by Lori Foster
Ha. So that was their worry? They thought he’d be rushing her off to bed? “Does she do that?” Again he glanced back. He could easily picture her bustling around inside the office. “She struck me as more reserved than that.”
Jack’s brows shot up. “Not that we’ve ever noticed.”
“And in a town this size,” Brodie said with a considering frown, “pretty sure we’d have noticed.”
“Well then, since I don’t go around coercing women, you have nothing to worry about, right?” If Charlotte was willing, he’d be on board with hooking up tonight. Right now, in fact. But everything he’d already learned about her told him that wasn’t about to happen, so why not agree? Keep the peace with them, earn some trust, and make the headway he craved with Charlotte.
The big problem for him? No way did he want them to think they’d forced him to do the right thing. Not when he’d spent most of his life struggling to separate himself from his surroundings by being as honorable as he could be.
“Two weeks, huh?” Definitely...probably, he could manage that.
Charlotte stuck her head out the door again. “Sorry to keep interrupting, but Ros wants to know why you guys are hanging out here in the yard.” This time Charlotte transferred her attention to Mitch. “She also wanted me to ask if you need anything?”
“What a loaded question—” Brodie started to say, until Mitch elbowed him.
Brodie ended with an “Oof.”
Every time he saw her, it seemed Charlotte grew more hair. Throughout the day, those corkscrew curls expanded, going everywhere—and it was downright cute. “I’m good, but thank you.”
With a fleeting smile, she went back in.
“See,” Jack said. “She’s interested too.”
Giving Brodie a look, Mitch replied, “She won’t be if you heckle her every time she speaks to me.”
Brodie’s mouth twitched. “You know that was hard to resist.”
“Here’s the thing.” Mitch crossed his arms and gave them a germane detail. “I’m not about rushing women anyway—something you’d have learned about me eventually, even at the pace I’d set. The problem with your plan is that Charlotte also needs to get to know me. She can’t do that if you make her uncomfortable when I’m around. So here’s a deal—I’ll chill for a few weeks as long as you stop needling her in front of me.”
For a second, both brothers stared at him as if astounded that he had the gall to bargain.
Seriously, he was an interloper, the proverbial skeleton in the closet.
But they may as well learn right now that he wasn’t a pushover, and he didn’t take orders well. He hoped to have a positive relationship with them, and that required respect on both sides. To that end, he wanted to meet them halfway.
Jack cracked a smile. “Notice he specified in front of him. He already realizes you can’t curb it all the time.”
“Charlotte wouldn’t want me to,” Brodie said with warm affection. “The girl loves me as I am.”
“And she enjoys taking part,” Jack promised.
“She hands me a cookie and insults me at the same time. Offers me coffee and calls me names. She more than enjoys it.”
“She learned from us,” Jack boasted. “And we all know, between us, it’s said in fun. If someone else insults us? Charlotte chews them up.”
“Joining in with the banter is her way of showing she cares.” Brodie shrugged. “At least, that’s usually the case—though obviously not with you.”
That had to mean Charlotte was as interested as he was. The brothers believed it enough to be concerned.
And I just agreed to put things on ice for two weeks.
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Mitch didn’t want to paint a pitiful picture, but he didn’t want them to consider him dense either. Here was an opening for him to divulge just a small bit of his life. Maybe if he threw it out there in small doses, it wouldn’t seem so bad. “I grew up alone, and my few friends weren’t exactly from wholesome families.”
Mentally jumping on that, they gave him their undivided attention. It was almost comical, the way they went so alert.
“Everyone I knew interacted more with fists than jokes.” He knew brothers who’d stolen from each other, cheated each other, even taken shots at each other.
Sure, he’d seen fun relationships on TV and in movies—the same place he saw space aliens and unicorns. Overall, he figured it was BS, a contrivance of Hollyweird and their insistence on showing storybook versions of life instead of reality.
Now he had to reevaluate.
The brothers stared at Mitch with rapt expressions, making him feel conspicuous. “So brothers and sisters rib each other all the time the way you guys do, without anyone getting mad?”
“I don’t know if other families are as awesome as us—”
Jack choked on a laugh.
“—but the really cool families do, yeah.” With a wink, Brodie added, “And just think, you’re now a part of it all.”
* * *
CHARLOTTE PEEKED OUT the window yet again. So far she’d seen Mitch laugh, scowl, and at one point he’d appeared ready to bolt.
“Snooping again?” Ros asked.
They’d both finished work twenty minutes ago, and now they lingered in the office just to keep from interrupting whatever was going on outside.
If it was anyone other than Ros, Charlotte would be mortified at getting caught spying. The fact that Ros had done the same thing several times already made her curiosity more acceptable. “Why are they keeping him out there?”
“Boy talk,” she predicted.
That brought her around. She dropped the blinds and frowned at Ros. “What kind of boy talk?”
“The kind where they try to play at being your big brothers, I presume. You know they love you.”
Oh, good lord. “That’s just plain intrusive and not an excuse.” But did that account for Mitch’s earlier scowls? Were they trying to warn him off...and he didn’t like it?
