by Jaci Burton
She'd had plenty of alone and it sucked. She'd rather not do that again, especially not for someone like Brody, who changed women as often as he changed his underwear. It was too bad she was crazy about him and thought about him constantly. Why couldn't she be immune?
Then again, was any woman in Deer Lake immune? Judging from his past interactions with the women in this town, it didn't appear so. And she had no interest in becoming another statistic. Likely the only reason Brody appeared interested in her was because she kept shutting him down. Once she let him in, he'd no doubt drop her in a hurry.
The door opened and Brody walked in. She'd spent the day by herself since all the guys were out on jobs.
"Sorry I'm a little late," he said, taking off his coat and slinging it on the chair. "I had to drop Ethan and Zoey off at the airport."
"No problem. They get off okay?"
He cracked a smile. "Yeah. Zoey's all kinds of excited to go see her mom in concert in Nashville this weekend."
Tori leaned back in the chair and grinned. "I'm sure she is. I talked to Riley on the phone earlier this week. She really misses Zoey and Ethan when she's on the road. She's thrilled this is the last road trip she'll be on for a while."
He nodded. "Ethan said he's pretty happy she's closing out her tour in Nashville. Now that she's pregnant, she'll be able to settle back for a while and concentrate on the baby. Ethan's been nervous as hell with Riley insisting on finishing her tour while she's pregnant."
Tori laughed. "Well, she is in her eighth month, but she's been super healthy and the doctor's been monitoring her regularly. But you're right. She's finishing up now and she can rest and start nesting."
"I'm glad it's all worked out for them, considering their rocky start. Zoey loves Riley like she's the only mother she ever had."
"The only one she remembers now. And you can't tell Riley that Zoey isn't hers. It's a good fit for all of them. With the new baby almost here, I can't think of a happier couple, or a happier family."
This was a new side to Brody, seeing him all mellowed out and grinning about his brother's contented family life. "You'd think all that wedded bliss and family life would make you twitchy. Your younger brother is married with a baby on the way, and your older brother just got married this year to his ex-wife's sister. So much...settling down going on around you. Doesn't it freak you out?"
He cocked a brow. "I have nothing against marriage and family, you know."
"Of course you don't." She couldn't resist the smirk. "All your relationships with women lasting so long and all."
"Hey. I just haven't found the right one."
"Uh huh." She took a long sip of her giant soda she'd bought earlier. "You are the king of denial, aren't you?"
"I can do a relationship."
"Careful, you might break out in hives. Or maybe your nose will start to grow. I should get out my tape measure and check it out."
"You wanna check out something with a tape measure..."
She shook her head. "So inappropriate for the office. And you being my boss and all. I should report you to your brothers."
"Whatever. Let's go."
"What? Where?" Somewhere she could measure him? The thought both appalled her and flamed her senses.
"Out of here."
"What about my review?"
"You're doing a kickass job, like you have been since we first hired you. We're jacking up your pay twenty percent. I've got a write-up about your glowing skills in my file as well as a goals sheet for the next year. I'll email it to you and copy my brothers. Any questions?"
Her eyes widened. A twenty percent pay raise? Hell no she wasn't going to question that. "Uh, no. No questions."
"Good. Let's go."
She grabbed her purse and her coat, curious about where he was taking her. He locked the door behind her, but when she headed toward her car, he grasped her arm.
"We'll take my truck."
Shrugging, she climbed into his truck and he drove off. He was quiet as he drove down Central and turned onto the highway.
"You're brooding," she said as she studied his profile.
"No, I'm not."
"It's because I insulted you, isn't it?"
"Doubtful, since you're always insulting me. You really can't hurt my feelings, Tori."
"Oh, I'm sure I could if I tried harder."
That at least got a curve of a smile. God, he was devastating when he gave that sexy half smile. She'd love to see that smile close up, like when he was hovering over her, both of them naked...
Stop that. Hadn't she spent the time before he came into the office reminding herself of all the reasons why they couldn't be together? Fantasizing about making love with him was the wrong direction for her thoughts to go.
It was a while before she realized he'd hit the highway, that they were leaving Deer Lake.
"Brody, where are we going?"
"Out of town."
"So you're kidnapping me?"
"Not exactly."
It took about fifteen minutes to get to Botswell, the next town over. He pulled into a one-story--shack, was the only way she could think of to describe it. She supposed it was a bar, with the headache-inducing half-blinking neon sign proclaiming it as Ed's Bar and Grill. Though the grill part was suspect, since the place resembled an oversized shed. She'd come into Botswell on occasion, mainly to do some shopping, never to hit the bars.
This one seemed--interesting, in a she'd-never-stop-here-without-a-guy kind of way. Or even with a guy, for that matter. She half expected a brawl to tumble out the front door any second.
When she climbed out of his truck and met him around the front, she cocked her head and looked at him. "Seriously?"
"Best beer and burgers I've ever had."
"I hope this isn't a date, Brody, because if this is where you bring your women, your taste is sorely lacking."
He cracked a smile and grabbed her hand. "You have such little faith in me, Tori. Just trust me."
She snorted. Trust him? Borrowing a line from one of her favorite movies ever--as if.
