by Lori Foster
He skipped past that to say, “It’s not a big deal that you’re here. Not to them anyway. To me? Definitely a big deal. So let’s give it a bit until the cops leave and then we’ll go to the office together.”
Together. She let out a long breath. “I don’t think I want to go through that again.”
“Through what?” He levered her back so she’d have to see his lopsided smile. “Was Mom that bad?”
“No, but she’s your mother.” That in itself was enough, but according to Brodie, she was also much more. Protective, loving, attentive...all the things Mary had decided she didn’t need.
Everything she’d decided not to want.
But again, Brodie had already changed her mind-set on so many things, and little wants were creeping in fast.
“I promise she’s not judging you. If anything, they’re all going to think I’m a lucky bastard.”
Tired of fighting herself, Mary dropped her forehead to his big, solid chest. “I thought your mother would look like an angel.”
He choked on a laugh. “Seriously?”
Leaning back, Mary said, “But she looks like you.”
“Tell her that and she’ll smack us both.”
Mary couldn’t help a small smile, a real one this time. “She’s really pretty, just not what I expected.”
“Because you expected an angel.” Amusement brightened his dark eyes. “I guess that’s my fault. I should have made it clear about her temper, her bossy attitude, how she always has to be in charge, how she—”
“Stop.” Laughing now, Mary stepped back and brushed her hands through her hair. It was going to take time to tame it. “She’s a nice person and you know it.”
“Very nice.” He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “But don’t forget the bossy part. She somehow expects me to get you up to the office. If you don’t go, she’s going to blame me.”
Mary groaned. “This is not how I expected to spend my morning after.” She’d been hoping to enjoy Brodie more before leaving. That plan, however, had to be scrapped.
“Definitely wasn’t on my to-do list, either.”
Hand to her forehead, she considered all the repercussions. “First,” she decided, “I have to get hold of Therman to update him.”
At that, Brodie rolled his eyes but kept quiet.
She tugged at her shirt. “And I might need that aloe after all.”
“Come on.” He pushed off the wall and, taking her arm, guided her to the bathroom. “I’ll take care of it.”
Mary peered down the neck of the shirt. Her boobs now looked very pink. “I can do it.”
Eyebrows bobbing, he said, “Let’s play doctor. It’ll be fun. Trust me.”
And of course, she did.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SHE COULDN’T WEAR her bra.
Who knew a bra was the equivalent of armor? Or maybe Superman’s cape.
She felt unprepared without it.
Everyone pretended not to notice, but Mary was painfully aware of the lack. Being well-endowed meant a bra was necessary to avoid drawing attention, so she never went braless.
It was even worse in the air-conditioned office, because she knew her nipples had tightened. Crossing her arms over her chest not only looked dumb, but was uncomfortable.
Besides, how could she help if she walked around holding herself? She couldn’t.
After giving herself a pep talk, she’d applied her makeup, then pulled her hair into its usual tidy updo. In the need for comfort, she wore one of Brodie’s loose, soft cotton T-shirts over her own skirt, creating a ridiculous outfit that didn’t come close to matching.
Fashion, however, became less of a priority the second she stepped into the office.
Usually Charlotte kept the place well organized and now it appeared ransacked. Papers dumped everywhere, desktops cleared, but thankfully, no real damage. The windows were intact, cabinet locks open but, from what she could tell in a glance, unbroken.
“Told you,” Brodie said. “It’s a mess.”
From his desk where he stacked mixed papers, Jack glanced up, did a double take on Mary and grinned. “Cute outfit.”
Mary opened her mouth to explain, but he didn’t give her a chance.
“Sorry we interrupted your morning.” Getting back to work, he added, “Thanks for being here.”
Brodie winked at her.
True, that was a different reaction than she’d anticipated. Despite the trouble, Jack seemed pleased to see her. Of course, he’d always been nice.
She remembered how she’d tried to trade for him that first day, thinking he’d be a better choice for the job than Brodie. That idea now seemed very shortsighted.
Despite the ridiculously early hour, Jack was neatly dressed, shaved and calmly in charge—the opposite of Brodie, with his finger combed hair, dark beard growth and simmering vitality.
They were both handsome, both hardworking, but she’d take Brodie’s gruff candor over Jack’s polite demeanor any day.
Stepping out around the door, Ros shoved an armload of more papers at Brodie. “Here.”
He had no choice but to take them. “What am I supposed to do with these?”
“Help sort them.” Then she turned on Mary. “How are you?”
“Not properly dressed,” she replied.
Ros laughed. “Don’t be silly. Everyone knows what happened.”
Oh, goody.
Leaning close, Ros whispered, “We top-heavy ladies have our struggles, don’t we? Going braless is almost impossible without showing our—”
Brodie said, “I’m right here, Mom, and I don’t want to hear about your—”
“Then you better stop listening,” Ros warned, interrupting him.
He turned a circle, seeking escape, before darting into the room with Jack and shutting the door.
“Sons can be very amusing.” Grinning, Ros hooked her arm through Mary’s and started them both forward. “Now, Jack’s right—you do look cute.”
