Romancing My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens) Contemporary Romance

by Melissa Foster

  “Look, I get it. Okay? My father left, and I hate it when people act like I missed out on someone great, because I didn’t. I think it’s the same feeling as you get when people say they’re sorry about your mom. That look is why I don’t talk about him, so I really do get it. I just can’t help that I care enough to want to fix it for you. I’m afraid that no matter how hard I try, you’re going to see that look in my eyes, Bec. Maybe you don’t really want to open up to me.”

  She dropped her eyes and ran her thumb over her mother’s ring. “But I do like to talk about my mom with you. I don’t talk to anyone else about her. Maybe we can find a middle ground? I’ll talk and you look away.”

  “I like the sunglasses better. That way I can still look at you.” He pulled her across his lap and kissed her. “I’ll try not to look at you in a way that makes you uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something else. Tell me how your first two days of work went. Do you like it so far?”

  “Yeah. I love it so far. We’re always busy, so time goes quickly, and it’s not a mentally taxing job, so when I take my last courses, I’ll still have the brainpower to study at night.” She shrugged as if that was all there was, but in truth, she was ecstatic to no longer be living in her car.

  “When are you going to take classes?” he asked.

  “As soon as I have the money. I’ve only got a couple classes left before I graduate, and I should be able to take them in the spring.”

  “I can help you pay for them.”

  “Pierce, stop.” She shifted from his lap and gathered the sheet around her.

  “Stop what? I’m just offering to help so you can finish the courses.”

  He looked so baffled, and it didn’t surprise Rebecca. He couldn’t possibly understand what she was feeling, but he would never be able to if she didn’t explain it to him. Rebecca pushed her irritation away and drew upon the patience she’d learned so well during her mother’s illness. She took his hand in hers and tried to explain again.

  “I love that you want to help, but I’m not a project. I don’t need charity. I want to do this on my own. I know you care for me, and I know you would be willing to help me out of the goodness of your heart, but you need to understand, and accept, how that would make me feel like you were trying to fix things.”

  “Guys are fixers. It’s a known fact.” He pulled her close again.

  “Right, which is maybe why I didn’t miss dating. I don’t need fixing.” She took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. “Hear me, Pierce. If this relationship is going to work, you can’t offer to fix things for me. Got it?”

  “You know, even women who have everything at their fingertips let their boyfriends offer to do things for them.”

  She kissed his nose, because he was so damn cute when he was trying to get his way. “Then you should date one of them if you need to fix women. I’m a woman who doesn’t need fixing. Take me or leave me.”

  She inched to the edge of the bed, and he scooped her back with his powerful arms. “You’re asking a lot of me. It will go against everything I’ve ever believed. But for you, I will try to do things your way. You’ll have to cut me some slack, though. And as far as taking or leaving you goes…” He dragged his finger from the center of her collarbone to her belly button. “I’ve taken you, and I’ll take you again, and again, but I’ll never leave you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  WEDNESDAY MORNING THEY got up early and went for a three-mile run. Rebecca was competitive by nature, and working out with Pierce was great motivation, even if he taunted her during their run by running behind her and making sexual innuendos, which she also secretly loved. And showering with him? Oh Lord, there was nothing like the feeling of his big hands, lathered with soap, sliding over her wet skin, caressing every inch of her body like it was new to him when he’d spent the evening before loving those very same parts. And she had to admit that touching him, taking him in her mouth while water ran down her back, added a whole other level of erotic sensations to their lovemaking. She loved watching him dress in his business suits, covering all those godly muscles as if they didn’t exist. It gave her a thrill knowing just how glorious that hidden body was.

  Rebecca grabbed her purse on the way out the door. She was trying to get used to carrying it since she wanted access to her cell phone and there were no pockets in the black skirts she wore for work.

  “Is your phone on?” After his brother had given him a hard time for forgetting to turn on his phone, Rebecca had gotten used to reminding him to do so. She loved how he feigned hating the nag, though she could tell by his smile that he liked it.

