I already know where this is going. This is my cousin’s way of giving us around twoattempt to hook up. I don’t need another project. I don’t have time for dating, but maybe Natasha’s right. Maybe a quick, no-strings-attached hookup with Alessia is exactly what both of us need to get each other out of our system and get something we both want. And game night at Rhiannon’s sounds like the perfect way to get Aly’s walls to lower just enough for us to fuck.
She can dip her toes back into the dating pool, realize not all men are selfish assholes out to hurt her, and I can finally breathe again. Maybe I’ll even get rid of this damn knot that’s in my neck after coming in something other than a stream of shower water and my palm.
Standing, I brush the dust off my jeans and set the flashlight gently down on top of her counter. “Yeah. Seven o’clock,” I say to Natasha before turning my attention to Alessia with a smile. “You’ll be there tonight too?”
“Um…”
I chuckle at the hesitation etched across her pretty face because if I thought she’d be down for a quick fuck three seconds ago, boy was I wrong. This woman’s like Fort Knox. No man is getting past her carefully constructed defenses. A firewall waiting for the latest attack when all I’m trying to do is be nice.
Regardless, I’m a gentleman, and I do think what she needs more than another man in her life is a friend. And my sisters are great people for that. So is my cousin. Maybe we’ll be nothing more than neighbors after tonight, but at least she’ll get some friendship out of it and a few more people to show her around Brookhaven.
“I promise, you’ll have a good time. My sister makes killer, spicy margaritas, and she’s got a knack for pulling out the most inappropriate party games. You said you were trying to start fresh here, meet new people. What better way to do that than hanging out with your neighbors? Natasha can attest; my family is a good time.”
She’s clearly considering it now; her expression is a tug-of-war between reluctance at giving in and curiosity. I can practically see the gears turning in her head as Natasha bounces on the balls of her feet, grinning like she can’t wait for Aly’s response.
I decide to deliver the kicker. “Look, Alessia, I’m going to be in and out of this house for the next few months anyway. Let’snot make things weird. You kissed me once—it washot—but it meant nothing to either of us. You thought I was someone else, you were doing a job, and we moved past it. Hell, we survived an entire date without biting each other’s heads off, and we haven’t kissed again. I think that officially lands us in the ‘friendly acquaintances’ zone.” I shrug casually, locking eyes with her. “Don’t miss out on making new friends in this town just because you think it’ll be awkward to be around me. I’m all good over here.” I sweep my hands up and down my body. “Not an uncomfortable bone in my body.”
Natasha freezes mid-bounce, her brows shooting up. “Wait—you two kissed?”
I glance at Alessia, and it’s obvious she left that little detail out of her roommate’s briefing of how we first met in the back of my bar in New York. Her lips part like she’s about to explain, but I just laugh and give Natasha’s shoulder a playful squeeze.
“See you at Rhiannon’s, cuz,” I say, heading for the door. I’ll let her explain her way out of that one.
As I turn, I catch Alessia’s gaze focused on my back. It’s not critical or closed off anymore, she’s looking at me like she’s appreciating the view. And yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s checking out my ass. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve checked out hers a few times, too. It’s a nice one.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I say with a grin and a wink before stepping outside, leaving her with one hell of a decision to make.
Chapter 11: Alessia
“So, you’re absolutely certain this won’t be weird?” I ask Natasha for the fifth time tonight.?
She rolls her eyes, her breath visible in the crisp evening air as we crunch down the snowy sidewalk path between our house and Rhiannon's. Three doors down, exactly like Gabriel said.
“For the thousandth time, it won’t be weird. My family’s basically a revolving door of misfits and new friends. We collect people. Game night and drinks is like our natural habitat.”
“Okay, but Roman won’t be there, right?”
She lets out a sharp laugh. “No, he won’t. He doesn’t usually come to these things. He does his best to avoid Brookhaven. Thinks he’s above it ever since he made his first billion.” She waves her arm casually. “He’s in Miami right now for work. You’re safe from his wrath.”
I nod and pull my coat tighter. That part I'm not worried about anymore. Roman finding out that I kissed his cousin while thinking he was Roman is a separate catastrophe I'm choosing not to think about tonight. What Iamworried about is walking into a room and seeing Gabriel again for the first time sinceI sat across from him at a dinner table not knowing who he was, and he sat across from me not knowing who I was, and somehow that was still the best date I've been on in five years. Maybe ever.
Not that it was a real date.
“You’re in your head,” Natasha says while adjusting her mittens.
“Okay, but you’re not secretly pissed at me for, you know, blowing up his last relationship with my little private investigating stunt screw up?”
She halts, fixing me with that signature glare that says,you’re being dramatic and need to let this shit go.Maybe I am, but I wouldn’t blame her if she was mad. Investigating my new roommate and boss’s brother wasn’t exactly on my bingo card for this year. I would have never taken the Roman case had I known who he was.
“For the record, Roman never dates anyone long enough for me to learn their names, let alone get attached. He’s got that wholebillionaire, bad boyvibe going for him. Honestly, I think it’s hilarious that you made out with Gabe instead. But yeah, I do wish you’d told me about your undercover, secret part time job—strictly for safety reasons. No scorned lovers are going to show up at our front door, are they?”
I exhale, the tension loosening a notch. She’s genuine. There’s no hidden resentment lurking beneath her words. “No, don’t worry about that. Almost all the cases I take are surveillance only. Roman’s ex-girlfriend paid extra for his case.”And I stupidly took some liberties.
She smiles and nods as we continue walking. “Also,” I catch up to her and tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear nervously. “I’ve cut back drastically on the PI work I’ve done since getting back to teaching. I don’t want to accidentally catch a student’s parents. I promise I’ll tell you the next time I do another assignmentfirst.”
Her lips twitch, failing to suppress a grin. “So, you really made out with Gabriel thinking he was Roman?”
“Shut up.”
