Brandon

by Anne, Melody

  Anger made a person make very poor choices. She was aware of that, even if she couldn’t stop herself from acting on those impulses. They did say there was nothing like a woman scorned. However, if she was being logical, she’d know without a doubt she hadn’t been scorned. He’d been with that woman long before her. They weren’t in a relationship, anyway. He’d flirted. They’d slept together twice. They hadn’t even been on a real date.

  So she was beyond frustrated that she was giving a second thought to him being with anyone else. It was absurd. She could tell herself that all day and night, but it didn’t matter. She was still irritated. Most likely it was because it was a reminder of why she’d veered away from relationships in the first place. They were messy, and they caused her to lose focus.

  The woman’s showing up had reminded her of why it was important not to get attached to the man. It had also made her petty enough to accept the date with an old friend when he’d called her that morning and invited her out. She had no desire to go with the man, but the timing had been impeccable on his part.

  Currently the man she couldn’t stop thinking about was sitting at a table in her restaurant. He’d tried to talk to her when he’d walked inside with his uncle Joseph, but he hadn’t persisted when she’d given him her most aloof smile and walked away. His eyes had been glued to her for the past hour, though.

  She wondered how well it would go when her date showed up, which would be in about ten minutes. She was wondering how foolish she’d been to have done that. She didn’t want a fight breaking out.

  But that was nonsense. Brandon wasn’t going to stake some imaginary claim that didn’t exist. She was just being foolish. But then again, the entire date was foolish. It was right before the holidays, and she didn’t have time for it. But it was too late to back out now.

  Jordan walked inside five minutes early, and Chloe felt her gut tense. She watched as he approached, an easy grin on his face. He was a good guy, making her feel even worse that she’d accepted a date with him because she’d felt . . . what had she felt? Was it jealousy? That was a new emotion she wasn’t used to feeling.

  “Good evening, beautiful. Are you ready?” Jordan asked as he stepped up and gave her a hug. It took all of Chloe’s willpower not to turn in Brandon’s direction. Maybe he wouldn’t notice what was happening.

  And maybe pigs truly would begin to fly.

  “I’m almost ready. It’s just been so busy here lately I lose track of time,” she told him, giving him a halfhearted hug in return.

  “I don’t mind waiting on you,” Jordan said. She truly did feel like a jerk. He was excited for their evening out, and she was already anticipating the date’s end. It wasn’t a good start to her day.

  “Do you have big plans tonight, Chloe?”

  She froze as Brandon made his presence known. She couldn’t believe he would approach when she was with another guy. Did he have zero pride at all? There was no way she’d come up to him if the roles were reversed. As a matter of fact, she’d turned and run when his ex had shown up.

  Both she and Jordan turned to face Brandon. Jordan’s arm slipped behind her back comfortably, not seeming to feel the tension radiating from both Brandon and her.

  “Hello, Brandon,” she said through somewhat gritted teeth. “This is my friend Jordan Skye. Jordan, this is Brandon Anderson. We’re working on the veterans center together,” Chloe said, making reluctant introductions. Jordan didn’t live in Cranston, so he was probably very unaware of anything that was going on in the town.

  Jordan’s eyes lit up at the introduction, though, and Chloe wanted to roll her eyes. Of course the Anderson name got a reaction from most people. It didn’t mean she had to like it one little bit.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Anderson. I’ve been following the news on the veterans facility. You guys are doing an amazing job. I wasn’t aware Chloe was working on it.” His words were full of wonder as he turned and faced her, looking impressed.

  “I just signed on,” she said with a shrug. “But I’m pleased to be a part of it.”

  Brandon ignored all talk of the project as he eyed her with suspicion. “What are you two up to tonight?” He wasn’t backing off.

  Jordan seemed completely unaware of the tension. It was something she’d always liked about the man. He was generally happy and worked hard and played even harder. She’d always been curious why she wasn’t attracted to him.

  “I’m taking this beautiful woman to a show and dinner,” Jordan said as he squeezed her waist and smiled at Brandon. “She doesn’t often say yes, so I have to move fast when it does happen.” He chuckled, as if they were all sharing an inside joke.

  Brandon wasn’t smiling. He looked at Jordan for long enough the man began to look confused. Then Brandon turned and faced Chloe. “I thought you were swamped with the restaurant,” he said.

  “I do own the place, but that doesn’t mean I need to be handcuffed to it,” she said. She was shocked at how rude he was acting. She hadn’t seen him behave that way before. It was odd. Jordan definitely couldn’t ignore what was happening.

  “Of course,” Brandon finally said. “Have a great night.” With that he turned and left, not going back to his table but walking out of the restaurant entirely. There was an awkward silence at his rude departure.

  Finally Jordan spoke. “Is there something I’m missing here?” he asked. “I don’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes.” He didn’t seem annoyed or jealous, simply curious at the rude behavior.

  She shook off the strange meeting and smiled at Jordan. “There are no toes being stepped on. Brandon was talking with his uncle. Maybe it’s work stress,” she said with a bright smile. “But I’m sure that has nothing to do with us. He’s just a very busy man.”

