Who are you trying to fool, Brooke? I know she’s upset. I can see it in her eyes. But she obviously doesn’t want to talk about it. I watch her put the plates down on the coffee table and let out a sigh.
“So, you find anything good to watch?” she asks.
“Uh, nah. Not really. Here. You pick,” I say handing her the remote. “I actually need another beer. You want me to grab you one?”
“Yeah, thanks,” she answers, focusing on the t.v.
I open the fridge and pull out two cans. Out of the corner of my eye I see her phone light up on the counter top. I stand straight up and stare at it for a moment. Don’t do it, Conner. It’s not your place. Don’t get involved. I turn back to the fridge, pull out two beers, and close the door. I turn to leave the room but see the glow of the screen light up again. I can’t help myself. I walk over to the countertop and pick up her phone, tilting it slightly so it displays her last few messages on the screen.
I suddenly feel my face burning red and I begin to shake with adrenaline. Ian’s name appears twice on the screen. Under his name there are two messages.
I told you, I will not share you, Brooke! Not with that fucking loser or anybody else!
Don’t you dare fucking ignore me!
Just as I finish reading the last message Brooke comes into the kitchen and I immediately feel her hands around my biceps.
“Conner…” She says my name cautiously but I don’t answer her. My blood feels like it’s boiling. My heart feels like it’s about to pound straight through my chest. “Conner! Please just let me explain.” I finally look at her.
“Who the fuck does he think he is? Are you just going to let him talk to you like that, Brooke?” I don’t even realize that I’m yelling until I see her flinch at my words.
“Conner. Stop. I’m handling it,” she says calmly but still holds tightly to my arms. “You’re right. It’s not okay. And his temper is something he is working on.” My jaw clenches as she continues. The mere thought of him having a temper with her makes me want to smash his fucking face in.
“Why the fuck is he talking to you like that, Brooke?” I force the words out as slowly and calmly as I can manage but I can hear my voice shaking with rage. Her grip on my arms loosen and she looks up at me. Her dark green eyes are large and sad.
“Because of you,” she answers quietly. “I told him that you were here for dinner and a movie and he’s obviously not happy about it. He can be very jealous and I know that but I also didn’t want to hide anything from him. You are important to me, Conner. And I need him to know that you and I are going to be friends. I need him to understand what that means. I need to know that he can handle us being friends and I need to know that you can handle being friends with him too.”
My eyes narrow at her. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Friends? She wants me to be friends with this prick? After the way he just talked to her. After what he just said about me? I shake my head in disbelief and take a step back from her. I need a little space to think this through.
“Brooke… you can’t expect me to…”
“I know. I know it’s not fair of me to ask this of you. You guys don’t get along right now and I get it but I thought that maybe if you two spent some time together you might actually learn to get along...or at least tolerate each other.”
A ragged breath escapes my mouth and I look her up and down. She bats her large green eyes and flashes me her best pretty-please smile and my anger and doubt vanish in an instant. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this girl. I love her. I smile down at her and fold my arms around her, pulling her tightly against my chest. I inhale her sweet scent. This has recently become my favorite position in the world. Where she is tucked safely in my arms. Where I can protect her from everything and anything I need to. Where it feels like she’s mine. All mine.
Six
Brooke
After spending half of last night going back and forth with Ian he finally agreed to try to get along with Conner. This whole thing has been exhausting. I still can’t believe Conner was more easily convinced than Ian was. I take a deep breath and check my reflection in my rearview mirror before sliding out of my car and heading into the station.
My heart is pounding. Both Ian and Conner are supposed to be working today but the tension is so high between them that I can’t help but feel like this is a disaster waiting to happen. I considered calling off but the thought of those two being here alone together all day left an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I make my way to the upstairs room and start the coffee.
I head over to our bulletin board and look over the schedule. I already know what my duties are for today but I’m so nervous that I can’t sit still. I look over what Conner will be doing today too-vehicle maintenance. Looks like we are expecting a shipment of supplies coming in today for the school presentation. So I won’t be seeing much of Conner until the shipment gets here. Out of my peripheral vision I spot movement outside of the doorway and turn to see Ian walking in the opposite direction towards his office. He doesn’t say anything to me.
My heart sinks a little. I hope he’s not mad about last night. I make my way down the hallway and tap lightly on his door. I don’t wait for him to answer before walking in and closing the door behind me. He’s already seated behind a wooden desk typing something onto a laptop. He’s a little more dressed up than usual in khaki pants and red polo. He looks so handsome. The sleeves of his polo hug his biceps tightly. He looks up at me as soon as I open the door and I smile.
“Good morning, Brooke,” he says in a rough tone.
“Hey,” I answer quietly. I’m a little thrown by his sudden display of professionalism directed at me. I move toward him and make my way around his desk. I roll his chair backward and squeeze myself between him and his laptop. He lets out a sigh and finally looks up at me.
“Is there something I can do for you?” I can tell by his tone he’s at least a little amused but he’s trying to stay mad.
