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When I first met Rigger I had a massive crush on him. No shock there. I was a teenage girl and he was the hot, older guy who took me under his protection, gave me pointers on how to kill without getting caught. There have been times that I’ve thought about how strange it was, that he saw what I was doing and not someone else. More than just coincidence. And now, it seems even stranger.
I pull away from the hug and look up at him, into his shimmering green eyes that … look so much like mine.
In an act of softness, one that he’s shown me so many times and I’ve never thought anything of it, he moves his gaze around my face, like he’s searching me just as much as I’m searching him.
“It’ll be okay, Vay. You know I’m always here to keep you from crumbling.”
I swallow and he cups the side of my face, brushing the pad of his thumb over my cheek. It’s an undeniably romantic gesture. This is the first time both of us have been single at the same time.
“Yeah, I know,” I whisper.
My flesh pricks, an unexpected yearning blooming inside of me. But all I can think about is how much his eyes look like mine. I start to ask if he knows about my brother or sister but it just seems so damn ridiculous. He wouldn’t know. Couldn’t know. Besides, any words I have are suddenly trapped in my throat.
My hands move up his abs. I feel his breath on my face. My heart speeds up. I don’t know what’s happening.
And then there’s a knock at the door, causing me to jump. Rigger, however, is unfazed.
“Don’t ever forget I only have your best interest at heart,” he says.
His lips move to my forehead where he plants a kiss, same as he always does. And then he walks to the door. “You expecting someone?”
“No,” I say, still feeling emotionally discombobulated.
He looks through the peephole then opens the door where a girl from Gianni’s stands.
“Large vegetarian?” a girl says in a thick New York accent, chewing gum so loudly I can hear it popping in her mouth all the way over here.
Rigger swivels his eyes at me.
I shake my head. “I didn’t order a pizza. You got the wrong address.”
The girl huffs, then reads the ticket on the box. “Apartment 7H? A Devin ordered it, for a … Tory? He says enjoy, and he’s sorry.”
Rigger reaches in his back pocket, pulls out some cash and passes it her way before taking the box. “Thanks.”
He shuts the door, smirking as he sniffs the box. Damn, it does smell good. Devin knows how much I love Gianni’s.
“She’s gone from accusing you of being a pillow princess who should fuck off and die to sending you pizza?”
I take the box and set it on the counter. “I told you she cheated on me. But I think this is her way of apologizing for not telling me about Jackson Dane coming here.”
“I hope you’re not getting back together with her.”
“No way. Why?”
Rigger shifts his attention to the pizza box. “Just think you deserve better. And belong with someone who’s a little more … masculine.” He cracks the box open, peers inside.
“Someone like Ben?”
He flicks his eyes at me, giving a sharp look. “Come again?”
“Yeah … I think I might like him.”
“Holy shit. You’re joking, right?” I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rigger look at me with disappointment in his eyes. Until now.
“No,” I answer with the shake of my head. I tug a slice of pizza loose and I fold it in half, studying the way a black olive cradles a tiny piece of tomato.
Rigger pulls back, crosses his arms. “You’ve gone from one extreme to the other.”
