“Glad to hear it.” She led the way into the dining room. “Did you make any progress? You looked as if you might be onto something.”
“I made more progress sitting at your kitchen table than I’ve made in . . .” He stopped in the doorway to the dining room and drew in a sharp breath. “Wow, Miranda.” He stared at the candlelit table. “You went to a lot of trouble.”
“I don’t consider it trouble. Good food deserves a nice presentation.”
“You certainly achieved that.” He put down his wine glass and pulled out her chair. As he scooted it in, he chuckled. “I’m not sure I’m dressed for the occasion.”
“Tonight is strictly come as you are.” His gentlemanly gesture left her a little quivery. “I’m in the same outfit I wore to work this morning.”
“So am I, but there’s a critical difference. You showed up for work in a nicely creased gray pants suit and a green blouse that matches your eyes. I arrived in jeans, sneakers and a flannel shirt over my t-shirt.”
“So it’s casual Friday.” Mentioning the color of her eyes was slightly unusual. But she shouldn’t make too much of it.
“That’s not an excuse. I look like this every day. You, on the other hand, look beautiful every day.” He took his seat.
“Thanks.” She tried to stay calm but he’d just announced that she was beautiful. Anyone who made that kind of remark, especially in a private setting, often had an agenda.
Yet she didn’t picture Rylan concocting some plan to get her into bed. After all, she’d invited him to her place, so he couldn’t very well have a plan. Plus he probably had the same uneasy feeling that she did about getting involved. Their history – primarily concerning his brother Frazer – stood between them.
He put his napkin in his lap and surveyed the pasta primavera. “Looks really nice.”
She sensed his hesitation. He might have had fun shopping for the ingredients but he had an established prejudice against the taste of vegetables. It all hung on that first bite and she was a little nervous. Picking up the bottle of wine, she refilled both their glasses. “We need a toast.”
“Good idea.” He acted relieved to be putting off the moment when he had to dig into that bowl. “I have one. To Beauty and the Broccoli.”
She laughed because it was the kind of silly thing that was so Rylan. But once again he was implying that she was beautiful. She clinked glasses with him and drank. Then she raised her glass. “To Broccoli and the Beast.”
He grimaced and touched his glass to hers. “That would be me, all right.” He took a swallow of wine. “It’s a wonder you’re still speaking to me.”
“You haven’t been that bad.”
“No, I have been that bad, but . . .” He glanced at her and waggled his eyebrows. “I’m going to turnip a new leaf. Lettuce begin.”
She groaned.
“What? It’s way pasta time for me to squash my mushrooming anger before Tony cuts my celery. From now on I’ll be cool as a cucumber and I’m gonna beet this –”
“Stop, stop! Bring back the beast!”
“Nope.” His eyes sparkled with laughter as he picked up his fork. “The beast is gone. We’ll have peas in our time.” He speared a broccoli floret and popped it in his mouth.
She held her breath as she waited for his reaction.
Chewing slowly, he closed his eyes, which displayed exactly how long and luxurious his eyelashes were. Then he swallowed and looked over at her.
“Well?”
He smiled. “Best broccoli ever.”
“Woo-hoo!”
“Hold on. I’m still not exactly in love with it.”
“Are you at least in like with it?”
“Yeah, definitely in like. I look forward to eating the rest.”
She relaxed back onto her chair. “I count that as a win.”
“Trust me, it is. I picked my most hated thing first.”
“Brave of you.”
“Oh, I have the courage of a lion, milady.” He paused, his fork suspended over his pasta bowl. “Are you going to eat or sit there and watch me chew?”
“I’ll eat.” She picked up her fork. “Now that I’ve won the battle of the broccoli I feel much better.”
“Coming up with this plan was genius, Miranda. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I did.” She met his gaze.
“Me, too.” He held the connection for a beat longer than a friend would. As his brown eyes darkened, he looked as if he might have something more to say.
Her pulse rate picked up. She wondered if he’d begun to feel the intimacy of being alone with her as they ate dinner by candlelight. She certainly had.
But instead of speaking, he cleared his throat and returned his attention to his food.
She took her first bite and was pleased with how the dish had turned out. Her experiment was likely to be a success. As they ate he made more complimentary remarks about the food and they talked about what she’d fix the next night.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about the look he’d given her. She’d seen longing there, but resignation, too. If he wouldn’t risk disloyalty to Frazer by admitting he was attracted to her, she’d keep her feelings to herself. The bond between those brothers was too important and she had no business messing with it.
When he’d finished he divided the last of the wine between their two glasses and pushed aside his empty pasta bowl. “I need to ask you a personal question.”
At first she thought he was about to make a joke, but one glance into his eyes told her whatever he wanted to ask was plenty serious. Her heart began to pound. Maybe they’d talk about their mutual attraction, after all. “Okay.”
“You don’t have to answer it.”
“Understood.”
“Why did you break up with my brother?”
Oh, boy. She’d have to tread carefully. “What did he say?”
