by BJ Harvey
***
Millen plays designated driver for the two of us and drops me at Bruno’s apartment building at my request, a knowing smirk playing on his lips when Bruno meets us outside.
“Good luck with that,” Millen says to him as I stumble out of the car with a curse and a giggle, Kenzie soon joining me in my amusement.
Bruno hooks an arm around my hips and looks over my shoulder toward Millen who is now leaning against the hood. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full yourself.”
Millen’s smile is huge and his eyes are bright. God, I love that for Kenzie. There was a time when we didn’t think she’d get her happy ending with Millen but seeing him wear his heart on his sleeve—or his face—makes me all warm and gooey.
I can’t stop myself from melting into Bruno’s side. He’s so warm and very nice to lean into. I must catch him off-guard when I shift all of my weight against him because he widens his stance and tightens his grip on me.
“Right, I’m going to get this one upstairs. But good to see you, and we’ll catch up soon, yeah?” he says, reaching out and shaking Millen’s hand. Boys are so weird.
“Have a good night,” Millen says, stepping forward and kissing the side of my head before walking back to his car and hopping in.
“Weird,” I mumble, snaking my hand under Bruno’s tee and rubbing my fingers against his firm—but thankfully not sculpted—abs. I’ve never been a fan of the washboard look. I like men who look after themselves but not like that. Personal preference and all that.
“What’s weird?” he asks, leading me up the stairs to his building.
“You and Millen. You’re fine with him kissing my head but not me flirting with guys at the bar.”
Bruno opens the building door with one arm and ushers me in with the other. As soon as we’re inside, he pulls me back into his side and chuckles.
I tilt my head and stumble in the process, but still don’t look away. “It’s not funny.”
“It is because first, you’re adorable when you’re drunk, and I’d forgotten all about that.”
“Hmmph,” I say, trying to wriggle out of his grip which is an impossible feat. Instead, he sticks his key in his door and tugs me inside, closing it behind us and pressing me against the wood with his hips. “That’s because you’re not a man, and you don’t know how we think.”
I square my shoulders back and frown up at him. “I kind of am.”
His head drops back as he bursts out laughing. Bruno is hot normally, but him laughing? He’s fucking smoking. He rolls his hips against mine earning a deep guttural moan.
“Last time I checked you were definitely not a man, but I’m willing to get down on my knees right here, right now to make absolutely sure.”
Oh damn. I lift one finger and press it to his smirking lips. “Hold that thought because I’m very much liking that suggestion, but I meant I kinda do know how men think.”
“Why don’t I just tell you how I think?”
“Then you can get to the knee-dropping and man-checking,” I say with a nod and a goofy grin.
“Yes, because I’ve been sitting here for hours wanting your taste on my tongue.” My knees buckle at that, and I’m glad his body is holding mine up right now.
He leans in and kisses my lips before dragging his lips along my jaw to my ear. “The men at the bar wanted what was mine. That pissed me off. Millen has Kenzie; he doesn’t want anyone but her. That’s how you tell the real men from the boys.”
I turn my head until my lips meet his again. “What else does a real man do?” I whisper.
He frames my hips with his hands and drops to his knees. “Let me show you.”
Chapter 12
We’ve had a month of relationship bliss. Kenzie and Millen have wasted no time moving on with their life together with their first big joint purchase—buying the bar we work at.
Now, it’s time for a big step for me—introducing Bruno to my family. The only other guy they’ve met before was the man I was supposed to marry.
“You’re near on vibrating, Gabs. Why are you so nervous?” Bruno asks from the driver’s seat.
I turn my head and narrow my eyes. “I’m not vibrating.”
He reaches over the center console and gently squeezes my leg. “Babe, you’ve got nothing to be nervous about. They’ll either like me or they won’t. I’m not going to be anyone other than me. What you see is what you get.”
