“Do what?”
“This. I had no idea you’d be so good with them. You’re surprising the hell out of me.”
“Should I be offended?”
She tugged on my arm and shook her head. “You should be proud of what you’ve done for them.” Her face tightened and she looked away. “I’m proud of you, little brother.” She lifted her eyes back to mine, and I knew it was the truth.
“Are you getting all sappy on me?” I asked, and she scrunched up her face. “Come on. Admit it. You miss me.”
She snorted and shook her head.
“Admit it! You missed me while I was gone.”
“Did not. You’re a pain in my ass.”
“You miss me. You miss whoopee cushions and pennies in the cabinet,” I said, poking her in the side.
“I don’t miss any of that shit. You’re annoying.” She giggled and then straightened, setting her jaw. “Having you in my apartment was like living with a toddler.”
“Oh, please. Just admit you miss me, Cece.” I planted my feet in front of her and grabbed her arms. “Admit it or pay the consequences.”
“Grow up.”
“Suit yourself. You must love getting punished. Does your boyfriend know about your fetish?” My grip tightened on her arms, and she squirmed. “So stubborn. Just say it and I’ll let you go.”
She squealed and twisted. “I’ll never admit it, Dee.” She laughed and struggled while I shuffled her backward toward the lanes.
“Remember you had your chance,” I said with a sigh. “Say it now or—”
“No! I don’t miss you, you overgrown child!”
“Just like Dad.”
I knocked her legs out from under her with my foot and held her above the ground. “You know you love me.” Then I gave her a swift push down the lane. She landed on her ass and slid about halfway down before she grabbed onto one of the bumpers and skidded to a stop.
“Fun!” Joshua ran past me and dived down the lane, colliding with Cece while she carefully made her way back. Brady was next, then Xander, and then Ian. They slipped across the floor, collided with each other, and fell one by one into a pile.
I stood off to the side, my mouth hanging open.
“See? You’re just all kinds of trouble.” Gwen tsked from my side. Bree stood next to her, her arms crossed, a disapproving look on her face.
I took a deep breath and then pointed toward our table. “I’d say we have about two minutes before we get kicked out. Better get our stuff together now.”
Chapter 24
Can’t Buy Me Love
We spent the summer as a family—dinners with the kids, and weekends of marathon sex when they were with Debra. We talked a lot and spent time just the two of us after I wore Brady down enough to go to sleep. Gwen and I fell into a routine during the week, careful to not show too much affection in front of Bree, but she seemed to have radar for that kind of thing.
We’d sneak into the living room and watch a movie, or we’d sit out in the backyard and just talk. I was pretty sure I’d never tried so hard to get to know someone in my entire life.
There were a thousand times I wanted to tell her I was falling in love with her. That I did, in fact, love her. But I’d never been in love, and I could hardly wrap my brain around it.
I loved everything she did. Like the way she looked irritated when I told an offensive joke, only to burst out laughing a second later because she was just as perverted as I was. Or when she tripped on a flat surface and then looked behind her like there was a bump in the flooring that had caused her to do it. The way she concentrated on certain things, like brushing Bree’s hair and putting it into pigtails. Or how she’d kiss Brady’s knees when he fell in the grass.
Toward the middle of August, I chewed on my thumb as I waited for Gwen to meet me downstairs in my apartment before we went to the Black Hole with our friends. I was going to nut up and tell her I loved her. And it scared the shit out of me to think she might not want me to say it yet. Everything had been going so well, and we just kind of were. We were together, and we knew it.
Our friends knew it.
But our families and the kids didn’t know it. It made me nervous to think about telling my parents I’d fallen in love with my boss, and that I didn’t want to be just a father figure for Brady and Bree.
I wanted to be their father.
It wasn’t like it would be any different than it already was. Everything would just be out in the open. That conversation would have to happen at some point. After that night.
I checked the time on my watch and let out a breath. I’d dressed better than usual, in a dark-gray button-down and some dark jeans. They were nice, other than the fact that they were ripped. I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard.
