“Can I come in? Please?” he asked politely and as much as she wanted to be a bitch and say no, she couldn’t. Stepping aside, she motioned for him to come in.
And that’s when her food was delivered.
Thanking the driver, she took her dinner and walked back into the house and found Daniel in her kitchen setting up whatever it was that he brought with him on the table.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but…” She held up her bag.
“So now we have a variety,” he replied as he continued to set up.
She didn’t want a variety and she didn’t want to eat with him. What she did want was to let out a primal scream before sitting back down to watch her damn documentary while eating dumplings and moo shu.
Daniel straightened and studied her. “I’m sorry about this morning,” he began, his voice quiet but firm. “I was an ass and I spoke without thinking. You have every right to be angry with me, but I’d really like the chance to make it up to you. Please. I picked up Chinese food and I think I got your favorites…”
Oh, no…
“Um…dumplings and that shrimp dish with the pancakes, right?” This time when he looked at her, he looked a little uncertain. “Did I remember that right? You mentioned it when we got takeout the other night.”
Dammit. He paid attention. Most guys didn’t and she was kind of a pushover for ones who did.
Like him.
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “You definitely got it right.” Then she held up her bag again. “Guess what’s in here?”
He held out a chair for her as he took the bag from her hands. “Come on, sit down. Tell me where the plates are and I’ll get them.”
“No need. It’s just easier for me to do it.” He followed her around the kitchen and took things from her hands and carried them to the table. Before she could sit down, though, she needed to go shut off the TV.
“What were you watching?”
“Just a documentary on Netflix. I can finish it another time.” Part of her wanted to suggest they watch it while they eat, but she knew they needed to talk more than anything.
And she dreaded it.
Cautiously, she sat down and made herself a plate while Daniel did the same. They made small talk about the food before things got serious.
“I can’t say that I’m comfortable with the arrangement you have with Tyler or why anyone would go to such extremes for a job,” he began, “however, I do respect your loyalty to a friend.” After letting out a long breath, he met her gaze. “I have no idea how this is all going to play out, Josie, but I’d really like a chance to see where things go between you and me. Last night was amazing and so was every other time we spent together. I’d hate it if that was all we had and if I ruined things this morning.”
It was everything she’d wanted him to say and yet…it didn’t put her mind at ease. “I didn’t appreciate you putting me down like that,” she admitted, placing her fork down. “I’ll admit that the whole thing is a little unorthodox, but…no one was supposed to know about it. It was just something between me and Ty.”
He nodded solemnly. “I know. I get that.” There was a small pause before he continued. “Have you talked to him about…this? Us?”
“No,” she whispered sadly. “But in my defense, up until last night, I wasn’t sure how much of an us there was. For all I knew, last night was all it was going to be.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked, his voice low and gruff.
Josie hated how she was going to have to be the one to answer that first.
“No. No it’s not all I want,” she told him. “But everything’s so messed up, Daniel. I’m not sure…”
His hand captured hers as he interrupted her. “It’s not all that I want, either. Josie, you have to know that I truly regret the way things went this morning, but you also have to know how much I struggled with how I felt about you for the last few weeks. It bothered me that I was essentially lusting after my brother’s fiancée! I had no idea how to even face him! Even now, I’m not sure what it is we’re supposed to do.”
She hadn’t even allowed herself to think about that because as of this morning, she was convinced they were through and Tyler never needed to know. But now…
“Be honest,” she said and hated how she didn’t feel a hundred percent confident with her words. “I think Ty deserves to know and we all figure something out.”
“Or…” he began and then immediately closed his mouth.
“Look, I get it, okay? I’ve told Ty that I changed my mind–multiple times, mind you–and he’s being a little difficult about the whole thing.” She sighed. “I’m not going to lie to you, Daniel, I’d still do this to help him, but you have to know that it means nothing. It has nothing to do with me and you.”
He nodded again. “It’s still very weird, Josie. You have to realize that.”
“I know,” she said softly, loving the feel of his large hand wrapped around hers. “I really do, and believe me, if I could go back in time and change things with Ty, I would. I never would have agreed to this. I never should have agreed to this.” She let out another long breath. “I just need to get him to listen to reason and pray that his bosses don’t punish him for all of this.”
“Relationships end all the time,” he reminded her. “So maybe you guys drag this engagement out until the promotion is a sure thing.”
Josie knew her eyes were essentially bugging out. “Are you serious? You’d be okay with that?”
His laugh wasn’t exactly full of amusement. “Honestly? I’m not sure I’m okay with any of it. It’s the most messed up thing I’ve ever been involved with and there’s going to have to be a conversation with my parents because you know they’re under the impression that what you and my brother have is real.”
Yeah, that definitely complicated things and she didn’t trust Tyler to handle it.
When she didn’t respond right away, he added, “Of course, that may mean that we have to sneak around for a while and stay under the radar.” He shrugged. “You know, if we can’t exactly pin Tyler down and tell him what’s going on.”
