by Marie Harte
“Now hold on. This thing with Abby is casual. I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Uh-huh.” Flynn tossed Mike a beer. “If that’s the case, tell me. When was the last time you got laid?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.” Unfortunately, the guys didn’t buy that one. They all laughed in his face. “Belinda.”
“Yeah, six months ago. Try again, girlfriend.”
“Shut up. You get laid and all of a sudden you’re an expert on relationships?” Brody couldn’t have said why, but all this talk of him and Abby and the R word made him itchy. “I thought we were here to play cards, or would you rather talk about the fact that you had a wine and cheese party with your new girlfriend the other week?”
Mike blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Too bad I wasn’t invited.” Cam frowned. “Was I out of town?”
Brody and Mike rolled their eyes. Cam would want to be included on something that lame. Mike, Brody, and Flynn would rather have had their teeth pulled. “Yeah, Mr. Fancy Pants. How do you like your chardonnay?”
They ribbed Flynn and left Brody alone, thank God. He went to let Mutt out of the back room, warned him to behave, and eased the dog into the group. Mutt took a look at Mike, slunk under the table and gnawed on a bone, and the poker game started in earnest. Everyone forgot about women issues as they discussed the Seahawks’ season and Bitsy and Pop’s recent sniping with each other. No one liked dissention in the ranks, especially not Brody.
An hour later, his cell phone vibrated against his ass, and he called a halt for a bathroom break, praying against all odds Abby suddenly needed help with a clogged bathtub during her bath and had called him for assistance. In his room for privacy, he answered without looking at the number, wanting to be pleasantly surprised.
“Hello?”
“Well, boy. It’s about time.” Alan Singer’s slurred voice came over the line in a connection too crisp for comfort.
Brody went stone cold. “Alan.”
“I’m your father, you little shit. Call me Dad.” Alan laughed, and Brody thought he heard his brother Jeremy in the background.
“I’m busy.” Brody wanted badly to disconnect, but curiosity forced his hand. “What do you want? Money? Forget it.” He’d paid the old man his last dime ten years ago, back when he could ill afford to spend anything not on himself. Still, Alan contented himself to call every few years when he needed something.
“No. It’s Jeremy. He needs a job.”
Brody couldn’t believe the balls on the prick. “Yeah? Put him on.”
He heard the phone drop and unconsciously found himself rubbing his elbow, where a scar remained. He could still remember the pain of that broken bone. And who had caused it.
“Brody?” A voice much like Alan’s but not as deep.
“Jeremy?”
“Hey, little brother. I’ve missed—”
“Fuck off.” Brody disconnected and forced himself to let go of the tension invading his body. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, in and out. After composing himself, he left the phone on his bed and deliberately turned his back on it. He returned to his real family in the kitchen and grinned. “So inquiring minds want to know, Mike. How hot was this chick your mom wanted to set you up with?”
The guys laughed, except for Mike. But then he too cracked a smile and filled them in on his mother’s boring idea of the perfect Mrs. Mike McCauley. And all was right with the world again.
For now.
Chapter 5
Abby finished her outline and sighed. She saved her file, then took off her glasses and massaged the back of her neck. Flynn and Maddie had planned to spend the weekend together, and she didn’t expect them back before tomorrow evening. Vanessa had surprised her by leaving for a weekend trip to Whidbey Island. So Abby had the whole house to herself.
What did she do? She spent her Saturday reorganizing her room…and turned the entire house upside down trying to find her missing book. When she’d driven herself crazy, she decided she might as well get some writing done.
A glance at the clock showed it had neared eight and she hadn’t eaten yet. She was all alone, single, and had a free weekend in a bustling city full of things to do. Yet she had nothing better to do than type and hope she hadn’t missed the latest Dog Savant rerun on TV. Considering she had no dog to speak of and no inclination to get one anytime soon, she knew her choice of programming was questionable.
“It’s just you and me, Savvy. Now let’s see you discipline the unruly.” At the thought, Mutt came to mind. “What kind of a name is Mutt? Anything would be better than that.” Truth be told, she had a secret soft spot for the rescued animal. Huge but not graceful, not cute in the slightest, Mutt had warm eyes. A sorry canine full of love and affection he wanted to dole on anyone not lucky enough to get out of his way.
A lot like his owner.
The warm and fuzzy thoughts continued to haunt her as she checked her bare kitchen cupboards for something to eat. She hadn’t seen Brody since the morning after the party, and she still couldn’t stop thinking about him. Nothing unusual about that. She’d developed a minor crush the day they’d met. But her imagination had never been so incredibly detailed before.
She’d swear she’d given him an honest-to-God hand job at the party, except he hadn’t acted smug about it or made any rude comments. It wasn’t like Brody not to say what he thought. Had she pleased him to that end, she had no doubt he’d have said something before now. Though relieved she simply had a dirty imagination, part of her wished she’d been bold enough for once in her life to take that step and demand what she wanted.
The one time she’d tried, timidly, to get Kevin to see her as a woman with unique desires and needs, he’d stomped all over her heart. Abby had learned a valuable lesson—trust had to be more than earned. Thoughts of that jerk put her in a mood, and she glared at the empty spot on the shelf where the bread should be.