  “Sounds good,” he said, his smile back in place. He’d taken her explanation easily enough.

  She told him she’d be right back and ran to the back room, going as quickly as possible, afraid Brandon might return.

  She splashed her face and threw some fresh makeup on, then ran a brush through her hair and quickly changed into a skirt and blouse. It wasn’t ideal for a date, but it was the best she was going to do for the moment. She wanted to get out of there. She should’ve had him pick her up at home, but she’d been avoiding that. She wasn’t sure why.

  She was only gone about fifteen minutes, but she felt much better when she emerged to find Jordan sitting at the bar, sipping on a glass of wine.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” she told him.

  His smile never faltered as he looked at her and then whistled. “You’re worth waiting for,” he assured her. The look of appreciation in his eyes actually made her feel better. She didn’t feel too great at the moment. She hadn’t been out on a real date in a long time. She wasn’t sure if she even remembered what it was like.

  Jordan lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. She was disappointed when the gesture didn’t send butterflies to the pit of her stomach. Maybe it was just because she was nervous about Brandon or was being peevish. Brandon always gave her butterflies, but maybe her traitorous body would wake up by the end of the evening. Not that anything more than a kiss was going to happen. It was far too soon after being with Brandon. That was just wrong, in her book.

  “You are very handsome,” she replied. He took her arm and led her outside, where he had a limo waiting. She stood there in shock. He was pulling out all the stops. She didn’t know what to say. It was making her feel even worse about the evening. There was no possible way this was going anywhere, and she was wasting his time. It was wrong on many levels. Her parents had definitely taught her better than this.

  “Your carriage awaits, my lady,” he said with a flourish. The driver opened the back door, and she climbed inside, delighted to find champagne and strawberries. He poured her a glass, and they had a pleasant ride with meaningless small talk.

  They drove into Seattle, where he took her to the theater. She was
far too underdressed, making her slightly self-conscious, but she pushed that aside. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

  They continued their small talk on the way to their seats, and then she was grateful the show started. All of her thoughts were turned toward Brandon, no matter how much she wanted to focus on the man next to her. She tried feeling something for Jordan, but she just wasn’t able to muster even an ounce of attraction.

  It was too bad, because he was a handsome man with charm to spare. She was truly cheating him of a night out with a woman who’d see how amazing he was. She was feeling more and more guilty by the second.

  But in her defense, how was she supposed to feel anything toward anyone else when she was thrown together with Brandon Anderson on an almost-daily basis? She was only human, after all.

  They finished their show and managed polite conversation on the way to a beautiful candlelit dinner. Jordan reached for her hand often during the dinner, and she smiled and laughed and found herself having a good time. But even as they drove home, there wasn’t a spark of romantic connection between them.

  He reached her home and walked her to the door, stopping as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the handle. She turned toward him, unsure of what to do next.

  “I’ve had the best night I’ve had in a very long time,” Jordan told her.

  “It really has been a great night,” she said, meaning it. If Brandon hadn’t been on her mind the entire time, it would’ve been perfect.

  “I’d love to do it again,” he said. She wondered if he wasn’t seeing the distance she was trying to insert between them. It was obvious he wanted to kiss her good night, maybe even have more, but she was keeping her bag between them. She shifted, and he saw an opening.

  Before she was able to utter another word, he clasped her in his arms and brought his lips to hers. She decided she needed to see if she could feel something other than friendship for this man, so she wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him back.

  Nothing.

  She stopped trying and stood there stiffly as he tried getting a response from her. Finally, he pulled away. He took a step back and looked at her with disappointment. They remained there in an awkward silence for a few moments before she finally spoke.

  “I’m sorry, Jordan. I had a really amazing evening with you, but I’m just so tired,” she said, not sure if she wanted to end things completely. “Christmas week is always a lot for me. It should slow down soon.” She hoped it was enough to soothe his bruised ego.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave her his usual bright smile. “I understand fully. I’ll leave you to rest.” He then pulled out a couple of tickets from his pocket. “I was hoping to get you out one more time this week, though. There’s an outdoor Christmas concert tomorrow. Will you come with me?” There was almost childlike hope in his eyes. She should tell him no, that it wasn’t going to work, but he’d been so good to her that night, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. Maybe she just needed one more outing to really feel something. Brandon couldn’t have this big of a spell over her. It was absurd.

  “That sounds like fun,” she replied. “I’d love to come.” She really didn’t want to go, but she loved Christmas, and dating anyone besides Brandon might break the spell he had over her. That was the ideal ending to all of this. Besides, she might grow to like Jordan as more than just a friend. And if not, maybe their friendship would remain intact.

  “You’ve made my night. I hope you have sweet dreams,” he said. He turned and quickly walked down her path. Chloe had a feeling he’d done that so she wouldn’t have time to change her mind. She was already thinking it was a bad idea. Chloe took a deep breath as she leaned against her door and watched him depart.

  She was feeling slightly depressed but was unsure why. She’d had a great evening. Jordan had been excellent company, and she was disappointed to not feel any attraction toward him.

