“Because she’s bitching and whining at me all the time!” J throws his hands in the air.
“Only because you throw ragers every Saturday night and there are random naked people showing up on our side of the house, smoking, drinking, and fucking right in front of us!”
“I really don’t see the issue,” I say, waggling my brows at Joaquin.
“A man who appreciates the best things in life.” He lifts his hand for a knuckle touch. “Now we’re talking.”
“Oh, joy.” Abby smothers a grin. “Joaquin two point oh. Just what we all need.”
“Now, now, firecracker.” Joaquin yanks Abby away from Kaiden and tucks her under his arm. “We both know you secretly love me. You should have tried that drunken seduction technique on me that time. It was thoroughly wasted on Harley. I could’ve shown you a Joaquin good time.” He rotates his hips in a blatantly sexual manner before Abby elbows him in the ribs and breaks free.
Harley glares at his brother as his cheeks darken, and I’m definitely hitting Joaquin up for that story.
Kaiden swats Joaquin in the back of his head. “Knock it off, shit for brains. I can still take you.”
“Debatable.” Joaquin grins at me. “We should test that theory sometime.”
“You want to fight, I’ll fight you.” Kaiden flexes his fists.
“Count me in,” I say. “That punch I got in didn’t come close to satisfying me.”
Joaquin looks at his brother’s bruised, swollen nose and almost chokes on his laughter. “You did that?” he asks, struggling to contain his mirth.
I smirk as I nod.
“I let you.” Kaiden’s dark gaze washes over me. “Next time, I’ll punch back.”
“This is totally normal,” Harley says to a perplexed-looking Roman. “Trust me, you’ll get used to it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Emery
I’m standing by the window, chatting to Martha before I leave for the day, when prickles of apprehension coast over my skin, lifting all the fine hairs on the back of my neck. On instinct, I glance outside, and my heart starts racing as I spot the tall black figure hiding just inside the mouth of the alley across the way. My pulse pounds in my neck, and my mouth turns dry.
“Emery?” Martha looks over her shoulder, peering through the window for a few beats before turning her head back around to face me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”
Caging my fear in a mental box to revisit later, I shake off my paranoia and smile at my boss. “I’m fine. I just zoned out for a bit.”
A glint of silver accompanies the roar of an engine, and my gaze darts to the window in time to see the tail end of a motorcycle speeding around the bend. A shiver tiptoes up my spine, but I pull myself together when I spot the concern on Martha’s face.
“I never want to interfere,” she says, gently touching my arm. “I know you have your aunt and uncle, but I am here for you if you ever need to talk about anything. You are more than just an employee to Stan and me.”
Warmth floods my chest. “Thanks, Martha. That means a lot to me.”
She pulls me into a hug, smoothing a hand up and down my back, and I cling to her for longer than is probably socially acceptable. “Now, go. Enjoy your night.” Her eyes twinkle with mirth. “Do you have any exciting plans with your new beau?”
My cheeks enflame. “He’s not my new anything. We’re just friends.”
“Does Joaquin know that?” She wears an amused smile.
“I’ve told him enough times.” Not that it seems to be deterring him. He has shown up here and at the apartment several times since I hooked up with him that second time, asking me out on a date. I keep saying no, and it only seems to spur him on.
“He seems determined.”
I heave a sigh. “He is, but I don’t want a boyfriend right now.”
Especially not one related to Abby and Kai. A new blush creeps up my neck and onto my cheeks at the thought of them knowing the vampire biter was Kaiden’s younger brother! Gah! I’ll never live it down if they find out. And it’s just another reason to keep refusing Joaquin. I don’t want things to get awkward with two of my favorite customers.