Spinning his hand around, I tangle my fingers with his, soaking in his warmth which I’ve discovered is really calming. In fact, whenever he’s around I’m relaxed. My near-on-neurotic mannerisms probably drive him crazy, but not once has he ever shown me an inkling of annoyance or irritation. It almost seems too good to be true with Bruno. He’s a hot guy, has a sexy protective streak, delivers out-of-this-world sex, and is as honest as the day is long. What more could a girl ask for?
“I really want them to like you,” I whisper. Because I do. I may not be a happily-ever-after girl but that doesn’t mean I’m not opening up to the possibility of being with Bruno for the foreseeable future.
We pull up outside my parents’ house, Bruno spinning in his seat to face me as he shuts off the engine. I meet his soft gaze and my mind clears, all the thoughts crashing around my head disappearing.
With his eyes locked to mine, he lifts my hand to his mouth and gently kisses my knuckles, making my stomach whoosh in a warm gooey way. What is this man doing to me?
“It’s gonna be fine.”
I sigh like a swooning teenager and melt into the seat. “Okay.”
“I don’t want this to go bad and neither do you, and your family would only ever want to see you happy, something I’ll forever bust my ass off to do.”
What’s with this forever talk, and why does it not freak me out as much as it should?
Before I can process that thought any further, he continues, “They only want the best for you.” He leans over and releases my safety belt, tugging on my arm to pull me closer.
His hand curls around my neck and his warmth seeps into my skin. I’m done for the second he presses his lips to mine, his tongue giving a brief touch before he eases back and gifts me with that sexy grin of his, probably the most potent weapon in his arsenal. That and his silent alpha side.
He lets me go and gets out of the car, rounding the hood and opening my door to help me out. Then, with my hand in his, he leads me into my childhood home.
I’m near on hyperventilating by the time the front door opens and we’re met by my big brother who I had no idea was in town. I shriek, letting go of Bruno’s hand and jumping into Hamish’s open arms.
“Mish,” I sigh, resting my head on his shoulder and squeezing him tight. I squeak as he releases me and I realize that I’m not only introducing Bruno to my parents now, but also Hamish, who knows better than anyone—other than Kenzie—what happened in my past.
“Hey, short stuff. Surprised?” Hamish asks.
I step back far enough to land a soft whack on his shoulder. “Yes! You should’ve told me you were coming.”
He grins and shakes his head. “And miss the look of panic on your face when you realized I get to meet your new man? Never.”
Bruno wraps an arm around my waist and chuckles behind me, reaching out his hand to Hamish. “Bruno Duncan, nice to meet you.”
“Hamish Black-Wallace.”
I swear my eyes must be as wide as saucers as I watch this exchange.
Once they shake hands, Hamish returns his attention to me, a foreboding mischievous twinkle shining my way. “He’s got a good grip, Gabs.”
I roll my eyes but can’t stop myself from giggling. “You’re terrible.”
“And you’re trouble,” Hamish replies with a laugh.
“And they’re both the reason I was grey by forty,” my dad announces, stepping up behind my brother.
“Let the poor man in the house,” Mom says, pushing her way in front of the tw
o of them. She moves forward and kisses my cheek before beaming up at the man beside me.
I take a deep breath and put my arm around Bruno’s waist. “Mom, Dad, this is Bruno. Bruno, this is Lila and John.”
Dad steps forward and shakes hands with the man at my side, then makes way for Mom.
“Bruno, please excuse my husband and son. They’re somewhat out of practice when it comes to hospitality and having Gaby bring a man home,” Mom explains, stepping forward and pulling Bruno out of my hold for a hug.
“Now that that’s out of the way,” I mutter, much to my family and Bruno’s amusement. Deciding to take control of the situation before my family embarrass me—albeit lovingly—any further, I grab Bruno’s hand and lead him through the door. I’m not surprised when I see baseball on the television, but not wanting to lose momentum, I continue on into the kitchen, making a beeline for the refrigerator.
