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I expect nothing less.
After Bridget dropped me off at my car, I went straight to the Viper’s garage. Knowing I can’t avoid this forever, I finally shove open my door and slam it harder than necessary when I get out. I walk over to the side of the building and let myself in the side door.
“Ghost!” I call out when I walk into the empty garage.
“Be out in a minute!” he answers from the office. I sit down at the little table in the back to wait. Ghost walks into the garage, shirtless, covered in grease and sweat.Goddamnit.Ghost is tall, and lean, and you don’t know how much muscle he’s hiding until he takes his shirt off. You can also see the work he’s been putting in to get ready for the fight at Les’ underground fights. The match is coming up soon, and it’s one of the most anticipated because Ghost took a backseat these last few months. I feel sorry for the poor asshole that steps into the ring with him.
“What’s all that from?” I ask, gesturing to his greasy chest, trying not to let my eyes linger too long.
“Fucking Mercy’s piece of shit Bronco broke down again,” he answers, sliding into the chair in front of me. “We’ve been working on it all morning. He just left.”
I nod. “Where’s everyone else?”
“They’re coming later.”
“Then why did you need me now?” I ask, pissed off that he made it seem like it was urgent.
“Because you’re my best fucking friend, and you’ve been avoiding me for weeks.”
“I wonder why?” I mutter sarcastically.
“Just let me explain.”
“Explain what? That you didn’t trust me?”
“It wasn’t about trust!” His voice raises with each word, and he takes several deep breaths. “I did it to protect you, Caden.”
“So you’ve said. But I call bullshit because you know I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” I stand up. “Call me when the others get here.”
I turn on my heel, and he grabs my arm before I can even touch the doorknob, spinning me to face him. Ghost is only three inches taller than my six-foot-two, but right now, he feels bigger while he’s crowding my space. “Quit walking away from me,” he grits out.
“Or what? You going to go all Ghosty on me? Fuck all the way off. When you can quit lying to my face, then we can talk.”
He backs me up until my back hits the door. “I’m not lying to you, and if you’d open your eyes, you would see that. It would kill me if something happened to you because of me. That’s why I didn’t fucking tell you.”
“So you think that makes it better that you fell off the fucking grid for days and wouldn’t tell me shit? Oh, let’s not forget you told me to stop fucking calling you.”
“Goddamnit,” Ghost grinds out. “You aren’t listening to me. I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to, fuck, I wanted to, but if you knew, it put you in his crosshairs.”
“And look how well that played out? I’m in his crosshairs.” I shove at his chest to push him back a step. “You should have told me.”
“You don’t think I know that now?” He steps back up until his chest is against mine. Him being this close is making all rational thought fly right out the window. “I can’t lose you, Caden. Don’t you get that? I’d do anything. Just please fucking forgive me.” He slaps his hands on the door on either side of my head, caging me in.
His lips are hovering right above mine, and no matter how mad I am, all I want to do is close that distance to press my lips against his. Sure, I’ve joked, flirted, kissed his cheek, and slapped him on the ass, but I’ve never pushed him. He didn’t seem like he was into me, and just like Bridget, I didn’t want to fuck up our friendship.
But it’s already teetering on the edge of being fucked up. I want to believe him, and a part of me does, but that other half is still pissed as fuck he lied to me.
Fuck it.
I slam my lips against his, and just when I think he’s going to push me away, he presses me into the door, deepening the kiss with a groan.Holy fucking shit.I lick the seam of his lips, and he opens for me, chasing my tongue back into my mouth and stroking it.I’m going to melt in a puddle right here.Imagining kissing Ghost is nothing like the real thing. I settle my hands on his hips, and his whole body shudders.
“Ghost!”
He jerks away like he’s been shocked at the sound of Mercy’s voice. And just like that, the spell’s broken.
I open the door and slip out before he can make any excuses.
Chapter 4
