by Anne Rainey
Dean frowned. After several tense seconds of silence, he asked, “You’re serious?”
“About Deanna, yes. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
Dean studied him another few seconds, then nodded and moved out of the way. Hallelujah. “Now that we’ve settled that, I’m hungry.”
Jonas headed to the fridge but stopped when he heard Deanna’s husky voice behind him. He turned around to find her dressed in a pair of black jogging pants and a yellow V-neck T-shirt. The sweats were baggy, but the T wasn’t. He couldn’t really see the outline of her areolas, and yet his mouth watered for a taste or a lick, anyway.
“What’d you say?”
“I said I’ll cook breakfast for you two, if you promise to play nice.”
“Omelets?” Dean asked as he pulled out a chair and sat. “You make the best omelets, Dee.”
Jonas wanted Dean gone. He wanted to feast on Deanna. He wanted to start the day all over again, only this time he never would’ve left Deanna to sleep alone. He would’ve stayed so he could wake her up with kisses. They could’ve made love, real slow and sweet. He sighed, knowing it would be hours before he could have her all to himself again. Shit, shit, shit.
“Jonas?”
“Uh, yeah, omelets sound great.” Their gazes connected and Jonas saw the same longing reflected back at him. Knowing she wanted him as badly as he wanted her was going to make playing nice with Dean pure torture.
After Deanna had made them omelets, Dean left, finally leaving Jonas alone with Deanna. All he could think about was stripping her naked and was about to say as much when his cell phone started playing the tune “Renegade,” interrupting his mental fantasy.
“That’s Wade,” Jonas cursed. “I need to get that.” He pulled his cell phone off his belt and flipped it open. “What’s up?”
“I need your computer skills,” Wade said.
“My brother has his own ring tone?” Deanna asked in a hushed voice.
Jonas nodded, completely tuning Wade out.
“Jonas? You still there?”
“Do I have a ring tone?” Deanna asked.
Jonas grinned. “Hang on a second, Wade.” He wagged his eyebrows at Deanna and murmured, “I added one for you after you agreed to go to Miami with me.”
Her eyes lit up. “You did? What is it?”
“ ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love,’ the Bad Company version,” he answered her as he patted her bottom and stepped away.
“So every time I call you, it plays that tune.” She laughed. “Figures.” Deanna went back to cleaning up their breakfast dishes, and Jonas put the phone back to his ear.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “Now, what’s this about my computer skills?”
“Gracie got a phone call this morning from a woman claiming to be her long-lost sister.”
“How is that possible? I thought her mother was history. Unless it’s a sibling on her father’s side?”
“No, she claims they have the same mother. Gracie’s a mess. I need you to run a check on this woman. She’s not coming anywhere near Gracie until I know she’s telling the truth.”
Jonas watched Deanna bend to pick up a fork she’d dropped. Her ass stuck up in the air, and he had to tamp down the need to reach out and grab a handful. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” Hell, he was supposed to be at the office anyway, not playing around with Deanna.
Jonas flipped the phone shut. “I need to go.”
Deanna swiveled around, a frown marring her pretty face. “Already?”
“It’s important. Someone called Gracie, claiming to be her sister. Wade wants me to check into it.”
She sucked in a breath. “Oh, wow. Gracie must be going crazy.”
Jonas nodded. “Especially considering this could potentially be the only living relative Gracie has left. Unless you count her worthless drunk of a father, which I don’t.”
Deanna looked down at the floor. “I’m happy for Gracie, really I am, but I was hoping to show you the design I’ve been working on for that client I told you about. I’m really excited about it.”
“Are you talking about Valdez?” Jonas couldn’t believe his ears. “I thought we agreed, Deanna. Valdez is bad news.”
Her head snapped up. “We didn’t agree I’d dump the guy based solely on your word,” she said as she moved around the kitchen, cleaning up and putting things away. “If I remember correctly, you all but ordered me to tell him to find a new designer.”
He forced himself to calm down. If he came at her with ultimatums and went all dictator on her, she would only dig her heels in further.
Moving up behind her, Jonas grasped her shoulders, urging her to look at him. She refused to turn around. “Okay,” he said, relenting. “Then at least let me run a background check—before you meet with him. There’s no harm in being cautious, right?”
She turned around and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not an idiot, Jonas. Of course I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Jonas took her into his arms. She was stiff at first but slowly relaxed. “I’m only concerned for you, kitten. I’m not trying to tell you how to run your business.”
Her gaze sought his, and again Deanna’s sweet nature kicked Jonas square in the chest. She saw the good in people, while Jonas knew not everyone had a good side. Like Valdez, for instance. The guy specialized in using kids to run his drugs for him. In Jonas’s mind, the guy was the lowest form of scum.
“It sure sounds like that from this end, Jonas. And I don’t want another person in my life treating me like a child.”
“Trust me, you’re all woman in my eyes,” Jonas growled.
“I’m serious.”
“I am too. Your safety is the only thing that matters to me, Deanna. I’m not trying to take over.” Jonas did a mental survey of her home and wondered why she didn’t have a security system. “Speaking of safety, I’m surprised Wade hasn’t installed an alarm for you.”
