“You read that on yourphone?” Heathcliff glowered, his hands balled into fists.
“Yeah, I did.” Morrie rose to his feet and waved the phone in Heathcliff’s face. “I made the text nice and large, held it in one hand, and scrolled with my finger while sipping my espresso in the other.”
Okay,nowI was picking up on the sexual tension. Heathcliff’s nostrils flared and his shoulders tensed as he stared down Morrie, who met his simmering rage with his signature smirk. As the two of them faced off against each other, the whole room sizzled, like the air between them might burst into flames at any moment.
I leaned forward, my heart leaping into my chest even as heat pooled in my belly.I should break them up before Heathcliff punches Morrie.
But I didn’t move.
“You didn’t buy a copy from the bookshop,” Heathcliff boomed. “The bookshop that’s housed you and your criminal activities when you had nowhere else to go. The bookshop that you could save in a heartbeat just by writing a cheque but are too selfish to do so. No, instead you betray us all by purchasing from The-Store-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named and then come back here to rub it in my face—”
“At least you’re not over-dramatic about it.” Morrie patted his shoulder. “I read a book. It’s not a crime. Calm down, mate. Don’t burst a blood vessel.”
Heathcliff’s already dark skin burned a deeper shade. I thought I could see steam coming out of his ears.
Shouldn’t you be breaking this up?Quoth asked inside my head.
Not this time.
“You don’t take anything seriously,” Heathcliff growled, this time. “Everything is a bloody joke to you. I know you don’t give a fuck about me or Quoth, but this is Mina’s life and it’s about to be taken away from her and you don’t care—”
“Idocare. I just don’t see how moping and raging will actually fix things. Your problem is that you’re too serious.” Morrie grinned. “Lighten up, mate. Have some fun. Here, I’ll show you.”
And he leaned forward and kissed Heathcliff square on the lips.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Croak?” Quoth quipped, transfixed by the sight of them.
I froze, my body locked in a rage of lust as Morrie’s lips teased Heathcliff with a featherlight touch. Heathcliff’s eyes narrowed, and he raised his fist. I forced myself from my chair, thinking that he was going to punch Morrie.
Instead, he wrapped his huge hand around the back of Morrie’s head and pushed his face hard against his. Their tongues twined together, their mouths smashing together in a hot, violent, punishing kiss.
Well, well, well,Quoth said.
You don’t sound surprised,I thought.
Oh, I’ve seen it for a long time. Honestly, I thought it would happen much sooner. You okay with it?
Better than okay.An ache rose between my legs as I watched those two powerful men fight their battle with tongues and lips, laying bare something that had gone unspoken for so long.
With a gasp, Heathcliff broke free of whatever spell Morrie had him under. He planted his hands on Morrie’s shoulders and shoved him. Hard.
Morrie sailed across the room and slammed into the Classical Studies shelves. He crashed to the floor, and a cascade of hardcover volumes poured over him. He winced as Thucydides smashed into the side of his face.
“Get out,” Heathcliff growled, pointing to the door.
“But—”
“I said,get out.I don’t want to see your fucking face right now.”
“Heathcliff—” I reached for him, but he yanked his arm away.
“Don’t anyone fucking touch me,” he yelled, storming upstairs.
My chest tightened. I rushed to Morrie’s side, but he was already scrambling to his feet, shoving the books aside as he fled for the hallway. His face was bone white. “I… I’d better go.”
“Wait, we should talk about this.” I glanced up at the staircase, but Heathcliff had already disappeared. “I’m sure when Heathcliff calms down he’ll realize—”
