by Lacey Wolfe
“Are you really happy for me?”
“Yup.”
“When’s the last time you talked to your Uncle Scott?”
Brad thought a moment. It had been a few years. But why did she care? “It’s been a while.”
“Well, that’s who I’m marrying.” Joy filled her tone.
Charlotte was marrying his uncle? His ex-wife was marrying his uncle, who was at least twenty or so years older than him. Oh God, that would mean she’d become his aunt. What the hell! “You’re marrying my uncle?”
“I am, and I’m so excited. We’re so happy and can’t wait to get started on a family.”
“How did you even meet him? I’ve only told you about him.” His Uncle Scott owned several resorts in Mexico. Oh. She’d probably hunted him down with her money glasses on, since his uncle was loaded.
“I was vacationing at one of his resorts, it just so happens. We met and fell in love right away.”
Brad cringed. Uncle Scott wasn’t the most attractive guy. There was no way Charlotte would even look at him if it wasn’t for the money. He needed to get in contact with his uncle and quick. Sure, he wasn’t close with the man, but why would he want to marry Brad’s ex-wife?
“Are you happy for us? The wedding is going to be straight out of Hollywood. Scottie gave me his black American Express. Will you come to the wedding?” Charlotte asked.
If anyone could max out a black American Express, Charlotte would find a way. His uncle had no idea what he was in store for. “I’ll check my schedule.”
She groaned. “I really hoped you could be happy for me for once.”
The nerve of this woman. “I’m thrilled. You finally found a rich man to marry you, Auntie.”
“Mature,” Charlotte snapped.
“Well, that’s what you’ll be. My aunt! How screwed up is that? Look, I’ve got to go. Your call interrupted a date, and I’d like to get back to that.”
“You’re seeing someone?” She sounded surprised.
“Yeah, and there just might be wedding bells in my future as well.” He ended the call.
Brad sat in his recliner and Bo came over to lay his head on Brad’s thigh. This was screwed up. His ex was marrying his uncle, and he’d just told her he might be getting married, too. Of course, he hadn’t meant the last part. It was much too soon to be thinking about that kind of future with Eve. They hadn’t even slept together yet.
“Go fetch me a beer, Bo.”
The dog stared at him.
It’d been worth a shot. One of these days, the dog just might do it.
***
Eve stepped out of the warm shower. The floor tiles were cool, making her wish she had in floor heating like she’d always seen on HGTV. That probably cost a fortune—which she had now. Maybe that was something she could do for herself now. Wrapping the plush towel around her wet body, she went into her bedroom to find something comfy to wear. It was evening, and there was no point in getting dressed in regular clothes just to strip out of them in a few hours.
As she searched her dresser drawers, she still couldn’t believe she’d done naughty things with Brad. Or, more like, he’d done the dirty work to her. She’d initially just wanted a kiss. That was it. To see if the spark was still there. But then, well, it led to more. Truth be told, she’d enjoyed it more than she wanted to admit. He’d really lit a fire in her, and never had she been with a man who cared that she was pleased. Usually it was all about them getting their kick, and so be it if she got hers too.
She pulled a pair of cotton sweatpants from her dresser and an oversized T-shirt. This wasn’t good. Brad wasn’t the man for her. He had some issues with his ex he needed to figure out, and Eve didn’t have time to get mixed up in that. She wanted a man with no baggage—if that was even possible. Someone she could live a totally boring and predictable life with. Just like the one Brad explained he’d had with his ex. That was just what Eve wanted—or so she’d always thought. If things progressed with Brad, they’d never be that. She would always be walking on eggshells around him. They’d fight, kiss, fight some more.
After slipping the comfort clothes on, she tied her wet hair up on top of her head. It was getting late and she planned to pop some popcorn and watch a movie. A perfect evening. As she entered the main living space, the thud of footsteps coming up her front porch startled her. Oh God, she wasn’t at all dressed for a visitor.
The doorbell rang. Through the glass on the door, she could see it was Brad. This was like the day that never ended. From this morning’s kiss, to this afternoon’s make-out session, and now…
Sighing as her stomach experienced butterflies, she opened the door.
“Hey, I wanted to apologize for earlier,” he said.
“Nothing to say sorry for. Life happens.” And it was good it had. Otherwise they’d have gotten wild again.
“Can I come in?” He stood there in jeans and a snug-fitting white shirt. Once again, the tattoo on his bicep peeked out, making her want to remove the shirt just to see what the tattoo was. “I promise to keep my hands to myself, unless you don’t want me to.”
She stepped back. “Okay.” It was better to see what he wanted than to send him away and wonder for the rest of the evening. “I was getting ready to make popcorn. Want some?”
“Sure. Popcorn is my favorite snack.”
With her hand, Eve motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. Once there, he leaned against the counter, one leg crossed over the other, and rested his hands behind him. She drifted her gaze upward to find his T-shirt tight across his chest. Damn it, he was sexy. The way he grinned at her, he knew it, too.
