Spiked by Love(21)

I squeeze her close. “You can fuss over me. And let’s be honest, Shea needs all the fussing.”

She cackles. “He sure does, and I’ll still fuss over all of you. While I’m so excited for Shelli and Aiden’s wedding, I think I could wait. She won’t be my baby anymore. She’ll be his.”

“Elli, she’ll always be your baby.”

She smiles sweetly at me. “You’ve always been my favorite.”

I laugh. “All of us are your favorites.”

“This is true,” she agrees as she leans her head into mine. “You wouldn’t happen to know who Posey is dating, would you?”

I scoff. “Don’t put me in that evil spot. I love you, but I’m terrified of Posey.”

“That’s what everyone says,” she pouts. “I’m just worried she’ll get her heart broken again.”

I shrug. “I don’t think she will. I saw them together. He seems pretty into her.”

“Well, of course. She’s absolutely perfect.”

“You aren’t wrong,” I agree.

She beams up at me. “I always wished you two would have ended up together.”

I raise a brow. “That would be really weird, but totally something you’d want. All your kids married to all my mom’s kids so you guys can so further intertwine our families and no one could tell any of us apart.”

Her eyes are bright with happiness. “This is all true.”

I laugh along with her before I kiss her temple. “Sorry for messing that up for you, but I’m pretty sure the guy Posey is with will impress you. He is really attentive to Posey, and when Ally and I saw them out, he gave me the look that said Posey was his.”

She eyes me. “Really?”

“Really. I feel good about them.”

“Well, that makes me feel better,” she says softly. “As for Ally—”

I hold up my hand. “Let me stop you there. If you are suggesting that Ally and I should get together, don’t. Everyone already has.”

She blinks. “But you two are so cute together! There has to be some kind of attraction there.”

There is. I realized last night that it’s stronger than I believed. Sleeping next to her all night was torture. I hadn’t even considered that it would be until she asked if I thought it was weird to sleep together. I get it, we’ve never really shared a bed on our own, and usually, we’re with friends or family, but I didn’t care. I was tired, and I didn’t want my friend to leave. I didn’t want to be alone. But I’d never thought of the agony that would ensue being so close to Ally. Let’s be honest, I haven’t gotten laid in months, which means I’m beyond horny. At one point in the night, my knee brushed against her ass, and I almost came. Seriously. I’m unsure at what point in the night she became irresistible, but one thing is for sure, I’m fighting tooth and nail to keep my need for her in check.

“She’s my best friend. Don’t want to mess that up.”

“Shea is my best friend—”

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “You two started off as strangers, then went to lovers to best friends. It would be detrimental for Ally and me to cross that line. We’re too good of friends. We’re only friends. Seriously.”

Which is the only reason I keep my feelings buried deep down inside me. I wish I could go a minute without someone trying to smush us together and make something out of nothing. I can be attracted to her all day, but she doesn’t think of me that way. I know why everyone does it; they want us to be happy. We really are good together, but I won’t make a move again. Now, if Ally were to make a move, I sure as hell wouldn’t stop her. I might pause and try to think it through, but it would be pointless.

Pretty sure she’s one hell of a kisser.

“I think you two could be more.”

“No. You want us to be more because, again, you want to keep all us kids in a tangled web of Assassins insanity. God forbid anyone bring in an outsider.”

She snorts. “You make me sound crazy.”

I shrug. “If the shoe fits.”

She smacks me playfully, and while I know she tells us all we are her favorite, I think I’m top three. Emery and Posey might have a slight advantage on me. She hugs me once more and then pats my chest lovingly. “Well, this was fun. Go on down to see HR, get a badge made, and then go find Artie. He has some work for you.”

“Man, you don’t wait to put me to work.”

She smiles as she puts her hand on her hip. “I’ve been waiting for you to start working here since I learned of your major.”

I send her a grin as I walk away. Elli has a way of making me feel like a million bucks. It’s nice to have extended family like her in my corner, but I can’t shake her words about Ally. I really don’t understand what everyone’s deal is. Don’t they see we are only friends? Yes, she’s hot and funny and simply amazing, but you can’t make something happen when the other person isn’t down.