Was it wrong that she found that a little titillating and wanted to crawl across the table to him?
Oh God…what is wrong with me?!
“Um…”
“How about for tonight, we say that those are our options and think on them?” he suggested. “Your food’s getting cold.”
Food? He could seriously think about food right now?
They ate for several minutes in companionable silence, but there was still a lot on her mind. “What exactly do you propose I say to Tyler?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Whether or not you’re going to help him.”
A ton of tension immediately left her because of that wording. He wasn’t asking–or telling–her that she had to tell Tyler no. He was leaving the option up to her.
“I just need to be sure…”
“Josie,” he said softly, reaching for her hand again. “I get it. It’s okay.” Then he shook his head. “Do you think he’ll be honest with you about it?”
That…wasn’t what she was expecting.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…is he genuinely listening to you when you talk to him about your concerns or is he being…manipulative?”
It shouldn’t surprise her that Daniel would know this. After all, he and Tyler were brothers. But because of that relationship, she felt a little weird ratting Tyler out for being such a huge tool lately.
“Um…”
As if reading her mind, he grinned. “He’s my brother and I love him, but…I don’t really know him. At least not the adult version of him. The few times I’ve seen him, he’s been distracted and obsessing about work, so you don’t have to worry about offending me. If he’s an ass, he’s an ass.” He shrugged again.
“Well then…yeah. He’s being an ass. And I hate it because I know that�
��s not who he really is. Whatever this job is doing to him, it’s not for the greater good.” Gasping, she realized what that meant. “Maybe that means getting him fired might actually…help him!” Unable to help herself, she jumped up and climbed into Daniel’s lap and kissed him. “That’s the answer!”
It was hard to stay focused while Josie was squirming in his lap and kissing him, but…he was kind of confused. “What…what do you…mean…that’s the answer?” he asked between kisses. His hands were resting on her ass and he squeezed lightly to get her attention.
“This job is making him be such a jerk so getting him fired could possibly be the best thing for him! All this time I’ve been thinking that I had to help him keep his job, but maybe what I truly need is to help him lose it! Then he’ll go back to being the great guy and awesome friend he’s been for the last few years!” She was kissing his jaw, her hands raking through his hair and the last thing Daniel wanted to be thinking about was his brother, but…
“I get what you’re saying, but…” Pausing, he claimed her lips with his because he couldn’t wait another second to taste her. It was wild and needy, but he pulled back to finish his thought. “Maybe we need to delve a little deeper into that before making that decision for him, okay?”
Josie nodded, slowly grinding against him and he knew the conversation was over. Right now, he no longer cared about his brother’s job or dinner or anything except peeling those clingy black yoga pants down her legs, sprawling her out on the table, and having her for dinner.
They could easily reheat their food later, but the heat she was generating right now needed to be dealt with right away.
One arm banded around her waist as Daniel came to his feet, kicking the chair out from beneath him. Her legs wrapped around him as her eyes flared with desire.
“We still need to talk,” he ground out as she looked around for where to take them, “but later.”
She nodded again and pointed to the living room. There was a large sectional that would be perfect for their needs.
As soon as her back hit the cushions, Daniel reached for the waistband of her pants and made quick work of peeling them off along with her panties. Meanwhile, Josie did the honors of taking her own shirt off. She was naked and beautiful and so damn sexy that he was shaking with the need to touch her.
“Nuh-uh,” she said huskily as she sat up and snaked her hands under his shirt. “We need to get you naked too.”
Far be it from him to stop her.
His shirt went flying as he kicked off his shoes. Josie was up on her knees, her hands roaming over his chest and he swore he was suddenly all thumbs as he tried to get his jeans off. She playfully smacked his hands away as she worked the button and zipper for him and then her hands smoothed down over his ass as she pushed the fabric down over his hips.
Then he took care of the rest after giving her a small shove to send her sprawling back for him.
One hand skimmed up her calf, over her knee, up her thigh before he moved over her, covering her body with his. “I really did come over here to talk,” he murmured before sighing at the skin-to-skin contact. Josie was soft and warm all over and the feel of her under him was the closest thing to heaven he’d ever felt.
“I know,” she said breathlessly, desperately trying to kiss him. “I really like the way you talk.”
He knew she was teasing, but it was also important that she realize she meant more to him than this–more than just sex and pleasure.
When she went to touch him, he grabbed her hands and anchored them above her head. Her eyes went wide, and she let out a soft gasp at the sudden move. For a moment he was nervous that he hurt her, but when those perfect pink lips smiled up at him, he was lost.
“I mean it, Josie,” he growled. “I think you know how much I enjoy sex with you, but what I came here for was to make things right.” Resting his forehead against hers, he added, “Tell me I’m forgiven.”
Beneath him, she writhed slightly as her expression turned serious. “If I hadn’t forgiven you, we wouldn’t be here like this. I swear.”
“Okay then.” A slow smile spread across his face–like the hunter who finally captured his prey. “No more talking.”
She gave him a small pout. “Not even dirty talk?”