I sat on the couch and ran my hands through my hair, tapping my feet in an erratic rhythm and becoming more nervous as the minutes ticked by. I heard the soft click of the doorknob turning, and my heart about jumped out of my chest. I rubbed my hands over my face and had to laugh. It wasn’t like I was asking her to marry me.
Not tonight, anyway.
I swiveled to look at her, and my lips curled around my teeth to stop my mouth from hanging open. She had on a dark-blue shirt that was tight and low cut, exposing the edges of a midnight-blue lace bra. Her jeans were painted on and made her ass look unbelievable.
I wondered what her panties looked like under that outfit.
Maybe there weren’t any panties.
“Wow, you look amazing.”
There was no stopping the smile that spread over my face when she stepped just close enough that I could pull her down onto my lap. She giggled and straddled me, resting her hands on my shoulders and sinking onto my thighs. I inhaled her scent—floral and light. She reminded me of spring or some sappy shit like that. Whatever it was caused a physical reaction in my pants every time I smelled it and left me ready to go.
Like right then.
But I wanted to wait until after I’d said it. I wanted to see what it was like to be with her after the words had left my lips, after she knew how I felt. So, instead of ripping her shirt off, I kissed her. Her lips were sweet and glossy, slick with some sort of fruity stuff, and I groaned at the thought that it would be all over my face when I let her go. She sighed and kissed me deeper, letting her tongue work over mine in a lazy circle. It was beginning to be too much, so I angled away and kissed her jaw and then her neck, but that only brought me closer to the ridiculous cleavage that her lacy blue push-up was shoving into my face.
I ran the tip of my tongue over the swell of her breasts, feeling smug when she moaned and her thighs tightened across my hips. With one last chaste kiss to the perky twins, I lifted my face to hers. “We should go. You look way too sexy tonight, and the sooner we leave the sooner I can get you back here. And naked. Like you’re supposed to be.”
“Let’s just stay in and have a naked pizza party or something,” she said, licking her lips and rocking into me.
My inner kid was all about some pizza. And Don was all about some naked Gwen.
But Andrew wanted to keep his plans on track.
I shook my head and kissed her lower lip, sucking on it and disentangling her hands where they were clutching my neck. “That’s tempting. But think of how much fun we’ll have when we get back and you’ve been riled up for a few hours. And drunk.” We needed to get into the No-O-Mobile as soon as possible, before I lost my will to do any of this tonight. “Come on, I promise it will be worth it,” I whispered against her neck. Then I kissed the spot below her ear that made her shiver.
“Dammit, Andrew. You’re such a mease.” She climbed off me to stand on shaky feet.
With a groan, I adjusted myself and stood to take her hand. “At least you’re not the only one in pain, Miss Stone.”
She smiled, and I gave her another kiss before smacking her ass and pushing her toward the stairs.
It wasn’t like I was going to climb up on the stage a
nd get on one knee to profess my love to her. I wasn’t that stupid, or cheesy. I knew Ian was performing, so I’d asked him to play a song that made me think of Gwen every time I heard it. My plan was simple: let Ian start the song, pull Gwen into my arms, and whisper in her ear that I loved her.
She’d either say it back or black out. I was preparing myself for both scenarios, because I hated to be surprised. If she said it back, I would throw her over my shoulder and take her straight home. If she went the other direction, I would call an ambulance.
When we got to the bar, Ian was nowhere in sight, but I didn’t want to draw attention by going backstage to find him. So I sent a quick text to make sure he was still on board.
You’re a girl, he texted back.
I sidled up to the bar behind Gwen, guiding her with my hand on her lower back and concentrating on not getting too far ahead of myself and blurting it out. Xander nodded in my direction and smiled wide, his eyes mischievous and twinkling under the flashing lights. Cece pulled Gwen in for a hug and then grabbed me, too, making a sort of Gwen sandwich. Had it been Tess, that might have been something to write Playboy about, but it was only my sister.
