by Sam Crescent
“I don’t know if I should take you seriously or not.”
“Take me seriously. This is who I am, baby.” He puffed his chest out, and Elisha snorted. Sean was adorable.
“Do you see why we’re at your place most of the time?” Brant asked.
“Nope. I like him. He’s like a little teddy bear, and he’s so sweet.” Elisha smiled at Brant while Sean started to moan.
She listened to the brothers talk as she finished off breakfast. Frying up the eggs, she cooked up the tomatoes, and finally did the pancakes. Grabbing the bacon from the oven, she placed all the food in front of the brothers, and took a seat between them. Brant placed his hand across the back of her chair and kept stroking her side. She loved it when he gave her little caresses even though it was difficult for her to focus on anything but his touch. He knew how to set her on fire, and he was doing an excellent job of making her crazy, and to yearn for his touch.
“Wow, it’s official, you can make shop bought mixes taste amazing. What is in the pancakes?” Sean asked.
“Strawberry extract. I found some in the back of your cupboard.”
“Yes, it was bought during Sean’s strawberry phase about a month ago. He was trying to win a chick over, and all she ate was strawberries,” Brant said.
“I completely forgot it was there.”
Elisha ate her food, aware throughout that Brant kept staring at her. When breakfast ended, she made her way upstairs as Brant wouldn’t let her clean up. She was pulling on some shoes as he made his way into the bedroom. Elisha had gathered her clothes from downstairs before getting dressed.
“I’m sorry about my brother,” Brant said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. He looked really dominating with the way he stood there, tall, and covering the whole of the doorway.
“Why? He’s sweet and charming. Is he always like that?”
“He drives me crazy, but yes. He’s spending the summer with me. In a couple of weeks he’ll be back at college.”
“And you’ll be all alone.”
“Yes. I’ll miss him when he’s gone. He has no filter from his brain to his mouth.”
She walked toward him and went to place her hand on his stomach and stopped. Could she touch him? Was she allowed? This was out of her comfort zone with Brant. To be honest, her other boyfriends hadn’t taken the time to spend the night with her. Brant was the first man she’d slept with, especially with him wrapped around her all night.
“You can touch me, baby. I won’t bite.”
Placing her hands on his waist, she leaned in close. “You don’t need to apologize for your brother. I happen to like him. I enjoyed being in his company at your party, and I like him now with no filter.”
“You’re sure.”
“Don’t be so worried about him. He’s a sweetheart, and between you and me, he knows it.” She licked her lips, glancing at his chest before looking back up at him. “Every Sunday I go and see my sister. It’s a habit I’ve gotten into. Would you like to come with me next Sunday?”
“You’re okay with that?”
“Only if you are. I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”
“I don’t feel pressured, not at all.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I look forward to it.”
Kissing his lips, Elisha closed her eyes, basking in the closeness of him. “I’ve got to go to work.”
“See you tonight?”
“Count on it.”
****
“She’s amazing. I love her,” Sean said, three days later.
Brant was in his studio, working on one of his latest commissions, but his gaze kept straying to the sketch he’d been working on when he was alone. Danny had called him, and told him the showcasing event was going ahead as planned. Most of his work was completed, but he just wasn’t feeling it. The only picture he wanted to work on was the one that was for his own personal pleasure.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“You’re telling me how much you love my woman, and you expect me to shut up, and listen to how amazing and wonderful she is.” In the last three days their relationship had taken another turn as Sean had joined them for dinner. It was Thursday, and after she’d cooked at his place Monday, she’d done the same thing Wednesday, and on Tuesday Sean had come to her place in the morning. She was cooking for the two of them, and he wondered if she had even realized that there was a change happening.
He didn’t mind the change developing between them, as he loved her company and her cooking. Brant’s main concern was Elisha changing her mind.
“And you don’t think she’s wonderful?”
“I know she’s wonderful. I’m the one dating her.”
“Has it changed to dating?” Sean asked, taking a seat on the stool nearest to him. His brother was driving him crazy.
“I don’t know what’s happening.”
“You’re not becoming a chicken, are you?”
Putting his paints down, he turned toward Sean. “You have my full attention. What is the problem?”
Sean held his hands up. “You don’t need to be moody. I was just asking how your relationship is going.”
Rubbing at his temple, Brant turned to look at the painting before him. He wasn’t feeling it, and it was showing.
“Can I have some privacy please?”
“You’re not liking how close you’re getting, are you?”
“Sean, I like her, okay. I even think I more than like her, and that kind of feeling scares me. I want to get close to her, but Elisha is skittish. I’m going to meet her sister, and it’s moving slowly.”
“Do you want it to move a little quicker?”
Brant stared at his brother, and decided to be honest with him. “I want to have a claim to her so she doesn’t get the chance to leave.”
“It’s that bad?”
“I don’t know if it’s bad, or what to feel. I never felt this way about Kasey, or any other woman. I’ve not even been with Elisha all that long, and for the most part, it was just sex. Neither of us has any other claim over the other.” And he wanted that to change. Brant let out a sigh. “I need some space.”