Bruno lets go of my hand. It’s only when I look over the top of the door at him that I see his warm—amused—expression. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“What’s the right answer here?” he replies, his grin widening.
Mom, Dad, and Hamish soon join us, and I narrow my eyes at the lot of them. “You’re all enjoying this.”
Dad puts his hands up, seemingly stating his innocence. “I’m just being a good host and meeting our guest at the door. But since you’re playing bartender, I’ll take a beer. How about you, son?” he says, looking over at Bruno. Son? What is this? An attempt to railroad me into early insanity?
Thankfully, my brother steps in to save the day. “We’ve got Bud, Coors, and Corona.”
“I’d love a Corona, thanks,” Bruno replies. His focus never wavers from me, his eyes roaming my face as if to read my anxiety levels, which feels like they’re about to go through the roof.
“Why don’t you take Bruno outside, Gaby, and I’ll bring the drinks out? You want a Corona too?” Hamish asks me and right then, I love my brother more than ever.
I nod and mouth “thank you” to him before Bruno’s fingers slide between mine and with a gentle squeeze, I lead him toward the back door and out onto the back patio.
“Relax, baby. It’s all good.”
I take a deep breath and try to put all the random thoughts of my past and present experiences with men and my family out of my head. He’s not Luke. I keep saying it and I know it to be true, but it’s definitely not something that’s easy to move on from when your present keeps reminding you of your past.
Bruno leads me to the big wooden table and pulls out a chair for me, taking the seat next to mine once I’m settled, not once letting go of my hand. He’s been showing more and more of these public displays of affection ever since Kenzie found out about us. It’s not like we’re all over each other at work, but it was definitely surprising—and not unappreciated. It’s just how demonstrative the man truly is. The fact that he doesn’t shy away from it when my family joins us outside makes my heart swell too.
I’m thankful that my family waits until after we’ve finished eating before launching their attack.
“So, Bruno, Gaby says you work at the bar?” Dad asks, setting aside his now empty dinner plate.
Bruno nods, finishing his last mouthful. “I do. I work the door six nights a week.”
Dad shoots me a knowing grin. “So you get to see our girl a lot?”
Bruno laughs. “It makes it a good place to work, that’s for sure,” he replies, turning to smile at me. “And we don’t see too much trouble there, which makes my job easier.”
“Have you always worked security?” Hamish asks, joining the un-stealth-like inquisition. All we need is Mom to pipe up and they’ll have a complete team.
“In a way,” Bruno says, lifting his beer to his mouth and taking a languid sip. “I kind of fell into it after college, and it stuck.”
“And where was college?” Hamish continues.
“Indiana.”
That I didn’t know.
“Is that where you’re from?” Mom asks, tagging herself into the conversation.
“It’s where I ended up. I grew up in San Francisco. Family moved to Indianapolis when I was twelve.”
I did know that. I remember him telling Millen months ago when we had drinks on the roof at work, but not the Indiana part. Shouldn’t I know that?
“Ah, a north Cali man. Nice. Is your family still in the area?”
Bruno’s smile falters and his hand loosens in mine. “Don’t have any family now,” he replies gruffly, and my heart clenches. Silence falls around the table, none of us seemingly knowing what to say
Thankfully, Hamish steps in and moves us on. “So you found yourself in Davis after leaving Indiana?”
“Yes. A fateful happenstance,” he replies, looking over at me with warm eyes. There’s that gooey feeling again. “But I’ve worked in bars all over the mid-west.” He turns his attention to my brother. “Gaby tells me you’re in Colorado now?”
“Yeah. I live in Aspen with my husband, James, but miss the California sun too much to stay away for too long.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Dad says, raising his glass. “It’s nice having my family all under the same roof once in a while.”
“Bet you’re glad when we’re gone though,” Hamish replies with a laugh.
“Considering you’re a Rockies supporter and I’d bleed for Oakland, at least when you go home I know the family is rooting for the best team,” Dad retorts with a smirk.
