Facing Off with Alexi (Witch Field Prowlers Book 2) (3 page)

“Still getting used to the cut?” Alexi wiped his mouth with a napkin and settled back against his chair, his mug of coffee cradled between his hands.

“Yeah, it’s weird when I sleep; it feels so irritating.” She eyed his longer hair. “Are you going to shave off all your hair for the summer?” Her stomach tugged at the thought of all that gorgeous hair shorn so short.

“Maybe just a trim.” He ran a hand though his tresses once more, making her wish she could just reach over and touch him.

She missed his hockey-season beard; all that remained was a bit of brown stubble that shadowed his sharp jawline. Once she’d realized just how in love she was with her best friend, she’d found herself wondering what it would be like to fuck him with his play-off beard. Unfortunately that realization came around the same time as her new job did.

“Ti, you want to order lunch and dinner to go since you’re finished?” Alexi nodded toward her plate.

She glanced down to find she’d eaten every bit of her brunch without thinking about it. Damn it, no more stalling. “Yeah, sure.” She glanced over the menu to cover how flustered she felt.

“I want to drive to the cabin. I know the way better, and I won’t end up flipping off an old lady for driving the speed of the blob.” Alexi’s lips quirked in a smile.

She blushed but refused to feel bad. “She was driving so slow, and we were in the fast lane. What was I supposed to do, tailgate her so she’d drive faster?”

“But did you have to flip her off?” His grin grew wider, showing off straight white teeth. All his, none lost even after a few really bad fights, much to her amazement.

“She did it first, or are you gonna deny she made a rude gesture to me just ’cause she looked like Grammy Ruth?” She waited for him to contradict her, enjoying their normal, everyday banter.

“She looked nothing like Grammy Ruth, not with that witch’s wart! Would you hurry up and order? I want to get the grill ready for the week and prep the meat.” He moved around in his chair and played up his impatience with facial gestures that made him look ridiculous.

She laughed so hard she started to hiccup. Alexi called their waitress over for a glass of water and placed their usual weekly order, which included burgers, fries, and several slices of pie, cake, and breakfast pastries as well as some salads. “Gotta at least have something green and healthy.”

“Uh-huh.” She hiccupped and accepted the water. Her stomach muscles and throat ached, and every once in a while she’d dissolve into giggles until she finally took a breath, held it, and downed the water. After a minute or two she swore. “Shit, gotta go to the bathroom. Do not eat my peanut butter cup cream pie!”

Alexi rolled his eyes. “Like I would touch your precious pie. Jesus, you’re as bad as that guy on that paranormal show about hunters. Obsessed with pie. How the hell do you look so damn sexy and eat that much pie?” He snapped his mouth shut, a ruddy flush filled his cheeks.

She grinned but decided not to press him on the sexy comment. Not yet anyway. “Be back in a bit.”

She got out of her chair, making sure to put a little extra something in her step just in case he watched her go. When she got to the bathroom door, she peeked behind her to find his gaze glued on her ass. She headed into the room, did her business, washed her hands, and took in her features. Both he, Hodgeson, and Gus had found her attractive despite her only wearing a bit of tinted lip balm and some mascara. She didn’t need a man to tell her she was sexy or beautiful. Tianna felt comfortable in her own skin, despite not being the image of what should be acceptable. At a size 18, she loved her curves from her generous DD breasts to her wide hips. She exercised, kept healthy, but didn’t punish herself for her love of sweets. Clearly, Alexi and other men wouldn’t turn their heads to watch her walk by because they thought she was missing something.

She tucked her short hair behind her ear and shivered as she remembered Alexi’s touch on the sensitive area. The door opened, admitting one of Mama Leslie’s waitresses. “Hey.” She nodded.

“You two make a totally cute couple. All the waitstaff think so.” The young woman grinned and gave her a wink.

Rather than deny it, Tianna just accepted it. “Thanks. Um”—she moved closer to the woman who was primping in the mirror—“is there any of that peanut butter cup pie left, like a whole pan of it?” She hoped there would be a yes.

The young lady’s name tag, which read
Jill
, shook her head. “Sorry, one of our most popular flavors, but we do have some pans of strawberries and cream and grasshopper pie with dark chocolate and white chocolate shavings. Please, take them. If you don’t, we’ll end up eating it, and I’m kind of sick of pie.” She made a sour face.