This girl…
Daniel pretended to think about it for all of three seconds. “You can talk dirty to me all you want, but my mouth is about to be otherwise engaged.”
A breathy sigh was her only response as he began to fiercely kiss his way down her body.
Things were wild, fast, and frantic after that. There was no finesse, no seduction. It was all heat and need, a whole lot of dirty talk, and over way too soon.
And neither seemed to care.
When Daniel was finally able to lift his head, he was breathless and sweaty but the only way to roll off her was to roll onto the floor. So he sat up and moved away from her, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. Josie, however, sat up and gave him another searing kiss before she stood up.
“I’m going to go grab my robe because the thought of putting clingy stuff back on is just…yuck.” She leaned in and kissed him again. “Why don’t you get semi-dressed and move our dinner in here so we can watch a little TV? We can reheat the plates in the microwave.” With one last kiss, she scampered from the room, giving him a great view on her way out.
With nothing left to do, he stood and pulled his boxer briefs back on and decided that was enough for now. In the kitchen he took turns heating up their dishes and carrying them to the living room before grabbing them fresh drinks. He had just sat back down on the sofa when Josie breezed back in wearing a pale pink satin robe. She’d pulled her hair up into a ponytail and she was looking very relaxed as she sat down beside him.
And yeah, she kissed him again.
He’d never dated a woman who loved to kiss the way Josie did, and Daniel was finding that he enjoyed it.
A lot.
When they broke apart, she reached for the remote. “Don’t laugh, but…I sort of went with a little whimsy tonight.”
“Whimsy?”
She nodded. “A documentary on some of my favorite Disney movies. I’m only about twenty minutes in and I don’t mind starting over because I wasn’t really paying attention, so…is that okay?”
With a low chuckle, he said, “It’s fine.” Then he handed over her plate before taking his own and they sat back on the sofa and relaxed. The food was good, the documentary was interesting, and once they were done eating, Josie curled up next to him and rested her head in his lap and it was pretty damn fantastic.
So this is what contentment feels like…
It was such a random thought and yet…it was true. For years he’d been in the military and led a very regimented life. He did what he was told and followed orders and never gave much thought to his own personal happiness. He had intense pride for what he did during his years of service, but it wasn’t the same. What he was feeling right now with Josie was something he’d never felt before.
And it was almost as scary as any mission he’d gone on as a SEAL.
Forcing those thoughts aside, Daniel put his focus on the documentary. One hand gently combed through Josie’s hair while the other caressed her arm. Every once in a while, he heard her hum softly and it made him feel good.
And maybe made him feel like he redeemed himself a little after their rough morning.
When the credits started rolling, Josie turned her head and looked up at him with a sleepy smile. “I know it’s kind of early, but…would you mind if we watched something up in bed?”
“You…you want me to stay?” he asked quietly as he caressed her face.
“I do,” she whispered. “And not just because I’m still a little scared to be sleeping here.”
That made him laugh. “You’re fine and I’d love to stay.” Together, they rose from the couch and cleaned up their dinner dishes. He watched as Josie moved around the kitchen wiping every single
surface down–even though they hadn’t touched most of them. The room was thoroughly clean and sanitized by the time she turned off the light. Holding out her hand to him, she led him toward the stairs.
“Can you double check all the doors and the alarm, please?”
“Of course. You go up and I’ll be there in a minute.” Then he watched as she walked up the steps and admired the soft sway of her hips in pink satin.
Walking around the entire downstairs, Daniel checked the doors and windows and armed the alarm. He grabbed the rest of his clothes before heading up to Josie’s bedroom. It was the first time he was seeing it and he had a feeling it was going to be like something out of some design catalog based on the rest of the house.
And he was right.
The entire room was extremely feminine–lots of ivory and soft pinks. There was a chandelier over the king size bed with a pale pink tufted headboard. The lighting was soft and the woman lying in the middle of the bed looked even softer. He felt comically out of place in there, but it wasn’t enough of a deterrent to make him leave. In front of the windows were two upholstered chairs and he carefully placed his clothes on top of one of them before sliding under the blankets with her.
And holy hell was the bed comfortable. He moaned with pleasure as he got comfortable.
“It’s a great bed,” she said quietly as she moved in close to his side. “I’m a bit of a bed snob and did a lot of research before I bought it. Then I did even more research on the sheets and pillows.” Grinning up at him, she added, “I take my sleep very seriously.”
Smiling, he placed a kiss on top of her head. “I can tell, and I also appreciate it because this is a little decadent.”
“It definitely is. I hate getting out of it every morning, but then I look forward to crawling back into it every night. I swear, most nights I go to sleep with a smile on my face because I love this room so much.”
They lay there wrapped around each other for several minutes before he spoke. “I’ve spent so many years not thinking about my personal comfort that I wonder if I ever will. Everything’s been about function. You saw my place–there are places to sit, places to sleep, but there’s nothing decorative about it.”
You May Kiss the Groomsman Page 15