AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 17
Boone growled at Alfie when the poodle strolled into the living room with Hedra’s Croc in his mouth. He dropped it on the floor before the fireplace and snarled at Boone when he snatched up the shoe before Alfie could start chewing it.
“Cork it, you little shit,” Boone said. He studied the bright pink Croc with the multiple tooth marks in it. “You’re lucky Hedra hasn’t turned you into a furry Croc. I think this is the third pair of hers you’ve tried to destroy.”
Alfie bared his teeth before trotting out of the living room, no doubt in search of Hedra’s other Croc. Boone dropped the shoe on the sofa before sitting next to it. He rested his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.
Last night, Hedra hadn’t come home until close to midnight. He’d been in bed but wide awake. He’d hoped like hell she would come to him, but she had gone straight to her room. He’d tried to sleep, knowing that if he did, he would switch to his tiger form and sleepwalk to Hedra’s room.
But sleep eluded him. He’d briefly considered switching to his tiger form and pretending he was sleepwalking, an idea his tiger wholeheartedly endorsed, but in the end, he couldn’t be that pathetic. If Hedra wanted to be with him, she would have joined him. But obviously, his reaction in the hallway, how he’d freaked out when her brother touched her, had annoyed her. He couldn’t blame her. He was treating her like his mate when they weren’t even dating. Hell, they hadn’t even had sex.
We did. Sort of.
He rubbed his forehead. Thirty seconds of being in Hedra’s perfect pussy was not sex. His dick hardened just thinking about that moment, and he pulled at his jeans to relieve the pressure.
He’d tossed and turned for most of the night, finally dozing off around four. He’d woken at just after eight, still in his own bed, with only half an hour to get to Abena’s place. He’d showered and rushed out of the house with barely a word to his nan or Hedra. He’d sent Hedra a text later in the morning to say happy birthday, and she’d responded with a brief thank you that he’d obsessed over way too much.
After the world’s longest work day, he’d gone shopping for Hedra’s birthday gift and returned home. He hadn’t been at the office today, and he hadn’t received an invite from Chase to Hedra’s birthday party. Nan was in her room, and Hedra was in the shower, and any hope that Hedra might invite him to her birthday party had died a sad and dismal death. He glanced at his watch. It was just after six, and Hedra would leave for her party in less than an hour.
His tiger made a mournful cry that hurt Boone’s heart.
“I know,” he said. “I want to go too, but we aren’t invited.”
His tiger trilled sadly, and Boone stood up abruptly. He would give Hedra her gift when she returned from the party, but in the meantime, there was no point in sitting here feeling sorry for himself. He would ask Nan what movie she wanted to watch tonight and order them Thai food for dinner. Nan loved Thai food.
He walked to Nan’s room and knocked on the door, studying the light coming from under Hedra’s bedroom door.
“Come in,” Nan called.
He stepped into her room, his smile dying on his face. “Nan? Why are you dressed up?”
Wearing a bright yellow shirt with red pants and a blue scarf tied around her neck, Nan sat on the side of her bed, applying glittery pink lipstick to her lips. Alfie sat on the bed beside her, a matching blue scarf tied jauntily around his neck.
Nan stuck her lipstick into her pocket as Boone said, “Are you going out tonight?”
She gave him a ‘why are you so dumb’ look. “I’m going to Hedra’s party, obviously. Did you get hit on the head today looking after that celebrity?”
A wave of self-pity washed over him. Nan had been invited to the party, but he hadn’t been. He had to sit home alone while others celebrated the birthday of the woman he lo-
“Althea, is Jerry meeting us here or at Ryan’s grandmother’s?” Hedra, looking amazing in a short pink dress that showed off her perfect legs and clung to her ass and breasts in all the right ways, walked into Nan’s room through their shared bathroom.
“He’s on his way here,” Nan said.
Hedra turned to Boone, taking in the track pants and t-shirt he’d changed into after work. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“What?” he asked.
She joined him and pulled at the hole in the right leg of his track pants. “My birthday party isn’t formal, but I want you to at least wear pants without holes. Go put on some jeans and,” she traced the stain on the shoulder of his t-shirt, “a clean t-shirt.”
“I’m invited to your party?” Boone said as his tiger trilled happily.
“Of course you are,” she said with a puzzled look. “Why would you think you weren’t?”
“I think he got hit on the head today at work,” Nan said.
“I didn’t get hit on the head,” Boone said. “But I didn’t want to assume, and Chase didn’t send me an invitation or…”
“He didn’t send you one because, obviously, I want you there. No invitation needed,” Hedra said. “Go get dressed. We have to leave in half an hour, or I’ll be late for my own party.”
