by Natalie Ann
“You know darn well it was, but she had it coming. Cade still doesn’t know my mother set him up. I think Alex has a feeling, but she hadn’t said anything.”
“Yeah, I noticed Alex didn’t react, but just grinned at Cade, yet he looked confused.”
“My mother can confess her sins to him if she wants. Though I’m not sure she will. She still hasn’t really fully admitted what she’s done to any of my brothers. She just knows I figured it out and I told everyone. But as far as I know, she’s never been confronted by them.”
“I just find that whole thing hilarious. Though I’m thankful we found each other and your mother had no part in it,” he said, squeezing the hand he was holding.
“Me too. I’d never hear the end of it if she did. Trust me, I know. Especially since I figured it out when no one else had.” She was pulling him up the stairs. “Just because everyone gave you such a hard time, I’m going to do something I’ve always wanted to do and never did for fear I’d never live it down. I got ganged up on enough in this house, but I’m ready to start pushing even more buttons.”
“What’s that?” he asked when they got to the top of the stairs. He wasn’t surprised by how big this house was. There was a huge open area, a loft that was more like a game room and he suspected this was where the five of the kids spent the bulk of their time playing and hanging out.
“I’m going to bring a man into my bedroom. I’ve never had one boy in my bedroom that wasn’t a family member.”
He grinned. “No one? Ever?”
“Nope. Someone was always watching. They might even be watching right now. Or at least trying to listen and I don’t give a crap. They can sweat it out down there if they want. You’re coming to my room.”
“By all means,” he said, following her to the back of the loft area where there were three doors against one wall and then another door to the left of the loft.
“My room was in the middle. Cade and Brody had one room, Aiden and Mason the other. I guess that was my parents’ way of making sure I was surrounded. I didn’t realize it until I was older though. At least I’ve got my own bathroom and the four boys had to share one full bath up here and one downstairs. The master bedroom is downstairs.”
“I bet your parents needed the breathing room from you guys. Though that had to be hard for them when you were babies to be so far away.”
He couldn’t imagine and all those protective instincts of his were running full force. He’d pushed those parenthood thoughts out of his brain for years, but lately they were popping back in like annoying ants marching their way to a picnic. He’d knock one away and turn and there’d be another.
“I think in the beginning my parents had their bed in this loft area so they were close by.”
“Makes sense.”
She opened up the door to her room and he’d bet not much had changed in years. There was a light color pink on the walls, almost a frosted tone. It wasn’t glaringly bright or offensive, but it was definitely girly.
“Sidney stays in here now when she spends the night. Those are her toys, not mine left over,” she said, grinning.
He saw dolls on shelves and toys in bins. More toys than should be here for a grandchild that might not stay often. This looked like a room that was lived in daily.
“Is that your original bed?” he asked. It looked like a full-sized one.
“It is.” She turned and ran her hands up his chest and then around his back. “I’m going to make out with a boy in my room. This feels liberating.”
He held back his laugh, like he had much of a choice when her lips attacked his. He was glad she’d never asked if he’d had a girl in his room growing up because he had. He’d snuck one in and out plenty as a teen too.
A good minute had gone by with her hands roaming up and down his back and the buddy in his pants was stirring to life. He had to remind himself there was a houseful of family members downstairs probably watching the clock and getting ready to barge in if they didn’t walk out soon.
Grandma Judy. Grandma Judy. He repeated it to himself silently hoping to kill any romantic thoughts.
She lifted her lips off of his and laid her head on his chest. He ran his hand up and down her back. “Everything you always thought it’d be?” he asked, trying to find some humor in this. The thing is, he didn’t feel like laughing.
“More,” she said. “Come, let’s go back downstairs. I’ll show you the rest of the house. I think we were up here just enough to make everyone anxious, but not quite long enough to come knocking on the door.”
“So you did that on purpose?” he asked.
“Of course I did. I like ruffling the boys’ feathers.”
He was going to have to remember that about her. That she was sneaky in her own right.
They’d made their way back downstairs, both of them picking up the beers they’d left on the table in the dining room they’d passed through on their trek for a make-out session.
When they walked into the family room again, Aiden and Nic were missing, Jessica and Mason were over in the corner rocking and feeding the boys and the rest of the family were sitting around talking.
“Can we get you some snacks?” Jolene asked them. “Ella, show Travis where all the snacks are kept for our family functions.”
“Come on, Travis,” Ella said. “The food is on the island in the kitchen. As if you couldn’t lean your head back there and see it, or see Nic and Aiden cooking. They cook all the family meals. My mother isn’t allowed in the kitchen to do anything other than eat if Aiden is in the house.”
“Why should I bother when he is so much better than me?” Jolene said.
“Only ‘so much better’?” Gavin said, then dodged his wife’s fast fingers when she went to pinch him.
“That’s our cue to go into the kitchen,” Ella said.
He should have expected the kitchen would be massive and stunning. Especially if Aiden cooked in here often. “Smells great in here,” he said.
