Sweet Temptation

CHAPTER 12

Angelina left the café at five minutes to two and slid into her car. It was actually a decent temperature for this early in the fall, and she started to roll down her window after she inserted her key.

She stopped and stared around the interior, a frown pulling at her brows. Something was weird. She glanced down at the console and the miscellaneous items she had housed there. A few pens, a pack of gum, a tube of lipstick, dental floss, two envelopes ... Her pictures were gone.

She rummaged through the stuff looking for the two snapshots of her and David that she always kept in her car. Where the hell could they be?

A prickle of unease snaked up her spine. Had someone been in her car?

She closed her eyes, shook her head and then leaned back against the head rest. A rueful laugh escaped. She was being ridiculous. No one had been in her car. It had been locked and there was no sign that anyone had broken in. Plus she was no longer in Miami, and she’d been careful. There was no reason to believe she could possibly have been followed to Houston, and moreover, why would someone make the effort?

The pictures must be with her other stuff. Maybe in her suitcase or one of her purses. Her wallet maybe. She’d find it all when she unpacked eventually.

She cranked the engine and rolled her shoulder in an effort to shake off the sense of foreboding. Scaring herself to death wasn’t high on her list of priorities for the day. Finding a place to live, however, was.

On the way to Micah’s apartment, she took mental stock of her finances. She still had cash socked away in her bank account, but she’d be an idiot to access it right now. Maybe later, when she had a few paychecks under her belt, she could take a weekend trip, drive a few states north and withdraw a large amount from the ATM or just arrange for a wire transfer. She’d research her options when the time came.

For now, she had what cash she’d dared bring with her and today’s wages. As great as it would be to have a nice, safe apartment close to Micah, she doubted it was in the cards. The money just wasn’t there, and she doubted people like Connor understood just what it was to have a hand-to-mouth existence.

Her plan to convince Micah that he needed her seemed pretty silly and more than a little naïve. It wasn’t something that could happen overnight, and it damn sure couldn’t be forced by living in close proximity.

If it was going to happen, she’d have to give him time.

A few minutes later, she pulled into her parking spot and looked over to see Connor standing against his truck waiting for her. She honestly hadn’t been sure he was serious.

He certainly seemed serious now, with the way he was striding toward her car. Any playfulness from lunch had disappeared and been replaced by a stern somberness.

She almost groaned. Yet another male determined to play big brother. Yeah, she appreciated it, but did no one ever look at her and see a hot-blooded attractive woman?

When Micah could actually forget she was David’s sister, he certainly didn’t have a problem with lusting after her. Too bad he had to come to his senses on a regular basis.

“Hey,” she said in greeting when Connor walked up.

“Hey, Angelina, you ready to look at the apartment? I figured Fairh’s old one would be best because it’s situated in the middle of mine, Nathan’s and Micah’s. We sorta put her there on purpose, but that was before Gray came along.”

Angelina cocked her head. “Do all of you have bizarrely overdeveloped protective tendencies when it comes to women?”

He blinked as if that were the dumbest question he’d ever heard.

“Well no, not all women. Just the ones who belong to us.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t belong to Micah, Connor. He doesn’t claim me at all. I’m just David’s sister, and believe me, he hasn’t spared me a thought over the last few years.”

Connor shrugged. “Just because he’s a dumbass doesn’t mean the rest of us are. You’re here now, and by virtue of your relationship with Micah, whatever that may or may not be, you belong to us and we look out for our own.”

She couldn’t contain the smile as she stared up at him. It was nice to have ... people. People she could count on. She hadn’t had that in so long, and God she’d missed having that connection. Friends. People she in turn could care about.

“Aw now don’t go and cry on me.” A look of sheer male panic crossed his face.

She blinked away the threatening moisture and impulsively reached out to squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”

He smiled and chucked her gently on the cheek. “You looked like you could use a friend. I guess I’m volunteering.”

For the first time in a long while, she felt lighter and a little more optimistic.

“Now come on. Let’s go see that apartment.”

“Serena, swear to God, if you don’t spill, I’m going to hurt you.”

“Ow, ow! For God’s sake, Julie, lighten up on the hands,” Serena yelped. “I’m going to have bruises.”

“Don’t look at me for sympathy,” Faith said from the other massage table.

Serena glared over at Faith, who innocently studied her nails while Julie mauled Serena’s back.

“I can’t believe I cut out on Damon on our day together to come here and be abused,” Serena sniffed.

“What you should have done is cut out on Damon to come here and give us the dirt,” Julie said as she forcefully kneaded Serena’s shoulders.

“What dirt?” Serena asked.

Faith groaned. “Come on. Micah? Bug up his ass? He didn’t show up for work today. Totally not like him. Then he shows up at your house to talk to Damon?”