She pulled a bag from the pantry. Then after doing everything she could not to walk funny because she could feel him watching her, she placed the popcorn in the microwave. Two minutes later, after staring at the device like a weirdo, the popping stopped and she removed the bag. Her hands shaking the entire time, she poured the contents into a large bowl. She could feel his eyes on her. But he still didn’t talk.
As she walked past him, she smiled. He joined her on the couch, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was fate or something. She’d just been questioning earlier if he was the type of man she could sit on the couch, eat popcorn, and watch a movie with. They were about to do half of that.
“So…” She popped a kernel into her mouth.
“My ex-wife called earlier.”
Ex-wives, this was the kind of thing Eve didn’t want to have to deal with. “Oh yeah, do you two talk often?”
He grabbed a handful of the snack. “No. She wanted to let me know she’s getting remarried.”
This was good. At least that meant the woman didn’t want him back. “Oh, you okay with that?”
He chuckled. “The idea of her getting married—I couldn’t care less. It’s who she’s getting hitched to.”
“Oh yeah, who?”
Brad sighed. “My uncle. I called him earlier to fill him in that she was my ex and a gold digger.”
“Wait.” Was she hearing him right? “Your uncle is marrying your ex. And your uncle had no idea she was your ex? Is your family close at all?”
He shrugged and tossed a popcorn kernel in his mouth. “I’ve not seen Uncle Scott in years. He moved away when I was a kid, started some resorts in Mexico, and became a millionaire. Maybe that’s what you should do.”
Oh, she had the millionaire part covered. “Perhaps.”
“Anyway, he’s asking me to come visit him so we can talk about this.” He rolled his eyes. “Why we can’t do it on the phone, I have no idea. Something about wanting to see me and the man I’ve become. Oh and everyone needs a vacation. He offered to pay for the ticket, but I turned it down. Then I went online to see how much it would cost. I hate to call him and ask for the money.”
“I’ll get your ticket.”
Brad stared at her and then shook his head. “I don’t want to take your money or his. I’ll figure something out. That’s what credit cards are for
.”
She cleared her throat. “Out of curiosity, when are you planning to leave?”
“I could probably fly out midweek, since my work schedule is light. It seems no one wants to work out much with the holidays coming. The sooner I can get this trip over, the better, anyway.”
“I’d say so.” Eve really didn’t know what to say, but for some reason, the thought of him not being next door caused a strange ache in her heart. However, she did know one thing, she was going to get him that ticket somehow.
A moment later, he asked, “Do you think you could babysit Bo?”
“You want me to watch the dog?” Was she ready for such a responsibility?
“Yeah. You just have to let him out a few times a day and feed him. Easy.”
She nodded. Seemed simple enough. “Okay.”
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked. “It can be a girly one, I don’t mind.”
Eve leaned forward and grabbed her remote as she cursed the higher power. Maybe Brad could be that popcorn and movie guy after all.
***
Brad was running late. He’d overslept and now he might miss the meeting he’d called with the two new personal trainers the gym had hired. Hopefully it would help him concentrate more on his clients if he could finally stop taking on new ones.
He grabbed a biscuit for Bo and tossed it to him. “See ya soon, boy.” He then went out the front door, closing it hard behind him. Brad wiggled the door knob to double check it was locked and as he turned, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was a white envelope. After picking it up, he opened it.
Inside were a few papers. As he read them, his gut flopped. Someone had bought his flight to Mexico. Only two people knew about it—possibly three if you counted Charlotte.
Uncle Scott and Eve. He had a feeling though that Eve was behind this, and it didn’t sit right with him. He hadn’t gone to her needing money.
Something wasn’t right with the way she tossed money around like it was nothing. Sure, she claimed she had money saved for some wedding, but Brad was really beginning to wonder if she’d lied to him and was the lottery winner.
One thing he did know. He wasn’t going to accept this gift without giving her a little payback.
Chapter Nine
At a small café in town, Eve sat across from Rick, the landscaper. He showed her the plans he had for her backyard. She did her best to stay on subject, but Rick was flirting—big time. A large part of her enjoyed the attention. He was the opposite of Brad, not only in looks¸ but personality as well. Rick was definitely putting on the charm, only he didn’t cause the same skin-tingling reaction Brad did.
Guilt sat in the pit of her stomach, even though it shouldn’t. It wasn’t like she was exclusive with Brad. Hell, she didn’t even really know what they were, aside from kissing neighbors. No reason to feel like she was betraying him. But damn, it sure did feel that way.
“So you think that will work in my yard?” Eve took a small sip of her drink, keeping her gaze on the blueprint.
“I do.”
Eve glanced at the price tag and almost choked. The number was much higher than she’d expected. She was about to tell him he was insane, but then she realized she could afford this without even thinking twice. Never did she think she’d be spending so much on landscaping, but she’d always wanted one of those gorgeous gardens one would see in magazines. Now she could have it.
“Of course, we’ll have to switch flowers out by the seasons.” Rick leaned back and grinned. His light hair didn’t move because of the amount of gel he’d put in it. “But it’s just a reason to see each other.”
Her cheeks burned. “True.”
“I’ve been thinking about you since we met.” He winked and it didn’t come across as sexy. More like creepy.
