“That didn’t go smoothly.”
“Wasn’t expecting a hug,” Michael replied. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries.” Wesley ran a hand down the front of his shirt. “I’m sorry to turn up like this. I just couldn’t wait any longer.”
Michael glared, leaning on his bicycle. “Seriously, what the hell is going through your mind?”
Wesley shrugged helplessly. “I need to see her.”
“I haven’t talked to Bex yet.”
“You’ve had time.”
Michael scoffed. “Not enough. You didn’t even know Izzy existed until a week ago, and you were perfectly happy with that.” He gripped the handlebars tighter because the alternative was to grab his brother by the collar and shake him. “Do you know how hard I’ve worked to gain Bex’s trust?” he demanded. “Now you show up out of the blue, and it will all go down the drain.”
Wesley folded his arms and adjusted his stance. “I’ve been going out of my mind. I’m sure you can understand that. You’re making this into a bigger deal than it needs to be. It was going to happen eventually.”
Michael closed his eyes. “Not like this. Besides, how do we know there’s not a camera crew on your tail? You’re the head of a political party. You can’t fly under the radar.”
Wesley shrugged. “The camera crew will arrive in a couple of weeks, as planned. Until then, I’m taking a much needed trip into the wilderness, as far as the public knows.”
“It’s winter,” Michael pointed out.
“Eh. Details.” He grinned. “Anyway, you’re awfully protective of Bex. Is there something going on that I should know about?”
After debating the merits of being honest, Michael nodded. “Yes, we’re dating.” He wasn’t going to deny what had grown between them. That would be a disservice to their feelings. He was falling for her.
Wesley’s brow inched up, but he didn’t seem horrified, which had been what Michael expected. “Can’t say I saw that coming.” He gestured toward the house. “Are you going to invite me in?”
“I suppose I have no choice.” He wanted to tell Wesley to get in the car and leave, but he didn’t have the right to do so. As he parked his bicycle and unlocked the house, his heart sank to his shoes. He was going to have to cancel his date with Bex, and he doubted he’d get another.
Bex wavedat Izzy through the car window and tooted her horn twice as she cruised away, leaving her daughter with Lian for a sleepover. Tonight she had the apartment to herself and was planning to finally ravage Michael. Not that she’d told him as much, but she didn’t figure he’d argue. It had been a long, long time since she’d been with a man, and the anticipation was overwhelming. Her insides felt hollow, with swarms of butterflies fluttering inside, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. What if she’d forgotten how to be a good lover? She was well and truly out of practice. But she was determined to give it her best shot, because Michael certainly knew what he was doing, and the kisses they’d shared over the past six weeks had stoked a fire within her.
Her phone rang, and Bex accepted the call, redirecting it to the speaker. “Hi, Michael.” She tried to sound normal, and not like she was imagining getting him naked and licking every muscled part of his body. “I just dropped Izzy off at Lian’s place, so my apartment will be empty tonight.”
Her statement was greeted by a strange, prolonged silence.
“Michael, you there?”
There was a heavy sigh. “Bex, I have to cancel our date.”
“You what?” She must have misheard. The butterflies in her stomach migrated to her chest space.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t make it tonight.”
“Oh.”Oh. My. God.Had she just made a fool of herself? She’d practically invited him over for sex, and he was turning her down.
“Has something come up?” she asked cautiously, not wanting to assume the worst.
“Wesley arrived for an unexpected visit.”
Ah, now his strained voice made sense. A band squeezed around her ribs, and she put a hand on her heart, feeling it race against her palm as she struggled to breathe evenly. “Did you know anything about him coming?”
“No,” he said, all too quickly. “I swear I didn’t.”
She rubbed circles on her chest, trying to massage her heart into a calmer state. “You haven’t talked to him recently?”