by Candis Terry
“You did. In a half-assed kind of way. Exactly what are you sorry about?” Her chin came up in that stubborn way that made him want to grab her and kiss the fury right out of her. “That we had sex—again—and you bailed on me—again—like I was some kind of . . . hooker? An unpaid one to boot.”
She took a step closer and jammed her hands down on her hips. Challenge darkened her eyes and furrowed her brow. “Or are you just sorry that I quit?”
Dec’s heart gave a hard thump. He needed to be honest—with her and himself. “Both.”
“Fine. Then say what you need to say and then please leave. I have an appointment and I don’t want to be late.”
He kept his hand firmly planted on the door when he really wanted to wrap it around her waist and pull her against him. “Dammit, Brooke. I don’t know how to do this.”
“This? What this?” Her hands flew upward. “Apologize?”
“Yes.” He jammed his hand through his hair. This was turning out all wrong. “No.”
“Well, which is it?”
“You confuse the hell out of me,” he growled. “And I can’t figure things out. I feel like everything is spinning out of control and I can’t get a handle on it.”
She folded her arms and shifted her weight to one luscious hip. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
“Exactly!”
“Well, now you’re confusing me. So maybe we should just leave things unsaid and move on.” Her chest rose on a full intake of air, then she walked into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door.
He waited, thinking she’d come back out. He waited, thinking by the time she did he’d know exactly what to say so he wouldn’t sound like such a stupid ass. But when the shower turned on he knew he’d be waiting awhile.
Fine by him.
He planted himself on the bed, leaned against the headboard, crossed his feet at the ankles, and propped his hands behind his head. When the image of Brooke naked, covered with sweet smelling soap and droplets of warm water flooded his imagination he locked his fingers together so he wouldn’t be tempted to open that door and show her exactly how he felt.
Without one damn word.
Chapter 16
The water in the shower could never be cold enough to cool down the temptation to run back out there, grab Dec, and show him how she felt. But this time the man would have to figure things out on his own. She’d already shown him. She’d already told him. She’d already laid her heart at his feet. And she’d be angry as hell if he didn’t seem truly mystified about what was going on in his head and heart.
For the first time since she’d known him, Declan Kincade appeared to be completely bewildered.
In his normal day-to-day life he was solid. Thanks to her professional skills he knew exactly what to expect out of his day. He knew how it would begin and how it would end. She’d thrown a glitch into the works, and now for the first time he had to change things up. He had to take himself off autopilot and figure out where to go from here.
Yes, this could all backfire on her. But if he didn’t give their situation considerable thought, it wouldn’t matter. She might be ready to find love and live happily ever after, but maybe love had never been on his agenda. Maybe happily ever after for him truly only meant a successful business. He might be her dream man, but maybe his dream woman was someone completely . . . not her.
With more on her mind now than when she’d first gotten in the shower, she rinsed the conditioner from her hair, shut off the water, and toweled off. Refocusing as she stepped out onto the plush bathroom mat, she formulated a plan in her mind regarding the property she was about to see.
Right now, although her heart might not agree, there were more important things in this world than Declan Kincade.
Toweling the moisture from her hair she opened the door to the bedroom. The first thing she saw was a gigantic pair of feet propped casually on the bed. Her eyes shot to the man stretched out as if he owned the place with her traitorous dog stretched across his lap. His blue eyes shot to the embarrassing detail that she was completely naked.
“Oh my God.” She rushed back into the bathroom. “Dec! What are you still doing here?”
She flinched at his low chuckle.
“Waiting for you.”
“I kicked you out.” She came back into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
“But look what I’d have missed had I left.”
“Exactly.” She exhaled. “Could you go now? Please?”
“I have nowhere to go. My assistant bailed on me and I have no idea what’s on my agenda.”
“I’ll tell you what’s on your freaking agenda.” She swung her arm and pointed to the door. “Get the hell out!”
A slow smile tilted the corners of his lusciously masculine lips. “You can’t kick me out of my own room.”
“Your what?”
“This is my room. My bed. You can’t kick me out.”
“Are you always this obstinate?”
“You should know.” His heated gaze dipped to where she had the towel tucked between her breasts. “We’ve worked side by side for four years.”
“Right. I guess you just hid the major part of your jerkiness from me all this time.”
He unfolded his hands from behind his head, swung his legs off the bed, and sat up. Brooke took a step back because she now realized that the closer he got the more her IQ sank to a disastrous need him, must have him now level.
He captured her by her elbows and pulled her in. The delicious scents of his warm body and sandalwood aftershave mixed together with her citrus shampoo and honey body soap and made her light-headed.
“Avoidance is never a good response, Brooke. And neither is running away. I’ve recently become painfully aware of that.” His grip was firm but his fingers were tender on her skin. “We need to talk.”
“No can do.” She lifted her chin and looked into his devastatingly blue eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes. “I have an appointment. And I’m not coming back to work for you. So there’s really nothing to talk about.”