Grinning, Ros seated herself on the edge of the desk. “If they don’t wrap it up in the next two minutes, I’ll go out there and break up the party.”
“Better you than me,” Charlotte muttered. So far, she’d been fairly successful dodging Mitch, at least physically.
Emotionally? Mentally? She couldn’t stop thinking about him. The priority was for him to get comfortable with his family. Period. So why was she so tempted to snag him all for herself?
Mired in her own confusion, she let out a sigh.
Ros pounced. “What was that?”
“What?”
“That sound. The lusty sigh.”
Color climbed her neck. “It wasn’t lusty.”
“Oh, honey, I’m not too old to know lusty when I hear it.” Her smile turned sly. “No, don’t deny it.”
Chin up, Charlotte said, “Fine, I won’t. He’s...attractive. Of course I enjoy looking at him.”
“Such a weak word to describe that young hunk. He’s drop-dead gorgeous—just like his brothers.”
Ros said that as if she had bragging rights to Mitch too. “They do look a lot alike.” Though she could have dredged up something to keep her busy, Charlotte found herself back at the window once more, peeking out at the guys.
More specifically, Mitch.
How childish was that? She should just man up and join them. She could act all cavalier, as if she hadn’t been avoiding him the last few days—
With a sharp crack of her hand against the desk, Ros said, “Enough hiding.”
Charlotte nearly jumped a foot, then turned on Ros with accusation. “Good grief, you nearly startled me out of my skin.”
“Because you know you’re being sneaky. Go on out. Visit.” Mind made up, she slid off the desk. “Come on, I’ll go with you. It’ll be fun.”
Their i
deas of fun varied greatly.
Hearing something, she put her nose to the window again, and let out a breath. “No need. I think they’re finally coming in.”
“Perfect.” Ros bustled about, grabbing up her purse and giving Charlotte a hug. “I’ll see you at home later.”
Bemused, she blinked at her. “I don’t know what you expect to happen, but—”
“Not a thing.” She arranged Charlotte’s hair, pulling a few unruly curls over her shoulders. “Don’t rush. We’re just having leftovers.”
With it past dinnertime, anything would be perfect. “Would you rather I just pick up pizza?”
“Nope.” She breezed on out the door. “Have fun.”
Obviously, she did expect something. Hastily, Charlotte began tidying the desk. Her own expectations were nil, but it never hurt to be prepared.
Or at least as prepared as she could be with two hovering hulks who thought she was still a teenager.
* * *
ANOTHER GLANCE AT the office, and Mitch gave in. “Dinner,” he agreed, “but not tonight. It’s getting late and I need to get back to Brute.” The dog had been sleeping when he’d left, so Mitch hadn’t disturbed him. Still, he didn’t like leaving him alone for long stretches.
“Tomorrow then?” Jack pressed. “Mom will love it, I promise.”
Yeah, she probably would. So far, Rosalyn had treated him like a long-lost son. It defied logic. He nodded, then said, “Think I’ll say hi to Charlotte since I’m here, then head out after that.”
“Tell her I headed home, okay?” After digging his keys from his pocket, Jack opened the driver’s door. “And tell her everything went fine with the pickup.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll walk up with you,” Brodie said. “She needs a final report from me too.”
So much for trust, Mitch thought, but damn it, he was smiling. Charlotte deserved the best, and so far his brothers seemed to be that.
Just as they reached the door, Ros came out. She smiled at Mitch, and then scowled at Brodie. Just as quickly the scowl turned into a blinding smile. “Brodie, I’m so glad you’re here.”
Cautiously, Brodie said, “You are?”
“Yes, come here.” Looping her arm through his, she somehow managed the herculean feat of dragging off her overgrown son.
Mitch watched the antics with an inner smile. Ros was one hell of a woman and he had a feeling she always got her way when she put her mind to it. Brodie and Jack might be concerned with his interest in Charlotte, but Ros didn’t seem to mind.
From behind him, Charlotte said quietly, “Hey.”
He turned and found her framed in the doorway. A little smile teased her sexy mouth, and he forgot about Brodie. “Hey.” The sight of her drew him closer. “I haven’t seen you much lately.”
“Busy, busy,” she quipped, and stepped back so he could enter.
He glanced toward Brodie, saw Ros prodding him toward his car, and gave her a silent but heartfelt thank-you. Was she matchmaking? He wouldn’t mind having someone in his corner, especially if it was the most formidable Crews family member.
Going into the office, he said, “Jack wanted you to know everything went fine and he has the package.”
She snickered. “Sounds like Mission Impossible, doesn’t it?”
As she headed down the hallway, he followed, admiring that plump behind and the bounce of her curls. “A little, especially after Brodie and Jack explained more about what they transport. Crazy stuff.”
“It is.” She went into the break room and asked, “Coffee?”
“Maybe half a cup.” He had enough trouble sleeping at night without loading up the caffeine, but if it’d keep her talking to him for a bit, he’d take the hit to sleep. “That is, if you’ll join me.”
“All right.” She half filled two mugs. “Where’s Brute?”