  She’d turned to head inside when a voice stopped her.

  “How did your night go?” Brandon asked, making her heart thunder and her feet leave the ground as she jumped about a foot in the air. It took several seconds for her to respond to the man, who stepped up on her porch.

  “Do you like to lurk in dark corners just so you can give me a heart attack?” she asked, ignoring his question. It was none of his business how her evening had gone. Where she’d felt nothing with Jordan but an easy companionship, she felt a myriad of emotions simply standing there with Brandon.

  “Do you like to avoid questions?” he replied with what seemed like a permanent scowl on his face. She wasn’t used to seeing that. Of all the brothers, Brandon was the most likely to wear a smile twenty-four seven.

  “I had a very nice evening. I’m tired, though, so I’ll talk to you later,” she said, dismissing him. She’d placed her hand on the doorknob and had gone to turn it when he spun her around. She looked at him in shock. Brandon was definitely a man who knew what he wanted, but he’d never acted like this before.

  “Think about this tonight,” he said seconds before his head descended. She had no time to react before his lips were pressed against hers.

  Brandon wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body tightly against his. There was no hiding the arousal she felt pressed against her or the reaction of her response. Chloe’s pulse beat out of control, and she could barely breathe. She raised her arms around his neck, clinging to him, while his hands roamed up and down her back.

  She couldn’t seem to get enough of his taste, scent, or touch. She was quickly forgetting why she shouldn’t be kissing him and the fact that she’d just ended a date with another man.

  “Invite me inside,” he growled in her ear before he ran his skilled tongue down the curve of her neck, making her moan. All she had to do was say yes, and they could have a passion-filled night. She opened her mouth to utter the simple word as his hand slipped around her side and cupped her aching breast. He flicked his thumb over the sensitive bud, making her feel intense pleasure even through the layers of her clothes.

  She cried out and felt a shudder ripple through his body as it pressed closer to hers. He pushed her up against her front door. He brought his lips back to hers, devouring her, reminding her she was a woman with needs. He moved his hand to the edge of her skirt, sliding it upward, touching her bare skin. She shook with the intensity of the pleasure.

  She heard a car door shut somewhere close, and that small bit of noise helped bring her back to reality. What was she doing? She was practically making love to Brandon on her brightly lit front porch, where a neighbor could easily walk by.

  “Brandon, we have to stop,” she whispered. She could barely get the words past her desire-filled throat. She brought her hands down to his chest and pushed. He lifted his head, looking at her in confusion. His eyes, filled with desire, were almost her undoing. She wanted to keep going, which made it so much harder to stop.

  He bent his head to take her lips once more, and she didn’t know how she found the will to pull away. He let out a deep sigh and finally stepped back. He didn’t say another word, just turned and left. Chloe let out her own sigh and stepped through her door. She leaned against it, and a shudder racked her body.

  What was she doing? She wasn’t this woman. She wasn’t the type of person who went on a date with one man and made love to another on the same night. She wasn’t that person who played games with men, and she wasn’t a cheater. So what in the heck was she doing?

  She wasn’t sure, and she didn’t know how to get out of the mess she’d put herself in. It was just a reminder that no person should ever make decisions when they were angry.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Chloe was sitting on her best friend Sarah’s bed with her head in her hands. Brooke was in a chair, and Sarah was pulling dresses from the closet. Chloe was a mess, and thankfully her best friends weren’t judging her too harshly.

  “I think you need to wear this one,” Sarah said as she pulled a gorgeous red calf-length dress fro
m her closet.

  “Whatever you think will work,” Chloe said with little interest.

  “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all evening,” Sarah said.

  “And not like you at all,” Brooke added.

  “I just don’t have a bunch of dresses,” Chloe said. “I have plenty of skirt suits and things appropriate to wear to the restaurant, but since I opened, I’ve had little interest in dating.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you have us to make you beautiful,” Brooke said with a laugh. “Though, we’re still trying to figure out what in the heck is going on. Why are you going on a date with Jordan when Brandon has obviously staked his claim?”

  Chloe let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t belong to anyone,” she informed her friends. “And though things have obviously happened between Brandon and I, that doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship.”

  “Do you feel something for Jordan?” asked Sarah as she sat next to Chloe.

  Chloe wanted to lie, but she never would to her two best friends. She frowned. “No, I feel nothing more than friendship with him. But I want to feel more. I hate that I’m playing a game like so many men do. I hate to feel that I’m using this man. I don’t want to. I truly want to feel for him what I’ve been feeling toward Brandon. It’s so complicated. Maybe I’ve been too judgmental of other people. Maybe they are just as confused as I am and not playing games.”

  “I’ve been there,” Brooke said. “But you can’t force feelings.” She rubbed her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

  “But feelings can grow,” Chloe said almost desperately.

  Sarah laughed. “Yes, they can grow, but not when you’re carrying a torch for someone else.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand what my attraction toward Brandon is all about. He’s not the type of man I ever go out with. This is becoming more and more of a mess each and every day.”