Page 49 of Stella
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I straighten up. “What for?”
I clear my throat, embarrassment threatens to rise up my neck and flush my cheeks, but I don’t let it. “The other night.”
“You already apologized.”
“Not in person.”
“You’d had a lot to drink,” he says. “Shit happens. You’re a firecracker when you get going.”
I ignore the jibe and thumb behind me. “Want to come up? While I get your jacket, I mean.”
“I really shouldn’t?—”
“Do you always live life by the strict rules you set for yourself?”
He does that eyebrow lift thing again and it goes straight to my core. “How do you know I set strict rules?”
“It’s obvious.”
“How? Do I have a sign on my back or something?” He pretends to search, reaching behind his back.
I shove him in the shoulder. “Ha-ha. You just seem a little… off.”
“Off?”
“I mean, you can stay down here if I make you uncomfortable, I’ll just be a second.”
Calli lets out a howl as if to say no.
Cale glances down at her and says; “Sit.”
She does as she’s told, ignoring me for a second as she looks up at him.
“You don’t make me uncomfortable,” Cale says finally. “It’s just… I’m me, and you’re you.”
“I’m a big girl, and I hate to break the news to you, but I can have a man in my apartment if I want to.”
His nostrils flare ever so slightly. I’m not sure what that’s all about. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
He gives me a pointed look. “Stella, you know what I mean. I’m the enemy of the MC, and you’re Harlem’s daughter.”
“So what? He doesn’t rule my life.”
“He might not rule it, but he’d make things difficult.”
My lips twitch. Sounds like he’s thought about it. “Make what difficult?”
He palms the back of his neck. It’s fucking hot. “Us.”
Now it’s my turn to let my eyebrows do the talking as I blink a couple of times. Okay. I wasn’t expecting him to just blurt that out. Before I can say anything, he blusters on.
“Not to mention you’re too young for me, and frankly, I’d be bouncing a fair few shots above my average.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m almost thirty.”
