AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well,” I drawled, eyeing her again. “It’s not likeyouventured very far from your regular look either, is it?” I asked, taking in her tight black pants and matching top. The neckline of the shirt hung off both shoulders, giving me a great view of her gorgeous floral tattoos. I had no idea I was into ink on women, but with Ricki, I couldn’t get enough of it.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, feigning offense. “I have never dressed up like a cat before in my life.” Ricki pointed one tattooed finger at her head, and it was only then that I noticed a pair of small black cat ears perched on her head, nestled amongst her inky black hair.
“Well,” I said slowly, reaching out and flicking one of the ears gently. “That settles it then. You definitely win the costume contest tonight.”
“Me?” she asked, looking around. “What about Gordie and his family?” I followed her gaze, seeing a pot-bellied man dressed as Mario standing beside a harried looking woman dressed as Princess Peach. Between the two of them they were trying to wrangle their passel of kids, six little ones all dressed as different colored Yoshis.
It looked chaotic as fuck.
“They look great,” I allowed, stepping closer and wrapping my arm around her waist, trailing my fingers over her exposed skin. “But you should know you’re the only one I really care about, Ricki.
She looked at me, one hand coming up to my chest, her fingers digging in a little as she stared at my mouth, and I wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss her in front of all these people, let everyone in the neighborhood know what was going on and who she belonged to.
And I would have, too, if it weren’t for the bored sounding voice that spoke up from beside us.
“Enrica, really? Could you at leasttryto have some class.”
Chapter thirty
Asher
“Whatdidyoujustsay?”
I stared at the suited asshole who stood beside us, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his phone as he scrolled distractedly, as if even though he had just shoved himself into our conversation, he couldn’t actually be bothered to show any interest.
“I believe you heard me,” he answered in that same bored tone, and I released Ricki, putting myself between her and this douchebag as I squared up.
“Oh, I heard you just fine,” I said, removing the stupid cowboy hat and tossing it onto the closest picnic table. “I was just giving you an opportunity to rethink your words.”
Sighing, the guy slid his phone into his pocket and faced me, letting me really take him in. He was tall—not quite as tall as me—but lean, the kind of guy who looked like he ran three miles every morning and not much else. I bet he had never lifted anything heavier than a bottle of wine in his entire life. His clothes were obviously expensive, his shoes shiny, and his watch over-sized and gaudy.
All in all, he was a flashy lookin’ fuck, and he was pissing me off.
“Relax, you Neanderthal,” he sneered, not looking the least bit intimidated by me, which only served to piss me off more. “I don’t believe I was talking to you, anyway. I was talking to my sister.”
I froze, not sure what the protocol was in this kind of situation. On the one hand, I wasn’t gonna let anyone talk to Ricki that way, no matter who they were.
But on the other hand, I didn’t really know anything about her family dynamic, and I wasn’t so sure punching out her brother, no matter how smarmy the guy seemed, was the right move to make the first time we met.
I’d save that for the holidays, I guessed.
Behind me, Ricki sighed, and I could feel her energy shift as she moved out from behind me to face the man who called himself her brother.
“What are you doing here, Dom? You don’t typically venture to this side of the East River.”
“Looks like I’m preventing you from embarrassing yourself once again.”
“Embarrassing myself? How dare you? I never once—”
He raised a hand, cutting her off, but what really shocked me was that she let him.
I had no idea who the woman in front of me was right now.MyRicki would have torn this guy a new asshole for even thinking about talking to her like that.
ButthisRicki was meek, standing with her shoulders rounded and her eyes down, like she was waiting for a blow.
This slick fuck would never get a chance to hurt her.
Not on my watch.
