When she left the school, she moved to Southern Florida, where she lived until the day she passed away, just a few weeks ago. Her passing could explain the sudden need for this dipshit to find my father and claim what they think is rightfully theirs. In the entire folder, there’s no mention or proof of children.
I grab my phone and call Harrison’s cell.
“Hello?” he answers.
“You didn’t find any proof of this so-called brother—or sister—of mine existing?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“You can’t get your hands on some old tax forms to see if she claimed any dependents?”
“The information I gave you was what the company already had in their employee files. The rest I found by doing a simple internet search. The school she worked for had all of their past employees listed in their staff directory. I pulled her obituary from a Florida paper.”
“Do some digging. Hire an investigator if you have to. We need to get to the bottom of this,” I demand, hanging up the phone.
I push the file away. Anger and annoyance eat at me. More than anything, I want to find out if I have another sibling or not. I’m not happy about the thought of my dad fathering another child with a woman who isn’t my mother, but family is the most important thing. And if there’s a piece missing, we need to bring him or her home.
After leaving the office for the day, I pass by Celeste’s law office. I quickly pull a U-turn and drive into the parking lot. The sign on the door says CLOSED, but there are still lights on inside. I try the knob and the door opens easily.
“Hello?” I call out, taking a step inside.
“Sorry, we’re closed!” she shouts from the back before sticking her head out of her office door. “Oh, it’s you.” She steps into the hallway and crosses her arms over her chest. “What can I do for you, Mr. Slade?”
“Mr. Slade? Going back to that, are we?” I ask, amused by her tone as I step into the office.
She shrugs one shoulder. “Seems appropriate considering our standing.”
“Our standing? Seems to me like we’re on a first-name basis,” I say with a smile. But she doesn’t seem amused. She presses her lips together as she pulls her eyes from mine. Clearly, she’s anxious about this situation. “Let me take you out,” I say, almost begging.
“What?” she asks, clearly confused. Her eyes jump back up to mine.
“I want to take you out,” I say, taking a step closer. “Let’s go get dinner, talk, and get to know each other a little better.”
“How in the world does that seem like a good idea?” she asks, but there’s a smile playing on her lips.
“I want you, Celeste. You want me, I know you do. But I think something is standing in the way.”
“Yeah, attorney-client privilege. My job. Ethics. Morals. You know, real-life adult stuff.”
I shake my head as I start walking closer. “No, that isn’t it. I think you’re the type of person who grabs a ripe opportunity when it’s right in front of you. I just have to prove how good it is. Right now, you don’t know enough about me to make it worth it. Let me change that.”
She’s fully smiling now, and I take that as a good sign. “Doing things a little backward, aren’t we?”
“I never claimed to be smart, Ms. Teller.” I’m only an inch away from her now. Our eyes are locked. I can feel the heat leaving her body. I absorb it, letting it warm a spot inside me that only she can touch.
“Come on, you’re not going to sleep with me then turn me down for dinner, are you?” I shoot her a little grin I hope she can’t refuse.
She laughs. “I guess that would be rather rude of me.” Her breath blows across my face and I want nothing more than to pull her in for a kiss, but I don’t. Holding off on the urge causes my stomach muscles to tighten.
“Get your stuff,” I request softly.
“Right now? You want to take me to dinner right now?” Her green eyes stretch wide.
I nod. “Mm-hmm, unless you have other plans.”
“No, no other plans. But there isn’t anything open in town other than the diner, and I can’t do stale black coffee and limp fries again this week.”
“I know a place,” I tell her, turning around for the door.
“All right, let me get my purse.” She disappears into her office, shuts off the light, and is back in front of me within seconds. “Lead the way,” she motions for me to go.
I open the door and step out, holding it open for her. She turns off the entryway light and joins me on the sidewalk. Taking her keys, she locks up the office. I lead her over to my truck and open the passenger-side door. She gives me a look but climbs inside. I close the door after her then jog around the truck to get behind the wheel.
“So, where is this secret little place?” she asks, pulling on her seatbelt.
“I didn’t say it was secret,” I say around a smile. It occurs to me that I probably look way too happy right now. It’s been a long time since I’ve smiled this much, and my cheeks are paying for it.
“You going to give me a hint?” She smiles at me and it steals the air from my lungs.
I laugh. “Don’t like surprises much, huh?”
“I hate them. Just tell me.” She’s watching me, and I can see the lack of amusement in her eyes.
“My place,” I tell her.
“Your house?” Her brows lift with surprise.
I nod once. “Is that okay?”
She looks nervous now. “I don’t know, Drake. I thought we were going to a restaurant—someplace public.”
“Nothing is open; you know that. You said so yourself.” I want to grin from using her words against her, but I manage to hold it back.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Then why don’t we wait for another night?”
“Because I want to have dinner with you tonight. Don’t worry, I’m an excellent cook.”
She sits back in her seat and enjoys the ride down the dark country roads.
When we get to the house, I park the truck and go to open her door. She’s already opened it and is sliding out.
