“Kas,” he groans, unhooking my arm from around his waist and stepping away from me to grab two plates with buttered bread on them.
Resting back against the counter, I watch as he moves effortlessly around the kitchen in his shorts and white shirt. I can see the darkening of the tattoos that are inked across his back and shoulder blades, not unlike mine. The muscles ripple making me wish I was still pressed up against him.
“Sauce?” he asks, holding out the bottle of ketchup for me.
Stepping up to him, I take it and flip the lid before aiming it at the bread.
I squeeze, but nothing happens. I put a little more force into it, and the sauce shoots out the end, covering the bread, plate and counter.
“They always blow their load too fast,” I mutter, reaching for a cloth while Spike explodes with laughter beside me. “What are you laughing at?” I ask when I turn back to him. “I bet you’re just as bad as the rest of them.”
He puts his knife down from cutting his sandwich and turns to me. “Firstly, I’m concerned about the number you’re talking about here.”
“Do you hear me asking about the number of notches on your bedpost?” I ask, my eyebrow almost hitting my hairline.
“Noted. Secondly.” He leans in, his breath tickling down my neck, making my nipples pebble against the thin fabric of my vest. “I can go all night long, baby girl.”
I can’t stop the shudder that runs the length of my spine at his words. I do, however, manage to swallow down the groan that threatens to rumble up my throat.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, old man. Thanks for this.” I swipe my plate from the counter, and with as much sass and swing to my hips as possible, I take it over to his small table.
After clearing his throat behind me, he follows, bringing his plate and two mugs of coffee, and drops down on the other chair.
“I really needed this,” I mumble around a mouthful of delicious salty, smoked bacon.
As I take another bite, the sauce squirts out onto my lip. Spike’s eyes lock onto it the second I move the sandwich.
“Whoops.” I make a show of wiping it off with my fingertip and then sucking it into my mouth.
His eyes follow my fingers before they darken.
“Fuck,” he barks, pushing the chair out behind him and walking away from me. “I’m going out.”
“I hope it wasn’t something I said.” I can’t help the amusement that fills my voice. He just makes all of this too easy.
Looking back over his shoulder, he narrows his eyes at me. “I can send you back to the squat as fast as I took you away, you know.”
“Yeah, but you won’t,” I say confidently.
He leaves the room, and feeling like I should probably pull my weight, I set about cleaning up.
He’s only gone a few minutes, and when he returns, his hair is styled—although still a total mess—and he’s wearing fresh clothes.
“Hot date?”
“Something like that.” He swipes his keys from the bowl and pockets them and his phone. “Do me a favour, yeah?”
“Depends what it is.”
“Don’t fucking leave this flat.”
“Or what?” I sass.
“Tiny,” he sighs, “just do as you’re fucking told. I don’t want to have to rescue you twice in two days.”
“Huh, I thought that was Titch.”
A wide grin covers my face, but all he does is shake his head.
“Just stay put. I’ll only be a few hours.”
I salute him as he leaves, but he doesn’t see it.
After finishing up in the kitchen, I fall down onto my bed and grab my phone.
Jodie answers on the first ring.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“I’m not explaining over the phone. Coffee?”
“Sure, where?”
“The usual, thirty minutes.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Jo?”
“Yeah. Can you… uh… make sure no one follows you?”
“Why would they… shit. Is Jet still on your case?”
“Yeah, fucker decided I needed to pay up early. I’ll explain all when I see you.”
I smile like a naughty little kid as I pull the front door open and make my way down the stairs.
I almost expect my phone to start ringing and for him to demand I go straight back up. I’ve no idea how he’d know, but I’m sure he’d find a way if he could.
I glance at Louisa’s closed door. That would probably be how he finds out.
I hot foot it out of the building and down the street a little, just in case she chooses that exact moment to appear.
I jump in the Uber I’d ordered before leaving the flat and sit back with a sigh.
I shouldn’t have allowed Spike to take me away like he did yesterday. I was too blown away by it all and then the drama that was my shift after to think of much else. But as the car heads toward our usual meeting place on the other side of the city, I remember the promise Jodie and I made each other not so long ago.
That when we left that place, we’d do it together.
My nails dig into the skin of my thigh as I realise just how much I’ve fucked up here.
“Shit,” I bark, startling the driver. “Sorry,” I mutter, feeling bad for giving him a heart attack.
“No worries, sweetheart. You need to get something off your chest?” he asks.
Great, I’ve got one of those drivers who thinks he should have been a therapist.
“No, no. I’m good, thanks.”
I look out the window as the city passes by and think about my life. I’m unemployed and basically being babysat by my brother’s mate.
I blow out a slow breath as I think about Dakota telling me in not so many words that there was no longer a position for me at her club. She also made sure to explain how she’d speak to the other owners she knew to ensure I couldn’t go running straight to those.
I understand why they both did it. I don’t want to be stripping any more than