“He and I have talked about it, and I intended to get one, but I’ve been busy trying to get my design business off the ground.”
“I could install one for you if you want. It’s no big deal.”
Deanna sighed. “We spent one weekend together and you’re already screening my clients and talking about installing an alarm?”
When she put it like that, he felt like a complete ass. “First off, it wasn’t just a weekend. We mean more to each other than that. Don’t reduce it to a meaningless fling.”
She winced. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that we’ve barely had time to explore this relationship and you’re already bulldozing your way through my life!”
“I’m a PI and an ex-soldier. Safety is more than just my job—it’s who I am. You’re mine and I won’t apologize for taking care of what’s mine.”
Deanna looked at the clock on the wall and stepped away from him. “You need to go. Wade’s waiting.”
Damn it, he didn’t want to leave it like this. “I’m sorry, kitten. I didn’t mean to start issuing orders. I am only thinking of you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her into a tight embrace meant to soothe. “Let me check out this Valdez character, okay?”
She nodded and pushed out of his arms. “I’ll get my purse. I have his business card in there.” She walked out of the room and came back a few minutes later with a white card in her hand. “Here. It has his address and phone numbers. Will that be enough?”
Jonas had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like he’d broken something between them and he had no idea how to fix it. “Yeah, this is fine.”
He tried to take her back into his arms, but she moved out of his reach. “Deanna?”
“You need to stop and consider the fact that I’ve been getting along just fine without you. Believe it or not, I do have a brain in my head, and I’d already decided to wait for you to check Terrance out, but you couldn’t know
that because you jumped to conclusions before I had the chance to say anything.” He started to speak, but she simply leaped right over him. “I know you care, that you worry, but I don’t want another keeper, Jonas. I can’t live my life with someone like that.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” he said in a voice rough with emotion.
Deanna closed the distance between them, then went up on her tiptoes and kissed him. A too-quick peck, but Jonas would take whatever he could get. “Go. Gracie needs your help.”
“Can I come by later?”
She bit her lower lip and looked away. “I think I need some time alone. I need to think.”
Christ, he’d royally screwed up. “Will you call me?”
“Yes. I’ll call.” She looked back up, and he saw tears in her eyes. Tears he’d put there. “Be careful.”
“Always, kitten.”
Leaving Deanna standing in the kitchen alone and upset was the hardest thing Jonas had ever had to do.
17
Deanna didn’t let the tears fall until she heard the front door close. That’s when the dam broke, and once the waterworks started, she couldn’t seem to turn them off. She wanted to believe Jonas only had her safety in mind, but she knew that at least part of the reason behind Jonas’s attitude about Valdez was because he wanted to put her on a shelf, as if she were made of fine china. Being a woman meant she had to have a man make the decisions for her, right? God, she was so sick of that attitude from the men in her life. That’s not what she wanted with Jonas. She wanted him to see her as an equal. A partner.
Deanna swiped away the tears and went up the stairs to her bedroom. She needed to get out of the house, to get her mind off Jonas for five freaking minutes. She slipped into her tennis shoes and coat, then picked up her purse and located her keys inside one of the pockets. She jogged downstairs and grabbed her cell phone from the cradle near the stove, and dialed her mom.
“Hello?” her mom answered.
She sounded sleepy, and Deanna wondered if she’d woken her from a midday nap. “Hey, Mom. Were you sleeping?”
“Nope, just reading. You know how that always makes me drowsy.”
“I was thinking of coming over. Do you want company?”
She heard a rustling sound in the background. “How about we meet in town for coffee. I need to go to the store anyway.”
Deanna thought of their favorite little coffee shop in town. “Java Rush sound good?”
“Yeah, it’s next to the store. Two birds with one stone.” She was quiet a moment. “Is everything okay, dear?”
Deanna’s throat closed with emotion. Her mother could always tell, even through the phone line, whenever Deanna was upset about something. It boggled her mind how she did that. “Not really.”
“Is it Jonas?” she gently prodded.
Nothing like a mom’s soft voice to make you feel better almost instantly. “Yeah. I’ll tell you about it when I see you.”
“Okay, but be careful driving,” she cautioned.
“I will,” Deanna promised as she strode toward the door. “You too.”
“Love you, sweetie.”
“I love you. See you in a bit.”
Deanna ended the call and went out the door, locking it behind her. As she got in her car and started the engine, she took a moment to pull herself together. The only thing going through Deanna’s mind was the tone of Jonas’s voice. He’d been so quick to decide Valdez was a bad person and therefore she should drop him as a client. After everything they’d shared and all the little pieces of herself she’d freely given him, he thought to come into her life and start giving her orders?
Somehow, someway he needed to get it through his thick skull that she wouldn’t allow him to tell her what to do. A man leading her around? Uh-uh, not in this lifetime.
Deanna thought about how attentive and loving Jonas had been in Miami. So intent on making the weekend perfect for them. She wanted to go back there. To forget the last few hours had ever occurred. If only time would stand still, she thought wistfully.
