Maya Banks - Sweet Temptation

Micah closed his eyes for a moment then looked back at Connor. “I’ll talk to you later, okay, man? Just ... just let me speak to Angelina.”

Connor glanced back again at Angelina and she nodded, encouraging him to go.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“I’ll swing by to check on you tomorrow,” Connor promised as he and Gray headed for the door.

As soon as the door closed, Micah closed the distance between them, his eyes so serious. He reached out to frame her shoulders, his fingers shaking a bit against her skin.

“Angel, what’s going on?”

She swallowed and prayed not to lose her composure. She had to handle this just right.

“This apartment sort of fell into my lap. It seemed perfect. I know you don’t want me at your place, and there is no way I could afford this without Connor’s help. I couldn’t pass it up. He and Gray gave me some of Gray’s wife’s old stuff and voilà, here I am in my own place.”

“What kind of help is Connor giving you?” Micah asked darkly. “How the hell did you get hooked up with him or Gray? And why the hell didn’t you come to me about moving? I would have helped you, Angel. If you need money or furniture, whatever it is, you can come to me.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t plan this. Connor, Nathan and Gray ate lunch in the café where I work today. I asked them if they knew of any places I could rent. Connor said I could have this place. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. He and Gray offered to move Faith’s stuff here. No reason I shouldn’t go ahead and move in.”

She lifted her chin and stared him directly in the eyes. “It’s better this way. You won’t be tripping over me, and you can go back to doing what you do best. Avoiding me and your past.”

He sucked in his breath, quick pain flashing across his face.

“I can’t seem to do anything but hurt you, Angel girl.”

She reached out and touched his cheek. “It’s my fault. I barged into your life. I was wrong to expect things to be different. I assumed ... after three years ... I guess I thought you might have put it all behind you now.”

His Adam’s apple worked up and down. “I won’t leave you this time. If you need me, if you ever need anything, promise you’ll come to me immediately.”

She nodded.

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest. For a long moment they stood there, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he finally asked. “You’re welcome to stay with me for as long as you need.”

She extricated herself from his grasp and smiled faintly. “I think you and I both know it wouldn’t work for me to stay with you. I can’t resist you, Micah, any more than you seem to not be able to resist me. Only I don’t want to resist you, and you want anything but to give in to the attraction between us. Until that changes, I don’t see that we can possibly live in the same apartment.”

His eyes were haunted, so dark and emotion-filled. “I can’t give you what you want, Angel girl. What you need.”

“How do you know what I want?” she challenged. “You’ve never asked.”

He shook his head and turned away, the wall slowly sliding back into place between them. “Let’s go over to my place and I’ll help you get the rest of your things to bring here, unless you’d rather stay the night over at my place, until you get more settled in.”

“No. I’ll stay here. No sense putting it off.”

“I’m sorry,” he said in a quiet, almost dead voice.

“Don’t be,” she said with forced cheerfulness. “I’ll survive. I’ve done it before.”

He cursed softly and started toward the door, leaving her to follow behind.

Angelina surveyed her handiwork and flopped on the sofa with a tired sigh. Her days in her apartment had been quiet but satisfying. She’d gone shopping at a local thrift shop for some of the essentials like linens for the bed and towels and washcloths. Then she’d hit a few garage sales, and though the pickings were slim due to the lateness of the hour, she’d found a few items and returned to arrange everything.

Now to figure out what to have for dinner in her new home now that she had groceries. As celebratory meals went, it would be lean. She had a choice between canned soup or a sandwich. No reason not to splurge and have both.

With a gleeful smile, she got up and headed into the kitchen. No sooner had she dragged out the sandwich fixings than her doorbell rang. Frowning, she went to the door, rising on tiptoe to see out the peephole. There were only a handful of people it could possibly be, and yet when she got a good look, it was none of them.

Three women stood outside. Three really beautiful women. Maybe they were Avon ladies? They looked harmless enough, though David and Micah had drummed into her head that criminals didn’t have a neon sign on their foreheads advertising the fact. Some of the most heinous were in fact very normal, everyday-looking people.

They probably had the wrong apartment.

She cracked open the door, leaving the chain clasped. “Can I help you?”

The woman in the middle, a brunette with some pretty spectacular cleavage leaned forward. “Angelina?”

So much for them having the wrong apartment.

“Who wants to know?” Angelina asked suspiciously.

David had always said, when in doubt, go on the offensive.

The blonde slipped forward, a sweet smile curving her lips. “I’m Faith Montgomery, Gray’s wife?”

Angelina relaxed. She shut the door, fumbled with the chain and then reopened the door.

“Sorry. It’s just that I don’t know anyone here, and I wasn’t expecting you. Cop’s sister,” she said with a slight shrug.

Faith smiled warmly at her and then looked down at the covered dish she was holding. It was then that Angelina saw that the other two women also carried stuff, including a gallon container of what looked like tea.

“We brought dinner. Hope you don’t mind us barging in on you. We didn’t figure you’d had time to grocery shop or anything yet,” Faith said.

Remembering her manners and that she was clutching the door like a lifeline, Angelina hastily stepped back.

“Come in please. Forgive my rudeness. I just didn’t expect ... You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”

The voluptuous brunette sailed past followed by a taller woman with long black hair and exotic blue eyes. Sleek. Like a cat. It was the first thought that popped into Angelina’s mind.

