Page 30 of Roughing
“Great. A little timid, but she’ll learn. Thank you for taking her in. My living arrangements make it impossible for me to offer her a place. Aspen and I appreciate you stepping forward. You won’t be sorry. She’s a sweet, kind person. Completely trustworthy.”
“Could I get a drink?” yelled a patron from across the room. Briggs turned in his seat to scowl at the man, who immediately lowered his head and refused to make eye contact with the burly defenseman.
“Gotta go. I’ll get those drinks as soon as I take care of that gentleman.” Leila hurried away.
“Rude bastard,” Briggs muttered, still glaring at said bastard.
“If you keep pinning him with your steely gaze, he’s going to pee his pants.”
“My steely gaze?” A ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
“Is the indomitable Briggs Pierce actually smiling?”
He shook his head.
I rolled my eyes and gave him my best fake bitch glare. He wasn’t affected in the least. Leila returned with our drinks and took our food order. Briggs always ordered the same thing, a bacon burger with a salad.
“Have you ever considered diversifying your food choices?”
“Nope,” he said smugly and lifted the beer to his lips.
“You’re infuriating.”
“So are you.”
I didn’t know whether to be insulted or to laugh, so I did neither. In another time and place, we would’ve argued and ended up in bed having makeup sex. I knew how to deal with that Briggs.
This Briggs was different, still surly at times, still noncommunicative, but I’d give him points for trying to be better in subtle ways he probably didn’t think anyone noticed. He’d been kind to Heidi last night. I’d seen a softer, gentler side of him when he’d taken such care not to scare her.
This slight shift in Briggs’s attitude had me daring to reconsider who he was to me, but I wasn’t ready to trust him enough to go there yet.
ChapterEleven
SCREAM IN THE DARK
~~Briggs~~
Michella looked good enough to eat.
As much as I loved my bacon burgers, I’d much rather feast on her any day of the week. Only we were currently in the friend zone.
One thing I did know. I’d do almost anything she wanted to be around her, and that was fucking pathetic. I kept expecting this obsession with Michella to eventually pass, but it didn’t. I hadn’t looked at other women since I met her. She was a tough act to follow, especially in bed, and no one else came close.
Unfortunately, she wanted me to open up more. I wasn’t that kind of guy. I kept my feelings bottled inside and my cards close to my chest. I didn’t gush about my feelings or shit like that. I’d been closemouthed before my grandfather and sister had died. That was who I was.
She’d invited me for a drink tonight, but I’d be smart not to read too much into it. Michella struggled to hold something in. She’d been literally bouncing off the walls these past few minutes.
“Is something going on?” I caught her quick glance of surprise at my question. I didn’t talk about my feelings and rarely asked others about theirs.
“I have great news.” Michella bubbled over with excitement. She drummed her fingers on the table and tapped one foot on the rung of the bar chair.
“What?” I leaned forward and wrapped both hands around my beer, drinking in her beautiful face, currently animated with excitement. Her big sparkling brown eyes always made my body react, and tonight was no exception. As hard as I tried to resist, I wanted her. Other than hockey, she occupied my thoughts too much for someone who’s only supposed to be a friend. Of course, that was her idea, not mine.
“My agency has been hired to investigate Pria Evans’s disappearance, and Carla wants my help.”
“That’s wonderful.” I was genuinely happy for Michella. “Pria, is she the one that was last seen in this bar?”
“Yes, she is. They’ve never found her body, but it’s suspected she’s a victim of the Rose City Killer.” Thinking of Pria sobered her somewhat.