“There’s a prime rib in the oven and Nic and I will be starting on the duck soon,” Aiden said.
Travis walked over and grabbed a plate and started to fill it at random with snacks. There wasn’t any skimpy pepperoni and cheese with crackers out at the Fierce household for a holiday dinner. Instead there were slices of tomatoes with what he was guessing was fresh handmade mozzarella and balsamic drizzled over it with basil. Some tiny finger sandwiches, stuffed mushroom with what looked like crab. Too many other things he couldn’t even guess at.
“Everything looks great,” Travis said around a mouthful. “Do you and Nic do it all?”
“We do. Nic’s grandparents will be here shortly. If we tell Theresa to come too early she wants to cook, so we tell them later so they will come and just relax. Alex’s mom will be here in a few minutes too. Your father couldn’t make it?” Aiden asked.
Aiden was cooking and talking and not missing a beat with anything. Though Travis loved to cook he’d never be that comfortable or confident that he could multi-task that well with a feast like this and not worry about ruining something.
“He bailed,” Travis said, grinning. “He was going to come and then leave early to have dinner with my mother at the nursing home, but the last minute he said I needed to face you guys without him as backup. I don’t know how many times I’ve got to remind him about my years as a Navy SEAL.”
Aiden laughed. “Guess that’s a reminder for us too, huh?” Ella snorted. “I always liked your father. We’ll be here for hours so he can stop over any time. The food is always flowing, but either way you can take him home some leftovers if you want.”
“He’d like that a lot.”
Dinner had gone pretty smoothly after that. It might have been the biggest holiday meal he’d ever been a part of if he didn’t count holiday meals in the service, which he wasn’t. They were never served food like this. Nor would the cook ever have said Travis could stop in and get a lesson on anything he wanted. He’d have to thank Ella f
or mentioning that to Aiden.
Dessert was being served and Ella had excused herself to the bathroom. He figured she wanted to avoid the layout and hoped they’d be gone when she returned. He was going to put one big fat cannoli on a plate in front of her seat before she returned though.
Gavin walked up to him and nodded his head to the side. Here it comes, Travis thought.
The two men went to Gavin’s office. Travis waited for the lecture, but all he got was, “I don’t need any reminding of your years in the service, whether it was said in jest or not. Just keep her safe and keep her happy and you and I will get along just fine.”
With that Gavin turned and walked away, firmly putting Travis in his place.
Feel Welcome
“Do you wish you’d gone to have dinner with your father and mother today?” Ella asked when they were driving back to her place. Today went about as well as she could have hoped.
She knew Travis could hold his own against her family. She’d never had any doubt. But there was a sprinkling of pride like those little chocolate shavings Nic put on her cannoli over how well he actually did.
Even when her father pulled Travis into his office, then came back out alone, she wasn’t worried. She wouldn’t have even known her father did that if Cade hadn’t rubbed her face in it when she came back into the family room looking for him.
But whatever was said couldn’t have been anything awful because both men were smiling and laughing through the rest of the dinner.
“No. I’ve spent the last few years there and as much as I want to be with my parents, it’s also pretty depressing.”
She reached her hand over and laid it on his leg while he drove. “I’m sorry, Travis.”
“Why are you sorry?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“I just can’t imagine how hard that has to be.”
“It’s hard. She’s not as bad as she could be. As bad as others there, or as bad as she’s going to get. And I’m realistic enough to know that. Unfortunately, pretty soon she won’t even be mobile. She won’t remember how to walk or feed herself. She’s not there yet. I don’t even want to think about it when it happens.”
Ella’s eyes burned a little. “I’d like to meet her,” she said before she could stop herself.
“What?” he asked suddenly.
“I know she doesn’t know who you are. Or doesn’t remember much, but she remembers enough. She has feelings and senses moods, right?”
“She does,” he said.
“I’d like to meet her before she gets worse, but I understand that may not be what anyone else wants or even what might be best. It was just a thought.”
“That’s the only reason you want to meet her?” he asked.
“I’d like to thank her for raising such an awesome man. I can thank your dad any day, but I’d like to be able to say it to your mom. Even if she doesn’t understand, I’ll know I did it and I know it’s the right thing to do.”
He smiled at her. “If you want, we can go over one day this week. Mornings are best, right after she gets up. She has more strength at that point. It’s when I normally visit, but it means going to work late. Is that okay with you?”
“I can be flexible and make it work. Did you go this morning?” she asked him. He hadn’t spent the night. As much as she wished they’d spend more nights together, she wasn’t going to be one of those clingy women that needed to be in her boyfriend’s bed every night or had to know where he was at all times.
“I did. My father was already there. We talked about whether he should come to dinner today or not.”
“Did he really say that to you? That you needed to face my family alone for the first time?” she asked, grinning. She’d always liked Travis’s father, Ken. It was Travis she’d butted heads with...until recently.
“Nah. That was said for your brothers’ benefit. I knew they could all hear me in the other room when I said it to Aiden.”
She shook her head. “Smart.”