The inside didn't look much better than the outside. Old, worn tables were scratched with wear and tear. There were a few pool tables scattered around, and those were taken up by people who must be regulars. A couple older-model televisions sat above the bar that several people who'd bellied up were watching.
A couple food tables were full, but Brody had spied one in the corner, so he grabbed her hand and, despite her dragging her heels the whole way, tugged her along. She feared for her life as she took a seat in a rickety chair.
"Come on," he said. "It's not that bad."
She wasn't exactly a prima donna as far as the places she hung out, but Ed's was as low on the dive bar food chain as she'd ever gotten.
A waitress hustled over. She was older, in her fifties maybe, with faded-out blond hair that she'd over-teased, over-bleached and gathered up in a haphazard ponytail. And she didn't look happy to see them, because she didn't smile as she grabbed a pencil from her hair and pulled the pad out of her apron. "What can I get you to drink?"
Brody ordered the specialty beer. Tori looked at him.
"Try it. It's great."
Tori nodded. "Okay, I'll have one of those. And can we see a menu?"
The waitress, whose nametag said "Pat", snickered. "Honey, we have cheeseburgers, or cheeseburgers without cheese on them. If you're feeling adventurous you can have a hot dog. That comes with or without chili and the works. I'll be back with your drinks and you can let me know what you want."
Tori shifted her gaze to Brody. "Limited menu."
"People come here for the beer and the burgers. The hot dogs kind of suck."
"Thanks for the warning. I guess I'll have a burger, then."
"Good call."
When Pat came back with the beer, Brody said, "We'll both have the cheeseburgers."
"Smart idea. Everything on them?"
Brody looked at her. Tori said, "Sure. Why not?"
>
Pat finally shocked her by patting her hand and grinning. "You're gonna love these burgers, honey. And once you eat them, you're gonna come back again and again. Enjoy your beer."
After Pat hustled away, Tori looked at Brody. "Oh, my God. She seemed almost human there."
He laughed. "Pat has tons of attitude. She and Ed have owned this place since they were in their twenties. He brews the beer himself, along with his sons now. Taste it."
She took a drink of the beer. It was mellow, with a honey flavor. "Oh, it's good."
"Told you. They're a small operation, but this place is never empty. I stop by for lunch a lot when I'm driving through town on a job."
"For the beer?" she asked with a smirk.
"For the burgers, smartass. Though after a shitty day, I can pound down a few beers."
She preferred margaritas with Calliope after a bad day. She wondered who Brody unloaded on when he had problems. His brothers? Or was the familial bond too close, the fact that they all worked together too much to share troubles. Who did he tell his problems to?
"So when you have a bad day at work and you want to let off some steam and have a few drinks, do you grab your brothers and go out for beers to talk it out?"
He looked horrified. "Hell, no. It's bad enough I grew up with them, and now I work with them. Half the time it's them I'm pissed off at. The last thing I'd want to do is unload my problems on them."
She swirled her finger over the top of the glass. "So...who do you talk to?"
He shrugged. "Nobody."
"Surely you have friends to talk to."
"I have friends, yeah. But we aren't like girls, Tori. We don't have to have...chat sessions or whatever you women call them where we discuss every problem we have."
"You hold it all inside."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to. You don't talk to your brothers or your friends, and you being a man and all are obviously not going to talk to your parents when you have a problem."
He let out a laugh at that one.
"Okay, so that means you keep all your problems bottled up inside and don't talk to anyone about them, right?"
He finished off his beer and set the mug to the side of the table so Pat could refill it for him. "I don't have a lot of problems. I'm generally a pretty content guy."
"Please. Everyone has problems. Even if it's just a bad day at work, a job doesn't go right. Someone pisses you off--like your brothers. You have to let off steam. How do you do that?"
"I have ways of letting off steam."
He gave her a look that melted her to the chair. "Well, yes, there is that. But I mean talking."
"Oh, I like talking. Verbalizing is good."
This was not helping to cool her off.
Fortunately, their food arrived and Brody dragged his very direct gaze away from her to offer his trademark grin to Pat. After that, she dug into her cheeseburger and tried to shift her thoughts away from one very sexy man to the incredibly delicious burger. She ate every bite, had another beer to wash it down and wasn't even embarrassed about picking the last crumb off her plate with her fingers.
"You were right. This is the best cheeseburger I've ever had."
Brody crumpled his paper napkin and laid it on his empty plate. "Told you it was awesome. I wouldn't let you down, Tori."
The way he said it made her cock her head to the side, as if he'd meant something else entirely, and wasn't talking about burgers anymore.
Probably her imagination. "You're right. It was a great meal. Good beer and good burgers. Thank you."
"I actually brought you here to talk to you."
She laughed. "We have been talking."
"I meant I brought you here to talk about something else."
"About what?"
"Us."
Uh-oh. "What about us?"
The words had spilled out before she could correct herself, correct him and tell him there was no "us."
"Why did you stop that kiss the other night? What are you so afraid of?"
She looked around, but televisions were blaring, people were playing pool and engaged in their own conversations. There were no people around them listening in. Still, she leaned forward. "I don't want to talk about this."
