Harlequin E Contemporary Romance Box Set Volume 2: Maid to CraveAll I HaveThe Last First DateLight My Fire

by Rebecca M. Avery

  Maybe he should pick one of the phone numbers from the box under his bed. The good looking chicks who slid their numbers into his G-string were as far from nerdy as possible. He could call one of them and forget about Tori Stewart being in the same house as Caleb and possibly interested in his brother, but not him. Seth was even more aggravated at himself by the time the shower was over because he knew another woman wasn’t going to fix his issues.

  Stepping out of the bathroom, he could hear his cell phone going off. Pushing the button, he answered without looking at the number. “Yeah?”

  “Seth.”

  The sound of his name coming from the very woman, who not even ten minutes earlier had been in his mind assisting him in gaining sexual release, had him closing his eyes. Focus. She was probably calling because Caleb needed something.

  “Yeah. Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yep. Everything is great! Caleb is sleeping like a baby. I, uh, I wanted to call and say thank you for taking Zach to the gym with you today. It meant a lot to him…and to me. He’s asleep, too, said he was tired from growing his muscles.” She laughed.

  God help him, he grinned, too.

  “You’re welcome. The boys and I had a good time, but I still have his seat in my car. I forgot to give it back, but I’ll be over first thing in the morning to check on Caleb anyway so I’ll bring it with me,” he replied. She was being nice to him, actually talking to him. He felt his heart hammering in his chest and his breathing was coming in short bursts.

  “That’s fine. No big deal,” she replied.

  He just had to know if she was interested in Caleb, he craved an answer like a drink of water after working out. The reasons didn’t matter. He needed to know, had to find out right now or he would never sleep tonight.

  “I should thank you for taking care of Caleb for me, he’s a good guy, but can be awful demanding sometimes,” he prompted. “I should be able to find somewhere else to stash him tomorrow and get him out of your hair.”

  “Really, I don’t mind. I like to help people,” she replied. “Besides, you’ve helped me out with Zach this week. A couple of times, in fact. It’s the least I can do, especially since Caleb is a little easier to entertain than Zach is.”

  Damn, damn…damn. “I have to go out of town tomorrow night so I won’t be around to help him. I figure maybe Ian or Rusty can help with him and hopefully by Saturday the elevator will be fixed. I really didn’t think they would release him so soon or I would have been better prepared.”

  “There is no reason to move him from place to place. He’s fine here, I don’t mind helping him…really, I don’t,” she insisted.

  Well, at least he had his answer.

  Never again would he say something so mean, especially not about someone he didn’t even know that well. If he hadn’t said something so stupid about her, it might be him she wanted to take care of rather than Caleb. Seth made another attempt to convince himself that he was only jealous that she’d chosen his brother over him because he wanted what he couldn’t have.

  “Okay, if you’re sure. Don’t be afraid to tell me if he is imposing,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Goodnight, Seth,” she said quietly.

  He lay awake until sometime after one in the morning, or at least that was the number the red glow of his alarm clock indicated the last time he’d looked at it before finally falling asleep. When it went off the following morning, it felt like he’d just dozed off. A nap would be a must if he planned to have enough energy to drive to Columbus this evening, perform, and then drive back so he would be in town for Caleb.

  He’d just managed to pull on some shorts and a T-shirt and brush his teeth when he heard Ian in the living room asking if he was ready to hit the gym. Since he performed tonight, Seth would lift weights this morning and the cardio would come later in the form of dancing. He needed to be on his game tonight. If he made decent tips he might be able to pay off one of Caleb’s many bills completely.

  So far he had paid the anesthesiologist’s bill and most of the surgeon’s bill. Soon he could focus on the actual hospital bill and the bills from physical therapy and Caleb’s stay at the rehab center. Seth was getting there, slowly but surely, but it was taking every dime he had and every dime he could make dancing. Sometimes it seemed as if for every payment he made, three more bills came. It was overwhelming. If not for working for Tori, he and Caleb would most likely be living in Seth’s car, existing on bread and water, or moving back home with their mother.

