by Allie Kay
Zane still hadn't replied when I left for the first appointment. Whispering Oaks looked a bit rundown, but it was in an older, safe area of town. The manager showed me an apartment that had seen better days. The carpet had a few stains, the paint a few chips. And it had a lovely view of the dumpster. For the price, I could live with those things. The complete lack of laundry facilities on premise, not so much.
The second complex was newer, the apartment teeny tiny. And laminate everywhere. Not that I really expected granite or hardwood, but really, everywhere? Still... I kept the faux-finished place on the list for now. But I pulled away discouraged.
I finally got a reply from Zane
Zane: Meetings this morning have me behind. How about dinner? I'll get takeout and meet you at home at 6?
Claire: 6 works.
While killing time before my last appointment, I grabbed a sub sandwich and some chips. I had a big mouth full when Adam sat down across from me.
"You don't mind if I join you, do you?" He unwrapped his sandwich and opened his chips without waiting for a response. "Imagine my surprise when I walk in to see you eating all alone."
"Mmm..." I tried to respond, but I didn't want to talk with my mouth completely full.
"Good. It would be a shame for us both to eat alone."
I could finally swallow and speak. "Right."
He winked at me. "I'm on call this weekend, so I plan to finish up the last of my Christmas shopping today and relax. Wanna come with me?"
"I've got an appointment to check out a new apartment and then I have a date tonight."
"There's a condo about to open up in my building. If you might be interested, I can give you the association info. It's the complex with all the shiny glass out by the lake." He pulled out his phone. "How about you give me your number, and I'll get all the details for you."
"She doesn't need anything from you." Zane stood next to the table, dirt smudged on his cheek and across the chest of his shirt.
"Zane... we work together."
"Yeah, I know who he is. You still don't need anything from him."
"He was telling me about a condo."
"I heard. And I know what those places go for. I helped build them. Bit out of your price range, don't you think?" He put his hands on his hips and glared at Adam. "She's taken."
I bagged up my trash quickly and grabbed Zane's arm. "Let's step outside."
He followed me, stomping along behind. When we got to my car, I spun around and shook my head.
"Really, you don't need to be jealous of him."
"Why would I be jealous of you on a date with a doctor that I've heard you and my sister both call hot before? Of a guy who I can see is into you big time? Nah, I don't need to be jealous." He crossed his arms over his chest. "No reason at all."
Rolling my eyes, I laid a hand on his arm. "And the part of the conversation you missed was me telling him I had a date tonight."
"I don't want you to see other people."
"Okay. I didn't plan on it." I smiled. "So, you want to be exclusive then?"
"Fuck yes, I do."
"Maybe you better kiss me then." Leaning closer, I licked my lips. "You know, so I don't forget or something."
"Damn well better not forget." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm overreacting, aren't I? I've had a hell of a day and I snapped."
"Still waiting on that kiss."
His hands ran up and down my back. His body was tense, hard. "In a hurry?"
"You were the one who said you were too busy for lunch. But he just happened to be here. I didn't intend to meet with him. I wouldn't do that to you. So, why are you here?"
"Man's gotta eat."
I got tired of waiting for Zane to make a move. I tangled my fingers in his dark hair and raised up on my tiptoes. My heart raced in my chest as Zane lowered his head toward mine. He crushed my lips with his, almost desperately.
A series of catcalls interrupted our kiss though. Zane broke away and looked toward them. A group of men in Richland Construction jackets stood at the edge of the parking lot laughing. One put his fingers in his mouth and wolf whistled at us.
I buried my face in the canvas covering his shoulder and laughed.
"Sorry, they are waiting on me to get lunch." He tipped my face up and kissed me softly. "I gotta go. We are so far in the fucking weeds that we may be working 'til sundown. I'll text you if I'm going to be later. See you tonight?"
He walked back into the sub shop and passed Adam on his way in. I held my breath but the brief conversation seemed civil.
Adam walked my direction and shook his head, laughing. "I take it that was your date for the evening?"
"Yes."
"I can see I have no chance with you when you have a man like that." He turned toward the parking lot. "By the way, you have a streak of dirt on your face."
54
Zane
"So, who's the hot blonde?" Terry smirked, leaning against the hood of the truck. "And does she have a sister?"
"Or two."
"Make that three."
I shook my head at my crew. "My girlfriend and no." I handed sandwiches to each of the men. Walking around the truck, I ignored their groans of complaint and climbed into the cab. That sandwich was calling my name and I wasn't holding off on eating just to get teased. I might never eat again around this bunch if I did that.
Terry got in the front seat next to me. "Just leaving it at 'my girlfriend'? C'mon, boss man, tell us a little more."
"Yeah, we need some material for the spank bank."
"No, we don't. That's all you, fuck face." Terry wadded up a napkin and threw it in the backseat. "My sex life is just fine."
"Your hand can hardly be considered a sex life," I said with a grin.
"Oh, now you got something to say, huh?" Terry laughed.