It was Maddie’s turn to buy, but she’d been distracted lately by her new boyfriend. Envy reared its ugly head, and Abby groaned, chastising herself for unkind thoughts. She genuinely liked Flynn, and she thought he and Maddie were perfect for each other. She just wished she could have that same kind of luck, to find a man to fit her needs.
She trudged back to the living room and readied to veg out to stressed dogs and their idiot handlers when the doorbell rang. A glance through the sidelight made her heart rate leap.
Forcing herself to keep calm, she walked slowly to the door and opened it. “Speaking of idiotic handlers… Hey, Brody. To what do I owe the honor?”
He held out a large cardboard box and opened it, and the decadent scent of cheese, garlic, and basil caused her to groan.
“Let me in and I’ll share.” He wiggled his brows. Wearing simple jeans and a plain blue sweatshirt, he still managed to be the best-looking man she’d ever seen. Whereas she probably resembled a hag, wearing leggings and a tank under an old heavy flannel work shirt that hung to her knees. Her father’s castoff that she’d happily kept for years.
“What’s with the bribe?” she asked, still not letting him in despite the saliva pooling in her mouth.
“I’m bored. There’s no one to play with.”
She chuckled. “And?”
“Flynn’s with Maddie. Cam is relaxing after being gone for so long, and Mike’s still pissed that his mother tried to set him up with some single mom.”
Oh, fodder to add to her mental McCauley gossip file. “Really?”
“Yeah. If you want details, you have to let me in.” He peered over her shoulder and scowled. “You’re not busy, are you?”
Startled at his abrupt change in mood, she asked, “Who crapped in your cornflakes?”
“What did you say?”
“Never mind.” Her mother’s favorite saying, one that often had people giving Abby second looks. “It�
��s just me and Savvy. Come on in.”
He pushed past her and looked around. “Savvy?”
“Yeah, from that show, Dog Savant.” She shut the door and turned to nod at the television. “Considering your lack of control over Mutt, I suggest you watch. Savvy can teach you things.”
Brody raised a brow. “Oh?”
“Give me the pizza.” She took the box from him and set it down on the coffee table. Then she gathered two bottles of root beer and some paper plates and napkins from the kitchen before returning to join him on the couch. She made sure to leave a respectable amount of space between them and tried her best to stop doing a mental victory dance because he’d come to her.
The man wanted company. Simple. She shouldn’t be flattered or excited that he hadn’t called one of his myriad women for a hookup.
Abby fixed herself a slice and sat back to eat. She’d taken a few bites before she realized he stared at her. “Problem?” she said around a mouthful of cheese. “Oh my God, this is good.”
“Yeah. From my favorite place.” He cleared his throat. “You look nice.”
She glared at him. Once she finished chewing and swallowing, she asked in an overly polite voice, “Is that a joke?”
“No.” He grabbed a piece of pizza for himself. “Just saying you look relaxed. Cute.”
Frumpy. She sighed. “I was working, okay? I like to be comfortable when I wr—ah, work on the computer.” His smirk warned her that her suspicions about her book were on the money. “You took it, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He bit into his pizza and turned to the television. “Oh, you know, that might work with Mutt.”
On the TV, Miles “Savvy” Savant maneuvered another stubborn canine into obeying.
Abby wanted to put the two-finger move on Brody until he showed her his belly and submitted. Too bad it only worked on dogs. “Hey, I’m talking to you. You stole my book.”
“Did I, Ms. Abigail D. Chatterly?”
She groaned.
“Damn, Abby. Fireman’s Kiss was hot—no pun intended. So much for the shy little bookworm you pretend to be.”
She leaned over to punch him in the arm when he leered at her. “And this is why I say nothing about what I do. People like you don’t respect the work. You make it all so dirty.”
“Hell no. I think it’s great.”
She opened her mouth to blast into him and checked herself. “You do?”
He nodded. “Damn straight. A woman not afraid of sex? Embrace it, I say.”
“Ah, okay.” Totally not how she’d ever thought she’d talk about her alter ego. “How did you know?”
“You kind of mentioned it at the party.”
She’d recalled doing so, right before she’d taken him in hand… Purely fantasy. Or was it? “I, um, I didn’t say or do anything weird, did I?” She scrutinized him for a telling reaction. He only shook his head and focused on the TV again.
“Nope. I love the extra cheese. Not a fan of meat on a pizza, I confess. Drives the guys nuts.”
“Me too. About the cheese, I mean.” She nibbled her pizza, thoroughly baffled by Brody. She’d fully expected some immature and snide remarks about her career. “Why are you not acting to type?”
He shrugged. “I am. Maybe your perception of me is all wrong.”
“So you don’t want to bend me over the couch and do me?”
He choked on his pizza. His eyes watered and he had to hurry to gulp down some soda before he could catch his breath. “Christ, warn me next time.” He laughed and faced her, his gaze warm and flattering as it roamed her from head to toe. “Of course I want to bend you over. I’m a man.”
She snorted.
“But I’m also a gentleman.”
She took a sip of her drink.
