He stopped and thought about it as I slid the second tote into the truck. When I turned back, Angelica held out a note to me. I took it and tucked it into the inside pocket of my jacket.
“We miss her,” she said and sighed, stuffing her hands back into her pockets.
“Yeah.” Bobby nodded.
“She did what she thought was best, bro, you gotta believe her on that.”
“Yeah, well, a little low on trust.”
“Aren’t we all, brother?” I asked him. He looked me over and nodded.
“She doesn’t know you’re here, does she?” Angelica asked. I shook my head and they both sort of reeled.
“How did you even know she lived here?” Robert asked, brow rumpling in confusion.
“I got my ways,” I said, and he nodded.
“Just tell her we send our love,” Angelica said, and I nodded.
“That I will do,” I answered and put up the tailgate on the truck.
Tonight, I would be picking her up from work.
It was time for the big talk.
12
Raven…
Sauley was standing outside again, his back to the door, waiting. I went to it, unlocked it, and said, “How many times do I have to tell you just—”
Mace turned around and I couldn’t help myself; I yipped out a shout of glee and threw my arms around him. He caught me and grunted, and I immediately tried to pull away saying, “Sorry! Are you oka—” but I didn’t get to finish because his lips met mine.
I froze, speechless, and just as quickly as he’d kissed me, it was over and he was leaning back to search my face.
I blinked up at him stupidly for a second then brought my mouth to his, pressing my lips against his once more, timid yet intrepid. He kissed me back, slowly, an almost chaste kiss, his cold fingers brushing against my cheek as he cradled me with his other arm and I sighed out, pulling away slightly.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine as the blood raced through my veins.
I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” he murmured and pulled back to smile at me.
I nodded mutely, and he walked me backwards through the front door of the bar and into its warmth.
“You good?” he asked, and God, I’d missed his voice.
I closed my eyes and nodded. “I’m better than good,” I whispered and just soaked up his being here.
“Finish up, babe. I’ll walk you home.”
I smiled and comfortable, asked, “You spending the night?”
“Absolutely,” he responded and let me go.
I was tickled pink and almost felt normal again for the moment as I went to finish closing.
He waited for me, and we kept trading looks and laughing at each other. Finally, the chores around the bar done, I called out to Manuk that I was leaving.
“Aloha!” he called back, and he waved at Mace. Mace raised a hand back and pushed out the front door. I locked up behind us.
Mace took my hand, and I smiled up at him. He grinned back and dipped his head, hesitating, making sure it was alright, and my smile only grew. I closed the gap and kissed him softly and he kissed me back. Still chaste, still no tongue, although I wouldn’t be opposed, I was still shy.
“Come on,” he said, voice husky and breath pluming the early morning air. “Let’s get you home.”
We walked briskly and when we arrived, there was his motorcycle parked at the curb. I blinked and said, “You rode here, in this?” He went to it and got a backpack out of one of the hard-sided cases on the side near the back tire.
“I ride year-round,” he said as I unlocked the downstairs door.
“That’s crazy,” I said. “It’s so cold and wet.”
“That’s why they make cold weather gear and Gore-Tex,” he said. His eyes and smile were laughing at me even if there was no sound.
I shook my head and held the door open, but he indicated I should go first. I slipped through and he made sure it was secure behind us, trailing me up the stairs to my apartment door. I let us in, and he stilled my hand on the last lock.
“Pro tip, only lock one or two of these when you’re not home. It’s taking you too long to unlock them all to get inside. Once you’re in, definitely secure them all.”
I stared at him for several heartbeats as what he’d told me sank in and then I felt stupid for a moment.
“Of course,” I murmured. “Thank you.”
He nodded and I let us in. No need to worry with him standing there, sheltering me.
Mace was quite a bit more imposing sober and healed than he had been drunk or injured, only my comfort level with him hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
He shut the door behind us and meticulously threw all the locks like I liked, turning and smiling at me as I stood in the middle of my tiny living room and watched him.
“Why don’t you put some of your music on?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, I like it.”
I frowned and asked, “How do you even know what I like? I don’t remember ever telling you.”
His grin grew, and he said, “You’re using my music account. It syncs across all the devices I have it logged into.”
“Oh.” I scrunched my face in embarrassment. “Right.”
“Go make us some of that tea?” he asked.
“Only if you’ll make yourself comfortable,” I countered.
“I’d planned on it.” He winked at me.
I disappeared into my kitchen and set to making a pot of tea. Music filtered in from the television a few moments later and then I heard him go into my room.
When I came back out, the water ticking in its kettle on the stove as it slowly heated, he had come out of my room, jacket and vest gone, his boots left behind too.
“Hey,” I said
