Pulling the slider door open, I step inside and offer them a smile. “Hey.”
My mother turns and her eyes immediately move to my hair. She frowns. “Why do you have a bow in your hair?”
“It’s a headband,” I say. It would be easier to take it out so she doesn’t continue, but I clench my hands at my side, refusing to give her that satisfaction.
“Darling—”
“Miranda,” Dad says and my mother sighs.
She presses her lips together before smiling. “Have you eaten, baby?”
“I had about a dozen sugar cookies,” I say. I can feel Laiken watching me. His eyes burn.
“That’s not food. I’ll make you a plate.”
I don’t argue. I hover right where I am until Dad gestures for me to have a seat with them. Which puts me between him and Laiken. Great. Close enough to feel his damn body heat. Fuck my life.
“How’s Cash?” Dad asks.
“He still has a dickwad for a brother, but otherwise, he’s good.”
“How’s work?” he asks.
I wince and drop my head. “I quit.”
“Why this time?” Mom asks.
“The same reason as last time. I’m not a pet and I’m not going to be treated like a servant. You don’t fucking snap your fingers at me and expect to be treated with respect.”
This, at least, is something my mother agrees with. While she hates that I go through jobs like I do underwear, she understands this one thing about my life.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Dad says. I look at him warily. “Laiken is looking for another bartender. You should work with him for a while. I’m sure he’ll keep those nasty people away.” He laughs.
My entire body feels like it’s just been hit with a gust of Arctic air. I turn to look at Laiken. He looks just as startled and wary as I do.
“That’s a fantastic idea,” Mom exclaims. “You’ll work with Laiken, and it’s going to be perfect.”
“Perfect,” I mutter.
Laiken doesn’t answer. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.
Yep, fucking perfect.
Chapter Six
LAIKEN
I can’t thinkof a single reason that I can’t hire Elijah. Telling Nason that I kissed his son and can’t stop thinking about his tight ass, so I think it’s a really bad idea isnotan option. A year ago, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But the man Elijah came home as before Christmas this year… suddenly, he’s a new person.
He’s not a child anymore. I’m not even talking about legal age. I mean, he’s a grown-up now. He has maturity, intelligent thoughts, and passions. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since Nason brought him home, and I saw how hurt and scared he was.
My response hadn’t been that Papa bear one it had always been. I was angry and protective. I’d wanted to hurt the people who let this happen, and those who did this to him.
But it was also possessive. Obsessive. Consuming in a way that frightened me. I’veneverthought about someone as often as I do Elijah. Ever. Not my ex-wife. None of my past hookups or partners. No one.
Flirting with him the day he came over to make cock cookies had been my biggest mistake. I’d opened the gates, and now they’ve been blown wide. Kissing him was inevitable. I knew, even as I walked away from him, that it wasn’t going to end there.
Except that I haven’t seen him in the weeks that followed. If he was home, Nason and/or Miranda were home. Otherwise, he simply wasn’t there.