“Funny, you should ask. I was about to ask you the same thing,” I answer with a smirk. I take his hands and put them on my waist as I wrap my fingers in his soft dark hair. I hear him laugh and he wraps his arms around me tighter, pulling my body to his face. At least he doesn’t seem mad anymore.
“I’m sorry about how last night went. I really hope you’re not jealous of Conner. I’ve told you before we’re just friends.”
In an instant Ian is on his feet and staring into my eyes. “Me? Jealous of Conner?” He says it as if it’s completely ridiculous. He takes the back of my neck firmly in one of his hands and presses my lips hard to his. His other hand travels down my back and squeezes my ass tightly. I feel him press his body against me, pinning me between him and his desk. A small moan escapes my lips as they part allowing him entrance. His tongue circles in my mouth, claiming it. Owning it but only for a moment before he pulls from the kiss as quickly as he started it. I’m left breathless in front of him. Wanting more.
“I’m not jealous of Conner.” His eyes are burning and serious as he continues to stare deep into mine. “You are mine. As long as everyone understands that. I think we’ll all get along just fine.” He smiles slightly then takes my face in both of his hands as he kisses me again this time softer. “Now, relax. And don’t you have work or something to do?”
He’s right. I actually do have things I need to do. And now that I know he’s going to be okay with this I feel like I can relax and get some of my work done. I reluctantly pull away from his arms and smile. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“I never want to get rid of you,” he answers, not letting go of my hand.
I look him up and down. “You seem rather dressed up today. What’s the occasion?”
“Ah, yeah,” he responds looking down at his outfit and rubbing the back of his neck. “I have a dinner meeting with Joe and the mayor tonight after work.”
“What about Micky’s tonight? You’re not coming?” I give him a pouty look.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll stop in after my dinner if I have time but I’m gonna be late getting there.”
“Alright,” I say, disappointment dripping from my voice.
“Hey.” He tugs on my hand and pulls me back into his arms again. I love when he’s playful. See, he’s great. You’re learning to love him already. “If I don’t make it to Micky’s tonight, I’ll make sure to stop by your house afterward. How’s that sound?”
I smile brightly at him. “That would be great.” He smiles back at me as I move toward his door.
“You can leave that open,” he says as I open his office door and slide out.
****
While Conner works on vehicle maintenance I start on equipment checks. I almost finish my checks when I hear Conner behind me.
“Mmm… mmm…mmm”
I turn and eye him curiously. “What the hell are you doing?” I laugh.
He leans against the door frame licking his lips and my breath hitches a bit. Why does he always have to look so sexy in everything he does? No, Brooke. Ian makes you happy. And Ian is just as sexy as Conner. No! Ian is more sexy than Conner.
“Well I was coming to see if you were hungry and wanted to go out for lunch but then I got here and realized how delicious you look today and thought maybe I’d just stay in.” His eyes paint my body up and down as he speaks. I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to be playful and flirtatious. He’s trying to make things normal between us again. Or at least our normal.
I laugh at his corny attempt to flirt. “Has that line ever actually worked on a woman? Like a conscious woman?”
“All the time,” he says, winking and flashing me his most dazzling smile and I feel my knees go weak. As hard as I try to control the effect he has on me it’s no use. He and his bedroom blues win every time. But at least being with Ian tempers the sting of being miserable over not having Conner. I shake my head and try my best to appear unamused.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Something hot.” He smiles brightly at me and bites his lower lip. I feel my body tremble in response. Oh God.
“Okay, I’m gonna go see if Ian wants anything.” I fumble through my words.
“No need.”
I turn around to see Ian standing behind me and I feel the blood rush to my face. How much of that did he just hear.
“I’m actually in the mood for something hot too,” he says, eyes focused on mine. I inhale sharply and search his face. Is he mad? Is he joking? Is he going to hit somebody? What's happening right now? His expression gives nothing away.
“How ‘bout wings then, Thompson?” Conner intervenes slapping a hand against Ian’s back. Oh God. I hold my breath waiting to see how Ian is going to respond. I’ve been dreading this moment all day. The moment that I’m awkwardly stuck in a room with the two of them and I don’t know if they are going to play nice or tear each other apart. The fact that Ian just walked in during one of Conner’s not-so-subtle sexual advances, the latter seems more likely at this point. I can feel the tension build the longer we all stand here together.
“Wings sound great, Smoak. You offering to go pick them up?” His eyes finally leave mine and flash to Conner and I’m able to release the breath I was just holding.
“Sure no problem. Brooke, you wanna ride with?” Two sets of eyes are suddenly on me. Shit. It feels like they’ve set this up on purpose just to see who I’d choose. I feel my heart start to beat fast. Relax Brooke. It’s a simple question. I need Ian to know that he doesn’t have to think of Conner as a threat but I also need Conner to know that Ian is going to come first if I’m going to move on from him.
“No, that’s okay. I’m actually just gonna finish up here.”
I see Conner’s face drop a little. Clearly he wasn’t expecting me to say no. His reaction sends a stabbing pain to my heart. I don’t want to hurt him. I stand there looking back and forth between them waiting for something to happen. The tension between them begins to build again. It feels like hundreds of bombs have been rigged around me and I’m just waiting for the smallest spark to ignite and set them all off.
