by Natalie Ann
“Maybe,” she admitted.
“I’ll stay with you for a few days if you let me see what you’ve got. And let me use them on you.”
“That’s private,” she argued. “I don’t need them if I’ve got you.”
“This isn’t about a need,” he said. “It’s a want to see you. To watch you.”
She hadn’t expected this side of him but should have. “Maybe,” she said. “If you let me go shopping with you to furnish your house next weekend.”
“You drive a hard bargain,” he said, “but something tells me you are used to getting your way.”
“Not always,” she said quickly. She needed to change the subject. She liked their fun and playful banter more than she realized, but now it could turn into something more she didn’t want to think of or deal with.
Her eyes landed on the samples of his box in the corner. “Did you test them out?”
“I did,” he said.
He’d picked them up last week from the manufacturing company. They’d run tests themselves, but he said he had to do it too.
“Do I want to know what you did with them?”
“The insulated one spent some time in the oven on the lowest temperature I could set it at. Which was still higher than what we’ve dealt with in other countries.”
She walked over and looked at the boxes. Three of them. Different sizes. One was completely insulated, the other two were only partially on one side. “They look like they are in good shape still.” She lifted the lid. “What’s that?” she asked of the brown substance on the corner.
“Chocolate.”
“You wasted chocolate in there? It melted?” she asked, somewhat bummed that it might not work. The other part was she’d get to spend more time with him on this project rather than being done with it from the firm’s perspective.
“Actually it didn’t,” he said. “But I ate it and must have had some on my finger when I was checking it out to make sure everything held together.”
“That’s great. I’m glad to know it worked out. Are we done now with it? At least with this stage?”
“I think so. Travis and I talked to Cade last week and the patent is in the works. For now I guess I’ll just sit back and think of my next step with it, but I know it works. I’ll do some research on companies that I might pitch it to. It’s not my thing but I’ll figure it out.”
“Let me help,” she said.
“You’ve done a lot already.”
“I have. For the company. But now I want to do it for you. I’m good at writing proposals. It’s part of my job. Let me do some research and work on things. I’ll run it all by you.”
He kissed her on the forehead and then moved away to get a packing box she’d noticed that was put together. “If you want to, I’d appreciate it, but I don’t want you to feel obligated. I know you’re busy.”
“I am busy, but not too busy to do something for someone I care about.”
He turned his head and looked at her. It was the closest she was going to get to saying how she felt right now. “The same goes,” he said, starting to put his jeans and shirts in the box, then opened a drawer and pulled out what looked like seven pairs of socks and underwear.
“You’re going to bring one weeks’ worth of clothes to my house in one box?” she asked.
“I am. I can travel light. Next weekend I’ll move into the house.”
“And then we can go shopping too. It will take time to get the furniture delivered.”
“Hot tub shopping,” he said.
“You don’t need me for that. Just go to the place, find the one you want, and order it,” she said. “That’s not much fun.”
“Only because you aren’t a big fan of sitting in water that hot. I’ll get you in it though.”
“I’m sure you will,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to swimming laps in your pool. Great exercise. Though you’ll be closing it soon I’m sure.”
“They closed it already,” he said. “I talked to Tom last week and he asked my opinion, and I said it’d be great if they could get it done and leave me the name of the company and information of who does it for them.”
“Damn,” she said. “Guess I have to wait until the spring.” The minute those words were out of her mouth she wondered if she was presumptuous.
But then he said, “I guess you will,” and she realized maybe they were more on the same page than she realized.
27
Makes You Happy
The following Saturday Brock was being pulled into yet another store and wanted to scream.
He’d taken Friday off of work and gotten all of his belongings moved over in one truckload, just supervising the moving company.
Jade was right; it was pretty pathetic, his possessions.
But his bed was together and his clothes were put away while Jade found places for the few kitchen items he had. Then she’d pulled out a sheet of paper and started to make a list of everything she thought he needed.
He wanted to laugh, but everything on the list was something he would use. If not alone, then when she stayed with him, which he wanted.
“You need sheets,” she said in the department store.
“I’ve got sheets on my bed,” he said. “I wash and dry them and put them back on. One set is fine.”
“You just bought two beds and they need sheets,” she reminded him. As if he could forget. He’d gotten one bed for one of the spare rooms and another for the pool house. That was where his parents would want to stay and he knew they were coming soon.
“Fine,” he said. “Just grab a white one or tan or something. Nothing fancy.”
He grabbed one set and she did the other. “You need blankets at least. Unless you want comforters.”
“No. Get those soft blankets there. I don’t care about the color. That’s all I’ve got on my bed and it’s good enough for now.”
She laughed and picked up a blue and gray one. “Pillows.”
He wanted to growl at her. “Can’t we order some of this? Our arms are filled as it is.”