  “Oh, you think you know me, don’t you?” Pierce pulled out his phone, turned his back, and she knew he was turning it on. When he turned around and held it up with a big smile, she laughed. “It was on. See?”

  She tossed her purse in the car and Pierce folded her into his arms.

  “What would I do without you?” He nuzzled against her neck.

  “Oh, probably miss a lot of morning phone calls.”

  “Do I really have to go another long day without you? How about meeting me for lunch?”

  “Are you at all worried about people seeing us together? I wanted to ask you about that. How do you think we should handle it so you aren’t seen as a letch?” She smiled, and she could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he knew she was joking.

  “Seen as a letch? I’ve never dated women who work for me.”

  She arched a brow.

  “Well, until you, of course. I’m not going to pretend, Bec. My cousin Josh went through that. He and his fiancée, Riley, hid their relationship because she worked for him, and it pretty much sucked. I don’t think we have to flaunt it, but if I want to see you, I’m going to see you, and if you want to see me, then I want that door open twenty-four seven.”

  “Well, one of my roommates works with me. Should I let her know?”

  “I think honesty is best. Your coworkers might treat you differently, so maybe you should just be ready for that. You know, the whole dating the boss thing, but I’ve never dated anyone who works there before, so it’s not like they can say that I make a pattern of it, or anything like that.”

  “But you were a player. You told me so yourself.” She touched his arm. “I’ve handled a lot worse things than comments.”

  “Even the thought of someone saying something to you about my dating habits pisses me off. I’ve never flaunted women around the casino. I’m a respected businessman with a reputation to uphold. I came and went through a side entrance if I was staying at the hotel, and it’s not like I woke up with those women and took them to breakfast.” He kissed her softly. “Let’s just be us, and we’ll deal with whatever comes up.”

  “Okay.” She drew in a deep breath, readying herself to ask what needed to be asked. “I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but you asked if I was on the pill.”

  “I just want to be closer to you.”

  “I know, but you’ve had a…” Oh God, how on earth can I say this? “Busy social life.”

  “You’re wondering if I’m clean.” His voice was serious.

  She was so nervous she could only manage a nod. It wasn’t a comfortable thing to have to ask, but things that were important were rarely easy.

  “I’ve always used condoms. I could be the poster boy for Trojan, but if you want me to get tested, I will. Whatever you need to make you comfortable.”

  She fiddled with the button in the middle of his chest. “I’m sorry. I know how this all must sound. I’m just paranoid.”

  He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes with the same look he had last night when they were making love. “Babe, if you’re willing to go on the pill, I’m willing to take a simple test. We’re worth it. I’ll have Daisy, Luke’s fiancée, do it when I go home next weekend. I’d rather keep something like this private. She’s a doctor, and I trust her.”

  She nodded, and he folded her into his arms again.

  “You can a
sk anything of me. I’ll always tell you the truth.”

  “I know.” Rebecca hadn’t ever had anyone that she could really trust besides her mother, and with Pierce, she believed that he really would always tell her the truth.

  He opened her car door, then closed it. “Drive to work with me. Why should we take separate cars? I want you to come home with me after work anyway, and it’ll give us more time together.”

  She glanced at her car and her pulse quickened. She hadn’t realized that her car had become some type of security blanket. It had been the one stable thing in her life after her mother died. Without it, she’d have had no place to stay after she left her apartment. It’s not like she was getting rid of it, but somehow not having it with her—just in case—made her nervous.

  “What if I need it?”

  “You can always use my car.” She eyed his Jaguar and had no desire to drive it. It wasn’t having a car that was an issue; it was having her car.

  “I’m kind of used to having it.”

  “I think this is one of those control freak issues you were talking about the other day. Okay. Take your car.” He kissed her again and opened her car door for her.

  She held on to his hand. “I’m sorry. It’s kinda weird, isn’t it? That I need my car?”

  He shrugged. “No more weird than me wanting to fix things for you. We’ll just have to adjust.”

