Chapter Ten
Elena
Anicedcoffeewasset down on the small table beside me. Moments later, a big body overtook the rocking chair on the other side. Because that was what Lachlan did—he overtook.
Barely sparing the man or the coffee a glance, I continued reading my newspaper. My feet were kicked up, resting on the porch railing. In this position, and in my smallest sleep shorts, the bottom curve of my ass was on display.
I’d known he’d show. As soon as my head cleared from the copious amounts of weed I’d smoked last night, I was certain Lachlan would spoil my Sunday morning ritual.
That was when I’d decided to wear my skimpiest pajamas. If he was going to force his presence on me, I’d make it as painful for him as possible. He might not like me, but my ass was another story. The man definitely appreciated my ass.
“Elena.” He rumbled my name impatiently, as if I owed him my attention. “I brought you coffee.”
Curling the newspaper inward, I peered around the condensation-covered cup, nodded, and went back to reading. Lachlan’s chest sounded like there was a rockslide going on inside it.
“Elena.” This time, he barked my name, almost like a command. Goose bumps prickled my arms. All I could do was hope he didn’t notice. I’d be damned if he knew the way his dominance affected me.
I repeated the action, curling my paper, peering at Lachlan this time, nodded, then went back to reading. A second later, the newspaper was snatched out of my hands.
“Stop ignoring me,” he ordered. “I came to apologize to you.”
I frowned at the paper crumpled in his fist. “This apology would be a lot more convincing if you weren’t barking my name and snatching my newspaper.”
His fingers slowly opened and he smoothed the crinkled paper, folding it neatly in half. He didn’t give it back to me, though. He held it hostage in his lap instead.
“I’m sorry for what you heard last night. It was completely out of line.”
I let his apology hang for a while as I stared at my toes. They were nice. My pinkie toes were just a little crooked, which I’d decided long ago gave my feet character. Sometimes, I thought about selling pictures of my feet to pervs online just to see how much I could get. But then I’d have to live with the knowledge that foot fetishists would have the privilege of masturbating to my adorable toes until the end of the world, and that was too much to even contemplate.
Enough time had gone by that Lachlan was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. I finally gave him my attention. There was a gash and a purple bruise under his eye.
I pointed to it. “What happened?”
He took his time answering me, letting his eyes trail over my bare legs and arms before landing on mine. His mouth curved at the corners.
Lachlan Kelly was smirking at me. I braced myself for what was to come.
“We don’t talk about fight club, right?” He held up a thick finger. “First, and most important, rule.”
Oh, balls.
He thought he was so clever, throwing my own quip back at me. I was unimpressed.
“You know, you’re terrible at apologizing.”
His exhale was heavy. His eyes trailed over my legs again. “Julien threw his half-full beer can at me last night.”
“Did he? Oh, Julien is getting another free year of rent.” Laughter tore out of me. I would have paid to see that. “What did you do to deserve that?”
Lachlan’s fingers curled around the ends of the rocking chair armrests. “I spoke out of turn about his friend. Said something I shouldn’t have. Something that wasn’t deserved. I have no excuse, so I won’t offer one. Nothing like that will happen again.”
“It wasn’t a surprise, you know.” I dropped my legs from the rail and crossed them. Lachlan’s eyes followed my movement before snapping back up to mine.
“What wasn’t?” he gruffed.
“That you think of me that way. You made your opinion clear when you made me a dirty little secret, Lachlan.” Elbow on my knee, I rested my chin on my fist. “I suppose Iwassurprised how comfortable you felt trashing me in front of our mutual friends. Do you think they keep me around for my stunning good looks? Or would it boggle your mind that they actually like me?”
“A lot of things about you boggle my mind, Elsa, but not that people like you.” He rubbed his chin while perusing my legs without an ounce of shame. “What did you mean about Julien’s rent?”