“Hey, wait up. You can’t seriously invite me to breakfast then walk off!”
And in a handful of words, he makes me feel such a sense of relief I can’t help the smile that bursts over my face. Twisting around to look at him, the sneaky shit is right up close behind me too. He’d walked away to grab his t-shirt, sadly. Luckily too though because his near nakedness is like honey on toast: de-fucking-licious.
“I owe you a chocolate shake and onion rings, Raney. Last night I got thrown seeing you. But today we can grab some food.”
When he speaks, a light breeze blows bringing me a nose full of his scent. And today it’s like the falling rain on a summer’s day, the one that promises new growth and energises everything around it.
I have to play dumb and pretend I’m considering his offer. I’m completely scent struck. The softer side of me is happily lost in actually seeing Puck again. The way he smells keeps me in that sweet haze, letting memories of our happy times rule the moment. I fob off my stupor with a shrug, trying to maintain a little bit of my cool, while waiting for my more practical side of my personality to come back online. “It’s no worries. I got super stoned and passed out anyway”.
He laughs. And I wasn’t expecting it. Nor was I expecting the transformation of his face, or his presence when he smiles. It’s like standing in a sun shower after being caught in a rainstorm. I melt, completely and utterly too.
“Puck! Give me some fucking warning, would you,” I joke. And it’s crazy how easy and natural it is that we fall back into the way we were headed years ago.
Except it seems the day is full of endless surprises, fucking good ones too, because he slings his arm around me like he always used to do. His step falters, and I swear I hear him groan, but he hides it well. Or perhaps I really did imagine that part but Puck is muddling everything up inside me.
“I missed you, so fucking much, Raney,” he affirms softly, leaning his head on mine.
“I missed you a lot too, Puck,” I say back, digging myself deeper into his snuggle.
We stay wrapped up in each other as we walk slowly back home, neither of us wanting to hurry the intimacy we share. Puck compensates for my steps by taking absurdly small ones. The both of us come to a screeching stop when Ibis is standing at my door holding a parcel.
And fuck the local collegiate. I know they did this on purpose, because without a doubt my girls would have covered their ass, and mine. The parcel should be discreetly wrapped, but it’s not. The Omega designation logo is emblazoned all over the offensive peach coloured post pack right alongside the Unity Collegiate logo. In case anyone was slow or missed where it came from, the assholes addressed it to Omega Raney Grady/Jones.
I go to say a million things, but Puck covers it better than I could. He holds his hand out for Ibis to pass over the parcel, and then he nods at him as he walks us inside. “Breakfast, huh? You know I eat like a horse; you do remember that, don’t you?”
My phone interrupts me before I can answer. I point him towards the kitchen and race to my bedroom where I left it. Miraculously, I manage to grab it before it rings out.
“Micina… I’m on a timed call. So many things to say to you.” Koz’s voice is like a warming blanket on my strange mood. “I love you, sweetheart. I’m coming to get you very soon, but these fucking imbeciles are playing school yard games. Rhodes will be glued to your ass. Giuseppe’s told me he has organised everything you need, and you will call him if you need anything else. Today when you go to that meeting, if you don’t feel safe, I want you to walk out, and we can resolve that outstanding issue my way.” He chuckles at his implied promise of murder, and I roll my eyes.
I’m one of those people that walks and talks, and I find myself in the kitchen watching Rhodes handle the coffee machine like a trained barrister, while Puck is unloading the fridge by the looks.
“Raney, jump online and book that holiday we were talking about,” he starts slowly, and I look around for a pen and paper. Koz has always been an open book when it comes to his business. I don’t often get involved on the order side of things, but I know what to do in an emergency. If it was the accounting side of things we were talking about, I could list off his ten highest grossing money streams like listing off what I want on a burger.
“Hang on, just getting a pad of paper. Since, I got those train tickets wrong last time,” I say to fill in time while I get everything organised. “Okay, good looking, I’m ready for my holiday please.”
I can feel him smile through the phone. “I’d like you to triple check your calendar again, my preference is we go for ten nights, flying into Bora Bora by private helicopter, not the fucking sea plane. Then perhaps after that we could just go for a quick trip down to Alaska so I can claim you properly under the Aurora Borealis. Not the other way round, micina. I want your skin tanned honey gold while I knot you senseless in a winter wonderland until you can’t talk.”
The call clicks off. And I burst into action.
“Rhodes, did you bring a laptop?”
“Yes, ma’am, it’s in the car.”
“Can you grab it for me, please?”
He stops making coffee without being asked twice and moves through the house to retrieve it.
“All okay, Raney?” Puck asks, stopping his food gathering to take a step towards me. And I don’t miss the way he can read my anxiety, or his rising need to help.
“Yeah, I won’t be a minute.” I scribble down all of Koz’s coded message, triple checking over my notes before turning my attention back to Puck. “What are you making?”
His eyes search my face for more, but it’s not coming. If Koz wants to share with Puck the intricacies of his business and life, I’ll leave that for him to do. Much like if Puck would like to share with Koz, and me, what the hell he’s doing living at King’s.
We keep watching each other until Rhodes returns, placing the laptop bag on the bench in front of me. Rhodes stays close, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “Joker is waiting outside with two people asking to see you. Hayes and Talon, ma’am.”
My eyes fly to Puck, who’s still watching me. His eyes have narrowed, and they keep darting down towards the front door. Clearly, he heard Rhodes. He goes to storm past. I grab his arm on the way though, pulling him to a stop. “They are here to see me.”
“Why though, Raney. Why?”