“I can tell you’re from the city,” I chuckle.
“How’s that?”
“You didn’t wait for me to open your door.” I close it and hold out my elbow for her to take.
She looks amused, but slides her arm around mine. “I’m not the kind of girl who needs a man to do things like open and close doors or lead me somewhere. I’ve been doing these things for a long time all on my own.”
“That’s not the point,” I argue.
“Okay, then what’s the point?” I can hear the challenging tone in her voice.
“It’s just the country way, Celeste. Women don’t need men for anything. We know that. These are just the little things we can offer to make your day a little easier, and make you feel a little more special. That’s all. Manners. Hospitality,” I say. We’re on the porch now, so I lean forward and open the door, allowing her to walk inside ahead of me.
“Care for a drink?” I ask, walking to the kitchen and flipping on lights as I go.
“Sure, but no whiskey. This isn’t a business meeting,” she jokes.
I laugh and open the fridge. “Wine?”
“You have wine?” she asks, eyes stretching wide.
“I do. I don’t know why, but . . .” I pull out the bottle and place it on the island as I search around for wine glasses. After searching every cabinet, and coming up empty-handed, I grab two whiskey glasses instead. “I hope this is okay. As you can guess, I haven’t had wine in a long time . . . or company, for that matter.”
She giggles but accept the glass of wine. Gently, she knocks it against mine. “I’m sure it will taste just fine.”
We both take a sip and instantly regret it.
“Can wine go bad?” she asks, scrunching up her nose.
I quickly spit mine into the kitchen sink. “I didn’t think so, but this is horrible. Give me that.” I reach out and take her glass, pouring both down t
he sink. “I told you it’s been a while since I had wine!”
We both laugh as I dig around for something else. “I know you’re a city girl, but how about a beer?”
“Anything has to be better than wine that tastes like vinegar,” she laughs out.
I take out two bottles. I open one and hand it over before doing the same with mine. We both take a sip at the same time.
“Much better,” she says, nodding her head.
“My kind of woman,” I say without thinking.
Her eyes jump up to mine and we both stand awkwardly for a moment. Neither of us knows what to say or do from here.
“So, what’s for dinner?” she asks, breaking the silence.
I jump into action, open the fridge, and root around until I come up with chicken breast. “Chicken?” I ask, looking back at her.
“Sounds good.”
I close the fridge. “I’ll go fire up the grill.”
I walk out the back door that’s just off the kitchen and get the grill going. When I walk back in, she’s busying herself in the kitchen. The island is covered with various items.
“I figured I’d help, if you don’t mind.” She looks over her shoulder at me, a small smile in place.
“I don’t mind at all,” I tell her as I start seasoning the chicken.
She’s standing at the island while I’m standing at the counter behind her. We’re back to back. “So, you cook often?” I ask, needing conversation.
“I did back home. I’ll admit, though, that I prefer to spend my money on a nice apartment and shoes rather than food. Plus, it saves my ass from doubling in size, since I eat more when I cook for myself.”
“What do you like to cook?”
She thinks it over for a moment. “I like making salads, grilled veggies, and anything with rice—like, I could literally live off the stuff, but truthfully, I don’t eat it much. You know, due to the carbs and all. I like chicken and turkey, but I’m not big on pork.”
“No bacon?” I question with a laugh.
She giggles. “Not really. I’m more of a sweet breakfast person. The sweeter the better, in my opinion.”
“Ah, so you’re like the kid who sucks the syrup out of the bottle,” I tease.
She laughs. “You do that one time and you never live it down,” she jokes, but we both chuckle.
I grab a pair of tongs from the drawer and turn to take the chicken out, but freeze when she turns at the same time. We’re eye to eye. She smiles, causing her cheeks to blush.
“Sorry, go ahead.”
“No, I insist.”
She nods and moves toward the fridge. She opens the door and bends down low, grabbing a tomato. When she bends down, I can’t keep my eyes to myself. I have to take her in. When I feel my body start to come to life, I shake my head and move outside with the chicken. Finally alone, I start to wonder what the point of this whole dinner date is. I’m not the take a girl out to dinner kind of guy. Not anymore, at least. I guess I used to be, back when I was trying to win over Casey. Back then, of course, we went out from time to time, but after we’d been together a while, we just kind of settled into our routine.
There’s something about Celeste that draws me in. I thought it was her body, plain and simple, but when we’re together, we laugh and have a good time even when it’s work-related. Maybe something else pulls me to her and has from the beginning. Maybe she’s meant for me. All this time, I thought Casey was the only woman I could ever be with, but Celeste seems perfect in every way.
I walk back into the house and Celeste turns to face me. “I got the salad ready,” she says, but stops when I step up to her.
“I can’t wait until after dinner for this,” I say, leaning in and pressing my mouth to hers. At first, her lips are stiff and uninviting, but almost instantly, she gives in. She kisses me back. Her tongue tangles with mine and her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me in deeper. My left hand rests on her hip while my right hand moves gently up and down her back. The kiss is long and deep.