“Sawing logs, last I saw him.” He waited for her to take a chair and, mindful of his promise to Brodie and Jack, he took one across from her. Watching the way she blew gently on the coffee, he tried to keep his thoughts clean.
Not easy. Her slender fingers cradled the mug and her lashes lowered as she sipped.
He had it bad when watching a woman drink coffee stirred him.
“The guys invited me to dinner tomorrow.”
“They did?” Pleasure brightened her eyes. “You agreed?”
If he hadn’t, he would now. The way she looked at him, with expectation and happiness, sent adrenaline pumping...but in a good way. “Yeah. They said it’s okay to bring Brute.”
“One hundred percent okay. We’d love to see him again.”
He imagined a junkie felt like this when getting a fix. More attuned. Acutely aware of everything, including his own blood pumping through his veins.
Around Charlotte, he felt alive.
He didn’t know if he’d ever get enough. This, this sensation is what drew him. It was all wrapped up in the way she looked, how she spoke, and the fundamentally female way she had about her.
Strong but gentle.
Intelligent but kind.
“You’ll be there, right?” To make it sound more teasing, and to get to the truth, he stared into her eyes and asked, “No more dodging me?”
She started to say something, changed her mind, and looked down at her coffee. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
No denying the dodging part? Bracing a forearm on the table, Mitch asked, “Did I do something?” He rubbed an ear at that uncomfortable thought. “If I did, you can tell—”
“Of course not.” With one fingertip, she circled the top of the mug.
To his muddled brain, it seemed sensual and provoking.
“I...you...” Huffing, she started over by putting her shoulders back and lifting her gaze.
That too was sensual, the way she found her backbone despite her modesty.
His slow smile drew her lingering gaze, and it took her a second to remember what she was saying.
Shooting her gaze back to his, she frowned in concentration. “I didn’t want to get in the way of you guys catching up. That’s all.”
Nice, that he flustered her. It meant he wasn’t the only one tangled up in overloaded sensation.
And speaking of overloaded... How often did she sit?
From what he’d witnessed so far, it rarely happened. Even now, with her foot tapping and her fingers again moving on the cup, he imagined that she fought the need to be up and moving.
The thought of having all that energy redirected to him left him scorched.
But that was only one of the things she made him feel. Around her, he focused less on goals, leaving it possible for him to indulge simple enjoyment. Instead of being a guy with a record and no family, he was just a man.
A man who could smile and relax and think about things other than correcting past mistakes.
He tried to keep his eyes on hers, but repeatedly they dropped to her mouth, making his voice a little huskier when he said, “For the record, you’ll never be in the way.”
Her eyes flared, and a heartbeat later her tongue came out to flick across her lips. “Okay.”
Rein it in, he ordered his libido. That lick was not meant for you. Getting half-hard now would defeat all the promises he’d made to Brodie and Jack.
“You’re staring.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
God, he did love it when she showed her gumption. “I want you there. For the dinner, I mean.”
Oh, the way the woman smiled. Just barely, but with ultimate impact. “Why?”
No, she wasn’t that naive, regardless what the guys thought. In the same sultry tone she’d used, his gaze locked with hers, he said, “You know why.”
The smile warmed, but she didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “It’s not something I’m used to.”
“Got a lot of idiots in the area, huh?”
Her laugh played over his skin like a physical stroke. His dick twitched and his balls tightened. The things she did to him...
Arms folded on the table, Mitch leaned forward. “I like you, Charlotte.”
“You don’t really know me.”
“Bull. The guys sing your praises nonstop—”
She snorted.
“—but even if they didn’t, I know plenty.” Tipping his head, he pretended to study her. “You’re smart. You knew just how to defuse that situation with Bernie.” And how to steal my anger—with a single touch. “My dog adores you, so I know you’re good with animals.”
She laughed. “Brute was easy to win over. After all, I had the treat.”
“Doesn’t matter. Usually he’s wary of everyone but me.” He glanced around the break room. “You’re super-organized, maybe even a neat freak.”
“Ha! Ros could tell you different.”
He liked her like this, casual and easygoing, willing to chat. “I won’t believe you’re a slob.”
“No, not that.” She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds terrible. Let’s just say I’m...tidy, but not fanatical about scrubbing floors or anything.” She rethought that, and added, “Well, when they need it—”
His laugh felt like the most natural thing in the world. “I also know you’re cute. Kind. Loyal to your family. Sometimes funny.” Appreciating the way she blushed, he added, “And sexy. You, Charlotte Parrish, are pretty much the whole package.”
Eyes warming, lips parting, she whispered, “I, um... Thank you.”
“It’s the truth.”
Before Mitch said or did something stupid, Brodie came through the entry doors and headed down the hall with set purpose. He looked harassed—no doubt from his mom derailing his plans to play chaperone—but by the time he reached them, he wore only a friendly smile.
For Charlotte’s benefit.
Brodie had already proven he didn’t mind putting Mitch on the spot.
“Time to lock her up and head home, you two. It’s been a long day.”
True. But he’d gotten to visit with Charlotte, so the ending to the day was more than a little satisfactory.