“You’re wrong.” His fingers gently caressed the side of her face, tucked her hair behind her ear. “There’s plenty to say. Starting with the fact that I plan to win you back.”
“Did you not just hear me?” She backed away from his touch. She couldn’t take it without the fear of crumpling like a wad of paper. “I’m not coming back to work for you. Ever.”
“And I wasn’t talking about work,” he said as a parting shot before he walked out the door.
Brooke putt-putted up to the commercial building in Aunt Pippy’s VW. She was grateful Dec’s aunt had been generous enough to let her borrow it again. All it had taken was a quick explanation of her intentions with this viewing and Aunt Pippy was strongly on board Team Brooke.
After Dec’s declaration that he planned to win her back, she wondered exactly what he intended. She didn’t mind admitting that his insistence was quite a turn-on. Still, she had to make plans for her life.
With or without him.
She might want Dec in her life, but she didn’t believe in putting life on hold until someone else made up their mind whether they wanted to be a part of it or not.
As she parked the VW in the lot, an elderly woman in a red blazer and dark blue pants got out of the Lexus in the next space.
“Mrs. Carr?” Brooke extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
The woman’s bluish-gray bubble hairdo was sprayed stiff and her perfume was overly strong, but she seemed nice enough. All that really mattered was that the interior of the building would fit what Brooke had in mind and the price was right.
“Let’s take a look inside, shall we?” Mrs. Carr held out her hand for Brooke to lead the way. When they reached the door, she unlocked it, reached inside, and flipped some switches that shed overhead light on the interior. “The building has a total of twelve thousand square fe
et with twenty-four parking spaces out front.”
On the wall near the door a series of offices had been constructed, which gave Brooke a head start on what she would need later. The rest of the interior was completely open space. On two sides a series of garage door type windows would let the light in once the vertical blinds were removed. And the optimum height ceiling would allow for taller and bulkier structures without overwhelming the space.
Exhilaration springboarded through Brooke’s blood. “It’s perfect.”
“I’m so glad.” By the size of the agent’s smile, Brooke figured she smelled a sale. “Let’s take a look at the outdoor space. The bare land equals a little over an acre.”
Mrs. Carr stood near the building while Brooke walked around the property. A parking lot was already paved. There was no concrete to tear up. It was all fresh ground and ready to go for what she had in mind. Not for the first time did she appreciate all the financial advice Dec had given her. She appreciated even more that she had been smart enough to listen. Because right now she had a nice sum sitting in the bank waiting for such an opportunity.
Fingers crossed, she returned to the real estate agent. “Let’s talk price and negotiation.”
A little while later Brooke headed back to Sunshine Creek in Aunt Pippy’s VW, barely able to contain her excitement. A million ideas swirled through her head and she made mental notes for everything she needed to do in the coming days.
But before all that, she had a date.
People could say what they wanted, but when Dec made up his mind, he steered straight in that direction. Wondering what Brooke’s appointment and phone call had been all about he’d waited in the house until she’d driven away in his aunt’s car. Curiosity made him consider following her, but that just seemed too stalkerish. Hopefully his brother would enlighten him on what had Brooke in such a hurry.
Outside on the patio, he found Ethan at a table with a cell phone still pressed to his ear, his face turned toward the sun, his feet kicked up on the chair next to him, and a glass of wine on the table. His brother currently looked the epitome of relaxed.
Dec was about to change all that right now.
He stood behind Ethan, towering over him, waiting for the phone call to end. Had it not been an important one, Dec would have interrupted. But with a very edgy Lili MacKay on the other end of the line, Ethan’s charm was crucial.
“You could continue to stay at the Salty Seagull,” Ethan was saying, “but you might consider moving over here to the B and B.”
Pause.
“No. I’m not kidding. While we wait on the reports, you might as well get to know all of us. After all, if we are family, you’ll have to decide whether you want to be an active member or run like hell.” Ethan brushed a honeybee from the sleeve of his T-shirt. “As an added bonus, if you’re nearby I can pre-warn you about which brothers are the scariest.”
Ethan chuckled.
“All right then. I’ll check back with you tomorrow. For dinner give Mr. Pickle Buns a chance. And make sure you order the cheese stuffed Doritos. I promise you won’t be sorry.”
“You invited her to stay here?” Dec asked when Ethan ended the call.
“Best way to keep an eye on her, right? Besides, if she actually agrees to it, that might be a sign that she’s really interested in getting to know the family. Someone who was scamming wouldn’t necessarily do that.”
“You’re a genius.” Dec sat down, literally stunned that Ethan had come up with that solution. Not that his brother was dense by any means, just that his mind didn’t usually travel to resolutions other than ones that involved firefighting. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because your head is too far up your ass about Brooke to think straight. No worries, big bro. I got this.”
Dec wanted to wipe the smirk off Ethan’s face. “Speaking of Brooke. FYI, you’re not taking her out tonight.”
“Yeah. I am.”
“Not if you want to be able to walk tomorrow.”
Ethan grinned. “Are you threatening me?”