“Oh, it was no trouble,” the shorter brunette said. “Faith did all the cooking. She’s Miss Domestic. Serena and I are rather hopeless in that area.”

“Forgive our manners,” the woman Angelina guessed had to be Serena said. “We haven’t even introduced ourselves. The rather loud obnoxious one over there is Julie Stanford.”

Angelina raised an eyebrow, but Julie didn’t seem offended by the introduction. Her eyes twinkled with amusement and her teeth flashed as she grinned.

“Faith has already introduced herself, which leaves me. I’m Serena Roche.”

Angelina’s eyes widened. “You’re Damon’s wife?”

The other women’s expressions turned inquisitive. Serena smiled. “Yes, I am. I didn’t realize you’d met.”

Angelina flushed, realizing that she’d opened a door she’d rather have not, especially in front of women she’d just met.

“That blush certainly tells me she has,” Julie drawled. “First Connor, now Damon. Next she’ll be telling us she’s hooked up with Nathan.”

Angelina eyed her uneasily but some devil prompted her to ask anyway. “Nathan Tucker?”

Julie’s eyes narrowed. “You do get around for someone who just came to town.”

Angelina sighed. So this wasn’t a social visit or a friendly welcome-ro-rhe-neighborhood type thing. It was a fact-finding mission.

“Ask what you want to know,” Angelina said wearily. “I never was any good at catty/bitchy games. I haven’t flirted with, spoken inappropriately to, looked at wrong or otherwise propositioned Connor, Nathan, Gray or Damon. I met them through Micah. End of story.”

Julie studied her with grudging admiration. “I like bluntness.”

Serena and Faith both snorted.

Serena stepped between Julie and Angelina and laid a hand on Angelina’s arm. “Ignore Julie. She gets grumpy and possessive when it comes to Nathan. Are you hungry? The food we brought is still warm, and Gray makes the best sun tea. We could sit down and relax. Contrary to what Julie might think, we didn’t come to interrogate you.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t quite believe that,” Angelina said as she motioned them toward the kitchen.

“Okay, well maybe our motives aren’t entirely innocent,” Faith said as she took plates down. She glanced around. “You don’t have a table or chairs yet. I thought I still had one in storage. Guess we can eat in the living room.”

“We actually came about Micah,” Julie said with a gleam in her eyes. “We didn’t realize you were so well acquainted with the rest of the guys.”

Try as she might, Angelina couldn’t control the wash of hurt at the mention of Micah. The women went silent, and to cover the awkwardness Faith poured a glass of tea and shoved it toward Angelina.

Faith took the cover off the casserole dish to reveal lasagna.

“Faith makes the most awesome lasagna,” Serena said with a sign.

“Everything Faith cooks is awesome,” Julie said.

They all filled their plates and headed into the living room. Julie flopped onto the couch, next to Angelina, while Faith and Serena sat cross-legged on the floor in front of them.

“You may as well ask,” Angelina said in resignation. “I can practically see the questions rolling around in your heads.”

“What’s the deal with you and Connor?” Julie asked bluntly.

Angelina looked up in confusion. That wasn’t a question she’d expected.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Julie, chill,” Serena reproached. “We’re nosy, yes, but it’s none of our business.”

“Yeah, and if you have a prayer of making her talk, you probably shouldn’t piss her off,” Faith pointed out.

Angelina burst out laughing. “Are you people for real?”

Serena smiled. “We’re really not total bitches.”

“Speak for yourself,” Julie said cheekily.

Serena shot her a dark glance.

“Anyway, as I was saying we’re just really curious about you,” Julie continued. “Micah is special to us all...”

Sudden understanding came to Angelina. If it hadn’t been so patently absurd, she’d have laughed. But what she wanted to do more was cry.

“I think I understand,” Angelina said as she set her plate aside. “You’re worried I’m going to hurt Micah.” She had to swallow back the bitter laugh. “You think I’m fucking with him and encouraging Connor or one of the other guys.”

Faith winced. “Well when you put it that way, it sounds pretty bad.”

It wasn’t as if Angelina didn’t already have her heart on the line. When it came to Micah, she had no pride. And really why should she be ashamed to let it out? She hadn’t done anything wrong, not unless throwing yourself at an unwilling guy was a crime.

“First, there is nothing going on between me and Connor. I just met the man a few days ago when he and Nathan came by Micah’s apartment. Then at lunch Connor, Nathan and Gray came by the café where I work.”

“And they say women are nosy,” Julie said dryly. “I’ll have to give Nathan shit over this.”

“I asked if they knew of any cheap places to rent. I can’t—couldn’t stay with Micah. Connor told me about this place and then he and Gray moved the stuff in.” She glanced over at Faith. “Thank you by the way for the furniture. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

Faith smiled. “Was glad to help.”

“So that’s it?” Julie asked, a confused look on her face. “I mean Connor’s calling you sweetie and shit. It’s not like the man to get all soft like that.”

Angelina sighed, knowing this tale was only going to get more involved and more humiliating for her. Part of her wondered why she didn’t just tell them to mind their own damn business and get the hell out. The other part of her latched on to the possibility of understanding and friendship. Even if that was a naïve notion.

“If I had to guess, Connor feels sorry for me,” she said carefully. “They all feel sorry for me.”

The three women exchanged puzzled glances.

“Why would they feel sorry for you?” Serena asked gently.