“Well you almost ended up with a Giant in the family,” Hamish says, and my throat clenches, making it hard to breath. My fingers clench Bruno’s hand subconsciously before I can stop myself. I stare wide-eyed at Mom across the table. Her mouth is agape the same as mine. I slide my eyes to Hamish who blanches but—thankfully—recovers quickly. “Anyway, old man, you know I’d be kicked out of home by my husband if I didn’t bleed black and purple.”
“That is true,” Dad says with a laugh. “Well, there’s no accounting for taste, is there?”
Hamish mouths “sorry” to me and I nod.
“What about you, Bruno? Do you watch baseball?” Hamish says, and I know he’s trying to cover up his slip of the tongue. I watch Bruno out of the corner of my eye as he leans back and drapes his arm along the back of my chair, not seeing any inkling that he is concerned or uncomfortable. Maybe he didn’t catch on?
“More of a football guy myself,” Bruno replies, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I should’ve known, given the size of you. Did you play in college?” Dad asks.
“Stopped after high school,” Bruno replies, his fingers dancing across my bare shoulder, giving me goosebumps. My heart rate slows as I focus on calming my breath. Somehow I don’t think trying to explain all that is my past almost-marriage to the next biggest star in baseball would go down too well during the first meeting with my parents. Bruno may be an easygoing guy, but I’m coming to learn he’s a private one too. I know I’ll have to tell him eventually, but I’m happy to not rock the boat any time soon.
Thankfully, the conversation moves away from sports and ventures onto safer topics. It flows easily, as if Bruno is just another member of the Wallace clan. He’s at ease, and I can tell that my family likes what they see. It’s Bruno being Bruno—of course they’d like him because that’s the man who’s wormed his way into my heart.
Despite the seamless meeting though, I can’t stop thinking about Bruno losing his family and the guilt I feel for not knowing about it.
I remember the conversation we had when I gave in to him. He said he’d give me whatever he had in him to share. We’ve spent a lot of time together since then and he has never gotten around to the sharing part. Instead, he spends his time and focus on me. It’s nice to have a man as attentive and caring as he is, but now a big part of me is wondering what he isn’t telling me, or more so, why he hasn’t shared very much of anything with me.
Is it because he
can sense I’m holding parts of myself back from him, so he’s not putting all of himself out there? Is it self-preservation? Is it that there are parts of his past—like losing his family—that he doesn’t want to relive?
I make a note to make time later to gently raise the subject again but there’s another part of me—a rather large part—that feels like I don’t need to know. If he wants to share his past, he’ll do so.
Putting that aside, since we got together, I haven’t had any doubts about the man, and since I was raised to respect everyone until they give me a reason not to, I’ll continue to trust what he’s giving me and I’ll work on giving him all of me back in return.
The more time I spend with Bruno, the more I’m reminded of the good parts of being in a relationship.
My outlook on the future and my pledge to never pin all of my hopes on another man may not have changed, but it’s becoming harder and harder to protect myself from falling for Bruno.
I may regret it, I may not, but I’m willing to take this chance with him, ride it out and see where the wave takes me.
Chapter 13
“So Bruno . . .” Hamish says, standing at the kitchen sink.
“Yes . . .” I knew when Mom announced that the rule of ‘parents cook, kids clean up’ still applied that I was going to be grilled by my brother. As I stood and collected the dishes to take inside, my eyes swung to Bruno, silently checking that he was okay with being left there undefended against my parents. Of course he just grinned and shook his head at me and left me to it. Looking out the window and seeing Mom, Dad, and my boyfriend laughing at God knows what, it looks like he’s holding his own
“He’s a man of few words . . .” Hamish continues.
“I think between you, Mom, and Dad, he had to be,” I say.
He scoffs at that. “Oh come on. We weren’t that bad.”
I smile. “No, you could’ve been much worse.”
“Exactly. I like him though.”
“I do too.”
“He does seem to answer our questions in short sentences.”
“What does that mean?”
