Alpha's Irresistible Neighbor
By: J.P. ComeauI dropped the bag and started rifling through my shirt drawer. “If I start my digging and come to find that this isn’t as difficult or as personal as Gunther’s making it out to be, can you stop? Do you, Mikael Johnston, have the capability of putting all of this behind you and moving forward if it turns out he’s doing nothing more than pulling your strings one last time?”
And again, he didn’t hesitate, which was a very good sign.
“What the hell do you think I’m trying to do, Detective Walker? All of this is for closure. All of this is for my family so that we can have answers as to why this man felt like he had the right to turn our lives upside down.”
So, I pulled my t-shirt over my head and set my sights on Peachland.
Because I knew I wasn’t coming back home for the foreseeable future.
2
Dannika
Present Day
“Where’s my cousin!?”
I slammed the front double doors open of Mikael’s house while my car and all of my belongings chilled in the middle of their pristine white driveway. The slamming of the doors echoed through their gigantic foyer, and I heard crystals tinkling out a little song above my head. I raised my gaze, taking stock of the gorgeous chandelier that decorated the ceiling of their entryway.
Then, I sniffed the air.
“I can smell that cheap-ass cologne a mile away, Mikael. Where are you hiding!?”
He came bouncing down the stairs and wrapped me up in a tight hug. “You wish you could still tease me about stealing Dad’s aftershave.”
I wiggled out of his grip and tossed my arms around his neck. “Give me a real hug, you jerk.”
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, hugging. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure if Mikael and I had ever hugged like that. We had grown up with one another, living maybe two blocks from each other our entire childhood. That is, until he packed up and started working in Miami. Then, I hardly saw him.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered.
He buried his face into the crook of my neck. “Thank you for coming. This wedding is overwhelming us both.”
Then, Penny emerged from the kitchen. “I thought that was you!”
My jaw dropped at how gorgeous she looked with her little baby bump. “Oh, my God! Penny!”
After squealing so hard in Mikael’s ear that I was sure I made the man deaf, I tore out of his embrace and raced through the foyer. I collected Penny into my arms, holding her close as her little baby bump pressed right into my abdomen.
And when that little baby kicked, I gasped.
“Oh. My. God. Did you feel that?” I asked.
Penny giggled as she rubbed her stomach. “I feel everything, at this point.”
I dropped to my knees and cupped her tummy. “Hello there, little one. Hi. How are you? Are you doing okay? Don’t give Mommy any trouble now, all right? Auntie Dani’s here, and I don’t put up with that kind of shit.”
Penny cackled. “We should probably get the language under control before the baby arrives.”
I climbed back onto my feet. “Hey, I read an article somewhere that said that people who curse are more honest and knowledgeable than people who don’t.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sure it did.”
I giggled as I took her hands in mine. “You look stunning, Penny. Really.”
She groaned. “I feel like a butterball turkey, though.”
“You do taste pretty good,” Mikael said.
“Uh, no. You keep all of those comments to yourself, ya nasty,” I said as I pointed at him.
Penny snickered. “You don’t taste so bad yourself, handsome.”
I cupped my hands over my ears. “La, la, la, laaaaa! I can’t hear shiiiiit!”
“All right, all right,” Mikael said as he walked over and pulled my hands off my ears, “why don’t we go sit down and eat? I’m sure you’re starving.”
Relief washed over me. “Airport food never cuts it.”
Penny clapped her hands. “Then, you’re in luck, because lunch is just about ready. I’ve got a whole chicken roasting in the oven on top of some vegetables and potatoes.”
My stomach growled. “That. Sounds. Amazing. Lead the way, beautiful.”