Pulling into a parking spot near the front of Java Rush, Deanna killed the engine. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed toward the entrance to the little café. She and her mom had spent hundreds of hours mulling over life’s many problems inside the small, cozy restaurant. Now, like so many times before, her mother was the one person she could count on for sound advice.
Deanna spotted her mom, sitting with her hands wrapped around a mug at a booth near the back. When Deanna started in her direction, Billy, one of the waiters, caught her attention.
“Hey, Deanna. How’s it going?”
“Good,” she lied. “How’s school? Did you ace that test you were so worried about the last time I was here?” Billy was gorgeous, had beautiful dark hair that women drooled over, was flirtatious as all heck, and way too young for her, considering he was only in his sophomore year of college.
“Calculus, and no.” He blushed, which Deanna thought was adorable. “I suck.”
She tsked. “You don’t suck, but did you at least pass?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. They’re not kicking me out yet.”
She laughed. “It’ll be over before you know it; then you’ll have that fancy degree to brag about.” She winked. “Hang in there.”
“I will. By the way, have you thought any more about going out with me?” He grinned from ear to ear.
Deanna shook her head. “I’m not the woman for you, Billy. Besides, I’m too old for you.” She wasn’t exactly sure how old he was, but he was at least seven or eight years her junior. Not to mention the fact that Deanna had already handed her heart to Jonas—the idiot just didn’t know it yet.
“You’re not that old. Smokin’ hot? Yes. Old? No way.”
“How about a latte instead?”
“Fine, but I’m not giving up on you.”
She laughed. “Thanks, Billy.”
Just then, her mom glanced up from the table and waved her over. Deanna closed the distance, then leaned down for a quick hug. “Black coffee again, huh?” Deanna shook her head. “You know, they have a great variety of drinks here. You should mix it up a little every once in a while, Mom.”
“And I’ll bet Billy’s getting you a latte even as we speak, right?”
Deanna grinned as she shimmied out of her coat and tossed it onto the seat before sitting down. “Like mother like daughter, I guess.”
“Okay, what happened? Was the weekend horrible?”
That was Audrey Harrison, always direct. She didn’t dance around a problem. “It was wonderful,” Deanna answered, wishing she were back there all over again. “We went to the beach, and he took me shopping. We ate really terrific Mexican food.” She felt her cheeks heat when she leaned close and whispered, “And spent the rest of the time inside the house.”
She smiled and patted her hand. “Sounds like a fun time. So, when did the happy bubble burst?”
“Today.” Deanna was about to tell her what had happened when Billy showed up with her latte. He put her drink on a napkin in front of her, threw her a wink, then sauntered off. Deanna picked up the mug, took a sip, and proceeded to moan. Sheer perfection. Billy had outdone himself this time. She made a mental note to give him a big tip.
“Everything was going really well,” Deanna continued. “He and Dean even had a civil conversation this morning. Dean seems to be accepting the fact that Jonas and I are dating, which is nothing short of a miracle, considering how protective Dean can be about the guys I date.”
“Yeah, he can be a real bear. He blasted me for letting you go to Miami.” Her mother scowled and shook her head. “As if you were a teenager or something. That boy can sure try my patience sometimes.”
“Mine too. Anyway, I fixed omelets and all was wonderful in the world. Then I brought up my newest client.”
“The one you’re doing the Asian design for?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Jonas thinks he’s a drug dealer. He wants me to drop him as a clie
nt. Actually, he all but demanded it.” Thinking about it had Deanna getting angry all over again.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Oh, my, a drug dealer? Is he positive?”
Deanna threw her hands up in the air. “That’s just it—no, he’s not sure. It’s all conjecture. I told him that if he had proof that Valdez is the guy Jonas says he is, then I’d tell the man to find a new designer. I’m not going to work for criminals.”
“That seems like a reasonable compromise. So, what’s the problem?”
“It’s annoying that he’d even think to tell me how to run my business. I don’t want, nor do I need, another father figure in my life. Dean and Wade are enough.”
“Maybe he was simply concerned?” she ventured before taking a sip of her coffee. “It sounds to me like he wants you safe. I don’t think he meant to undermine your opinion, dear.”
Deanna slumped in her seat, no longer interested in her latte. “I understand his worry. If the situation were reversed, I’d be worried too. But I don’t want to be with a guy who tells me what to do all the time. I want someone who will work through a problem with me. Someone who will see me as a levelheaded, intelligent adult.” She pointed to her mom. “I want a relationship like you and Dad had.”
Her mom’s eyebrows shot up. “Like your father and I?”
“Yes. You and Dad always talked things out. He didn’t just point his finger and expect you to sit quietly and listen.”
Her mom laughed. “Are you kidding me, Deanna?”
Deanna frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“Listen, I loved your father with all my heart and he loved me. But it wasn’t all roses. We had our share of problems. One of them was pretty much exactly what you’re dealing with right now.”
“How so?”
She sighed. “Back when your father and I first got married, he was very ... autocratic. It was his way or the highway. Well, as you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with me.”
Deanna snorted. “Uh, no.”
“We had our arguments. No, that’s not true. They were fights. Downright ugly sometimes too.”