Tess gave a polite wave and gave me a thumbs-up, and I regretted having involved Ian in this thing altogether. No one in my inner circle could keep their fat traps shut.
“Oh my God,” I muttered and turned to Xander. “Shots. Vodka. Line ’em up.”
He set out the shot glasses and filled them to capacity. I slid two toward Gwen and took three back to back. A little liquid courage never hurt a guy, right? Especially when he was about to rip his own heart out of his chest and hand it over, still beating, to a woman.
Gwen took a deep breath, raised her eyebrows, and threw back her shots. She stuck her tongue out, laughing as she sent her glasses skittering across the wood. “I think I’ll take a girl drink now.”
She walked off with the other girls, and I continued to rack up drinks, getting my head in the game.
“What are you humming?” Xander asked.
“The theme song to Doc McStuffins. Why?”
Xander propped himself up on his elbows across from me. “You do realize that Ian has been playing for the past ten minutes, right?”
“Shiiiiiiiiit.” I turned to look for Gwen. My eyesight was blurry, but she was invisible in the crowd, so I looked for Tess’ head instead. She was beside the stage, looking down toward the floor.
“Wish me luck,” I said, and Xander shooed me away with his hands.
Ian started my song, and I braced myself. I had rehearsed it in my head all day; I just hadn’t factored in being drunk as a skunk when it happened.
I love you, Gwen. Or maybe, I love you so much.
I took a deep breath and headed toward the stage, my eyes fixed on Tess. Her brow was furrowed, her mouth wide open, yelling at the waitress, Rae, while Rae shoved a finger in her face, screaming back.
I’d just made it to the front of the stage when Tess pushed Rae, and she stumbled back, liquid sloshing over the glasses on her tray. I scanned the crowd for Gwen—she was backed into the corner next to an amp, her hands over her mouth.
Rae was pointing and yelling at Gwen, and I remembered what Xander had told me about her needing to watch out for Rae’s jealous cat claws. Wondering what she could have possibly done to make Gwen look like that, I quickened my pace and pushed people out of the way, irritated at the gawking bystanders. I made it to Gwen in seconds and reached for her.
My sister pushed me away and I looked around at her. Her eyes were sad—disappointed—and Gwen wouldn’t look at me.
“What’s going on?” I yelled above the music.
Gwen lifted her face, and her eyes, narrowed and embarrassed, looked right through me. “Is it true?”
I stepped closer and she backed farther against the wall.
“Is what true?”
“Did you take the job . . . because you wanted to sleep with me and get your inheritance? Like it’s some sort of game?”
It felt like ice water had been pumped into my veins. My worst nightmare was coming true, and I was too far gone to get a handle on my words. Tess stepped to Gwen’s side, and Cece crossed her arms, creating a barrier between me and the woman I loved.
Rae stood a few feet away, smirking.
I stared at Gwen, speechless.
She stepped toward me, clenching her fists at her side and tightening her chin against the trembling. “It’s a one-word answer, Andrew. Yes or no.”
I took a deep breath.
Lie. Lie. Lie.
“Yes.”
“Yes? So you lied. After all of your bullshit about telling the truth? ‘If you lie to me one more time, I walk.’ Isn’t that what you said? Well, guess what, Andrew. You don’t get to walk out—I do.”
She pushed past me and out the door, and Tess chased behind her into the night. Cece stared me down, her eyes filled with anger and hurt, and I had to blink and look away so I didn’t have to see them.
Chapter 25
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
I lay on the couch in Ian’s apartment, staring at the ceiling and trying to wrap my head around how everything had gone downhill so fast.
That fucking waitress Rae had overheard us—Xander, Ian, and me—when we’d been discussing that stupid inheritance a few weeks ago, along with my original plan to get into Gwen’s pants. What, had she been saving that one up to hit Gwen with it at the worst possible moment? And all because Gwen had gone on one lame date with Jimmy before he and Rae even got together?