No one had ever described her that way, not even when she’d been a girl. As a grown woman... Mary shrugged. “Thank you, but that’s not usually the look I’m going for.”
“I know. I can tell you’re the modest type, so trust me, nothing is showing.”
Mary found herself in the unusual position of confiding to another woman in a low voice. “I feel naked without my bra.”
“You’re not alone in that.”
Not alone. Such a novel concept.
“Don’t say anything to Charlotte, okay?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t.” How would that even come up? Then Mary couldn’t resist asking, “Why?”
“She’s a little self-conscious about not being as big up top.”
“But she’s beautiful!” And so tiny, she’d look like Dolly Parton if she had Mary’s chest.
Ros nodded. “She’s always been a petite person and I love her like a daughter. I tell her often how pretty she is, but you know how it is with women. We’re our own worst enemies, finding faults no one else notices.”
Mary touched her hair. She didn’t know if other women did that or not, but she knew Brodie often complimented what she considered her worst flaw.
“Here we are,” Ros said, walking her into the break room. “Let me get you settled.”
“Settled?”
“After your hectic morning, you need to relax and eat something.”
“I’m fine,” Mary protested. “I thought I’d pitch in.”
“That would be terrific, but you need coffee and a donut first,” Ros insisted as she got out a foam cup. “How do you take your coffee? And do you want a plain glazed donut or one with icing?”
Mary wasn’t used to anyone fussing over her. If Brodie had tried it, she’d have told him to back off.
But this
was his mother, and she’d been so nice that Mary accepted the unfamiliar attention and tried not to look as awkward as she felt.
“Plain glazed, please. Coffee black.”
“I like the ones with icing,” Ros said. “But to each her own.”
Howler had been sleeping by Charlotte’s feet but now he lumbered over to sit by Mary instead. His jaws opened wide in a massive yawn and he slumped against her legs.
“Go ahead and get comfortable.” Ros patted a plastic seat at the round table where Charlotte worked at sorting folders.
She wasn’t good at sitting while others worked, but Howler helped, giving her something to do as she stroked behind his floppy ear.
He dropped down again and put his head on her feet.
Mary smiled. “You sleep more than any creature I’ve ever seen.” This, at least, she was used to. Howler was very easy to adore.
Ros set a steaming cup of coffee and massive donut beside her on the table.
“Thank you. I’ll try not to wear this one.”
After a laugh, Ros peered at Mary’s neck. “Do you need any aspirin? Your skin is still pink.” She winced in sympathy.
Though her chest was tender, the soft shirt didn’t bother her. Except that it smelled like Brodie, making her think things she shouldn’t. “I’m fine, really.”
As if she hadn’t just said that, Ros continued. “Did Brodie get you the aloe?”
“Yes, thank you.” He’d taken his time slowly applying it, too.
If only his family hadn’t been waiting for them...
But they were and she’d decided that avoiding them would appear cowardly. Being thought a coward would be worse than any embarrassment, so here she was.
Looking not like a coward, but a slug.
“Good.” Ros put a hand on her shoulder, lightly stroked, smiled and turned to go. “You eat and I’ll check back on you in a bit.”
No one had ever “checked on her.” It was an odd feeling, almost disorienting. But she liked it. Too much.
Mary knew she was a strong person. She’d proved that to herself long ago out of pure necessity.
But did she have to be strong all the time?
“Don’t mind her,” Charlotte said without looking up. “Ros likes to mother everyone. It’s just her way. Word of warning, though. If you don’t eat that donut, she’s going to start offering other things.”
“Other things?”
Charlotte grinned. “If you don’t want a donut, she’ll assume you want a real breakfast. Or that you’re ready for lunch and want a sandwich. She’ll keep at you until she gets you fed.”
“She does that to you?”
“Are you kidding? It’s a wonder I’m still so skinny with the way that woman feeds me.”
“Got it.” Mary looked at the big glazed donut...and suddenly realized she was famished. How had Ros known?
She didn’t want to enjoy sitting while others worked, but she did. It was...nice to be pampered.
And how terrible was it for her to think that? This wasn’t her family. They owed her nothing, certainly not coffee and donuts and attention. It was a wonder they weren’t appalled at the breach of ethics.
“Stop it,” Charlotte said without interrupting her chore.
Startled, Mary looked up. “Stop what?”
“Looking guilty.”
Was that what she was doing? “I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s just a donut. You have time to eat.” Turning toward her, Charlotte cocked out a hip and lifted a brow. “In case it’s something else bothering you, I saw Gina last night, so I already knew about you and Brodie. She was angrily blabbing to anyone who’d listen. I think she even posted to Facebook and Twitter.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
Mary closed her eyes. “Taunting Gina was not one of my finer moments.”
“If I know Gina, she pushed you to it.” Charlotte played with the end of a long braid, then flipped it over her shoulder and turned back to her work. “Hey, social media usually sucks, but it makes Gina look bad, not you. Besides, it wasn’t news to us. We know Brodie well enough that we’d already seen the signs. Gina confirming it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Signs?” Had she been that obvious in her attraction?
