Chapter Thirteen
Alfie
I laid in bed for what felt like forever that next morning. I’d decided sometime during the long night to just take off for the day. I wanted to spend time with Molly and honestly felt a bit off about what had happened between us.
It seemed that a day of normality caused me to think deeper and harder into our love making a few nights before. I was a little surprised to find her in the kitchen when I pulled myself out of bed that next morning. That she had whipped up crepes and done them beautifully was even more of a surprise. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had them.
The smell was beyond heavenly. “Wow.” I walked in as she turned and looked over her shoulder. “I swear you’re going to spoil me before you leave me.”
“Leave you?” She laughed and turned back to the stove. “I should think you would be thrilled to have me out of your hair.”
I moved up beside her and pressed my shoulder against her. “You think wrong then. For such a well-educated woman, you sure are struggling with the basic signs of a man enjoying the company of a woman.”
She turned to face me and lifted her eyebrow as her cheeks burned pink. It took all of the reserves I had inside of me not to reach out and pull her close. Kissing her soft lips and cupping her perfect ass would have been the right start to my day.
But she was struggling, and rightly so. Maybe I was too, a bit, but I’d never admit it. Not even to myself.
“Speaking of a man enjoying a woman, I met Priscilla yesterday in the bakery on the main street in town.” She turned back to the stove. “She’s interesting.”
“She’s a slut.” I turned and walked to the coffee pot, hating where the conversation was headed. If I’d had a budding erection before, it was dying fast. “She played me and Harry against one another and then threw a fit when we wouldn’t tag-team fuck her in University. She’s not at all the type of woman I’d let into my life again.”
“But you did once?” Her innocence caused my anxiety to wane. She didn’t deserve me attacking her in lieu of being able to get to Priscilla.
“She acted like a different girl. Harry and I dated her at the same time, but honestly, we didn’t realize it. I was a bit of a man-whore back then before I decided there was more to life than lust.” I shrugged and poured myself a cup of coffee. “Next subject, as this one leaves me wanting to put my fist through a wall. The woman is vile, and I’ll request that you stay away from her. If she knows who you are, she’ll not—”
“I’m pretty sure she does.” Molly handed me a plate and nodded toward the table. “I have a few different jams and jellies over there. Enjoy.”
“Where are you going? I took the day off in hopes that we could spend it together.” I gave her a sheepish smile. “Just as friends, of course.”
“Well, this friend needs a shower.” She winked playfully and turned to walk upstairs.
I grabbed my phone and sat down at the table with my plate, a little overwhelmed by how delicious the meal looked. This woman could steal my heart if she tried a little. But good for her for putting a barrier between us. Things were already moving too damn fast.
I drummed my fingers anxiously on the table in front of me. It’d been years since Priscilla and Harry had been officially together, but there was no doubt in my mind that Harry had carried on a relationship with Priscilla behind Molly’s back. Even though I had this feeling in the back of my mind, I had hoped I was just being crazy. I couldn’t have predicted that he was actually going to hurt Molly the way he had.
I was partially surprised that the boisterous blonde had yet to call me. That always seemed to be a habit of hers—to call me when I had no idea what was going on. Harry had always assured me that nothing ever happened between them after their break up before meeting Molly, but every single bit of Priscilla’s harsh and angry exclamations made sense.
It didn’t help my nerves either knowing that Priscilla had most likely called Harry to let him know that Molly was still in Devon. It was only a matter of time before someone said something to him.
I dialed Priscilla’s number with a sigh. There was only one way to know for sure, and that was to ask Priscilla.
She answered on the third ring. “Hello? To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“It’s Alfie,” I said, not bothering with pleasantries. “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute about something that I know you have the answer to.”
“You’re right. I do have the answer to your question.”
The smugness in Priscilla’s voice set me on edge. “What’s my question then, lass?”
“You want to know if I’ve been in contact with Harry,” she said, eerily calm. “The answer is yes. Why, we just spoke this morning. It cut into my beauty rest, but a girl’s gotta help out those that help her most.”
Shit. I ran a hand through my hair with an irritated sigh.
“And I assume the conversation was about you seeing me with Molly?”
“Molly? Is that her name?” She snorted. “She really doesn’t fit in too well here, Alfie. And what are you doing harboring Harry’s ex? Wasn’t the wedding just a few days ago?”
“You haven’t grown up a bit, have you? You’re still just a little girl, clamoring for anyone’s attention. You should have yourself checked, love. That clamoring leaves its mark from time to time in the way of a disease.” I smirked, loving how quickly we moved from subtleties to stabbing at each other as hard and fast as we could. Bitch.
“Harry just left my flat,” Priscilla continued on. “Would you like me to deliver a message to him, Alfie?”
“No,” I responded, sharply. “I was just wondering if you knew he was around Devon still.”