“Not much. You know Frazer. Holds his cards close to the vest.”
“Did he seem upset?” She’d always wondered if he’d shown more emotion over the breakup with his friends and family. With her he’d acted almost nonchalant.
“Not really, but you can never be sure with him. He might have been a lot more upset than he let on. When he suggested hiring you as a consultant for the app, he told everybody your previous relationship would be no problem. Near as I can tell, it’s the truth.”
“I feel the same way. There’s been no awkwardness. We were friends before we started dating and we’ve reverted back to that point.”
“And that’s why I couldn’t figure out the split between you two. You seem so compatible, even now. I never saw you fight.”
“That’s because we didn’t.”
“Exactly. So although I’ve seen no evidence to support the hypothesis, I’ve thought that maybe because you’re working in the same office you might get back together.”
She experienced a moment of panic. “Has he said anything that makes you think that?”
“No.”
“Good.” She sighed in relief. “Because that’s never going to happen.”
“Why?”
“Because . . .” Picking up her wine glass, she took a fortifying swallow and thought about how to explain in a way that wouldn’t sound critical of someone Rylan loved. “You said yourself that he holds his cards close to his vest.”
“Yeah, he’s very private.”
“Keeps a lid on his emotions all the time.”
“Yep.”
“When we met I admired that about him. He seemed so mature and in control. The strong, silent type.”
“That’s my brother.”
“But after a while I found myself getting impatient because he never seemed to loosen up regardless of the circumstances. Maybe he was different when you were kids, but –”
“Nope.” Rylan shook his head. “He takes after my mom. She’s the oldest in her family, too, and super responsible like Frazer.”
“I only spent a little time with her, but I can
believe it.”
“She’s the organizer in our family. When she gets too heavy handed, my dad laughs and thanks her for keeping the planets in orbit. Then she backs off. But she never loses her cool, even when Dad or I have done something terminally stupid.”
“Sounds a lot like Frazer. Did he ever do anything stupid?”
“Once or twice. Not much.”
“That’s amazing.”
“I know.”
“But it confirms what I thought when I broke up with him. I can’t be with someone who hardly ever does anything stupid and never loses his cool. I need someone who’s more out there, someone who takes risks and makes mistakes.”
“I see.” He leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath.
When he moved away from the candlelight she couldn’t gauge his expression as well. She hoped to hell she hadn’t insulted his loved ones by saying that personality type wasn’t for her. “Rylan, I’m not being critical of that approach to life. I just –”
“I know you’re not.” He leaned forward again and rested his arms on the table. He didn’t look insulted. More like turned on. “You’ve been very careful and considerate.” His voice had taken on a husky tone.
He’d never spoken to her like that and it threw her heart rate into high gear. “Because I like Frazer as a friend.” She saw a heck of a lot more than friendship in Rylan’s eyes right now. He’d never stared at her with that level of heat. And Lord help her, she was responding.
He took a deep breath. “I’ve been processing what you’ve said and I’ve come to a conclusion that blows my circuits.”
“What’s that?”
He held her gaze. “You were with the wrong brother.”
Whoa. There was nothing tentative about that statement. “What . . . what should we do about it?”
Amusement flashed in his eyes. “That seems pretty obvious.”
“What about Frazer?”
“I’ll talk to him.” He pushed back his chair and blew out both candles. “But not tonight.” Just like that, he’d taken command.
Chapter Four
Rylan sent up a little prayer of thanks that he’d asked the right question, the one that assured him he wasn’t stealing Miranda from his brother. That was the last cohesive thought in his head before he tossed his glasses on the table and pulled her into his arms. If she wanted somebody who was out there he was the man for the job.
His mouth fit hers as if they’d been specifically engineered to kiss each other. As he gathered her lush body close he groaned with pleasure. No interface ever designed could be this elegant.
She melted against him and his body received that gift with utmost gratitude. His cock swelled with joy and at that point he realized he was missing some critical info. Locating her bedroom wasn’t high on the list. She wanted drama and excitement so anywhere in the apartment would do. But birth control was essential.
When he eventually forced himself to leave her delicious mouth long enough to ask the question, he’d already unbuttoned her blouse. “Condoms?”
“Bedroom.” Panting, she grabbed his hand and tugged him away from the table. “This way.”
He spared a nanosecond to think about why she’d have some handy. But of course she hadn’t been celibate in the years after breaking up with Frazer. He’d be a fool to think about that now. Or ever.
Miranda had practically dragged him into her bedroom and nothing mattered but that. The room was dark except for a small light shining from the bathroom. The glow was enough to let him see the box of condoms she tossed over after taking them out of her top dresser drawer. He pretended she’d stored them there on the off chance that he would show up to ravish her. As it happened, that was his plan.
Dim light suited his purposes. They’d been avoiding this attraction for years so finally running to meet it would stir up some intense emotions. Sex that real and raw was best handled in the dark.