All Tianna could do was stare at her. Sick of pie? The sacrilege! Rather than go on a mad spiel about all the wonders of pie, she agreed to take them. “Add them to my bill, please, and make them to go.”

“You guys gonna be around for the parade and fireworks? I’m a senior at WFH. We’re doing a dance routine during the parade. We’re also selling cookies to raise money for the local daycare center.”

Aha! So there was more to this meeting. Tianna decided to play along. “What kind of cookies?” If she got any, she’d have to hide them from Alexi. God knows he’d devour them if they were the right flavor.

“They’re leftover scout cookies. We have all the flavors.” A shrewd light came into Jill’s eyes.

“How much for all of them?” Sold! Ti knew she should have the word suckeR stamped on her head.
Leftover, my ass.

Jill laughed. “We have some earmarked for a few people, but if you can wait ten minutes, I can get you three boxes of the shortbreads, the peanut butter chocolates, the peanut butters, the lemon, and the caramel coconut all for sixty bucks.”

Tianna thought it over. “Deal!”

Jill grinned, the shrewd light in her eyes not leaving. Tianna had a sinking feeling she wasn’t the first person to fall for this type of deal, but who in their right mind would say no to leftover scout cookies? Plus, it was all for a good cause. Her sweet tooth. Now to figure out how to get them and hide them from Alexi. As she left the bathroom, she spotted Alexi kneeling down to the level of a little girl wearing a Prowlers jersey. Emotions filled her heart at the sweet sight of him laughing, smiling, and ruffling the girl’s hair. Okay, maybe he could have some cookies. He hugged his littlest fan, and she sighed. Fine, he could have more than the cookies. Her vaginal walls rippled in agreement. Damn sexy hockey players, plucking on her heartstrings.

Chapter Three

Alexi called himself all shades of stupid as he climbed into the truck, settled in, and buckled up, being in the driver’s seat forgotten in the face of his mistake. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her putting things in the backseat, several bags that he knew they couldn’t possibly have ordered, before she got into the driver’s seat, locked her seat belt in, and turned the key in the ignition.

“Ready?” Her tone was bright and cheery.

“Yep.” That single word was all he could utter, not daring to say any more for fear of spilling his guts right then and there.

She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the curving mountain road. He watched the scenery go by.

“You think I’m sexy, huh?” The teasing note in her voice didn’t sit well with him.

“I wasn’t kidding,” he bit out. “And I won’t take it back. No more hiding how I feel, Ti. I’m tired of all that shit.” There, out in the open.

“Didn’t think you were. So you want to get serious?” Caution filled her voice.

“Yeah, very serious.” He hoped by her pressing the issue that she was willing to take the next step into an actual relationship.

“What do you want, exactly?”

Alexi thought over his words, not wanting to scare her off if he asked for too much too soon. “My contract with the Prowlers ends in two years. After seeing so many of my teammates settling down, I realized that that one New Year’s encounter isn’t enough for me.”

“Go on,” she urged.

He shifted in his seat, not wanting to glance over at her and see something that would steal his courage. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to get serious with you. I love you, Ti, more than just my best friend.”

She downshifted and snorted. “I wish I’d known that before. Might’ve saved me a lot of bad choices.”

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about?” He prayed that she wouldn’t say what he thought she was talking about.

“Well, there was Joe and Dave and then that asshat Mick, your ex-teammate from Ottawa.”

Shit
. “Are you saying if I’d made it known to you that I wanted more before this, you wouldn’t have dated those morons?” He didn’t know how to feel. Annoyance, anger, and amusement warred within him.

“Joe and Dave were nice but boring as hell. Mick started out nice, but then he told me he was only doing it to get on your nerves, which I didn’t believe, but now I have to wonder given how pissed off you always seemed to be when you saw he and I together.” She flipped on the turn signal and guided the car onto the paved hidden driveway that would take them to his hideaway from the city.

