She lifted up and wrapped her fingers over his mouth.
“Would you shut up?” she demanded. “God, I don’t even have a shot at busting your balls. You’re too busy doing it for me.”
She glared in his face.
It was pretty hilarious.
He didn’t laugh.
When she seemed to ascertain it was safe to do it, she took her hand from his mouth and demanded, “How are you not whole?”
“Babe.” It was a quiet admonition.
“Okay, yes, right. I’ll rephrase. You’re whole to me. You lost something, and I’m not negating that. It left you with baggage. I’m not saying that’s not heavy. But Rix, honey, stop making up shit to make it worse. I don’t get it, but I’m in this with you, and I get that you’re carrying it. Don’t add me. I’m not a weight to be carried, and frankly, honey, it doesn’t feel good that you think of me that way.”
“I shouldn’t have done that to you,” he pressed.
“We both agree. But it’s over, right?”
“It’s never over,” he warned.
“I know. But this one is. Right?”
“I just don’t want you to think you should let me shit on you because I got shit to deal with.”
“Okay, lesson learned. What’s next?”
He framed her face in both hands because he needed her to get this.
“Alex, I hurt you, and I am not down with that.”
“Rix, if you had your feet, you’d hurt me. Okay, I’m not Queen Relationship, but I have friends. I’ve heard stories. I know people. When you spend time with someone you care about, no matter how careful you might try to be, it’ll happen eventually. It happened. We both learned from it. I hope you let some things go. Now…what’s next?”
What’s next?
She was so…goddamned…amazing.
He rolled her so he was on top and growled, “I’m gonna fuck you again, that’s what’s next.”
She looked to her hairline, and even if her hands went down his jeans to his ass, she bitched, “He thinks sex fixes everything.”
“It wasn’t me who bunny-hopped the stairs so my woman would chase me,” he pointed out.
Her eyes snapped to his. “I didn’t bunny-hop the stairs.”
“Did you want me to chase you?”
“I wanted us to have make-up sex in my bed.”
“So you wanted me to chase you.”
“Yes,” she snapped. “Yeesh. I wanted you to chase me. Or at least follow me. But I don’t bunny-hop.”
“You are a total fuck bunny.”
She pulled one hand out of his jeans to smack his ass. “Rix! I’m not a fuck bunny!”
“My dick swung free, and you latched on like it was a lead.”
Both her hands went to his shoulders, she shoved back, arched her neck and cried, “Ugh!”
He took the opportunity she offered, dipped his head, nipped her neck, then licked it.
“Hello?”
Both of them froze.
“We’re here! And we brought tequila!”
The first was Gal.
That last was Kate.
Alex righted her head, and Rix lifted his.
“She’s not in the bathroom.” Gal.
“She isn’t on the deck.” Katie.
“What’s this all over the wall and floor?” Gal.
“Oh my God. Do you think she’s okay?” Katie.
“I’m up here!” Alex called.
“Oh! Hey!” Katie called back.
He swung off her and the bed.
“With, uh…Rix,” Alex continued sharing.
Silence from below.
Rix did up all but one button and didn’t bother with the belt.
He had a point to make.
He walked to the railing.
Both of them stared up at him, mouths open.
“Hey,” he greeted.
Neither said a word.
“We’re kinda busy,” he told them.
“Rix!” Alex hissed from behind him.
From the noises she was making, she was getting dressed.
A waste of effort.
Gal recovered first. “We can see.”
“Oh my God. Holy hell. Your chest is…whoa,” Katie said, staggering back a step, her hand fluttering up to her neck.
Alex came up beside him. “Hey, guys.”
“So he finally figured out he’s falling for you,” Gal remarked.
“Uh...” Alex said.
“Yes,” Rix said.
He felt her gaze shoot to him.
Gal grinned.
“Whoa!” Katie shouted happily.
“We’ll just take our tequila and go,” Gal said.
“You can leave the tequila,” Rix replied.
Gal lifted her hand to her forehead and flicked out a salute.
She also put the full paper bag she was holding on the coffee table.
Rix seriously liked that woman.
She approached Kate and grabbed her arm. “Let’s go.”
“I wanna stare at his chest some more,” Katie protested.
“No. Let’s go.”
“Okay, I need to stare at his chest some more.” She put her hands in prayer position in front of her. “Pleeeeeease.”
She said this as Gal dragged her to the door.
Before they used it, Gal sent them another grin.
Katie blew them a kiss.
The door closed.
Rix turned to Alex. “Why the fuck did you get dressed?”
“You’re falling for me?”
“Babe.”
He was sure that said it all.
She didn’t move.
He did.
Dropping a shoulder, he hefted her up.
“Rix!”
She slapped his back.
He bumped her, and she went up then down on her bed.
He bent and went for her jeans, grumbling, “Waste of fuckin’ time.”
She slapped at his hands. “Oh my God. You’re annoying. Let me do it.”
She unzipped.
He yanked them down her legs.
Then he landed on her.
“Teamwork,” he said.
“I’m falling for you too,” she announced.
She didn’t have to say it.
He’d seen it earlier, coming down at him.
Felt it, washing over him.
He’d known how big it was.
So big and strong, it carried it all away.
It might be gone.
It might come back.
But for then, for the first time in too long of a time, he’d lost the heavy.
And he could think about what was next.
“I know,” he said.
She rolled her eyes.
Rix smiled at her.
And then he kissed her.
Late that night, he left Alex asleep in bed.
He put on his legs, jeans, Henley, and walked down the stairs.
As quietly as he could, he cleaned up the glass and the whisky.
One good thing about artificial feet, you cut them on glass, they didn’t hurt or bleed.
Once he’d wiped shit down and it was all good, he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and went out on the deck.
Another good thing?
Your feet didn’t get cold.
The phone rang, and it was a shit thing to do, calling this late, but he knew the last couple of days, Judge worried.