“Well, from what I understand, he has been searching for his ex-fiancée, Molly. The dumb broad left a good man for us other ladies to pick up.” She laughed shrilly into the phone, and my fingers curled into fists to contain my temper. “He has some unfinished business with her and someone else. Wouldn’t tell me who, but—”
“Thanks, Priscilla,” I cut in, rolling my eyes in exasperation. “You’re always a great help.”
I hung up before she could say anything else. Unfinished business. Harry was never the type of man to make physical threats, but that was the old Harry I had once known. I had no idea who this new Harry was or what he was capable of doing exactly.
The floorboards above the kitchen groaned—a sign that Molly was out of the shower. It hit me in the gut then that to keep our lives drama free as possible, she would need to hide out somewhere else in Devon besides my house. I didn’t need the headache of dealing with Harry, and nor did Molly.
I got up and walked to the base of the stairs. “Molly?”
She walked out in a towel, her dark hair wet and hanging down her back. “Yeah?”
“Fuck, you look good.” I glanced down and took a shaky breath. Hitting on her was one thing, but I was simply telling the truth. “Look, Priscilla is most likely going to make a few waves for you, for us.”
“How’s that?” She reached for the banister and watched me closely.
A knock behind me caused me to stiffen. It wasn’t pleasant or friendly. Someone was at the front door, and he or she was pissed. “By telling Harry that you’re here.”
“Shit,” she mumbled.
I turned and walked to the door as anger burned through the center of my chest. I’d been a reckless asshole back in Uni, and I wasn’t happy about having to resort back to being that guy, but he was still very much a part of me. If he was needed…I’d pull him out.
Standing on the other side of the door was a man I thought I would always be close to. The glare on his face and anger in his eyes let me know that if there was anything remaining in our friendship before the wedding, it was gone now.
“Harry,” I stated plainly.
“Where is she?” he growled and balled his hands into fists.
“She’s inside, and that’s where she’s staying.” I walked out and closed the door behind me. “Back up, or I’ll force you back.” I let my voice drop to a place where Harry would know right away not to fuck with me.
“How dare you. Both of you,” he yelled as he pointed at me. The fucker was lucky he was far enough away that his finger wasn’t pressed into my chest. I’d have broken it without blinking an eye.
“How dare we? What exactly did we do? Because if I recall, you fucked around on your bride the night before the wedding, and that’s not the first time you did it.”
“Who are you to judge me? You fucked around on every woman you dated back in school. I was a saint compared to your sick ass.” His face was blistering red, and he had spittle forming at the sides of his mouth.
“And I’ve grown up.” I took a step toward him. “You aren’t the good man you once were, and I’m not the piece of shit I was. We traded positions obviously.”
“Move. I’m going in to talk to Molly. I don’t have to do this shit with you.”
I laughed and lifted my hands to the side and I glanced around at my property. “I’m pretty sure this is my land, mate. My house. Mine.” I growled the last word to let him know good and damn well that Molly just might be mine too. I reminded myself to double check the damn security of the place. There was something busted obviously if the bastard could make it to the door without assistance.
“That’s it.” Harry moved toward me, but he’d always been a little smaller and lacked heart in a fight.
“Excellent.” I swung and hit him in the face so hard it knocked him back. Blood poured from his nose, but I didn’t relent. Reaching down, I grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him back toward his car before pulling him up just beside it to punch him in the face a few more times. “Stay away from her. She’s a good woman, and the minute she’s done with her holiday, she’s going home. If I hear you came near her again, today will look like a joyride, asshole.”
Harry slumped down by the car, bitching at me about being a horrible friend and a complete whore. It didn’t matter. Nothing did but protecting her from the idiot.
I walked back into the house to find her standing there, her eyes wide in shock and face so incredibly pale. Something red caught my attention, and I glanced down to see my knuckles busted and blood dripping on the floor.
“Shit,” I muttered and walked to the kitchen.
She followed after me. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. Never. I’m stronger and faster than him.” I dropped down into a chair as my adrenaline pumped through my veins.
“You didn’t have to do that.” The sweetness in her voice combined with the way she looked at me left my cock growing hard. I wanted to be someone’s hero…especially hers.
“Yes, I did.” I lifted my hand, and she moved in to wrap it up. She was so tender and loving toward me that I was temporarily blinded with the need to belong to her. My life was lonely, if I were being honest with myself, and I was weary from it.
Her standing in front of me, her robe pulled open at the top and hair a wet mess, left me wanting to play house.
“Alfie.” She finished wrapping my hand up and reached down to touch the side of my face. “What you did…” Tears filled her eyes, and she choked up.
“Was the right thing to do.” I slid my good hand up her thigh and brushed my thumb over her mound as I nodded. Fuck. She was still naked under her robe.
“Come here. I want you. Don’t deny me,” I grumbled and gave her a look that said I wasn’t asking for anything. I was demanding it.
“No. I couldn’t.” She straddled me on the chair and wrapped her arms around me, leaning in and kissing me in a way that branded me forever. I had to have her as my own.
But how?