“If you aren’t afraid of what I’ll do, why do you want to stay here?” I asked, waving my hand at—
A furnished and decorated living room. I frowned and bustled forward. “Nana,” I called.
“Ali, dear. You’re home.” Dusting her hands together, she snaked around the hallway corner. “Oh, no. You’re injured. What happened?”
“The usual,” I said, then motioned to the new furnishings. “How much did all of this cost?”
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “Don’t you worry about that. I gave myself a budget and stuck to it.”
“Nana,” I said.
My expression must have betrayed my thoughts, because she said, “I know you want to save to buy a house of our own, but I don’t want us living like paupers while we do it.”
Okay. All right. If she wanted this stuff, then I wanted her to have it.
I hugged her tight and kissed her on the temple. “Everything looks amazing, Nana. Seriously.”
“I’m so glad you think so. Wait till you see your bedroom,” she said with a smile.
Gavin cleared his throat, and Nana peeked around me.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Gavin. I didn’t realize you were here. It’s lovely to see you again.” Her gaze moved over him, widened. “I’m guessing you ran into the same bit of usual trouble my Ali did.”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure did.”
She gulped. “There were others with you? And everyone...survived?”
“More than. We thrived.” He shook off his coat and draped the fabric over his arm. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I’d love a chance to cook you dinner to thank you for allowing me to sleep on your couch.”
Wait. The he-slut of the great South knew how to cook?
Nana’s gaze met mine for a split second, her mouth forming a small O. “You’re staying the night?”
“If it’s all right with you. I’ll behave, you have my word.”
“Are you two...”
“No,” I rushed out, at the same time Gavin said, “We’re debating it.”
I glared at him. “We’re better off as friends.”
“In that case, it’ll be nice having a man around,” Nana said, once again dusting her hands together. “I bought a bookcase I wasn’t looking forward to putting together.”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “I’m always ready for a chance to be a hero.”
She giggled like a schoolgirl—a dirty, dirty schoolgirl—and I did a double take. “You already are. The bookcase can wait until after dinner, though. I’ve got a few more things to arrange in my room.”
The moment we were alone, I anchored my hands on my hips. “Will you please stop forgetting you’re into brunettes?”
“I realized I can’t see hair color in the dark.”
Oh, wow. “However will I continue to resist such wondrous flattery?”
Smiling, he swept around me and entered the kitchen. “What can’t be manufactured is attitude, and I happen to like yours.”
I came in behind him and opened the fridge to grab something to drink. It was now fully stocked with all my favorites. Orange juice, milk, protein shakes, fruits, vegetables and even the chocolate cupcakes I liked to eat cold. I groaned.
“What?” Gavin said.
“She spent too much money on me.”
“Most girls wouldn’t complain about that.”
I selected one of the shakes. “Most girls don’t have my Nana. I want to pamper her, not the other way around.”
Gavin reached in behind me to snag a juice. Our arms brushed, and I scowled up at him.
“Stop trying to seduce me,” I said.
“Why? Is it working?”
“If you like to be stabbed, yes.”
“I’ve let girls do a lot worse to me.”
I shook my head, exasperated.
“Look, I don’t want to go home. I’ve been dividing my time between Cole’s house, a crappy motel and the homes of the women I’m fu...screwing.”
“You can say it. My ears won’t melt off.”
He snorted. “Cole says we’re not to cuss around you. Potty mouth is contagious, I guess. Anyway. A guy can only take so much. I’m desperate for a break.”
Well, I couldn’t exactly kick him out now. I wasn’t that cruel.
I nodded my agreement before moving around him.
He grinned at me, his eyes alight with mischief. “You act all proper now, but in the visions, you’ve definitely got a lady boner for me.”
I choked on a laugh. “Lady boner?”
He shrugged. “I kinda like knowing there are two sides to you and I’m the one responsible.”
Two sides to me. He had no idea one of those sides was the enemy. “Gavin.”
“Nah. You don’t need to put me in my place again. Whether you admit it or not, you’re softening toward me.”
Absolutely, but not in the way he wanted.
A knock sounded at the door, and I stiffened.
“I bet that’s Cole,” he said with a sigh. “I expected him sooner.”
No way. Cole wouldn’t come after me. Not after the public rejection I’d just dished. And yet I was trembling as I opened the door. Annnd...sure enough, tall, strong and impossibly beautiful Cole waited on the other side.
Sweet mercy.
“Kat and Reeve are both fine,” he said, one arm propped against the wooden frame. “They’re with Frosty and Bronx.”
“Did the guys hurt Ethan?”
“No. He was pretty freaked out by what he’d seen. They questioned him, nothing more.”
I covered my throat with my hand, a protective action. “What did he see?”
“Apparently you looked as if you wanted to eat Kat and Reeve at one point, and not in the good way.”
I wasn’t going to touch that statement. “Well.” I cleared my throat. “Thank you for the update, but it’s getting late and you’re probably wanted at home.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, babe, but I’m not leaving.”
What, was this disagree with Ali day? “It’s for your own good, Cole.”
“Right now I’d rather be bad and deal with the consequences later.”
Please be bad. Very, very bad. Downright naughty.
I shivered, and the shiver made me mad. So did my treacherous mind. “You might not survive these particular consequences.” I smiled with saccharine sweetness—and tried to shut the door in his face.
He shouldered his way inside. “I’m willing to risk it.”
Argh!
“Hey, Cole,” Gavin called from the kitchen. “You staying for dinner?”
Cole would have seen his car in the driveway and known Gavin was here, but still his back went iron-bar straight at the sound of the other guy’s voice. “Are you the chef?”
“I am.”
Cole marched forward and settled into a bar stool as if he owned it. “Good. I’m starved.”
This could not be happening.
“We’ve got the stuff for enchiladas or roast beef sandwiches,” Gavin said, glancing at me.
“Enchiladas,” Cole replied.
“Sandwiches it is, then,” Gavin said.
Cole offered him a chilling smile.
Oh, glory. If they decided to play Animal Planet, I’d...let them, I decided. Both would end up unconscious and I would no longer be trapped in this tug-of-war. Sure, I’d have to clean a pool of blood, but just then that actually seemed like the better choice. We had plenty of baking soda and vinegar.
While Gavin puttered around the kitchen, Cole swiveled in the chair to face me. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I said, taking the seat next to him. I could be polite. “How about you?
“Better.” He reached out, pinched a lock of my hair. “I’m not afraid of you, you know.”
“You should be.” I was. I tugged my hair from his grip. Softly, I added, “But we both know that’s not our only problem.”