“Okay, that’s my cue to go and work.”
“You’ve got that right. It’s what I’m paying you for, and quite well.” He waited for Sean to leave before making his way toward the door, and flicking on the lock. Turning back to his room, he walked past the commissioned work, and tugged off the blanket that covered his own personal artwork. It was a picture of Elisha, like most of his drawings had been just lately. This was one taken from memory from two days ago. They had been in her home, and he’d woken first and stared down at her. He’d taken a picture of her on his cell phone so that he could draw her when he was alone. The blanket covered her ass and some of her back. The curve of her breast was visible, and that was all.
She was perfect to look at, and beautiful, so beautiful.
He wanted to bring her here so that he could make many sketches of her.
“What the hell is wrong with me?”
Brant hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and every chance he got, he was around her. Usually women were the ones chasing him, but this time, it felt like he was the one chasing her.
His cell phone started to ring, and he reached into his pocket, pulling it out, and answering without even looking to see who was ringing.
“Brant here,” he said.
“Hey, baby, I’ve missed you.” Kasey purred down the line as if she was some fucking cat.
“What do you want?”
“I need you, baby. I need your nice big cock and your expert touch. No one gets me off as good as you.”
Her voice was grating on his nerves, and he didn’t want anything to do with her.
“You’ve not been answering any of my calls.”
“I don’t want to see you anymore. We never had a thing going on. I don’t want to be near you, or to find out what you’ve got. We’re over, finished, completely ove
r.”
“Please, Brant.”
“No. I’m not interested, and I’ve told you this before, but you refuse to even listen to me.” He was done with this woman. “Stop calling.”
“It’s that fucking slut, isn’t it? Your fat neighbor? What does she have that I don’t?”
“She has class, and you know what, she has me.” Brant hung up, and placed the blanket back over Elisha’s picture. He made his way back to the main shop to find Sean playing on his cell phone. “You won’t believe who just called me.”
“Jennifer Lawrence?”
“No.”
“Kate Winslet?”
“No.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t believe you if those two hot babes called you.” Sean looked up from his cell phone. “Who called?”
“Kasey.”
Sean burst out laughing. “You’ve got our very own bunny boiler. I’d be careful if I was you. She’ll go all mental, and kill your bunnies.”
“I can’t even believe I thought you’d be serious about this.”
“Hey, if you’re serious, and you’re worried, then go to the cops. Kasey was always a little crazy, but I just didn’t think she’d go like this.”
“It may be nothing.” Brant ran a hand down his face, not liking the stress of thinking of Kasey as a problem.
“You tell me. She’s crazy, and I did warn you about her.” Sean got up from his seat. “Do you think she’d hurt Elisha?”
“Nah, men and women break up all the time.”
“They do, but the women don’t stalk their exes. At least in horror movies they do.” Sean looked toward the door. “Speaking of women, here’s your beautiful woman coming now.”
Brant turned around to find Elisha walking into the shop. She was dressed in a pink summer dress, which did wonders for her dark hair and pale complexion.
“Hey guys, I’m stopping at the store, and I was thinking of grabbing some meat for the grill. I’ve yet to use mine. What do you think? Would you like to come to my place tonight? Steaks, potato salad? Can I lure you to my place?”
“I’m totally in. Steaks, potatoes, brownies—if you’re making, I’m there,” Sean said.
Elisha turned toward him. “What about you? Can I lure you to the dark side?”
“I’m already at the dark side, and I thought it was me doing all the luring.” He tugged her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Count me in.”
“Right, I will go and do the shopping. I’ll see you guys later.”
“You bet your sweet ass I will,” Sean said.
Brant watched her leave his shop and stepped up to the door. Kasey wouldn’t cause a problem. He was ninety-nine percent sure of it. What he had with Kasey was just sex. What he had with Elisha was something more, and women don’t go all crazy and stalk.
Even as he thought it, he was hoping he was right.
Chapter Ten
Elisha stopped by the store and grabbed plenty of steaks, and some pepper so that she could cover some with cracked pepper. She loved her food a little on the fiery side. Pulling her car into her drive, she looked up, and her mouth fell open. The word “slut” was spray painted on her door.
Climbing out of her car, she walked up to her door, and was so annoyed that someone would come and spray paint such a vile word on her door. It was damn hard to clean spray paint, and she was so pissed off in that moment.
She called Carl, and leaned against her car, waiting for her friend to arrive. Carl was the police officer she worked with, and someone she trusted as a friend.
He didn’t make her wait long, and twenty minutes later, he pulled up outside of her house.
“Hey, Elisha.”
She gave him a wave. “I was on a job this morning, and I went to the store. When I came back, I saw this.” She pointed at the door.
“Do you have any enemies?”
“No. I clean for a living. I don’t exactly go out making life hard for everyone.”
“I know, honey, but I’ve just got to ask all these questions.”