“Fine,” she said. “Oh, towels.” She was moving away from him and he had to race to keep up.
“I’ve got enough towels. We can order that too. I don’t need any more just yet.”
“But what you have might not match your master bathroom.”
“I don’t care if it matches.”
She looked like she was going to pass out on him. “Please don’t. My heart can’t take it. You need a hand towel to match.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders. “For the love of God. We just spent four hours furniture shopping. I let you drag me to three places for living room and dining room furniture because I happen to like your taste, but a man can only take so much.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry. You’ve just got this beautiful house and I’m so happy for you. I want it to look good.”
“I’m a guy. I don’t care about towels matching the wall color in my bathroom. At least not my master,” he amended. “But you can get some for the downstairs.”
“And the bathroom in the pool house.”
“Fine, but this is it. When we get back I’ll give you my credit card and you can make yourself happy getting whatever else you think I need.”
“You trust me with your credit card?” she asked.
He thought about this for a second. He knew it was a trap. “I trust you to buy for me and not like you were buying for you.”
Her shoulders dropped. “Damn you for knowing how to put me in my place. We can finish up here and be done then.”
“Thank you,” he said, glad he finally got through to her. “I’m starving. We can stop for dinner too.”
“And then the grocery store when we are done to get you some food.”
He wanted to argue, but he needed the food anyway. “If it makes you happy.”
“It really does,” she said.
“Did anyone in your family ever lose an argument with you?”
he asked once they were checked out and carrying the bags to his SUV.
“I actually don’t win that often,” she said. “You gave in faster than I thought you would.”
“It’s because I don’t want to be in the doghouse at my own house on the first night.”
“Am I staying with you tonight?” she asked.
“I’d like you to. Since we are running everywhere, we can get some clothes at your house. Maybe you can keep a change there like I do at your place?”
“I can do that.”
“And you’re not going to take an hour to decide on what to keep there. A pair of jeans, a shirt and under clothes. I’ll grab them myself if I have to.”
“But what if the shoes I have on that day don’t match what I leave at your house?” He eyed her hard. She’d even taken a step back. “Wow, if you gave your men in the Navy a look like that, I’d bet they did whatever you asked.”
“Faster than you.”
“Brock,” she said, bumping shoulders with him. “This is like you trying to get me drunk, but only I’m doing it to you. You don’t see it?”
“You’re trying to relax me while I shop?” he asked. “It’s not working.”
“No. I’m trying to have fun with you. You’re taking it too seriously.”
“So you’ve been playing with me this whole time?”
“Of course I have. I can’t believe you let me go this long. I was starting to think you were more of a pushover than I would have expected. Though I appreciate the furniture shopping and letting me help you pick it all out, I didn’t expect you to get sheets and blankets. It took you longer than I thought to mention online shopping.”
He didn’t know if he wanted to laugh at her or shake her. “You’re a piece of work,” he ended up saying.
They put their bags in the back of his SUV and he turned to walk to the driver’s side, but she had him against the back with her mouth on his. “You like me this way,” she said.
Damned if he didn’t.
Jade couldn’t believe Brock had let her shop as much as they had. She’d just been having fun with him and pushing it, waiting for him to put his foot down.
And man, when he did, talk about scary...and sexy at the same time.
It probably shouldn’t have turned her on like that, but she couldn’t help it.
He was usually laid back and fun. Or frustrated. But never angry, not that she thought he was with her. More like annoyed. But, boy, did he let her know.
She’d actually felt bad after that and figured she’d let him in on what she was doing.
“So where to for food?” she asked. “Your choice. I’ve made enough decisions today.”
He snorted. “Says no woman ever. But I’m going to take you up on it and I want Italian.”
“Perfect,” she said and suggested a place on the way back to his house.
They were waiting in line to be seated when she felt someone tap her shoulder and turned. No way, it couldn’t be.
“Hey, Jade. Fancy seeing you here.”
She frowned at Wyatt. Drake, Noah, and Sebastian were with him too. “Did you pull in after we did?”
“Since we are in line right behind you, I think the answer to that is yes,” Wyatt said.
“I mean did you see us pull in and follow us in? This seems awfully odd to me.”
It was like a setup or something. “What are you accusing us of?” Drake asked. “We just got done at the golf course and decided to stop for some dinner.”
“It’s kind of chilly out for golf,” she said. Brock was just watching her going back and forth with her brothers.
“I told them they were wusses,” Sebastian said. “I wanted to go and Noah said yes. But Drake and Wyatt whined a bit about the wind.”
“We still kicked your butt,” Drake said.
“Table for two?” the hostess said, coming over.
“Six,” Noah piped up. “We’re family.”
“Sorry,” she said to Brock. “What did you ask earlier? If I ever lost an argument? This is how.”
“Being outnumbered?” he asked.