  As she climbed into her car, he must have sensed her discomfort, because he lifted her chin so he could see her eyes and said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, Bec. It’s all fine. Lunch?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Great. There’s one more thing I keep forgetting to ask you. My cousin Treat and his wife, Max, are coming into town for dinner tomorrow night. Will you have dinner with us? I’d really like you to meet them.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather spend time alone with them?” Her heart was going crazy at the idea of meeting his family, even though they weren’t his immediate family. It was a big deal and confirmed just how much he liked her.

  “I’d rather spend time alone with you, but short of that, I’d rather you were with me every second of every day.”

  Rebecca was glad she was sitting down, because he said everything she felt, and if she were standing, her legs would have surely failed her.

  “Okay,” she managed.

  They made plans for Pierce to come down and meet her at noon, and after a long kiss goodbye, Rebecca drove to work feeling ridiculous for needing her stupid car. Tomorrow I’ll leave the darn thing at home. At Pierce’s, she corrected herself.

  Chapter Sixteen

  REBECCA HAD BEEN trying to find a quiet moment to talk to Daphne, but the morning had been crazy busy, and now that it was lunchtime, she bit the bullet and pulled Daphne aside.

  “Daphne, I need to tell you something.”

  “Sure, hon. What’s up?” Daphne picked up an order from the counter and reviewed the ticket, matching the items to the order.

  “You know how I told you that my boyfriend was a businessman?”

  “Sure. Oh, Henry wants me to check him out.” She winked. “He’s such a worrywart. I knew he liked you.”

  “Well, you’ll get a chance to in about five minutes.”

  Daphne’s eyes lit up. “He’s coming here?”

  Rebecca fidgeted with her order pad. “He sort of owns the place.”

  “What place?” Daphne cocked her head.

  Rebecca lowered her voice. “He owns the resort.”

  Daphne pulled another waitress over. “Wilma, can you take this to table six, please? I need to talk to Rebecca.”

  Oh shit. Daphne sounded so serious that Rebecca didn’t know what to expect.

  Daphne pulled her over to the break room. “Honey, are you talking about Pierce Braden? Tall, dark, and scrumptiously handsome? The gentleman of all gentlemen, Pierce Braden?”

  Scrumptiously delicious, too. “Yes.”

  “Oh, hon.” Daphne hugged her. “Everyone here loves the man. We’re talking serious big boss crush by every woman in the place.”

  “It’s not like that, Daphne. I had no idea who he was when we started dating, and I don’t care what he has. I care about who he is.”

  She searched Rebecca’s eyes. “Good. Okay, good. That’s good.”

  “I just wanted you to know, because you asked me who I was dating and I didn’t want you to think I didn’t trust you. It’s all kind of new, so I wasn’t even really sure how to handle it, but we talked about it and he doesn’t want to pretend we’re not together, so…”

  Daphne hugged her again. “Sweetie, he’s such a nice man. Everyone loves him.” A flash of worry passed over her face, then faded just as quickly.

  “What is it?”

  Daphne leaned in close. “It’s just that, you know, he is a good man, Rebecca, and we all want him to end up with a good woman, and you’re definitely a good woman, but…Word around this place is that he’s kind of a ladies’ man, if you know what I mean.”

  She’d expected to hear just that, but she hadn’t expected it to hurt the way it did, like a paper cut, quick and sharp. “I know. He told me.”

  “He did?” Daphne patted her chest like she was trying to calm her racing heart, which, knowing Daphne, she was. “Good. Good, Rebecca. Then—”

  “I know all about his past. He was very honest, and I trust him, Daphne. I mean, I really trust him, like I’ve never trusted anyone before.”

  Daphne reached for her hand and gave it a thoughtful squeeze. “Trust your heart, Rebecca. That’s what I would do. Henry was no saint when I met him, the little dog.” She smiled. “Heck, girl. I wasn’t very pure either, but we knew from day one that we were meant to be together. The universe has a way of figuring out the things in life that get hung up between our heads and our hearts.”