What had she gotten herself into? “Yeah, I’m sure my overgrown yard has haunted your dreams.”
“Oh, all I’ve been having is great dreams.”
TMI, TMI, TMI! What did she say to that?
He gave her his best smile, or so she assumed. He was trying hard to impress. “I’d like to take you out on a proper date. Dinner. A show. Whatever your heart desires.”
She smiled. It sounded wonderful, but she wasn’t sure if Rick was the one she wanted to go with. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
She nodded and lifted the porcelain cup to her lips. Any excuse not to speak again after agreeing to a date with Rick. God, what a muck she was getting herself in.
“Are you busy Friday?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I think I’m free.” Plus Brad would be out of town. Damn it, why did it feel like she was doing something sneaky behind his back?
“Awesome.”
“Do you always ask your clients out on dates?” She was genuinely curious.
“Only the pretty ones.”
At least she knew she was attractive, but that didn’t sit well with her. Was this something he did often, take his clients to bed and leave with their money? Maybe Rick wasn’t the perfect man she’d envisioned. Chances were she’d just wanted him to be to avoid the way she felt about Brad.
“Well, sugar, I hate to run, but I’ve got to get to another job.” He reached into his back pocket. “Crap. I forgot my wallet. Do you mind taking care of this? I promise to make our date extra special, sugar.”
Oh, no, he didn’t! He’d just pulled the no wallet trick to get her to pay. “Sure, darling.” She’d added the last part for kicks.
He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “See ya soon.”
A shiver went along her spine, and not in a good way. Yes, she’d read that man very wrong. Rick was like every other man she dated who wasn’t looking to settle down anytime soon. She was good for filling the time, but just until they found whoever it was they really wanted to be with. God, she was never going to marry if she couldn’t start reading men better. Rick was definitely not a movie and popcorn kind of guy. He was an icky, creepy jerk. She didn’t want any part of him.
Why did she always attract the wrong type of guys? Did she have some sign above her head that read Weirdos welcome?
She pulled a twenty from her purse and set it on the table. Maybe she’d take the easy way out of her date and cancel the landscaping altogether. After all, while she had the money, it was silly to be spending that kind of cash on flowers that were going to die—just like this thing with Rick.
***
A few hours later, after a much needed shopping spree to spruce up her wardrobe, Eve pulled up to her house. She sat in her car a moment and then stole a glance toward Brad’s. She fully expected him to be banging on her door tonight, protesting the purchase of his ticket. But she couldn’t bear the idea of him putting it on a credit card. That flight hadn’t been cheap.
After leaving the car, she pulled bags from the backseat and headed for her front door. She noticed an envelope tucked into her door. It looked exactly like the one she’d left on Brad’s porch. Why did he have to be so freakin’ stubborn? Just accept the gift and move on.
Yeah, right. Things were never that simple when it came to Brad.
Once inside, she dropped the bags in the foyer and opened the envelope. Removing the papers, she saw it was in fact a flight ticket. However, there was one difference. The passenger name was hers. How had he transferred the ticket? Another sheet of paper sat in the envelope. A letter.
I’m so glad that our relationship is progressing to the point of taking vacations together. You’re going to look hot in a bikini as we sip margaritas on the beach.
–Brad
What? He’d bought her a ticket? And they were going to Mexico together?
Oh, God. How the hell had this happened? Talk about a backfire.
Then why the hell was she grinning like a school-aged girl at the thought of being all alone with Brad on a beach?
Chapter Ten
Eve hated flying. Being so high up scared the crap
out of her. Yet Brad seemed to be enjoying it just fine. He leaned back in his seat, a smile on his face as he stared out the window. Eve gripped the armrests, hoping that they’d somehow save her life in an emergency.
“Chill,” Brad said.
A chilled margarita would be nice right about now. “Easier for you to say than me to do.”
She still wasn’t sure how the heck this had happened. She’d desperately tried to return the ticket after receiving it, but Brad had refused. Hopefully at his uncle’s resort, they’d have separate rooms. She needed to get Brad back to being Brad, her neighbor. Not Brad the man she wanted to do naughty things with.
“So, who’s watching Bo?”
He smirked that sexy grin, making her tingle all over. “My other neighbor, who actually likes him.”
Eve groaned. Now was not the time to argue. “I don’t have time for this. I like him. Please don’t start.”
“I’m just trying to get you to loosen up. Because you know, you have no control over if we get there or not.”
She knew her eyes were bugging out of her head. Had he really just said that? Her breathing picked up as she gripped the armrest tighter.
“Yikes. Sorry.” Brad rubbed her leg and leaned close to her ear. “We could join the mile high club. That would take your mind off this flight.”
“Brad, enough,” she snapped. “Just leave me alone until we’re back on the ground.”
She leaned forward and took a magazine. She flipped through the pages, trying to ignore Brad as he chuckled. Exactly what did she see in him? Oh yeah, besides being incredibly attractive, his needling had started to put her at ease. He was only trying to help, and if she wasn’t so afraid of taking her seat belt off, she’d gladly join the mile high club with him.
After taking in a calming breath, she turned to face him. “Does your uncle know I’m coming?” And I want my own room.