“Well, I knew the guy better than you, so of course I’d be pissed at you dating him. You deserved better, and I told you so.”
I just didn’t suggest it should be me
. “I hadn’t started to really see you outside of being my best friend and one-time lover until then,” he admitted. “But you’re saying you wouldn’t have dated any of those guys if I’d been honest with my feelings. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“What I’m saying is I would’ve had to look at you differently if you had said something, and I may have been forced to admit that yeah, I may want more, but now, I don’t know anything beyond my new job.”

He turned his attention to her and tried to think of a comeback. “When did you figure out you thought of me as more than what we had?” Alexi hoped that it wasn’t a recent thing. That she had thought long and hard about it all and what it would mean if they decided to take a step farther.

“I’m not sure. I just knew that somewhere along the way I was starting to have romantic feelings for you.”

He heard the hesitation in her voice. “What aren’t you telling me?” He could guess but wanted to hear it from her.

“Well, it all started off with this really crazy, erotic dream and snowballed from there. Remember that New Year’s kiss that led to sex?”

Fuck. “Yeah.” He swallowed. Alexi had hoped she wouldn’t remember his clumsy attempt to kiss her on the mouth. “I was aiming for your cheek,” he lied.

“Do you think I was born yesterday? The way you were looking at my lips…” She pulled up in front of the cabin and put the SUV in park. “Between the pasta and the snuggling we were doing, you were in the ‘mood.’” She gifted him with a smile. “And so was I. I didn’t want to move. It felt wonderful being all cozied up with you. We didn’t even have champagne.”

“You came to stay with me before my game. I was miserable.” Memories surfaced, causing him to feel warm and happy all over again.

“All your teammates had plans but you. So you called and I got on a red-eye just so you wouldn’t be alone.” She unbuckled her belt. “I didn’t even hesitate or think about it. Didn’t think about what could happen. I didn’t care that I’d have to fly back that morning. I just didn’t want you to be lonely, not when I could do something about it.”

The catch in her voice made him pause and stare at her. His heart tugged at the need he heard, the desire for him to never feel bad or lonely. “I love you, Ti.” He uttered the words without reservation or hesitation.

“I know.” She gave him a shy smile on her rosebud mouth.

“This is real life, not that movie, you dork. You’re supposed to say it back.” Only half joking, he hoped she’d say the words back. Time stood on a knife’s edge as he waited for his sentiment to be returned.

“We’ve known each other most of our lives, been there for each other through the darkest darks and the brightest moments. Do you honestly think I couldn’t love you after everything we’ve been through?” She leaned over the console. Her kiss felt like feathers brushing against his mouth. Her lips were warm, so soft and pliant. Never in his life had it felt so right to kiss someone. So true. He reached out, grabbed her arms, and held her still to keep it going.

His lungs burned, demanding oxygen. His heart pounded against his rib cage in a demand for air. Pressure increased in his ears as his body heated. Arousal and adoration filled him up like a balloon ready to burst.

She gave him a gentle push and gasped. “I like breathing, Kurraine,” she said with a shaky laugh. “And besides we can kiss again.”

“Yeah but not like that. Not as two people who’ve finally been honest with each other.”

“I haven’t said the words. Yet.” She poked him in the chest.

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off by covering his lips with her hand.

“I love you, Alexi Kurraine. Have for the last few years. There. It’s free and wild in the world. Now, let’s get this all inside before the ice cream melts, ’cause if it does, there will be hell to pay.” She pulled back and opened the door.

He chuckled. Happiness buoyed his spirits. The elephant between them wasn’t there anymore, although he couldn’t shake the irritating thought,
What do we do now? You live in Cutter City, and I’m here
. He didn’t say his worry aloud, not yet. Nothing should dampen this moment for them. Later they’d talk it over.

He got out of the car and helped her unload the bags. “Honey, what the hell did you get from Mama L’s?” He peeked in the bag and paused. “Holy shit. They gave us scout cookies!”

“No! No! Mine. Hand over the bag.” She stormed around the truck and tried to take the sack from him. He held it up high over her head.

“Nope. You were gonna hide these from me, weren’t you?” He grinned and carried his prize high only to stop at the door. “Shit. Do you have your key?” He glanced over his shoulder to find her holding her key ring, making a show of flipping through the choices.

“Give me one box of the caramel coconut ones and the shortbread, and I’ll open the door. Otherwise we’ll have to eat everything out here.”