He didn’t need to see to undress her or to caress her voluptuous body as he quickly uncovered it. He didn’t need to see in order to kiss and nibble her soft skin. He went a little crazy, in fact, but she seemed to like having his mouth all over her. He became so involved with that project that he forgot he had most of his clothes on until she tugged at his zipper.
“I need you,” she murmured, stroking him through his cotton boxers.
That reminded him how much he needed her, too, which was how he ended up shoving down his pants, rolling on a condom and plunging into her when he was still half-dressed. She didn’t seem to mind a bit. She cried out in triumph and came immediately when he drove home.
He gulped for air and by some miracle kept his climax at bay. No decent ravishing ended with the lady having only one orgasm.
“Oh, Rylan.” She sank back to the mattress. “That was spectacular.”
“For starters.”
Her laugh was breathless. “Oh, right. Your turn.”
“Not yet.” And he began to move with slow, measured strokes.
Reaching up, she cupped his face. “Are you showing off?”
“Yeah. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” She stroked his chin. “Your beard’s silky.”
“Good. I forgot about it.” Gliding in and out, he listened to her breathing. Still easy and relaxed. He wanted that to change.
“You would have given me whisker burn?”
“Yeah. Wouldn’t mean to.” He increased the pace and she began to pant. “I had to kiss you, taste you, nibble on your –”
“I know.” Clutching his shoulders, she rose to meet his thrusts. “I wanted you to. I didn’t care about your beard. But it was . . .” She gasped as he drove in deeper. “Erotic. Thrilling . . . oh, Rylan, there! Right there!” She arched upward with a cry.
Her powerful orgasm teased him, taunted him, until his resistance evaporated. With a deep groan, he drew back and thrust forward to claim his release.
Holding him close, her cheek pressed to his, she absorbed his tremors and murmured soft words he couldn’t hear. Even though he couldn’t make out exactly what she was saying, her tone conveyed the meaning, no problem. They’d found something special, something to cherish.
As he drifted slowly down from the high of making love to Miranda, he felt dazed by the intensity of it. In spite of that, his mind was clear enough for two thoughts to penetrate the fog – he would hold onto Miranda for as long as she’d have him, and much as he loved his brother, he wouldn’t let Frazer muck this up.
Beneath him, Miranda’s breathing steadied and her body relaxed. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” He nuzzled the warm curve of her neck. “That about covers it.”
“I never thought –”
“Me, either.” And judging from the way his cock was reacting to her body heat, soon he’d be ready to do it all over again. “Stay here.” He eased away from her. “Be right back.”
“All right.” She sounded amused.
“I didn’t mean that like an order,” he called out from the bathroom. “If you want to get up, then –”
“Why would I want to leave this bed when staying in it means I might get lucky again?”
He laughed. “You think that’s a possibility?”
“A distinct possibility.”
“Are you okay with that?” He hoped so because he was in the process of pulling off the rest of his clothes.
Her response was low and sultry. “Oh, yeah.”
His cock twitched in response. “You’re good for my ego, Miranda.”
“Backatcha. In fact, I’d like to turn on the light this time.”
“Works for me.” A light came on in the bedroom as he finished undressing. “But I hope you’re prepared for a very aroused and very naked guy to walk out of your bathroom.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Laying his clothes in a pile on the floor, he stepped into the soft light of her bedside lamp and stopped, awestruck. A ravishment had definitely taken place here, although the image was blurry with
out his glasses.
Her clothes were scattered on the floor next to the bed and her lavender comforter hung half on and half off the mattress. She’d turned back the lavender striped sheet and she lay stretched out on her side, her head propped on her hand as she gazed at him. A section of her long dark hair hung over her shoulder, partially obscuring her breasts. The peek-a-boo effect was more exciting than if she’d swept her hair aside.
He stepped closer, his breath coming fast. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.” His gaze swept over the curve of her hip where the faint line of a bikini remained, probably left over from last summer. He’d seen her wear one a few times back when – his thoughts came to a screeching halt.
“Rylan? What’s wrong?”
“I remembered your red bikini.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No. You were beautiful in it.“ He walked over to the bed and sat next to her.
She frowned. “Something about it is bothering you, though. You seemed really happy and now . . . you seem upset.”
“It’s not about the bikini. I loved the way you looked in it. I had to keep jumping back into the surf to disguise my reaction.”
Her gaze lowered. “That reaction?”
“Yep. I couldn’t let you or my brother notice.”
“Oh.” Her frown disappeared. “I think I understand the problem.” She scooted over and patted the spot next to her. “Come cuddle with me.”
“I want to do more than cuddle.” But he climbed in and gathered her close. “As you can tell.”
“I can.” She pressed closer so his cock was captured between them. “We’ll take care of that in a minute. But first we need to talk.”
He gazed into eyes the color of emeralds and far more precious. “I have a whole bunch of memories from those days. I don’t want to wipe them out because they’re good memories, but in all of them you were his girl. That’s the part I want to delete.”
She rubbed his back. “Sorry. Can’t be done. He’s a permanent part of the program. Always will be. He’s your brother.”
Tender is the Nerd Page 3