Page 26 of Moonstruck at Midnight
“Was that your soulmate?” CJ teased, still working around his plate as I replied to Thomas’s texts.
“That’s not funny!” I kicked him playfully under the table. It was.
“Ouch!” He squealed, not able to hold in the laughter. “Oh, come on! Your face is completely flushed. Who’s the guy? And is hegracious?” CJ laughed again. “I bet he is.”
I stared at him, lifting the corners of my lips, keeping myself from grinning. And yes, I was sure he would approve of him. “I told you,” he bragged, pointing at me with a piece of bacon. “Juan Pablo knows his shit.”
Ugh. Ikind ofwanted Juan Pablo to be right, but I didn’t want to believe these sorts of things either. I guesstheheart wants what it wants.
WE DROPPED OFF CJat his place and headed back home. I was nervous and excited about my date with Thomas. I wanted to shower and take my time deciding what I was going to wear. It was important.
Caleb opened the door for me with a flirty smile as soon as the car came to a complete stop. He noticed he’d provoked a reaction out of me when we arrived at the restaurant, and he was proud of it because his face told me so.Stop! Or don’t. It was a fun and innocent little game.
I stepped out of the car and saw my neighbor Eric and another guy walking in the distance toward me, carrying beer and a few grocery bags.
“Hey, Billie!” Eric said with a hearty grin. “This is my brother Tobias.”
“Nice to meet you, Billie. I’d shake your hand, but …” Tobias held the six-packs up to show me his hands were busy. “I’ve heard so much about you, though.” Eric shoved his shoulder against Tobias’s in protest, but Tobias just laughed.
I shook my head with a smile. Eric was cute, but he was a teenager. Tobias seemed a few years older than me. He was handsome, with light-brown wavy hair and those big blue eyes that could bewitch anyone in his radius. Eric and Tobias had similar features, but Tobias didn’t look like a boy. Not one bit.
The three of us strolled inside the lobby as we chatted. Aaron and Caleb followed us inside and stood a casual distance away, talking among themselves.
“So why do you smell so good when you look like you’ve exercised? Aren’t you curious?” Tobias asked, looking at a flushed Eric, waiting for him to reply. His pale skin was bright pink now.
Eric stammered, trying to find words to respond to that, and I could tell all Tobias wanted was to tease his little brother.
“I’m just messing with you, man,” Tobias said with a laugh. “But youdosmell good.”
Aren’t you slick?
“Thanks.” I tried changing the subject. “So, what are you guys up to?” I jerked my chin at their groceries. Tobias carried a couple of Heiny six-packs, and from what I could see, Eric held a few bags with chips, among other snacks.
Senad dashed inside the lobby and disappeared off into a corridor at the far end past the elevators as Bruce, the other door guard, held the door open.
“Billie!” Tobias shouted in my direction, but he wasn’t looking at me, and he wouldn’t yell like that when I was standing right in front of him. I looked over my shoulder toward the door that had been left wide open and saw a black town car parked right beside the apartment building’s green shade.
A young driver in a black suit unloaded a couple of suitcases from the trunk while this other tall, well-built guy with blond hair grabbed a backpack and a couple of brown paper bags from the back seat. I blinked fast a couple of times and tried looking away, but I just couldn’t.
Who’s that?
Senad rushed back out with a service cart to help with the luggage.
“That’s William, our brother,” Eric said, basically reading my mind.
Oh, he meant Billy!
“We’re just going to have a few beers now that Billy’s back,” Tobias said, placing the six-packs on the floor. “He’s been away for work, so we’re going to get him hammered.” He laughed.
I took another peek in William’s direction.What the…heck are kids being fed in Sweden?My God. He was even taller than his brothers. And that velvety sun-kissed skin with the hair spun out of pure gold … I don’t think I’veeverseen anyone like himeverbefore. Did I say ever twice?
I glanced at Caleb, and he was looking my way with his resting, vicious-hound face. No. He wasn’t even looking at me. He was looking at William.
An alpha male reunion.
Because William seemed like a freaking alpha something with that deep frown in between his brows and the way he carried himself. He refused to look our way—apparently, too busy doing his thing to be bothered.
“Douche alert!” Eric yelled with a laugh as William placed the bags on the cart and walked toward us. He was wearing tortoise Ray-Ban wayfarers, jeans, and a plain white t-shirt that highlighted his broad back and the corded muscles in his arms. He was sent down to Earth straight from Valhalla by Odin himself.