He leaned in, too, and grasped her hands. "I do. And it's time you stop running from it. From what the two of us could have."
Her eyes widened and she tried to tug her hands away, but he held firm. "Brody, I don't want to do this."
"I think you do, Tori, but something's scaring you off. Talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you. Is it something I've done in the past? Some way I'm not measuring up? I think you and I could have something, if you'll just give me a chance."
Oh, God. Smartass Brody she could handle. Funny, jokester Brody she could deal with. Teasing Brody she knew well. But earnest, honest Brody wanting to have a heartfelt conversation with her about having a relationship? She'd never known this side of him and she couldn't handle it.
He was handing her everything she wanted, everything she'd always dreamed of. All she had to do was meet him half way.
But she didn't trust it, didn't trust herself.
She didn't trust him.
Because she had so much to lose.
Everything to lose.
She finally freed her hands and pushed back. "I need some air. I'm sorry."
She grabbed her purse and made a beeline for the front door.
Chapter Six
That went well.
Nothing like opening yourself up to a woman and seeing a look of horror on her face, followed by a world-record dash for the door.
Brody had never thought of himself as repulsive. Women were always attracted to him. He had a pretty healthy ego, but seeing Tori run for her life when he offered to have a relationship with her had given his self-esteem a severe hit tonight.
Something was up, and he wasn't about to give up on her. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on.
He signaled Pat, paid the bill and left a generous tip, then made his way out the door. Tori was leaning against his truck, arms folded in front of her like a protective shield. When she saw him approach, she lifted her head and cast him a miserable gaze.
Okay, so maybe out in the parking lot of Ed's wasn't the place to have a talk about this. He unlocked the truck, helped her inside and got in. They made the drive back to Deer Lake in silence. Tori huddled on her side, looking out the side window, as far away from him as she could get.
Great. How was he supposed to handle this one? He was no expert on women, except in the bedroom. He was really damn good at pleasing them there. At seduction he was a pro, and he could read sexual signals like a master. But emotion and conversation about feelings and all that shit? Not his area.
But there was no way in hell he was dropping her off at her car and leaving things the way they were. This past year had been hell, and he wasn't about to make things worse by letting her run on him again.
So instead of taking her back to work to fetch her car, he went with instinct and drove her to his place, where she wouldn't be able to run.
When he pulled into the driveway of his house, she finally straightened.
"What are we doing here?"
Instead of answering her, he came around to her side of the truck and opened the door. "Come on, Tori. We're going to talk."
She cast him a wary look.
"It's time. And there are things that have to be said. You can't run from it forever."
He held out his hand. If she refused to come in, he wouldn't force her. He wasn't that kind of guy.
The call was hers to make.
With a shaky sigh, she slid her hands in his and he helped her down from the truck. He slid his key in the lock and opened the door, hoping like hell he hadn't left his place a mess.
He switched on the light, relieved as he remembered his cleaning lady had been in today. Thank God.
"I don't think I've ever been in your house
before," she said, her voice low, almost a whisper as she took in his living room.
He turned to her. "I don't entertain much here."
She shot him a look. "Yeah. I'll bet you don't."
"Okay. I meant parties and that kind of thing. It's just where I crash."
She walked around, then turned to him. "It's a nice place, Brody. Lots of room. You should throw a party or two here."
He dragged his fingers through his hair. "I got a great deal on it, and hated living in an apartment. I like open space."
He took in the expansive living room, with its two couches that faced each other and the chair flanking them, all the furniture kind of cozy with the stone fireplace and all. He'd loved the place when the Realtor had shown it to him. It had seemed so...big, especially after living in that cramped apartment. Plus, with four bedrooms, he knew he could make it home for a long time.
"You want to see the rest?"
For the first time, she smiled. "I'd love to."
He showed her the kitchen, and she gasped. "This is amazing. Do you cook in here?"
"I can do breakfast and I cook on the outside grill."
She laughed. "That's it? This kitchen is going to waste." She ran her fingers over the granite countertop and started making some noises about state-of-the-art appliances. He knew a woman would like this kitchen, though he hadn't thought about it when he'd bought the place. He'd just wanted big and spacious in everything, because where he'd lived before had been so damn claustrophobic.
Same thing with the bedrooms. All of them were big. One of them was set up as his office, the other two were vacant, and the master was enormous, something else he liked because he'd bought a king-sized bed.
He flipped the light on in there and Tori's eyes widened. "Wow. How many people sleep in that thing?"
He slid his hand along the nape of her neck and whispered in her ear, "Just me. I like a lot of room. I had a double bed in my old apartment and it sucked. My feet hung off the end and I couldn't sleep. So when I bought this place I found the biggest damn bed I could and bought it."
He heard the rumble of her laugh, which made his dick twitch.
"I understand that," she said. "My apartment is tiny."
She walked into his bathroom and she made a murmur of approval. "I love the tub, especially the window over it." She turned to him. "It needs some flowers or something. You can tell a guy lives here."
His stomach tightened as he thought about Tori being here, and all the feminine touches she'd bring. Like flowers in the bathroom window. "Yeah. Or something."