  “Where’s Caleb?” Ian asked, sticking his head in Seth’s bedroom. “Your voicemail said he was released yesterday, but I saw the sign on the elevator.”

  “He’s at Tori Stewart’s house,” Seth replied. “How’d the fight go?”

  “It was probably the equivalent of fighting your mama.” Ian sighed. “The promoter told me if I ended it that quickly next time, I wouldn’t be invited back. How was I to know that the other fighter was really a little pussy? The toughest thing on him was his mouth, which I shut up in less than five minutes. It was bad.”

  If Ian’s size didn’t give a person cause for hesitation, he had speed, agility and muscles as backup. He was so laid back and jovial, though, that he didn’t realize his own strength until he was in the middle of a fight and determination kicked in. Seth’s other friend and fellow brother in arms, Ronnie, was also big at around six feet four inches, but Ian was even taller and outweighed Ronnie by about forty pounds.

  The drive to the gym found Seth once again lost in thought until Ian said, “You okay? I’m sorry Caleb ended up at Tori’s house. He can crash at Rusty’s until they get the elevator working at the apartment. I can figure out something else or stay at the apartment until he’s ready to switch back.”

  “Yeah, I’m good. Tori said it was fine for Caleb to stay at her house for a day or two, but it just seems weird for my boss to be taking care of my injured brother,” he said.

  “Maybe Caleb will tap that ass and she’ll be a little nicer to you. Rusty told me she overheard your comments at the wedding. That probably makes for an awkward work environment,” Ian said with a smirk.

  Caleb better not tap anything. As awkward as it was to work for someone who could barely stand to be around him, working for someone he wanted but couldn’t have would be even worse. Ian continually shot Seth concerned glances while they lifted weights. Even the strenuous activity followed by cutting it short so he could shower and make it to Tori’s house by seven-thirty wasn’t enough to get his mind off of her.

  As he entered Tori’s house, he could feel tension in the air. Zach sat at the kitchen bar eating cereal while Tori, appearing disheveled, paced and looked at the clock as though willing Zach to eat faster. She merely smiled at Seth so he headed into the living room to help Caleb.

  “You look worse than me,” Caleb said after taking in his appearance.

  He helped Caleb up off the couch and down the hall to the bathroom. This situation wasn’t Caleb’s fault. It was Seth’s fault. Caleb wasn’t the one who had offended Tori, effectively killing any chances of getting with her. Seth and Seth alone had committed that crime. Now he would be paying the penalty by watching his brother getting the attention from Tori that Seth wanted for himself.

  “She’s nice, Seth. Smart, funny… She’s girlfriend material. Maybe you should just skip this one since we both know you’re not anywhere close to relationship oriented,” Caleb said before closing the bathroom door.

  Seth stayed right outside the bathroom door listening to see if Caleb needed help and praying that he didn’t. More than anything else, Seth wanted to be able to focus on his performance this evening rather than thinking about Tori and Caleb getting to know each other. From what Caleb was saying, it sounded as though his brother might be just as interested in Tori as she was in him. Damn!

  “I am leaving to take Zach to school now,” Tori said quietly from behind him.

  He turned in her direction not realizing jus
t how close she stood. Her lips were full and pink. How had he missed that? They looked kissable, and he imagined they would feel incredible any place she chose to use them on his body.

  Ducking slightly so she could catch his gaze, she said again, “I’m taking Zach to school. I’ll be back.”

  “Yeah, okay,” he finally managed to reply.

  After she left and Caleb finished eating the breakfast, Seth had picked up for him from a drive thru, Seth decided to once again cut the grass. Then he would see if any boxes were still left to be unpacked, aside from Tori’s stuff. That would take his mind off of her and Caleb both.

  By the time he finished with the yard, he needed another shower. Walking back inside the house, he was surprised by the sound of Tori’s giggles coming from the living room. Rolling his eyes, he could not stop his legs from carrying him toward the sound. From the doorway, he took in the sight of Caleb smiling at her and her trying to contain a laugh behind one tiny hand.