“Sure. Brodie is Brodie, and you were a challenge, so...” Charlotte shrugged. “I pretty much figured you two would get together.”
While Charlotte spoke, she rapidly moved papers and receipts into various folders.
A true multitasker. Mary liked her—and that was why this mattered so much.
Sitting aside her empty coffee cup, Mary stood. “I hope this doesn’t affect our business association.”
“Pfft.” Charlotte absently flapped a hand while frowning at a contract. “Let’s be friends instead of associates, okay?” She set the paper aside. “Between Brodie and Jack, this place oozes testosterone. It’ll be nice to have another woman around more.”
A friend? Amid her surprise, Mary found a reluctant smile. “That sounds nice, but please don’t misunderstand. I won’t be around any more often than usual.”
“Sure you will, now that you two are together.”
“But...we aren’t.” Were they?
Charlotte went still, then looked back at Mary from beneath her brows. “Pretty sure our definitions of together must differ.”
“I mean...” Mary glanced around. They were well away from Jack’s desk, where the others worked, but still, she didn’t want to be overheard, so she moved closer. “We’re not in a relationship.” Not in the romantic sense.
Business, yes.
Sex? A bonus.
And they had agreed to be exclusive. Hmm...
But they weren’t committed or anything. Right? She didn’t think so, though granted this wasn’t her forte.
Charlotte studied her for a long moment before going back to shuffling papers. “Does Brodie know about this relationship lack? Because he’s pretty transparent, at least to me, and I can tell you, he’s in a relationship.”
Mary paused—her thoughts, her heart...even her breathing. Could that be true? Was Brodie more invested than she’d realized? He was such a player, so funny and irreverent about everything that she hadn’t allowed herself to make the mental leap.
Not that she’d object.
“One thing,” Mary said.
“Yes?”
“You’re not skinny, you’re petite. There’s a difference. Actually, you’re perfect. If I didn’t already know that Brodie thinks of you as a sister, I’d be worried.”
Charlotte flashed a big grin. “Me and Brodie? I love him. He’s the best—right up there with Jack. But even if they weren’t in the brotherly category, neither of them are my type.”
Mary hadn’t thought about having a type, but now she knew Brodie was it. Every big gorgeous inch of him. “So what is your type?”
Charlotte shrugged. “Someone completely different from either of them.”
Just then Jack walked in with another stack of folders for Charlotte. His hair, a little lighter than Brodie’s, wasn’t quite so neat anymore. “Can you go through these, hon? I think I got them all, but I’d like to be sure.”
Without breaking stride on her work, Charlotte pointed to an empty spot on the table. “Put them there.”
“Thanks.” In a conspiratorial whisper—loud enough for Charlotte to hear—Jack said, “She’s a tyrant about filing. I did my best, but I can almost guarantee she’ll change something.”
“I’m a tyrant because I’m the one who has to find everything.” Pausing, Charlotte looked around. “Seriously, what was our intruder looking for? There’s no method to the chaos he caused. It’s not like we keep anything valuable here anyway.”
“Nothing but paper trails,” Brodie said as he entered
the small room. His jeans were wrinkled, probably taken from the floor when his mother had knocked hours ago. He’d changed his shirt, washed and brushed his teeth, but he’d skipped any other grooming.
And damn it, she found him even more appealing like this, all raw, macho man with his unshaven face and messy hair.
Tension made the muscles in his shoulders stand out. The air nearly crackled around him. He stopped beside Jack and together they looked like mismatched bookends, one carved of granite, the other polished stone.
Their mother came in, nudging them both out of her way as if a six-foot wall of masculinity didn’t faze her.
They had to move around Howler, who didn’t budge from his sprawled position on the floor by her feet. Jack stood shoulder to shoulder with Charlotte, and Brodie and Ros were just inside the door.
Mary felt out of place here, surrounded by their shared love. It was so rich, she could choke on the solidarity, the closeness and affection. For them, it was probably as natural as breathing.
Mary knew better. Brodie’s family had something that was forever out of her reach. For a while, she’d wondered if any family could really be that natural, that wonderful.
Now she knew.
She witnessed a blessing and if she had the same, she would never take it for granted.
There were long-ago things she’d yearned for, things like acceptance, a sense of belonging.
Family.
Those things had stayed out of reach, so she’d compromised with her dreams and settled on professionalism and pride. They’d carried her through when there was nothing else.
Since meeting Brodie, sexual attraction had battered her professionalism. God willing, she still had her pride.
It no longer felt like enough. Yet, instead of there being a lack, she sensed...hope.
It was a fragile thing and she didn’t dare share it. Not yet. Deciphering the newness of it would take time.
Her strong suit was business, so that was where she’d start.
Now that she had them all together, she needed to extend Therman’s apology.
Purpose brought her forward into their mix. “Mr. Ritter, my boss—Brodie’s boss—was very sorry to hear of this mess. He wanted you to know that he’s never before had a problem like this. I’ve been with him for three years and I can back that up. There have been the occasional conflicts, of course, but never anything of this magnitude.”