“Yes.”
“Because you just want to pull a power play? Or because you really care about Brooke?”
“Because I really care about Brooke.”
“Not because she’s a challenge or something you feel the need to control?”
“She is a challenge, and that’s one of the things I love about her. Shit, the woman had me up on a stage singing karaoke in front of a bar full of drunks. Who else could get me to do that?”
As his brother shrugged, Dec realized the words he’d said. The truth hit him like a bulldozer.
He loved her.
He was in love with her.
Damn.
“Why would I feel the need to control her when she’s perfect the way she is?” Dec asked. “I’ve been blind and stupid for too long. It’s time to grow up and work hard for the one thing—the one person—I can’t live without.”
“About damn time.” Ethan folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “So what’s your plan?”
Brooke felt decidedly overdressed as she got ready to meet up with Ethan downstairs at the main house. Nicki had taken on a little sister role and insisted on helping with her makeup and hair. Then she insisted Brooke wear the little black dress she’d bought to go with her new pair of Ariat cowboy boots. Though they wore the same size clothes, Nicki’s feet were smaller and Brooke opted to wear the one and only pair of high heels she’d brought on the trip. By the time Nicki was done, Brooke looked in the mirror, pleased to see the woman looking back.
Her hair had been styled in loose shiny curls and her makeup had been accented with the smoky eye look. A sheer red gloss coated her lips, silver hoops sparkled from her ears, and not an ounce of the panic she felt showed on her face.
“He’s not going to know what hit him,” Nicole said, giving Brooke a nod of approval.
“He meaning . . .”
“Dec. Of course.”
“But Dec won’t be there.”
Nicole shrugged. “We’ll see.”
Brooke had never been agreeable to deception of any kind, but Ethan insisted his brother needed an extra little push to get him to open his eyes. Brooke thought if Dec didn’t open his eyes on his own what was the point? Still, she’d been unable to talk Ethan out of the date. He’d suggested that either way, they both needed to eat dinner so why not have an enjoyable experience at a top-rate restaurant. With her stomach empty and rumbling she was now glad she’d finally agreed.
Ethan waited at the foot of the stairs in a light blue button-down shirt and gray slacks. His hair had been casually styled. And if she had been any other woman he would have stolen her breath.
Ethan grinned. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Are you sure about this?” she asked him as he offered her his arm and escorted her to his SUV.
“Never been more sure in my life. And believe me . . .” He opened the passenger door and waited for her to slide in. “That’s saying something.”
Half an hour later they were in the elevator making their way to the thirtieth floor restaurant. When they arrived, Ethan approached the hostess and gave her his name. As they were about to be seated, Ethan’s phone chirped. He pulled it from his pocket, glanced down, and apologized for having to take the call. He asked the hostess to go ahead and seat Brooke and said he’d be right back.
Brooke knew there was a lot going on in the Kincade family with the business and the sudden appearance of a possible secret sibling. Not to mention the possibility of a connection between the missing money and the secret sibling.
With a hospitable smile the hostess led Brooke to a private table by the window. The City Grill was classically decorated with natural elements. A slate wall with a trickling waterfall divided their seating from the next table and a portion of the restaurant. While the hostess set the menus down, a server delivered two glasses of ice water. Brooke looked out over the city view where the lights sparkled in the clear night an
d reflected off the waters of the Columbia River. The scenery was incredible, but it didn’t stop her conscience from drilling at her that she should not be there.
Nervous, she nudged the napkin wrapped silverware on the linen tablecloth and took a breath. The best thing to do to get through the night was to try to actually enjoy it.
“The view may be stunning, but you take my breath away.”
Brooke’s heart took a stuttered step. She looked up. The man smiling down at her before he took the seat across the table from her was not her date.
“What are you doing here?”
Declan’s dark eyes glittered as a server delivered a bottle of Sunshine Creek Vineyard Titania Private Reserve Cabernet with two glasses to their table. There was only silence from the man across the table as the server poured a small amount and allowed Dec to sample it before he poured full glasses. When the server left, Dec raised his glass and prompted her to do the same.
He tapped his glass to hers. “You didn’t really think I’d let my little brother take you out for a romantic dinner, did you?”
“Why would you care who I go out with?” She sipped the wine that hinted of black cherry, vanilla, and mocha. “Or is it merely a case of sibling rivalry?”
“It has nothing to do with that.” He sipped his wine then looked at her over the rim of the glass. “And everything to do . . . with you.”
For the life of her she tried not to let that matter. “Why the change of heart?”
“Not a change of heart at all,” he said. “Let’s call it an awakening.”
Brooke refused to get her hopes up. She’d put herself out there only to get knocked down. He’d said he planned to win her over. While she had a great imagination, she had no idea what that meant. Still, she loved him, and she knew she’d give him more chances than he probably deserved.
“I’m not going to make this easy on you.” She leaned in and put on her best flirt. “In fact, I’m going to run you through every test I can think of to see if you’re really sincere or full of BS.”
