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Whatever he and Hope had, it was new. It wasn’t even anything that had been given a name. At least not aloud. Only in his mind, Hope Roman was his.
“How is it,” he growled, stepping from Tully’s hug to grip the doorframe with his left hand as he glared overtop Hope’s head at Linc, “that you know who he played for but not me?”
Tully smirked, stepping up beside him, giving a playful nudge. “I played for the Capitals. And in honor of full disclosure, I’m all for fangirling. You know, if it helps.”
“It doesn’t.” Mitchell jabbed his elbow into Tully’s side and the man laughed but he still didn’t take his gaze off the woman standing between them all.
Hope finally tore her gaze from his ex-best friend and looked toward him and Tully. Damn it! He recognized the appreciation in her gaze and the smile that she gave Tully curdled his gut.
Jealousy, he realized, had made him its bitch.
One.
Hundred.
Percent.
Hope angled toward him and Tully, but not enough to turn her back on Linc who continued to send him a smirk over her head. “I didn’t watch hockey but I do know who you are and who you played for.”
Yeah, he wasn’t going to let this happen.
A derisive snort escaped. “So you know baseball and hockey but not basketball?”
Her lips quirked as if she were attempting to hide her smile.
Tully moved by him, stepping closer to Hope. “Ignore him, my dear. He’s moody. Come inside with me and Linc. We have food ready for you. Though he neglected to mention he was bringing you with him. I get it.” He took her arm and guided her away from Mitchell and through the door. “I wouldn’t want to share you either. Let’s get you fed. He’ll bring the bags. He’s very good with manual labor.”
“Tully,” Mitchell warned.
Linc patted him on the shoulder as he too walked away. “Don’t be long. Then again, take all the time you need. We’ll be getting acquainted with your woman.” He vanished inside the house and Mitchell swore as Linc’s lingering laughter danced around him.
…
Hope couldn’t stop looking around. Even though the place was clearly in the stages of remodeling, it was fantastic. In fact, it was bloody gorgeous. The bones of it were incredible and from what she could see, the living room and the kitchen were finished.
“Wow, this is amazing.”
Tully and Linc were behind her. Both were incredibly handsome but they didn’t make her heart skip all the beats like Mitchell Anderson did. Their camaraderie was unmistakable, and she could see the love they had for one another, even in the short time she’d witnessed them together.
Right now, both moved up to stand beside her.
“It is, isn’t it?” Tully settled his hand on the small of her back.
Normally, she wasn’t a touchy-feely person, but she wasn’t uncomfortable by the hand upon her, even if the man was large, tatted, and bearded.
“He’s doing all the work himself,” Linc chimed in.
She longed to explore it all. “He’s doing an incredible job.”
Tully guided her to a large marble island and pulled out a stool for her. “Here, you sit and I’ll fix you a plate.”
Hope hooked her feet along the rail and closed her eyes as a snort of laughter escaped. “No one would believe this. Hell, I don’t believe it myself and I’m here.”
Linc lifted his head and pinned his jet eyes on her. “What don’t you believe?” He held up a bottle of wine and one of water. She pointed at the water.
“I’m sitting at a kitchen island and have one famous player getting me a drink and another dishing me up a plate of what looks and smells like some mouthwatering, going-to-be-delicious goulash.”
Tully slid the plate in front of her with a smile as he tossed a towel over his right shoulder. Linc set the glass of iced water to her left and both men stared at her with little grins.
“It’s homemade,” Tully said, taking a moment to stroke his beard, flexing one arm and the incredible array of tattoos there. “My fiancée made it and I brought it.”
“Are you eating with me?”
Linc nodded and said, “Get me some food, Tully, I’m hungry.” Then he claimed the stool right next to her.
“Linc!” Mitchell dragged him off the stool and took it even as he inched it closer to Hope. “Sit on the other side of the island. Then again, bring the stuff to the table. I have one, we may as well use it.”
Both his friends sent her a wink before she lost her bowl, her water, and found herself alone in the kitchen with a scowling Mitchell.
“I didn’t mean to intrude. You could have taken me to a hotel.”
“No, he couldn’t have!” Linc hollered.
“Absolutely not!” Tully added.
Mitchell turned her on the stool, then stood and bracketed her in, his face directly in front of hers. “Your bags are in my room. I want you in my bed, Flykra, but I have a guest room if you’d feel better there.”