“I know. I know.” She stepped away from him while Carl did his job, talking into his radio.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Carl asked.
“What?”
“Do you have an angry ex-boyfriend, or girlfriend?”
“I’m seeing someone new, but he wouldn’t do this.”
“How do you know?” Carl asked.
“He’s my neighbor.”
“I’m going to need to talk to him.”
She pulled out her cell, and called Brant’s number. This was so humiliating. What if it was one of Brant’s exes? She didn’t know how many women he’d been with before. They both had a past. His past was a lot more colorful than her own. She didn’t exactly have a long line of lovers waiting around for her, or disappointed that she ended it.
“Hey, babe, what’s up?”
“Erm, something has happened, and my friend Carl is a police officer, and he wants to talk to you.” She handed the phone to Carl, and bit her lip as he started talking about the door, and she only got one sided answers. He moved away, and grabbed a notebook from his car. He was on his way back when she heard what he said. “I will talk with her, and see what I can do. Okay.”
Carl handed the phone back to her, and she took it.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey, I’m on my way home,” Brant said.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Yes. I do.”
“Do you know who could have done it?”
“Yes, I do.”
Carl took a couple of photographs and stepped back waiting.
“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you when you get home.” She hung up the phone, and gave Carl her full attention.
“So, it seems that Brant has an ex who doesn’t like being in his past. I’m going to go and question her, and I’ve taken some pictures, but there’s not a lot I can do right now.”
“Right.” She looked toward the door. “Can I at least clean that? It’s damn rude, and unfair. Brant was single when I started sleeping with him.”
Carl laughed. “I was waiting for you to say that. Yes, you can clean it. I’ve got some pictures, and a name. Take care, and call me if something else happens.”
“I will.”
She made her way into her home, placed the steaks in the fridge, and grabbed her cleaning products.
Ten minutes later, Brant was pulling into his own drive, and coming to stand behind her.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he said.
“You don’t have to worry about it. Well, it kind of sucks because I’m having to clean it up, but spray paint is a pain in the ass to clean.” She scrubbed even harder. “I’ve not had the chance to fire up the grill.”
“I’m home early. Sean’s closing up the shop.”
“You know who did it?” she asked.
“I’ve got an idea, and I’ve told Carl, your friend.”
“He said he was going to go and talk to her. I take it you dumped her, and she didn’t want to be dumped.”
“Pretty much. She’s been calling, but besides today, I didn’t really think she was capable of being a vandal,” Brant said.
Standing up, she wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’m just pissed that she gave me an extra job. Cleaning spray paint only annoys me.” She smiled up at him. “No biggie, we’re all good.”
She saw the concern in Brant’s eyes.
“Stop worrying.”
“I’ve never broken up with her before, and I had no idea what she was really like.”
Elisha shrugged. “There’s no use us crying over what she can and can’t do. It happened, and now it’s over. Carl will talk to her, and if she’s clever, she’ll keep her distance. It was a bad word on my door, nothing more.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I think it’s sweet that you care.”
“I don’t want your sister to be pissed that I wasn’t taking care of you.”
“She wouldn’t think
that.” Opening the door, she grabbed her cleaning products, and they made their way inside her home. She still couldn’t believe that it was only a couple of a weeks ago that she’d thought he was an awful neighbor. How her feelings had changed.
Tugging off her apron, she removed her rubber gloves and put everything away. Brant hovered close to her, and she laughed. “Go, and fire up the grill. I’ll prepare the steaks, and start on those potatoes.”
He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“It’s not. I’m fine, and you’re fine. We’re both fine.”
Brant claimed her lips, his tongue sliding inside her mouth, and she opened up to him. Goosebumps erupted all over her flesh as he deepened the kiss, making her breathless. “I’ll go and start the fire.”
She laughed and watched him leave.
Grabbing several potatoes, she gave them a scrub, and left on the skin. Dicing them up, she dropped them into some water, and left them to come to a boil. As the water was boiling, she worked on the dressing that was going to coat her potatoes. Placing some bacon on a frying pan, she turned it on high, and waited for it to go crisp. At the same time, she placed some mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a bowl, sprinkled over some spicy cheddar, pepper, and a pinch of salt, giving it a stir. Once the bacon was crisp, she let it cool, chopping it up and adding it to the creamy mixture.
This was another thing she loved to do to relax her. There was nothing better than making up some soothing potato salad. Grabbing the steaks from the fridge, she was giving them a bashing when Sean entered her home without knocking.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She chuckled. “I’m more than okay. Stop worrying.”
“Kasey could be dangerous.”
“She painted ‘slut’ on my door. It’s not exactly original, and I’m sure I could take her if it came to blows.”
“It’s not funny,” Sean said. “Women can be total bitches.”
“I’m a woman myself.”
“We’re going to keep an eye on her, Sean, don’t worry.”
“You’ve got to trust Carl. He’s a good man.”
“She’ll get a warning, and that is about it,” Sean said.