Page 68 of Big Bad Bully
I wouldn’t have even thought him capable of such a thing.
My eyes widen, and my throat closes, nose suddenly hot and tight.
He touches my arm, his touch light at first then closing into a reassuring squeeze.
“It’s like, the tenth time.” My voice clogs. I sound like a teenager, but Billy’s standing there, regarding me with something resembling warmth, and it all comes out. “I never see her anymore. I thought painting the mural in your building meant we’d at least get to hang out, but she’s always either with Brick or at work. I’ve been trying to get together with her for weeks now.” A tear escapes my eye, and I flick it away.
I feel like a fool.
“I know. Feels like you lost your best friend.”
I blink rapidly at him. He must feel the same way with Brick. “Yeah. I mean, I think I did.” That realization comes crashing over me.
It’s time to face it. People change. Not all friendships last. Maybe I’ve been clinging to something that I need to let go of.
Billy shakes his head. “Madi needs and loves you. It’s just an adjustment to a new situation.”
I stare at him. I don’t even want to talk about this anymore–it hurts too much. “Why are you here?”
“Madi called me when you wouldn’t answer your phone. You want to get dinner? You haven’t eaten, right?”
I narrow my eyes. Sparring with him is definitely better than talking about Madi. “Were you spying on me with a nanny cam or something?”
He scoffs. “Please. I don’t need a nanny cam to know what you’re up to, Silver.”
I cock my head and adopt a teasing quality to my voice. “What was I up to?”
His lips curl slightly at the edges. I am coming to love that look on him. “I saw you made coffee and used my shower. And left me your dog.” He raises his brows.
“Yeah, how’d you like that?”
“I’m going to punish you for it later.”
A hot tingle washes over me. Yum.
He downs his whiskey and tilts his head toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get dinner. You need a good meal.”
“Okay, but how do you know I haven’t eaten yet?” I press.
“I know you left not long before I got home, and I didn’t smell any food.”
“You have nanny cams set up to make sure I don’t steal anything, and now that they’re up, you no longer feel like you have to work from home while I’m there,” I accuse. “Did you watch me shower?”
Billy’s Porsche is parked a block away, and he stops in front of the passenger side without opening the door. “You think I’m afraid you’ll steal something?” He sounds offended. Whether it’s on my behalf or his, I can’t be sure.
I raise my brows.
He catches one of my wrists in one hand, then the other, and tugs them so my palms are facing out. His thumbs press into my palms, and he starts massaging. “I’m not afraid of anything, Silver. Least of all, you stealing from me. If you wanted to rob me, I suspect you’d do it while I watched to flaunt it in my face rather than sneak something out after I left.”
That wrings a smile out of me. His smoldering gaze and rumbling tone make it sound like he admires that trait in me. He enjoys our sparring as much as I do.
“And if anyone ever nanny cams you showering, I will rip his fucking eyeballs out and stuff them down his throat.”
A wash of heat rolls over my body. “That’s…hot,” I manage to croak in surprise. I didn’t take him for a man of passionate crimes. I look up at his face. What seemed haughty before now appears achingly handsome–the firm line of his stubbled jaw, the smoky blue gaze framed by impossibly thick dark lashes. Yes, he’s cocky, but when all that self-confidence is aimed in my direction, I can see the appeal. This new perspective makes it harder to maintain the barrier of resistance I’ve been holding up against him.
I reach up and pull his head down to mine for a kiss. His hand curls around the back of my head, and his tongue lunges into my mouth. He tastes of whiskey. His lips are soft except where the stubble on his upper lip scrapes my skin.
My ass bumps against the door of his car, and he presses me there, one hand sliding down my hip to grip my thigh and pull it up and open.
