Page 48 of Roughing
I was still pondering what Nolan meant to my security on the team when I returned home.
The morning had started out like a dream come true and now… My brain refocused on Michella and me, which seemed almost as tenuous a subject as Nolan and me.
What did I do about Michella? What were my next steps? Where did we go from here?
I expected Michella to back off and either disappear or return to the friend zone, but I couldn’t have been more surprised when I walked into the lobby of our building.
Michella and Remi sat at a table playing cards. I paused and took in the sight of my woman, and I did think of her like that, with a child. I’d never imagined Michella with children in any capacity, and the force of the vision hit me like a blow to the gut. Her radiant smile lit up this outdated room as she talked animatedly to Remi.
When she saw me, Remi grinned and leaped to her feet. She gave me the usual leg hug. “Mr. Biggs! Come meet my new friend.” She led me over to Michella. I ignored her surprise. She hadn’t expected me to make friends with a child any more than I’d expected her to. We each had layers the other hadn’t seen yet.
“Mr. Biggs, do you know Shel?”
“I do.” We locked gazes over Remi’s head.
“We’re playing cards. Do you want to play?” She tugged on my hand, and I let her lead me to the table. I winked at Michella, and she met my gaze with a curt nod. A wicked grin took over my face. We weren’t playing this game. We’d had more than epic sex last night, and I wasn’t letting her slip out of my grasp, but I would give her space if she needed it.
“Sure,” I said, anything to spend more time with Michella.
We played a couple hands, and Remi kicked our butts. I had flashes of Michella and myself playing with our own children, laughing and teasing each other. I balked at the thought of having children, yet the images weren’t as terrifying as expected. In fact, they were oddly comforting.
“I should be going.” I tested the waters by standing and stretching. As much as I wanted to stick around and talk to Michella, the next move was on her end of the ice.
“Remi, I’ll see you later. I have a meeting with Mr. Biggs.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and my grin spread from ear to ear.
“Later, Remi,” I said, waving as Michella and I walked to the elevator. Once the elevator doors closed, I turned and reached for her. She held up a hand to stop me, and my smile slid off my face. Had I read her wrong? I’d been hoping for an encore presentation of last night, and she might have the opposite in mind.
“I’m surprised you’re not at work.” I covered the awkwardness with a stupid question. It was after five, though Michella often worked longer hours.
“I was. I’ll be going back later, but first, we need to talk.”
“I can’t imagine why.” My natural penchant for sarcasm was hard to control at times. We were going to have that dreaded “we need to talk” conversation, and I wasn’t in any hurry to have her dump me for a second time.
“I pride myself on being direct, but when it comes to relationships, my usual MO after a night like last night is the opposite. I get overwhelmed, and I disappear.”
“You did disappear this morning.”
We stepped out of the elevator together. I unlocked my door and held it open. She tossed her coat on a barstool and made herself at home. I poured two glasses of ice water and placed them on the coffee table. Knowing if I sat by her, we’d end up making out, I took a seat in the chair instead.
Michella watched me over the rim of her glass. I tried to second-guess what she might say, but I couldn’t decipher her expression.
“How long have you known Remi?”
Okay, that hit me out of left field. I hadn’t expected to talk about the mysterious little girl who spends half her time in the lobby. “Ever since I’ve lived here. A few months, I guess. And you?”
“I’m not a big kid person. I’d seen her in the lobby a few times, but I hadn’t really talked to her until today while I was waiting for you.”
“You were waiting for me?” I perked up, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
“Yeah, we’ll get to that part. About Remi…I’m concerned.”
“She’s okay. Her uncle watches out for her.”
“Is that all you know?”
“Her mom works a lot, and Hal babysits in the evenings. I guess the building manager doesn’t mind.”
“Don’t you think that’s weird?”