  “No, seriously, he is the man when it comes to home décor.” Caleb laughed. Then, eyeing Seth standing in the doorway, Caleb said, “Tori here could use a little help in the decorating department, Seth. She is quite impressed with your crafting and homemaking skills, so proudly showcased in Zach’s room, and she wondered if maybe you had some interior decorating tips for her.”

  It took Seth several seconds to force hot, angry jealousy back down his throat. He didn’t get jealous; he just found someone else. Tori’s expression changed as she sat looking at him. Her smile eventually disappeared completely and something hot and tense presented itself in her eyes, which did little to eliminate Seth’s craving for her. Was that interest reflected in her eyes for him…or for Caleb?

  If the idea that Tori was interested in Caleb wasn’t bad enough, Caleb blabbing his big mouth about Seth’s unique decorating talents made him even angrier. He could easily picture how a room, or even a whole house, would look with different paint, different furniture or different decorations. He could even imagine the effect of taking down a wall here or there. The guys teased him about his design talent almost as much as they did about him being a dancer.

  Their jokes normally didn’t annoy him, but for some reason Caleb mentioning it to Tori bothered the hell out of him. He might have said something to Caleb if not for the way Tori was now blessing him with her undivided attention.

  “Why don’t you get your pictures and whatever other decorations you have and lay them out on the dining room table? I need to rinse off in your shower real quick, but then I will take a look at what you have,” he finally offered.

  “That’s just it. I don’t really have…anything,” she finished so quietly he almost missed it. “I’m more logical than creative.”

  Staring at her caused her to look away and blush furiously. She could stare him down and not even notice he was a man, but bringing up the concept that she had no creativity or decorating sense brought on a blush worthy of a virgin. What the hell?

  “Um, let me shower and we’ll hit up a couple of stores to try and get an idea of your tastes, your style.” He watched her cheeks go from slightly pink to nearly flame red.

  She nodded her head in agreement. As he turned to walk down the hall toward the bathroom, she finally said, “My sister is coming at the end of next week for a visit and I want everything to be…perfect.”

  Turning back, he smiled at her before heading to the bathroom. Upon closing the door behind him, it dawned on him. Women tended to feel the need to compete with other women. In Tori’s case, she needed to compete with her sister, at least as far as her ability to decorate her new home was concerned. She might not be interested in him sexually, but she wasn’t above asking for his help with those things she did want from him. Maybe if he helped her with decorating her new house she’d forgive him for his transgressions.

  Finally he had a little something to offer her that she was actually interested in…friendship.

  Chapter Five

  “I can’t do this, Caleb. What’s the point? I don’t even want payback anymore,” Tori said as soon as she heard the shower turn on.

  “You look hot in those clothes! Flaunt what the good Lord gave you.” Caleb laughed.

  The clothes had definitely gotten Seth’s attention yesterday. Caleb had been right about that. But to continue to seek his attention would be like admitting that his face had haunted her sleep for a week now. The man dripped sexy like he’d been caught in a rain shower of it. What was the point? She didn’t want sexy, she wanted safe, reliable…She wanted someone like Tim, boring or not.

  She kind of liked the way Seth had looked at her last night, though, as if he had some of the same fantasies about her that she had about him. Glancing again at Caleb, she could see his face was full of mischief and hope. He was enjoying her predicament for reasons she did not know and probably didn’t want to.

  “Fine,” she said with a sigh.

  She made it up the stairs to her room and decided to go with the outfit that had been the runner up for last night, according to Caleb. She dressed quickly. As much as she hated the fullness of her hair and how messy it looked, she had to concede that point to Caleb, as well. The fullness was better than the braid, especially with the outfit she now wore. She applied some eyeliner and a little mascara and then headed back downstairs. She walked into the living room and sat down next to Caleb just as Seth exited the bathroom.

  “I wish you could come with us,” she said to Caleb.

  “I think I will take a nap, rest up for this afternoon’s physical therapy session,” Caleb replied.