“Anyway, my mother was having a good day and my father didn’t want to give up that time.”
She nodded. “I understand. We just didn’t want him to feel left out. As you can tell, we extend the invitation to everyone’s family. Aimee’s father actually took his first vacation in years or he would have been there too.”
“Your family has always been good that way.”
“What way is that?” she asked.
“Making people feel welcome.”
“Except for the men in my life,” she said dryly, not wanting her mind to go down a road she’d been lost on so many times.
“So you have brought other men home, just not to your bedroom.”
She didn’t know what possessed her to make that comment and should have known he would have read between the lines. “Not really. I’ve dated, but I’ve told you I haven’t been in a relationship in a long time. And nothing extremely serious. I really don’t know the last time I brought any man home for a family holiday. Maybe never if I think about it.”
“You’ve dated men and your family hasn’t met them?”
“I didn’t say that. I said for a holiday dinner. There’s a difference between a family party and a holiday. Holidays are special. They have meaning.”
“So I’m special then?” he asked, grinning at her.
“Definitely special,” she said. “And you can give me a special night to prove it to me.”
“I can do that too. I’ve got a change of clothes with me. I was hoping to stay the night since it’s been a few days.”
“I was hoping that you would have.” She took a chance and added, “You can leave a change of clothes at the house if you want. Maybe leave the clothes you’ve got on and I’ll wash and put them away for you.”
He looked down at his jeans and nice shirt. “I can do that. Or bring over some extra too.”
“And that works just as well. I’ll find a drawer for you. I promise.”
“Then I know I’m special if you’re going to make room for me in your house somewhere. I just hope that drawer isn’t in the kitchen.”
“Well now, that is a possibility,” she said, laughing. Who would have thought he’d have this great of a personality? What a fool she’d been to never see it before.
They pulled into her garage, then went into the house, Ella tugging him up the stairs. Nothing was going to stop her this time in her room. She was going to start to kiss him and wasn’t going to stop until she was darn good and ready.
“No interruptions,” he said, almost reading her mind.
“None at all. What are you going to do about it?” she asked as she started to unbutton her shirt. He stood there and watched her and she wondered what it’d feel like to give him a little show. She’d never done that before. Never tried to turn a guy on like that.
Most times when she was in a relationship, they had sex. They fooled around. She enjoyed it, sure, but she wasn’t playful. She didn’t plan it out. She didn’t stop to think what she could do to turn a guy on even more.
It never occurred to her before now. That maybe there was a deeper meaning to what she and Travis had.
Well, she’d known that, but she just didn’t know how well she knew that until now.
“What are you doing, Ella? I can see a change in your eyes.”
“What do you see?” she asked, another button popping through the hole on her shirt. Her voice was raspy like it only got when she was concentrating on something. That something was a large sexy man with deep eyes that were burning right into her soul and making her want to rush.
“Your eyes just got darker. Exotic almost. Your cheeks are turning red like you’re embarrassed but don’t want me to know.”
Damn, he was good. “I was just thinking.”
“When you think it’s pretty damn sexy, that’s all I’ve got to say.”
“Good answer. Have a seat, Travis,” she said, walking toward him and putting a finger on his chest to give him a playful shove.
&nb
sp; “Are you going to put on a show for me?” he asked, sitting down.
“It crossed my mind. Only if you don’t laugh. Because, you see, I’ve never done this before and we know I like to make sure everything I do is perfect. So I’m having doubts about it now.” She took a few steps back away from him for some breathing room.
“No doubts. I like knowing that you’ve never done this for another man. I’ll tell you what—you can practice all you want with me. I’ll sacrifice myself for the cause. Strip away. If I’m not sure I like what you’re doing you can just put your clothes back on and try again.”
She rolled her eyes. “You make trying new things easy for me. Easier than I’ve ever thought before.”
“Good to know. Come on now. Show me what you’ve got. Show me that body you work so hard for and that I’ve been dreaming of each night and waking up hard to every morning wishing you were next to me so I could bury myself deep inside before I even roll out of bed.”
He was good. “I’m supposed to be turning you on.” She took a deep breath and finished up with the buttons on her shirt, but she didn’t take it off. Just left it to hang open, giving him a glimpse of her nude-colored lace bra.
“Keep going,” he urged, like he knew she’d need a bit of encouragement.
“I bet you’ve watched a show a time or two.” She let the tip of her finger trail down between her breasts, resting on the clasp in front but moving past without undoing it. His eyes had been following the path.
“You might lose that bet,” he said.
“I doubt it, but we’ll leave it at that.” She couldn’t imagine someone as hot as him, as sweet as him, as nice as him, as perfect as him, never had a woman do a striptease in his presence. Then again, she never knew these things about him until she took a risk.
She’d be the first to say she judged him wrong and wondered how many others might have done the same thing. If there was one thing to be grateful for, it was that and that he was available and looking at her.
She unbuttoned her navy trousers, then lowered the zipper, just giving him a glimpse of the fact she had on matching lace underneath.