“Oh, he felt them,” she assures me, “but for some reason he doesn’t think there’s any way you could be interested in him.” Stepping back, she gives me one of her big smiles. “Time to step up your game. You need to make it clear you’re into him.”
Maude, their little beagle pup, runs by, and Cindy quickly snatches her up before kissing her cute, furry head. “Here,” she says, placing the dog in my arms. “Hug a puppy. It’ll make you feel better.”
She walks off to help Sasha with the last of the food while I snuggle against Maude. She’s right. It does make me feel better. No wonder they have therapy dogs. It’s impossible to not feel a little bit better about things when Maude is sniffing around my ear and letting out her cute, excited whimpers. I laugh and kiss her head.
“I’d love all over your other dog, too, but I’m still not convinced he won’t rip my throat out,” I say as I walk over to their kitchen island.
The large Doberman is sitting at Cindy’s feet. He looks up at her sweetly when she baby talks to him and then scratches behind his ears. Chort doesn’t look at anyone else like that. He tolerates me, but I swear it’s only because he knows it would upset Cindy if he killed me.
Sasha rubs Chort’s head and then leans down to kiss my best friend while he rests a large hand on her stomach. I still find it hard to believe she’s married and pregnant. It happened quickly, but I’ve never seen her so happy. Due to some truly shitty parenting, she’s always had self-esteem issues that I’ve tried very hard to correct. She’s gotten better over the years, but it was Sasha who really healed her. He treats her like a queen and looks at her like she’s the reason his heart keeps beating. The only time Sasha looks soft in any way is when he’s looking at her.
The loud knock at the door makes me jump and shoot Cindy a panicked look. Maude squirms in my arms, too excited to sit still, so I kiss her head once more before setting her down. Her little tricolored body bolts for the door while Chort joins her and gives a low growl. Sasha’s security is insane, so I’m not surprised Niki can’t just open the door and walk in.
“Do I look okay?” I quickly ask Cindy while I use my fingers as combs to try and fix my hair before tugging on the sleeves of the pink, long-sleeved tee I’d chosen. “Why did I just wear jeans? A dress would’ve been too much, though, right?”
Cindy smiles up at me and when I start to finger comb my hair again, she takes my hands so I don’t accidentally pull out large chunks of it.
“This is how I know he’s the one for you,” she says. “You never get nervous around guys.”
“Do I look nervous?”
“Terrified,” she says, making me laugh despite my nerves. I watch Sasha walk towards the door.
Before he opens it, I whisper, “It’s just that he’s so perfect.”
“So are you,” Cindy tells me, ignoring the eye roll I give her. “Your kids will be model-worthy little geniuses. It’ll be so nauseating to see.”
I bark out a laugh right as the door opens and Niki steps inside. All the air leaves my lungs when I catch sight of him. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen him, but he’s just as gorgeous as I remember him. It helps that I secretly took a few photos at the wedding so I could look at him anytime I want.
“Better hurry up,” Cindy whispers. “I want our kids to grow up together.”
Niki’s grey eyes meet mine while I try very hard to not look like a nut who’s already planning our family. Playing it cool around him doesn’t work, so my face breaks out into a big smilewithout me having any control over it. As soon as he sees it, he grins and steps closer.
“Good to see you again, Van,” he says, making my heart do a flip that would make any romantic proud. I have no idea why he calls me that, but I love it. Most people call me Sav, but Niki never has. I’ve always been Van to him, and I’m dying to ask him why.
“You too,” I manage to say, and then I can’t help but run my eyes over his sharp jawline and then lower to the tattoos that cover his neck and disappear into the fabric of his black hoodie. I know I’m staring, but I don’t look away until I hear Cindy announce that the food is done. My eyes dart back to his, noticing that he’s still staring at me in the same way I’m staring at him. He only looks away when Maude gives a cute little yip to get his attention.
He squats down so he can pet her. Chort’s already gone back to guard duty next to Cindy, so it’s Maude who gets all the loving. I know Chort is spoiled rotten, so I don’t feel too guilty about it. When I bend down to scratch her belly, I catch the scent of Niki’s cologne and nearly let out a happy whimper of my own. It’s faint because the whole house is filled with the delicious smell of vegetable lasagna and fresh bread, but underneath all that is the very manly scent of the guy beside me. It’s a mix of spices that are subtle but just as intoxicating as he is.
This close, I can’t help but linger on the small silver hoop in his nose. I’m not sure why I find it as sexy as I do, but I love it and I really want to lean forward and kiss it.
Before I can humiliate myself, Cindy says, “Okay, come and grab a plate. I’m starving.”
“You’re starving?” Sasha quickly asks, sounding worried as he puts his hand back on her stomach.
“I’ll be fine.” She grabs his shirt and pulls him down to her so she can kiss him. He’s over a foot taller, so he has to lean down abit. “The baby and I are not going to starve,” she assures him. He still looks worried so she kisses him again before he scoops up a very large section of lasagna and puts it on her plate.
“They’re a little too perfect, don’t you think?” Niki whispers from beside me.
“Definitely,” I whisper back with a grin. “They don’t even try to hide it. It’s kind of rude.”
I smile even bigger when I hear Niki’s laugh. It’s laid-back and easygoing, just like he always seems to be. He’s so much different from every guy I’ve ever met. My sorority house is across the street from the most popular fraternity on campus. The Alpha Psi Rho frat is filled with douchebags who are constantly trying to get laid. Our sorority is forced to hold events with them, and the Alphas are always having massive parties that the Kappas have a standing invitation to.
Niki exudes power without having to try. He looks dangerous, but there’s something so sweet in the smiles he gives me and the way he never makes me feel like he’s mentally undressing me or just trying to get me into his bed. The idea of being in Niki’s bed is not a bad idea at all, and I do kind of hope he’s wondering what I look like naked, but he never comes off as pervy or like some jackass who’s just trying to get into my pants so he can go and brag about it to his idiot friends.
When he gives Maude one last scratch and then stands, I try very hard to not stare when he pulls his messenger bag off. The movement pulls his hoodie up just enough to show me a sliver of his very toned stomach, and I barely manage to pull my eyes away before he looks down at me and offers me his hand. I take it, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine as he easily pulls me to standing. He moves his hand away far too quickly for my liking, but since I can’t come up with a reason for why I should keep grabbing onto him, I let him go and take a step back.
Because there’s only four of us, there’s also no reason for us to sit side by side. I help carry food to the table and then take the seat that’s directly across from Niki. I notice that the leather bag he always keeps close is draped over the back of his chair, and my curiosity spikes when I think about what’s inside. I know it’s his laptop, but what else is in there? And why does he always feel the need to keep it close? I know he’s some sort of hacker genius, but I know shit-all about computers, and I can’t even begin to imagine them making sense to me. My own computer would attest to that if it could talk. I’d named him George just so I’d have something to scream when he pisses me off. He and I do not get along.
