Sweet Temptation

“There are worse things than having the love of a good woman,” Micah said sincerely, while Gray and Nathan both nodded in agreement.

Connor just studied him curiously. “So is that what has you in a tailspin? A woman?”

Micah let out a grunt. “In a manner of speaking, though it’s not what you dickheads are thinking.”

“Ahh,” Gray said.

Micah flipped him the bird. “The sister of an old friend of mine is in town, and I’ve got my hands full trying to keep her out of trouble.”

Gray frowned. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?”

Trust Gray’s cop instincts to get all riled.

“She’s a good girl,” Micah said with a note of defensiveness even he could hear. “And that’s the problem. She’s a good girl with no idea of what can happen to a good girl in a big, strange city.”

Connor scowled. “Then why the hell is she here and where is her brother?”

“David died a few years ago,” Micah said quietly.

Even now, after so long, it hurt to say out loud that David was gone.

“He was the only family Angelina had.”

“So you feel obligated to look after her,” Connor said.

The others nodded in understanding.

“Well, yeah,” Micah said.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Not going well?”

“It’s going just fine. Or it will be as soon as we get a few rules straight.”

Gray choked on his drink and commenced to coughing. “Yeah, good luck with that,” he wheezed.

“How old is she anyway?” Connor asked.

“Twenty-three,” Micah muttered.

“Is she hot?”

“Very,” he said before he could think better of it. Then he swore. “No, she damn well isn’t hot. And I don’t want you to even so much as look in her direction. You got me?”

Connor held up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say, man. I swear you guys do your best to keep me away from all the good ones. I should be dating Julie. Not bonehead over here,” he said as he jerked a thumb in Nathan’s direction.

Nathan snorted. “You’re not man enough for her.”

Connor scowled. “And I suppose you are?”

“She’s with me, isn’t she?” Nathan returned smugly.

Gray leaned forward, ignoring the bickering between Connor and Nathan. “So you’re spending your evenings babysitting her at her place or what? And what about during the day? Not like you can keep an eye on her all the time.”

“She’s staying with me until we can find her a decent place. She’s going to be looking for a job.”

For once they fell completely silent as they stared back at him. Gray coughed discreetly and Nathan made a show of clearing his throat. Connor’s eyes gleamed with unholy amusement.

“So you have a young, hot girl living with you, and you’re in a bad mood?” Connor asked.

“Shut the fuck up,” Micah growled.

“Blue balls,” Gray said with a sage nod. “What our man has is a case of the blue balls.”

“Fuck you,” Micah said crudely. “Fuck all of you.”

They laughed uproariously while Micah just shook his head.

Gray pointed a finger in Micah’s direction. “Mark my words, Hudson. Your ass is toast.”

After an afternoon of ribbing, Micah was ready to get home, crack open a cold beer and watch some TV. Then he remembered he had no food in the house, and while he had nothing against two-day-old pizza, he didn’t see Angelina sharing his appreciation for it.

He stopped at the local grocery store, piled a bunch of stuff he thought she’d like in the buggy and headed to the checkout. Half an hour later, he pulled into his apartment complex and frowned when he didn’t see Angelina’s little tin can in the parking spot next to his.

Maybe she was still out job hunting.

He made two trips to get the groceries in, and it wasn’t until he started to put them away that he saw the piece of paper propped against the canisters.

He picked it up and unfolded it, his gaze scanning the neat handwriting.Micah,Gone to The House to play. Don’t wait up for me.Love, Angelina

Micah dropped the paper and was immediately assaulted by a pounding headache. Fuck a goddamn duck. What the hell did she think she was doing? Besides driving him out of his damn mind.

He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers and closed his eyes to assuage the sensation of someone stabbing him in the eyeball.

He was haunted by the images of Angelina the first time he’d seen her at The House. What the hell would he find her doing this time?

Damon wouldn’t be there, so he couldn’t call him and demand he throw her out, not that he would anyway, but at least he could have made sure Damon watched over her. Cole was a good guy, but shit, he was the one flogging her the first night. And what guy with a working set of balls wouldn’t leap at the opportunity to bend a gorgeous woman to his will?

Leaving the groceries in the sacks, he made a grab for his keys and headed for the door. He and Angelina were definitely going to come to an understanding. Right after his hand warmed her little ass. And he’d make damn sure the little brat didn’t enjoy it either.