When Ally asked me why I cared if she was dating Taco or not, it took everything in me not to scream at her that I want her to find someone to love her the way I can. I want her to find a man who will automatically know she is it. See that she can move mountains, and he better strap in for the ride because Ally will keep him on his toes. I only want for her to be happy and to always love herself. That’s it.

Not too much to ask of a guy, I feel.





* * *



The rest of the morning, I spend in HR, and then I work with Artie for a bit, learning the ropes and what he expects of me. Unlike at Bellevue, I will answer to him, and he knows what he wants. I feel like Tony just wants things done and for it to look better than it does now. He doesn’t care how I do it. That’s not the case with Artie. He has standards, and it excites me to meet them. When he gives me my schedule, it’s actually lighter than I expected, so I’m glad I have the other gig at Bellevue. Especially if I plan to take over the lease for Aiden’s condo. Everything is starting to fall into place. Got my condo, my jobs, and next is my car.

My mom wakes me at the butt crack of dawn to go car shopping since we have to meet later at the bridal shop for fittings. As soon as I pick out my car, I wish I had gone with my dad, but he’s traveling at the moment. Mom wanted me in a sensible, safe car apparently, so when I picked out what I did, she complained I’d chosen a “small-dick syndrome” ride. I don’t care, though. I feel like a badass in it, and I’m damn sure I can be an extra in the Fast and Furious franchise while I drive it.

I just need to send in my audition tape.

I head to Bellevue to get Ally since I offered to drive us to the bridal shop. She’s been my chauffeur lately, and I figured I’d repay the favor. I might even buy her lunch. Plus, I want to show off my car. I pull up to her dorm and park behind her car.

Me: Here.

Ally T: Coming. Two seconds.

She’s a liar and I know this, but I don’t say anything. I set up my radio, play with the navigation, and adjust the colors of the interior lighting while I wait. Two seconds is actually ten minutes, and by the time she comes out the door, I’m annoyed. Mainly because there is nothing else for me to play with in my car. I get out of the car as she raises her brows and takes in my bright yellow Mustang.

“Aw, Ash, I didn’t take you for the kind of guy that needed a car like this to make up for your small penis.”

My grin falls, and I glare. “Rude.”

She looks the car over and then glances back to me. “Trying to be the broke-down version of Shia LaBeouf with this Bumblebee-looking monstrosity?”

“Get it out now. Please,” I say, waving my hands to her.

She fights back a grin as she looks at my badass Mustang. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing her volleyball jacket since she’s coming from practice. Her purse hangs loosely on her arm, and when her gaze meets mine, I wait for it. “You know you won’t make it in Fast and Furious, right? No matter what you do in your audition video.”

“I was going to flex, show off my muscles.”

She nods. “Exactly. You won’t make it.”

“You’re crazy. This car is a total babe magnet.”

She perks a brow. “If you need a car to draw babes to you, you need to reevaluate life.”

I laugh as I walk around, opening her door. She looks over at me and then holds out her hand to the door. “See, this attracts the babes.”

I scoff. “Who said you were a babe?”

She cracks up. “Good one.”

“Well, you’ve come at me with an arsenal of insults.”

She beams up at me as she sits down in the black seat. “I’ve been thinking of them since your mom sent me the picture of you and DumbleDee here.”

I glare as I pet my car. “Hey, his name is Rocket. Be nice. He has feelings.”

Ally scoffs. “Naming your car after your penis won’t make it grow.”

“Wow.”

“I know. That was off the top of my head,” she says happily, and I roll my eyes exaggeratedly as I shut her door on her laughter.

Once I’m in the car, I back up, and she’s on her phone texting. I’m pretty sure I know who she is texting, but I don’t want to actually know. So, I don’t ask. When she tucks her phone into her purse, I feel her gaze on me as I turn out of the dorm parking lot. “I’m worried about Angie.”