"Well, with that ugly face, you are lucky your hand will stick around."
The light-hearted teasing continued until we got back to the job site. The afternoon continued at a good pace until a plumbing subcontractor didn't show up as planned.
And didn't answer his phone. And his office had no clue where he was.
Giant clusterfuck.
I called the Richland Construction office to see when they could get another plumber out, and cursed out loud when the office manager told me it would probably be a day or two.
And as much as I hated to make the next call, I knew if I waited, it would only be worse.
"Yeah."
"Hey, Dad. Um... I got problem out here."
"Can't get to the liquor store fast enough?"
I kicked a stack of lumber over. "No. You know me better than that." I tried not to snap. My dad could be a real hardass, but he usually wasn't down right cruel. The drinking thing must have pissed the old man off more than he'd let on.
"Well, I don't have all day. I'm running behind over here."
"You have a subcontractor disappear on you too?"
"No, a lumber delivery that was two hours late." My dad barked an order to someone on his end. "Who didn't show up?"
"Plumber."
"Son of a... See if Mary can get—"
"Already asked. She said it would be at least tomorrow."
"Damn it all to Hell. Go home then. Not paying all y'all to stand around."
The line went dead. Well, that went about as well as expected. Sam Richmond was a no nonsense sort of man. He loved his family, his word meant everything to him, but he wasn't exactly warm and cozy.
"Pack it up, guys. We are going to call it a day." I smiled at the whoops and cheers that followed my words. Never failed to surprise me just how happy getting off work a few hours early would make these guys.
And as if they were afraid I'd change my mind, the crew had their tools packed and loaded into the truck within five minutes. At six minutes, there were squealing tires as the truck hauled ass toward the office.
I loaded up my tools and made sure everything
was secure before getting in my truck. Before I pulled out, I sent Claire a text.
Zane: Hey angel, getting out of work early. Wanna join me in the shower in about 20?
My phone vibrated halfway home, but despite how tempted, I didn't look at the message until I put the truck in park.
Claire: Looking at an apartment in 10. Shower-check (like a raincheck lol).
Zane: Hell yes. Where's this apartment?
I got in the shower and washed the day's grime away. Standing under the spray I thought about what Claire had said. The idea of her looking at apartments wasn't sitting well. It stuck in my gut like a bent nail that needed to be pulled. Yet we'd barely begun to date. Asking her to move in already seemed like a recipe for disaster.
Talia hadn't dated Sean long before they moved in together and got married... Then again, my sister had been pregnant by then too.
Maybe I'd feel Claire out over dinner. Drop a hint about us living together and see how she reacted. Yeah. If she panicked, I'd just play it off as a joke.
Claire had replied while I was drowning my thoughts in the shower.
Claire: North End Apartments. It was kinda small, but clean and actually had w/d hookups in the apt. Best choice today.
Zane: Sign a lease?
Claire: Not yet. Want to think about it for a bit. Heading your way.
Good. She hadn't locked herself into another lease just yet. But how did I approach this? Her moving in straight away or seeing if she could get a short-term lease somewhere?
I had already taken the first step when I gave her a key, right?
55
Claire
I climbed the stairs to Zane's apartment with a sigh. Today had kinda been a bust. While I had checked out three apartments, not a single one of them screamed home to me. The last had been the best option, but I was pretty sure I would have to get a new bed since there was no way a queen-sized bed was fitting in that little bedroom.
And I'd just bought that bedroom set last year...
I let myself in to find Zane sprawled half-dressed on the couch. Licking my lips, I gazed at his bare chest.
"Hey, angel." He grinned up at me. "So, Mexican okay?"
"Mmm... maybe in a bit." I kicked off my shoes and dropped my purse on the table. "How about a quick cuddle first?"
"Yeah, of course." He held his arms out and when I collapsed onto his chest, he wrapped them around me tight. "You know I'm not going to pass on a chance to hold you."
My cheek rested on his shoulder and I rubbed a hand over his stomach. "Do you know of any other apartments in the area that I haven't checked with yet?"
"Nope." He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. "I sure don't. But you could always stay here."
I pushed away from him and sat up. I stared down at him for a moment trying to gauge his seriousness.
He took my hand. "Hear me out. You have been staying here for a while anyway, so why not make it permanent?"
"We just started dating..."
"And?" He pressed a kiss on the back of my hand. "If it doesn't work out, I'll leave. I'll move back to my parents' until I can find a new place or something. But I am confident that it won't be an issue now that you've decided you don't hate me."
"I never hated you," I whispered.
"You had a funny way of showing it." He smiled at me. "But it's enough that you don't hate me now. Think about it. Keep looking for a place if you want. The offer stands, but it has to be your decision." He stood up. "I'm going to grab a shirt and then maybe we can get some food. I'm hungry."
I wrapped my arms around myself and thought about what Zane had said. I had been staying with him for some time, even before we started dating. Before I knew exactly how much Zane meant to me. But it was all so new still. Anything and everything could go wrong in a heartbeat.