So Gwen believed my motivation all along was to get into her house, sleep with her, and collect my fat inheritance just for being employed. And Cece believed it, too, because she thought I was a terrible person.
Which I had been. Initially.
Maybe it was hard for people to see because I’d never shown love before, so they didn’t know what it looked like when I finally did.
Tess tiptoed toward the kitchen, trying not to wake me up. As if I’d slept.
I sat up, and she jumped, placing her hand over her heart in surprise.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said.
“Trust me. You didn’t.” I slumped against the couch cushion.
She made coffee, and the silence hung between us while she worked. Then she appeared next to me with a full mug and two aspirin.
“Take these and we’ll talk.”
I thanked her and downed the pills with the scalding liquid, not even caring if it burned. Tess planted herself next to me and pulled her legs underneath her while she blew on her cup. I stared at the floor and waited.
“Rae’s an idiot,” she said. “She wanted to hurt Gwen because Gwen went on one date with Jimmy. All Gwen did was ask Rae about the bruises on her arm, and then Rae just started unloading on her about how she didn’t know shit about Jimmy, and how you were using her.”
“Rae’s just lucky she lost her job and not her head.” I rubbed my hand over my face. “If I’d just told Gwen up front how things had changed for me, I could have avoided this entire thing.”
Tess nodded.
“Thanks, by the way. I really appreciate you and Ian vouching for me last night with Cece. She wouldn’t have believed just me.”
Cece had tried to peel my skin off while screaming “I told you so” at the top of her lungs, but Tess and Ian had pulled her away to explain my side of things.
“No problem. But . . .” Tess cleared her throat and I lifted my face to look at her. She had sadness in her eyes and her face was tight with worry. “You need to talk to Gwen.”
“Wow, that’s insightful. Thanks so much.” I set the coffee cup down and held my face in my palms.
She pulled on my hands until I looked at her again. “Listen. I’ve never seen Gwen so natural around someone. You bring out the best in her, and she trusts you more than anyone.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed. “I’m in love with her. I want to be what she needs. I wa
nt to be there for the kids. I want us to be a family.”
“Then tell her that.”
I groaned and slumped against the couch again. “What if she doesn’t want to hear it?”
Tess patted my arm and smiled. “Who the hell wouldn’t want to hear that?”
After breakfast Ian drove me back to the bar to pick up the Hyundai.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said, giving a cheerless smile.
“Listen, I know this situation is beyond screwed up, so Brady is welcome to hang out with us any time, if you need a break.”
I thanked him before driving back to the house, contemplating what I was going to say and how Gwen would react. Slowing to a near crawl once I was within view of the driveway, I took a steadying breath and pressed the button to open the garage door.
Her car was parked where it always was. I hated that she’d been alone overnight, but I’d known if I’d tried to go after her, things would have gotten out of hand, and I’d wanted a clear head when I talked to her.
I walked inside, and my heart lodged in my throat when I caught sight of her sitting at the kitchen table, drinking juice and flipping through a magazine. She had to have heard me come in because the garage door was loud as hell, but she sat motionless, like I didn’t even exist. The only sign of acknowledgment was the red tips of her ears, burning from anger or embarrassment.
Shoving my hands into my pockets, I leaned against the doorframe and cleared my throat.
“Good morning.”
She turned and gave me a tight smile, her eyes empty. “Hi, Andrew.” Her greeting was cold, uninterested.
“Can we talk?”
Her jaw twitched, and she closed the magazine. “I think talking is a good idea, but I’d like to go first.”
I widened my eyes, and my heart thudded painfully.
She folded her hands on the table and took a deep breath before she started. “First, let me apologize.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but she held up a hand to stop me.
“Bree and Brady love you. They’ve told me as much. Bree also told me you promised you’d stay, no matter what. To a child her age, ‘forever’ means everything, so I hope you’ll keep that in mind when I ask you this next question.”
Eight Days a Week Page 15