Slowly, I break it off, not wanting to take things too far—just wanting to give her and myself a little taste of what could be. When I pull away, her eyes are wide—sparkling with something I can’t place. Her lips are red and glistening from our kiss, and they’re parted with her heavy breathing.
“Drake, I . . .” she breathes out.
“I know. We shouldn’t be doing this,” I say, using her words from before.
She shakes her head. “No, that’s not what I was going to say.”
I release her and she leans against the island. “I know we should keep our distance for more than one reason, but I’ve never thought of someone as much as I’ve thought about you. Something just draws me to you—something I don’t quite understand but something I can’t ignore nonetheless.”
“So . . . us . . .” I say, motioning back and forth between us.
She shrugs one shoulder and smiles. “You think it’ll work out?”
My mouth opens but no sound comes out.
“I mean, just keeping things casual?”
“I think we can do anything we want, Celeste,” I say, moving back toward her. As I pick her up against me, her mouth returns to mine. I set her on the island and her hands tug at my shirt until I pull it off in one swift motion. Her fingers graze over my shoulders and biceps. Her touch is so soft, it causes a chill to run up my spine. Goosebumps prickle my skin wherever she draws a path with her fingertips. My hands start moving over her hips and under the hem of her shirt, pushing it up as they go.
“I’ve never been with a man like you,” she says, mesmerized, as her fingers continue to trace over my body.
“A man like me?”
“Big and rough. A man who knows how to do anything. A man who has a body built by hard work. A man so . . .” She doesn’t finish the sentence; she just pulls me toward her mouth. I don’t need a second invitation. I kiss her deeply as I pull at her top.
“What about the food on the grill?” she asks, breaking the kiss.
“Fuck it,” I mumble, needing my mouth against hers.
She giggles against my lips and pushes me away. “We have all the time we need for this. Let’s have dinner first. Otherwise, we may end up burning down your house.”
I groan. “Fine. I’ll check the grill,” I say, grabbing my shirt and moving toward the door. My heart is hammering away in my chest and my breathing is labored from being so close before being turned away. At least I wasn’t turned down this time. I made her see there’s more than just sex. I can’t wait to sit with her and enjoy this meal. I want to know all there is to know. It’ll make our time together that much sweeter.
When the chicken is done, I take it inside. She’s already set the table with two plates, our beers, and a candle in the center. Next is a bowl of salad and a basket of rolls. “Wow, where’d you find all that?”
“In the cabinets,” she answers, serving the salad.
I place a chicken breast on each of our plates and we take a seat. “So, tell me about this ex of yours. The one who ruined you.” She offers up a little smile.
“Ruined me?” I ask with a lift of my brow.
She shrugs. “That’s what I’ve heard . . . from literally everyone.”
I shake my head. “I wish everyone would mind their own fucking business.”
“Well, are you going to tell me?” she asks, cutting a piece of chicken.
I tear off a piece of the roll and stuff it in my mouth. “Casey was my only real love. We were together for years. We’d even talked of starting a family.”
“So, what happened?”
I shrug. “I don’t know, really. I don’t know why she just all of a sudden decided to run off. I guess she wasn’t as happy as I thought. She was meant for more than just living the small-town life.”
She nods. “You never thought of going with her?”
“Nope, this is my home. I don’t even know what I’d do anywhere else. I was born into this life. It’s all I’ve
ever known: the brewery and taking care of the land.”
“So even though you have billions of dollars, you never even considered taking a vacation?”
I shrug. “I’ve considered it, of course, but if I left, who would take care of things here?”
“What about Harrison?”
I laugh. She’s making perfect sense, but to get me out of my home and out of my routine would take a miracle. I like my life and where I’m at. No need to run around to find a life I don’t want. “Tell me more about you. How many men have been in your life?”
She snorts. “Wow, straight to the point! Not many. I had a serious boyfriend back in high school. We dated for the first couple of months in college, but never seeing each other caused us to break up. Then I didn’t date again until my senior year. There were a few guys, but nothing serious.”
“So you’ve never had your heart broken?” I ask.
She presses her lips together and offers a sad smile. “You have to be in love to get your heart broken.”
I reach out and place my hand over hers. “Love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Trust me. It hurts.”
She pushes her chair back and stands. I can’t do anything but watch as she moves closer to me, sitting on my lap. “That’s why I think what we’re doing is the perfect option for both of us,” she says, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. My hands immediately go to her hips, pulling her down against my growing erection. She lets out the softest of moans against my lips and it only makes me harden more.
Finally picking up where we left off earlier, my hands push her shirt up her stomach. She reaches for the hem and yanks it off, tossing it onto the floor. Her light pink lace bra is calling my name. It makes her tanned skin glow under the candlelight. My lips move off of hers, down to her jaw, and finally to the swell of her breasts while my hands work at the clasp.
When it falls away, I suck a hard nipple into my mouth. She reclines, back arching as soft moans and whimpers leave her lips. Her fingers thread into my hair, pulling at the roots.
The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 12