But then why did my heart beat for Zane?
I couldn't deny anymore that I was in love with him. Moving in was such a big step though. What would his family think? His dad had flipped the hell out about Sean and Talia living together. Would he feel differently about us living together?
"You ready?"
"Uh, yeah." I jumped up and slipped my shoes back on.
He led me down to his truck without a word. When he pulled into the parking lot of Senor Fajita, I finally broke the silence.
"Don't you think that it's too soon for us to move in together?"
"Nope."
"Just nope?"
"Yup." He got out of the truck and came around to help me down. "Wouldn't have mentioned it if I had thought it was too soon."
"Okay. I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask."
The colorful restaurant always made me smile. Giant murals and brightly colored chairs with horses and sombreros contained nearly every color of the rainbow. It was as if someone had thought "the more color the better" and made it happen. I just loved coming in and seeing the brightness.
Zane hardly looked at the menu before tossing it to the side. A small Hispanic woman dropped off a bowl of salsa and a basket of chips. He dove right in and helped himself.
"You ready to order already?"
"Yup. I'm having the three meat fajitas." He fished a broken chip out of the salsa with another and ate them both. "What you gonna have?"
"I was thinking fajitas too."
"Fajita for two, it is." He winked at me. Nudging the chip basket toward me, he asked, "Chips?"
I took a chip from him and the waiter finally appeared. Zane ordered for us and it surprised me to see him get a soda.
"No beer tonight?"
"Nah... Been drinking too much here lately. I gotta quit."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. Been arrested... Went to work hungover... Broke things at a bar. Almost picked up some stranger in a bar. Yeah... Time to quit."
"Sounds like a good idea."
"Yeah. I even went to an AA meeting. That was actually Sean and Jack's influence there. So, no more drinking for me."
"Okay then." I wasn't much of a drinker anyway, so it wasn't a huge issue for me to avoid it for him. But there was a new tension that I didn't like, a sense that he was not ready to say more than he already had, so I changed the subject. "Speaking of work, why'd you get off early today?"
He told me all about his missing plumber, the phone call with his dad, and how the crew had hauled ass out of there.
"When Z was telling me about his family, I should have connected the dots. You described Sam perfectly."
"I kept waiting, but you are denser than I thought."
I threw a chip at him. "Apparently so."
"Wanna go to Talia's with me tomorrow night? I mean, if you aren't working."
"I was invited on my own."
"I know. I'm not as dense as you."
"Oh, for God's sake."
He grinned. "But I'd like to take you as my girlfriend. Like we ride together. Sit together. You know... couple-like things. Not just two acquaintances at a mutual connection's party."
"Okay." It meant a lot that he wanted his family to know we were dating. A man didn't let his family know if he weren't serious.
56
Zane
I gathered up the presents to take to Talia's and locked them in the backseat of the truck while I waited for Claire to get home from work. We were already going to be one of the last to arrive, if not the very last. Hopefully Claire wouldn't take ages to change and get ready.
I was watching when her car pulled in and opened the door as she made it up to the landing. "Hey, go get changed so we can go. We're supposed to be there at six."
"I told Talia we might be late."
"We got time. Hurry up and change." I nudged her toward the bedroom.
"I don't get a kiss first? Or even a hug?" She crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her pert breasts up. My gaze flicked down to them for a moment before meeting her eyes. She raised an eyebrow and smirked.
Tugging her arms down, I slipped my arms around her waist. "A
ngel, if I kiss you how I really want to kiss you, we will be having a party for two here all alone. You'll have to settle for a quick hug."
I held her close and tightened my arms around her when she melted into my arms. Nuzzling my nose against her cheek, I sighed. If I didn't push her away soon, I was going to make good on that previous statement.
So I stepped back and caressed her cheek. "Go get changed."
"Alright. But I'm doing so under protest." She walked down the hall and stopped in the doorway. Glancing back over her shoulder, she asked, "Wanna help me change?" She pulled her top over her head and waited for an answer.
I groaned as my cock hardened at her words. Pressing a hand against the bulging in my jeans, I shook my head no. Wasn't quite sure I could form words at the moment.
"Okay, your loss..." She disappeared into the bedroom and I let out a deep breath.
That woman was going to be the end of me. She really was.
She came out a few minutes later in a form-fitting green dress. She spun around showing the open back. "Can you zip me up?"
"Only if I can unzip you later?" I ran my hands along the soft, pale skin of her back. Pressing a kiss on the nape of her neck, I rubbed her back until she moaned out an affirmative reply. I zipped her dress and spun her around into my arms. "You look exquisite tonight."
She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks."
"Ready?"
She nodded and we headed to Talia's. When we pulled up in front of the restored Victorian, she grabbed my hand. "What if your family suddenly hates me?"
"Hush. You know they love you. Why would us being together change that?" I squeezed her hand. "You make me happy. That alone will be enough for them. Okay?"
"Mmm..." She looked uncertain and my heart hurt. If only I could make her understand that my family would always be her family too...