“Case in point, I didn’t tell anyone that you jerked me off at the party. Nor have I demanded you let me do the same to you.”
She spit soda all over herself while he continued to speak calmly, as if talking about the weather.
“Instead, I saw you safely home, washed my cum-stained shirt in your washer, and slept head to toe with you, even leaving you in that sexy costume when by rights I should have been molesting you to at least a few orgasms.”
She coughed, and he tapped her on the back until she glared at him to stop. “Y-you—that—no. No way.”
“Yes way.” His smile was too knowing to be anything but the truth.
She moaned. Her cheeks felt like they’d caught on fire. “Oh man.”
“Yeah. You were so damn sexy in that getup. So pretty, even when you were flirting with Rick.”
Eyes wide, she stared at him. “I didn’t touch Rick, did I?”
“No. Not for his lack of trying.” Brody huffed. “Bastard was all touchy-feely with you. I saved you.”
“Oh?”
“Baby, I tried to get you not to touch me. But you had a tight grip.” He squirmed on the couch, and she realized he sat a lot closer than she’d first thought. “And then I couldn’t think when you started stroking me. I mean, you demanded I come over your hand. So bossy. It was really hot.”
She couldn’t help looking at his pants, stunned to see him fully aroused. And she knew what he felt like.
“I, I…” She didn’t know what to say. Embarrassed yet turned on, she wanted to apologize. But she wasn’t sorry. “You didn’t tell anyone?”
“Nope. I wanted to talk to you about it.”
She blinked at him. “Why?”
“Well damn, Abby. I want to do it again. But this time I get to do you first.”
***
Brody watched her, thinking he’d never seen a woman do embarrassed with so much sweetness. The sexy woman next to him, the one who’d masturbated him, who wrote stories that had made his toes curl, seemed mortified that she’d given him pleasure.
“Look, if it makes you feel any better, I wanted to tell the guys. But I thought what we had was private. They’re all over us to hook up. But you and I both know that if it goes to shit, where my relationships normally end up, then we make things awkward for everyone. Especially Maddie and Flynn.”
She gaped at him.
“What?”
“You are being so incredibly mature about this.”
“Thanks.” He wryly admitted to himself he deserved her low opinion. Using humor and teasing as a shield to withstand her charms for so long had painted him in a less-than-flattering light.
“I just… You’re always saying things and trying to hit on me. Like the way you do anything in a skirt—Flynn’s words, not mine.” She bit her lip, the tell that showed her discomfort. “I can’t believe I did that to you.”
“Believe it. I came so hard.”
She refused to look at him, her gaze on the television.
“Abby, it’s okay. I’m not mad you took advantage of me or anything.”
She turned to him so fast she might have given herself whiplash. “What?”
“I mean, there I was at the party, trying to help Flynn out so he and Maddie could have fun. I was making sure no one messed with you.”
“Great job.” She wore sarcasm much better than embarrassment on her smart mouth.
“And then you unzipped me at the table. Granted, we were in private, but I was speechless.”
“Yet I managed to get you off. Me and this little hand overpowered you.”
The heat in her dark brown gaze had him unable to look away from her.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “You had a death grip on my cock. And you were so incredibly hot in that dress. You called yourself a goddess.”
“Apparently I had you under my spell.”
“You did.”
They stared at each other, and he would have given his left arm to know what she was thinking.
“So…what? You came by for round two?”
He bit back a grin. She sounded annoyed and turned on. He could see the bead of her nipple where the flannel parted to reveal her pink tank top. She had such wonderful curves. “Actually, I came bearing pizza so you would help me with our website.”
She blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah, but since you brought up the party, I just wanted to clear the air.”
“Clear the air.”
“Yep. So can we get back to the show and the pizza? Because this dude is actually getting a Great Dane to behave. Wow.” He deliberately turned away from her, determined to keep her on her toes. That way when he went in for the kiss, she’d be too off guard to deny him.
She made no more mention of the party, or that he still wanted her. After some silence, she made a few snide remarks about his weak handling with Mutt. When he answered by teasing her about handling her aggressive roommates, they settled into an easy banter. Abby slowly lost her wariness and relaxed into the couch.
He kept a healthy space between them while making sure he could reach out and touch her if he wanted. He stretched out his arm on the couch and ran his fingers through her soft hair. She wore it in a loose knot, much like the hairstyle she’d worn at the party.
“Hey. Hands off.”
“What? My arms are long. I’m stretching out.” He adjusted his legs too, watching her watch him out of the corner of his eye. He hid a grin, pleased she liked the look of him. He knew he had a great body and a face that kept the ladies interested. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found a woman to retain his interest for more than a few romps in bed. Abby was…different.
He wanted to chalk up her attraction as forbidden fruit. His buddy’s girlfriend’s best friend. A mouthful, and a definite no-no when dipping his wick. Especially since she looked so much like Lea. Yet for all that he should have stayed far away from her, he couldn’t deny she had a special spark that drew him. Funny, quiet, snarky, sexy. Her contrasts fascinated him, and their chemistry couldn’t be denied. He’d never had that with anyone else, and it disturbed him that there were so many reasons not to even try with her. But he ignored them all.