  Glancing to where Seth stood in the doorway, she nearly got lost in the look of longing in his eyes. Surely she was mistaking the look for something else. He had made it clear at the wedding reception that she was unattractive to him. Why was he attracted to her now? Was it really just the change in her appearance?

  They spent the next couple of hours in one of the trendy new stores at a mall not far from where she lived. She was so nervous. She had no idea what kind of decorations would go with her furniture. Even the salesman sensed she was way out of her element. As the man approached her upon their initial entrance to the store, he frowned but introduced himself and handed her his business card all the same.

  She could barely contain a laugh behind her hand when, in an obviously fake French accent, Seth turned to her and said, “This will just have to do, darling. We are in Ohio, not Paris. So you buy from the locals. It’s rustic, authentic. It will give the place…character. I am the designer here. You must trust me in this.”

  The salesman gave Seth a disgruntled look, obviously offended that the quality merchandise of his store had been deemed rustic. Maintaining eye contact with the man, Seth grabbed her hand in his own and marched by the salesman, continuing to stare at him until they passed. When they were finally out of earshot, she released the giggle that was causing her eyes to water.

  Seth began laughing too until she said, “Stop. He’ll hear you.”

  They watched as the salesman headed off to another area of the store to lurk and wait for them to leave, ask a question…or actually buy something. Once the salesman was gone, she relaxed and tried to pay attention to the suggestions Seth gave her for different rooms. It wasn’t until she’d actually picked out several items for the living room, dining room, her bedroom and the spare bedroom that she noticed Seth was still holding her hand, dragging her from one section of the store to another. She was having a blast.

  She had always thought of guys who were artsy as less than masculine, but that did not apply where Seth was concerned. He was innovative in a way that was completely foreign to her. Several times, he described her home in such a way that she wondered if she had actually looked at the place before purchasing it. The creativity he possessed only added to his sex appeal. So much so that it was sometimes hard for her to look at anything but him.

  Tori hadn’t really known him very well before today, but by lunch she was shocked to find that rather tha
n stuck up, conceited and stupid like she thought he would be, he was warm, very funny and harbored an ingenuity that even her sister would be jealous of. Garnering his fake accent, he approached the salesman as she stood staring at a couple of framed pictures.

  Once the salesman realized how many items she was purchasing, his whole attitude changed. Soon enough she had paid for the purchases and a delivery time was set for Monday. As they left the store, Seth assured her that he would be at the house for the delivery so she could work and promised to help her find furniture for the guest bedroom on Sunday. Then he again took her hand and dragged her to a restaurant within the mall for some lunch.

  Before she knew it, they were rushing to get back so Seth could get Caleb to his physical therapy appointment and she could get Zach from school. As she watched him back his car out of her driveway and take off down the street with Caleb, she realized he’d single-handedly made a task she usually hated into something fun. It had been like hanging out with a friend and she couldn’t wipe the silly grin off her face at his spontaneous antics. She would never have imagined that a guy could be a better shopping buddy than any woman she knew.

  She headed to the school to pick up Zach, and when she entered the classroom, she was surprised to see him seated at a different table—one next to Cody Manson. He was smiling…enjoying school. She felt tears of relief prick her eyes. Zach had finally made a friend.

  Seth had done what she’d been trying to coax, pray and force since moving into the new house. He’d helped Zach make friends and adjust to school. It took twice as long for him to get his things and be ready to leave, but it was worth the wait to see his smile as child after child said goodbye to him.

  As Zach climbed into his seat in the back of the car and buckled himself in, he waved at a couple of other kids and said, “I don’t want it to be the weekend. I want tomorrow to be a school day, too.”

  Upon returning home, she made a snack for Zach and settled him in with a coloring book, crayons and cartoons before she headed back into her office to get some work done. She’d spent most of the day shopping and she needed to get her hours in and finish a few things that Tim wanted by Monday. The next time she looked up, it was past dinnertime. She quickly saved her work, logged off and headed out to find Zach.