“Hey, doll, come in,” he said with what he hoped was a welcoming smile.
“You missed the morning coffee-and-donut session, but I saved you a cup and the last donut.”
She set the steaming cup in front of him, and he sniffed appreciatively at the aroma.
“Thanks,” he said sincerely.
“You’re welcome,” she said and smiled sweetly at him.
“Everyone ready to lynch me yet?”
She laughed. “Oh, come on. They’re guys. Their sole comments amount to something about a stick up your ass and they’re taking bets on how long it’ll take you to correct the problem.”
He snorted. “Amazing how fast shit gets around.”
She hesitated for a moment, biting her bottom lip as if deciding whether she wanted to say something.
He sighed. “Just say it, doll. I’m not going to bite your head off.”
She smiled faintly. “We’re family. You know that, right?”
A peculiar curl unsettled his stomach.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’re all here for you. I can’t speak for the guys, but I love you a lot you know.”
They both chuckled at that.
Micah reached out and touched her hand. “I love you too, doll. You’re one of my favorite people.”
“So you know you can always talk to me about anything. After all, we’ve been far more intimate than most friends.”
He laughed outright at the devilish gleam in her eyes. Though there certainly hadn’t been any residual awkwardness after their threesome with Gray, neither had they ever talked about it.
“I know, I know,” he said. Then he hesitated. “I hope me not ever saying anything about my past ... about Hannah ... didn’t hurt your feelings. It’s not like I didn’t trust you or anything. I just never talked about it to anyone.”
“I understand.” She cocked her head to the side and stared at him with those wide green eyes. “I like her, you know.”
“Like who?” he asked.
“Angelina.”
That sinking sensation in his gut intensified. “I take it you’ve met,” he said stiffly.
She studied him with a hint of confusion. “Sure. Connor gave her some of my old furniture. Serena, Julie and I went over the other night to bring her dinner and see if she needed anything else.”
It had happened despite his best efforts. His past and present were colliding, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
He hadn’t wanted Angelina to meet his friends. He hadn’t wanted them to know about Hannah or David or any part of his life in Miami. He wanted to resent Angelina, but he couldn’t look past his own guilt to be angry with her.
“She’s a good girl,” he said in response to Faith’s statement.
Faith snorted, surprising him. “I get the distinct impression she’s not a good girl at all. In fact, I’d be willing to bet she’s very, very bad.”
“Enough,” Micah bit out. “I don’t want to discuss Angelina.”
Faith held her hands up. “Sorry.”
She moved back toward the door, but when she got there, she paused and turned around to look at him.
“Tell me something, Micah. Do you think because you lost someone you loved that you don’t ever deserve another chance at happiness?”
When he didn’t answer, she turned and walked away.
Angelina’s week had been busy at the café, and when she got off, she’d spent her time decorating the apartment with inexpensive items she picked up at the thrift shop.
Thanks to Hannah, Angelina had developed a few crafting notions and was handy with fabric. Unfortunately, Hannah had given up trying to teach Angelina any culinary skills. Which was a shame because Hannah was fantastic in the kitchen.
At night in her apartment, Angelina listened to the smooth sounds of her favorite Cuban band and dreamed of lying in Micah’s arms and making love to the beat of the music.
She had to admit that Julie was right about one thing. Sitting around mooning over Micah would make her crazy. She was glad Julie had talked her into going out with her and Nathan tonight.
Excitement thrummed in her blood at the prospect of dressing up, looking good and spending the night on the dance floor. She brushed her hair until it shone and spilled over her shoulders in soft waves. All the makeup she bothered with was eyeliner and a pale lip gloss.
As for clothing, she opted for hip-hugging, low-slung jeans and a tank top that bared a narrow strip of her belly. Satisfied that she looked her best, she went in search of the sandals she wanted to wear. When the doorbell rang, she hurried to answer and found Nathan and Julie waiting for her.
“Hey, girl,” Nathan said with a grin. “Julie tells me you’re going along to witness my torment.”
Angelina laughed. “It won’t be that bad, surely.”
“You’ve never seen me dance.”
She followed them out to Nathan’s truck and laughed when Nathan had to hoist both her and Julie into the cab.
“We’re swimming in testosterone,” Julie said with a groan.
“Stop giving me shit about my truck,” Nathan said goodnaturedly.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at a brightly lit club, and as soon as they opened the truck doors, the music belted over their ears.
“Hell, we haven’t even gotten inside yet,” Nathan muttered.
Julie grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the entrance. “Stop being such a baby and come on.”
Angelina let the rhythm invade her body before they ever got through the doors. Her skin rippled and rolled with her movements.
“It’s all that Latin blood,” she hollered over the music when Julie grinned at her.
“Knock yourself out,” Julie called. “Nathan and I will be around.”
Her hips rolling and her arms up, Angelina moved into the crowd. Plenty of men danced around her, and with her, but she was careful to keep moving and not give anyone her attention for too long.
After six consecutive songs, she was breathing hard, but she hadn’t felt so energized or alive in a long time. A tap on her shoulder had her turning, and she saw Julie’s laughing face and Nathan’s resigned one.
“Come on, Angelina, let’s give Nathan a show,” Julie yelled.
“Oh hell,” Nathan said as he backed up.
Julie pulled him to her, doing a sexy shimmy down the front of his body. Angelina moved in from behind until they had him sandwiched between them.
“They’re all going to be jealous bastards,” Nathan said over the boom of the music.
“That’s the idea,” Julie yelled back with a cheeky grin.
While Angelina and Julie shook and gyrated in time with the music, Nathan sort of rotated at intervals and tried to make it look like he was dancing. Angelina grinned. He was definitely enjoying the view of Julie’s cleavage. His eyes hadn’t left her all night.
They made a striking picture, the two women moving up and down Nathan’s body in sexy, sensuous movements. More than a few people stopped and stared. After a while Nathan relaxed and got into the spirit of things. He took turns wrapping an arm around each woman’s waist, undulating his body in time with theirs.
When the music segued into the next song, Julie leaned in. “Let’s take a break.”
Angelina followed them over to one of the tall tables to the side.
“Do you ladies want a drink?” Nathan asked.
“Definitely,” Julie said.
Nathan held up a hand to motion to the waitress making her rounds.
“Order up,” he told them when the waitress came around. “My tab.”
Angelina ordered a club soda, and she couldn’t hear what Julie yelled to the waitress. Nathan ordered a beer, and they stood back to wait.
Within a few minutes, the waitress was back with their drinks, and Angelina sipped at her water while dancing in place as the music swelled around them.