’d rather swoop in as fast as possible and with minimal drama.” She arched a brow. “You bring the drama, Micah.”

He lifted the cappuccino toward her. “Maybe I should withhold this for that rude and accurate statement.”

Pixie sucked in a sharp breath. “So, are you leaving now?”

“Yeah, as soon as possible,” she said, her gaze lingering a little too long. “It’s over four hours to drive back, so I’ll be crashing at a motel in the area before making the return trek.”

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