“That’s one way,” she said.
Once they were seated, the waitress came over, took their drink orders, then left. “So, what have you two kids been doing today?” Noah asked her.
“Shopping for the house,” Brock said.
“And you lived to tell about it?” Wyatt asked, then winced when her foot found his knee under the table.
“She’s not that bad,” Brock said. “Just needs a firm hand now and again when she gets out of control.”
Drake started to laugh and then coughed. Noah slapped him on the back, then looked at Brock. “How the hell did you get to say that and not get her foot to hit one part of your body?”
“Because I know he’s joking,” she said.
“We always joke too,” Noah said back.
“Come on, boys,” Brock said. “It’s not the same and you know. Besides, your sister has other ways to make me pay.”
“Brock, you just managed to shut my brothers up. They are all sitting there knowing what you are alluding to. What’s the matter, boys? Can’t you think of your baby sister and Brock in the bedroom...playing cards?”
“Cards? Come on,” Sebastian said. “I’m fifteen. Even I knew when Paige was sneaking out with Noah and they thought I didn’t. I texted her that I caught them in the act.”
“You caught them?” Brock asked.
“No,” Sebastian said. “Not like that. Paige said she was going shopping and we can track each other’s phones. I saw her at Noah’s and I sent her some emojis.”
“Teens,” Noah said. “What can I say? There aren’t as many secrets as we’d like.”
“Ready to order?” the waitress asked when she returned with everyone’s drink.
The minute each one of her brothers got an appetizer and then their meal she knew exactly what was going to happen. If her feet could move fast enough to kick them all she’d do it, but instead would just deal with it on her own.
By the time dinner was done and dessert had been served, Wyatt’s phone was going off. He pulled it out, “Shit. I need to go. I told Adriana I thought I’d be home by now.”
Her twin stood up and then Sebastian started to laugh. “Noah told Paige we would be home over an hour ago.”
“You’re right,” Noah said. “We better hurry up.”
Drake jumped up. “We’re all riding together, you idiots, and I’m driving.”
Just like that she was left alone with Brock...and the bill.
“Do I want to know what that was all about?”
“A ritual of sorts, though it’s the first time I’ve been hit. And not just by one of them, not even two but all three of my brothers and my nephew.”
“Care to explain more?” he asked when the bill came. He reached for it and she snatched it out of his hand. “Don’t even go there again.”
That look in his eye made her drop her hand away. “My brothers all like to crash each other’s dates and then stick them with the tabs. They do it with my cousins too.”
“And it’s never happened to you?” he asked, pulling his credit card out.
“No. They said they’d never do it because they would never leave someone other than family with the bill.”
“They think I’d let you pay this?” he asked, frowning.
“Nope. They knew damn well you would.”
He laughed. “So it’s their form of acceptance or approval?”
She grinned. “I guess you could say that. Please, let me take care of it.”
“No,” he said. “Money isn’t an issue. I’ve got plenty of it because I never spent much of it. Well, until I met you.”
“But you said you like me this way,” she said, letting out a little giggle.
“I guess you could make it up to me back at my place.”
“Oh, I had fully anticipated it,” she said. “I even have something a little special I was going to wear for you tonight.
Kind of my first housewarming gift for you.”
“Then it was well worth the abuse my credit card took.”
28
Not a Compliment
Almost two weeks later, Jade was pulling into Brock’s on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. His parents had arrived a few hours ago and were staying for the week.
Since he hadn’t been sure when they’d get there, she decided to not stay the night and be there when they came. Though he’d said he’d told his parents about her, she’d rather not, knowing they might want time with their only son.
She walked in the front door, took a deep breath, and then made her way to the back family room.
As she went through the house she looked at it through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. It was much nicer than it was when he first moved in. His furniture had all been delivered; he’d painted a few rooms and allowed her to buy the necessities.
The walls were still bare of any art or decorations, but she’d cut him some slack on that and hadn’t brought it up. She knew when to push and when to pull back.
“It smells good in here,” she said, coming in with a bottle of wine in her hand. Brock had said his mother was going to be cooking dinner.
“Jade,” Brock said coming forward. “I didn’t hear you come in the front door.”
“Sorry. Should I have rung the doorbell?” She was joking but wanted to know too. Maybe he wasn’t as invested as she was in this relationship if she couldn’t just walk in when he had company.
“Of course not.” She moved toward the older man that had just stood up. He looked a lot like Brock, only older. The same height, not as muscular, though he probably had been in his younger years. Definitely more intimidating. “Jade, this is my father, Admiral Michael James.”
“Do I call you Admiral?” She knew Brock’s father was retired but wasn’t sure the protocol on this.
“No. Michael is just fine. It’s a respect thing to introduce me as such, but I’m just Michael James to Brock’s girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.