  “Thanks, Daphne. I was worried that people around here might treat me differently.”

  “Oh, they may. You are dating not only the best-looking man in Reno, but the big guy on campus, too.” She patted Rebecca on the back. “Just ignore any snide looks and keep being who you are, darlin’.”

  “Pretty easy, since I have no clue how to be anyone else.”

  They went back to work, and Rebecca felt much better having come clean to Daphne. She hated keeping secrets. It wasn’t part of who she was, despite her Secrets are a girl’s best friend comment she’d tossed out on her first date with Pierce. Not telling him about staying in her car was also weighing heavily on her mind, but that was a secret of a different kind. She had every intention of telling him about that at some point. She just wasn’t sure when that point was going to be.

  She was finishing up with a customer when Pierce walked into the restaurant. Her heartbeat didn’t just quicken; it sprinted. The employees lifted their eyes in his direction, stood taller, and watched as he weaved through the tables, heading directly toward Rebecca with a confident gait and a look in his eyes that shot right to her heart. Everywhere he went, he commanded attention. Even Rebecca’s customers glanced his way as she waited off to the side.

  Oh God! Her legs had turned to jelly and she wasn’t thinking straight. The last few nights came rushing in, swirling inside her and warming her all over. She was dating the boss. Did everyone in the restaurant know who he was? She felt her cheeks flush as she tried to figure out what to do. Should she go right to him? Go back and place the order? She had no idea where her boss was, but it didn’t matter, Pierce didn’t give her a chance to decide. As she walked away from the table, he came to her side—in a cloud of heat that sizzled and burned. He casually placed a hand on her hip, leaned down, and kissed her cheek.

  “Hey, babe.”

  It was a simple, sweet kiss. She’d made love to him, touched and tasted every inch of him, and that simple kiss blew away her brain cells like fluff in the wind. It was all she could do to smile.

  “Almost ready?” he asked.

  She cleared her throat and forced herself to answer. “Yeah. Jus
t let me get my purse from the back.”

  “I’ll come with you.” He kept a possessive—protective?—hand on her lower back as they walked through the kitchen. The chef looked up and smiled.

  “Hey, Mr. B. I’ve got your order up in two minutes. Robin has your table ready in the courtyard.”

  “Thanks, Bob.”

  Bob ran his eyes between the two of them as they headed into the break room. Rebecca tried to act calm, cool, and collected but feared she failed miserably and that everyone could see her insides were doing some sort of shake, rattle, and roll dance. She grabbed her purse from her locker and drew in a few deep breaths before returning to Pierce’s side. He was reading the schedule that hung on the wall, with one hand in his pocket, his hair brushed back from his face, and his clean-shaven cheeks calling to her to touch them. She pictured him going gray around the temples, fine wrinkles around his eyes. She could see the two of them together as they got older, Pierce wanting to fix all the things that were difficult for her and her wanting to stand her ground. She could see them making love and waking to the sound of a crying infant, chasing a toddler through the park. Oh Lord, she could picture forever with him and they’d known each other only a few days—and, by golly, it felt real. How could she be so certain? It made no sense and perfect sense all at once. From her head to her toes, and everywhere in between, she was one hundred percent in love with Pierce. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth, as if she could silence her thoughts.

  She might be able to quiet her mind for now, but there was no way she could silence her heart.

  Chapter Seventeen

  PIERCE AWOKE THURSDAY morning with Rebecca’s arm draped over his stomach and her cheek pressed against his chest. He pulled her closer, and she snuggled in with a sleepy, contented sigh. She wore a camisole and panties, and looked sexy and adorable at once. In sleep, her face was totally relaxed. The pucker of stress he’d sometimes noticed around the corner of her eyes was gone and her lips were slightly curved upward. He usually sprang out of bed to fit his run in before work and then arrived early at the office so his day stayed on track. That jolt of get-up-and-go wasn’t there. His mind was laden with Don’t-move-a-muscle. Hold her. Enjoy her. And his body was enjoying the feel of her against him entirely too much to move.