“Oh, uh, okay. Well, Thompson, what are you having?” Conner asks, trying too hard to sound upbeat.
“Grab me two dozen kamikaze… add hot sauce. Thanks, Smoak.” Ian answers. A slight smugness in his tone but nothing over the top that would set Conner off. Whew. We may all just get out of this first day unscaved.
“And Brooke,” Conner turns to me, “a dozen bang bang wings? And you want me to bring them to you half naked, right? Just how you like them?” He let the words half naked roll off of his tongue slowly and his lips curl into a grin when he finishes.
My eyes grow wide and I immediately turn to Ian. His hands are squeezed into fists and his jaw is clenched. I watch as his breathing grows rapid and I quickly put a hand on his chest before turning back to Conner. This is it. All the tension that has been building up is about to go off before my eyes. All because Conner has to be a smart ass.
“Yes, Conner. A half dozen bang bang wings and a half dozen plain wings. Thank you,” I clarify in a disapproving tone. He smiles brightly, clearly proud of himself, then turns away from us and walks out the front door.
“Ian, I…”
“It’s fine, Brooke,” he growls, interrupting me. “I know you say that you and Smoak are just friends but I’m telling you he cares more for you than that.” I try to touch his shoulder but he shrugs me off, almost pushing me backward.
“Ian, please stop. He just says stupid things like that. It’s who he is.”
“Brooke, I told you I would try to be civil with him but not if he’s going to fuck with me every step of the way. I’m telling you now, next time I’m not going to hesitate to punch him in the mouth.” I wonder for a moment, who would win in a fight between Ian and Conner. My body tingles in response but I shake the thought from my mind immediately. Now is not the time for that.
“I know. I know. I’m sorry.” He finally lets me touch him and I put my hands on his chest. “I will talk to him. But we’ve always had a strange friendship, Ian. He says stupid flirty things to me and I ignore him. That’s how it’s always been.”
“Until now,” Ian replies coldly. “You had better re-evaluate your boundaries with him or I’m going to do it for you, Brooke.” I don’t know exactly what he means by that but he sounds serious. I nod my head and apologize again before pulling him into a hug. I feel a little better when he gently puts his arms around me, too. I hear him sigh then he tilts my chin up so I’m looking up at him.
“I’m sorry, too,” he says, surprising me. “I know I can overreact sometimes. I just want to be with you. It’s frustrating that he knows more about you than I do.”
I smile at him. “He doesn’t know that much about me,” I lie. “But give it time, you’ll know more about me than he does in no time at all.” He smiles and places a soft kiss on my head.
****
Conner
I’m the first one to get to Micky’s so I grab two tables and start to pull them together. Marcy comes over and helps by setting up chairs around the tables.
“Having a party or something tonight?” she asks.
“Yeah. Kind of. It’s actually Andy’s fifth year with us so we’re celebrating.”
“You guys would celebrate the sun coming up if it meant you had an excuse to come down here,” she retorts, laughing and shaking her head. She wasn’t lying. We celebrated every member’s anniversary with our company, marriage anniversary, birthday, child’s birthday, welcome party, and retirement party here. Basically, anything we had a reason to celebrate, we did. And we did it at Micky’s. I order a few pitchers of beer and by the time I get them back to our table Gabe and Bobby have already arrived.
“We’re gonna kick some ass in Euchre tonight, right Smoak?” Bobby asks louder than necessary.
“Damn right we are. Where’s your partner at Gabe?”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. She’ll be he
re.” Gabe no sooner finishes his answer and I turn to see Brooke walking through the door. She went home and changed after work. She’s now wearing jean shorts that stop just below her ass and a low cut tank top. Her long blonde curls flow loosely down over her shoulders and frame her breasts perfectly. How have I never realized how sexy she is? For a second I swear I feel my heart skip a beat.
I feel a nudge against my rib, “You’ve got a little drool or something right there, Conner,” Gabe says quietly so only I can hear him, smirking as he motions to his chin. I roll my eyes but can’t hide my smile. Brooke walks right up to us.
“What’s so funny guys?”
“Oh, Conner and Bobby here think they’re gonna beat us in Euchre,” Gabe laughs. A game-on smirk spreads across her lips. I feel an overwhelming urge to pull her against me and kiss that smirk. Just like earlier today when I saw her bent over checking equipment. It took all my restraint not to come up behind her and push her against the wall and have my way with her. Lord knows I wanted to.
I smile at my private thoughts then realize I’m the only one still standing. I quickly take my seat at the table beside Brooke and start to deal out the cards. The next hour and a half feels like old times-sitting around, playing cards, drinking, laughing, and swapping war stories. It feels like it used to feel only a few weeks ago except now it feels even better.
I catch my eyes lingering on Brooke just a little bit longer. I notice more about her. I notice she licks her lips when she gets dealt a good hand. I notice she shifts in her seat when a suite is called that she doesn’t like. I wonder for a moment if this is how she and Gabe always beat me and Bobby. Has she watched me like this for all these years? Has she learned my slightest of tells, my giveaways?
There's Heat: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 6