Serena frowned. “I can’t tell you guys. Seriously.”

Julie’s hands stilled. “What do you mean you can’t tell us? It’s us. Who else would you tell? I mean I tell you guys everything. And I mean everything. Things I totally shouldn’t. Like all those details about my supposedly anonymous threesome that wasn’t so anonymous after all?”

“Not to mention all the details on my sex life,” Faith muttered. “I could have remained little miss innocent in your eyes if it weren’t for that.”

Serena and Julie both snorted with laughter.

“Seriously, Serena, what’s wrong with Micah?” Faith asked. “I’m really worried about him.”

Serena saw the very real concern in Fairh’s eyes. Faith and Micah were certainly close, which made it all the more strange that Micah had never shared any of the details of his past with anyone here.

She sighed and rolled over, reaching for the robe to cover herself. She sat up and let her legs hang over the side of the table while Julie and Faith eyeballed her in expectation.

“I really can’t. I mean he was speaking in confidence to Damon.”

The peal of a cell phone split the air. Faith hopped down from her table and snagged her purse. After a few minutes of fumbling, she dragged the phone out and hastily slapped it to her ear.

“Hello? Oh hi, Connor, what’s up? Um well yeah I have some stuff we didn’t move to the house. Why do you ask? Sure, you can have it, but didn’t you just buy your ‘guy’ furniture for your apartment? Surely you can’t be interested in my girly stuff.”

Serena and Julie snickered.

A bemused expression spread across Faith’s face. Then confusion followed by speculation. Julie looked at Serena and whispered, “This has to be good whatever it is. She looks like she swallowed a fly over there.”

“It’s in the storage building, the one a block over from the complex. Gray has the key, and he should be home. Well how would I know if he’d help you move? Call him. You’re interrupting something important here, brother dear. Uh huh, okay whatever. I’ll talk to you later and don’t think I won’t want every little detail.”

She closed the phone and eyed Serena and Julie with a peculiar glint in her eye. “Well that was interesting.”

“Do tell. We’re dying of curiosity over here,” Julie drawled.

“He wanted to know if he could have some of my old furniture that’s in storage. Apparently he’s moving someone into my old apartment. He broke off and was talking to her for a minute, and he called her sweetie.”

Julie’s mouth dropped. “Sweetie? Mr. Gruff called a chick sweetie? I mean he’s usually so straitlaced.”

“Oh, he is not,” Faith huffed. “He can be serious, yes, but he jokes around with the guys with the best of them, and you try being his sister.”

“Maybe he’s seeing someone?” Serena offered. “I mean he’s a good-looking guy. Drool-worthy. It shouldn’t be a shock to hear him with a woman.”

Faith shrugged. “No, but you have to understand. Connor keeps his distance. He’s a strictly casual guy, and suddenly he’s moving her into my apartment and getting her furniture and stuff.”

“Wonder who she is,” Julie murmured.

“I think he called her Angelina. Well, when he wasn’t calling her sweetie,” Faith said with a laugh.

Serena’s mouth went slack. She was pretty sure she looked like a guppy gasping for air.

“What?” Julie demanded before Serena could regain her composure.

“Shit,” Serena whispered. “I don’t believe in coincidences that huge. Micah’s woman’s name is Angelina.”

“Whoa, back up. Micah has what?” Faith asked.

Serena sighed. “Hell. I’m not supposed to be sharing any of this crap with you guys. It’s deeply personal to Micah.”

Julie sniffed. “Does anyone else find it ironic that the only one here who hasn’t slept with Micah is the one with the personal information?”

Faith rolled her eyes but laughed. “We’re not letting you out of here until you tell us everything, Serena. It’s not like we’re going to run out and tell the world.”

With a resigned shrug, Serena related the morning’s conversation between Damon and Micah. By the time she’d finished, Faith’s eyes were round with shock.

“Wow, I had no idea,” Faith whispered. “Married. I can’t even get my head around it.”

“Okay, so what’s this chick doing with Connor if she’s with Micah?” Julie asked with a scowl.

“From what I gathered there isn’t a relationship between Micah and Angelina, though it seems Angelina wants one,” Serena said.

“Again, so what the hell is she doing with Connor?” Julie persisted.

“Maybe he’s just helping her,” Faith pointed out. “It certainly sounds like she could use it.”

“And calling her sweetie all the while, huh?” Julie said snidely.

“Sheathe the claws, girlfriend,” Serena admonished Julie. “Micah is a big boy. I sincerely doubt Angelina is doing him any harm, and like Faith said, I’d say she needs the help and friendship. I gathered from Micah’s conversation that he pretty much walked out and never looked back. That had to be hard for her.”

A calculating light glinted in Julie’s eyes. “Then maybe we should drop in and see if there’s anything we can do.”