“Darcy, there never was nor will there ever be anything romantic between Ben and me. I love your brother. He’s it for me. Ben is someone I interviewed who became a good friend. That’s it.”
“I know that now, but…” She shrugged. “You can’t blame me for feeling insecure. I mean, look at you.”
“Me?” Savannah exclaimed. “What about me?”
“You’re beautiful. And confident and…and what guy wouldn’t want you?”
“The list is endless,” she deadpanned. “But that’s not the point. The point is that Ben is into you. And believe me, I’m going to have some words with him too for not calling and telling me what was going on. Seriously, the two of you ruined my week.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Not good enough,” Savannah replied lightly. “There will be some major babysitting duty in the future for you. Like during-the-terrible-twos-when-Aislynn’s-hopped-up-on-sugar babysitting. And you’re going to have to talk to Riley. He’s pacing behind me right now, waiting his turn.”
“Oh, come on. I said I was sorry!”
“Right. Because that’s enough to make one of your brothers be quiet. You know better than that.”
“Any chance he could wait until tomorrow?”
“Any chance you could sprout some wings and fly to the moon?”
“Point taken,” Darcy said with a sigh. “Fine. Put him on the phone.”
They said their goodbyes, and then she heard Savannah whispering to Riley to behave.
This was not going to go well.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t be on a plane right now to kick Ben’s ass,” Riley said as he got on the phone.
“Because you’re not that guy,” Darcy responded dryly. “Be real. You’re not someone who goes around kicking people’s asses. You wouldn’t risk messing up your face. Or your hands. And you’re not the violent type, so cut that out.”
He let out a low growl of frustration.
“What the hell, Darcy? I’ve got everyone calling me, telling me how irresponsible I am, and for what? Because you went and screwed around with Ben? And really? Ben? Of all the guys in the world, why him?”
“What’s wrong with Ben?”
“He’s a nice enough guy, but he’s a friend. I don’t want to think about you doing, you know, with anyone! I especially don’t want to think about you doing that with someone we know. And now whenever I see Ben, that’s what I’m going to be thinking, and I’m going to want to kick his ass!”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to, so let that go,” she teased. “Look, I’m sorry everyone ganged up on you. I had no idea that was going to happen, and for what it’s worth, I did defend you. But you know how they are. They were looking for someone to blame because they all think I’m a kid.” She paused. “I’m not, you know. I’m an adult. I’m a grown woman. I date and—like it or not—I have sex.”
“Oh God,” he said with a groan. “Just stop.”
“No! This is why we’re in this predicament! None of you want to accept the fact that I’ve grown up. You all scared away the guys I liked while I was in high school, and even some while I was in college. I stopped bringing guys home because of it. Hell, even Owen tried to scare away the guy I was with in Vegas.”
Riley chuckled. “And I’m still sorry I missed that. I would have loved to see Owen standing up to someone like that.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good for him,” Darcy said sarcastically. “But the fact is, there was going to come a time when you were all going to have to stop with the intimidation and the freaking out. Eventually, I was going to fall in love and want to get married. Have kids. You can’t keep me locked away and treat me like I’m a child forever.”
He sighed. “Look, I get that. I even agree with you. And while it freaks me out to think about you and Ben,” he said with a hint of disgust, “what I’m pissed about is how everyone is blaming me for this.”
“Just because you’re open-minded doesn’t mean the rest of them are. It was a ridiculous scene, and believe me, if I could have convinced them to calm down and think like logical people, I would have. If Anna or Zoe or Aubrey had been there, this could have gone in a completely different direction. But all the testosterone in that room didn’t equal any brain cells.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“They’re all going to meet Ben tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner, so until then, stop answering your phone,” she said with a small laugh. “After all this time, what else could they possibly have to say?”
“Sometimes it’s a one-word text,” he said miserably. “And they’re normally pretty crude and colorful.”
“That’s Quinn.”
That made Riley laugh. “Look, are you sure about this? About Ben? Is this…is this serious, or are you two messing around?”
“Messing around? Seriously?”
“You know what I mean,” he said wearily. “Work with me here.”
Darcy looked over her shoulder one more time and noticed that the shower wasn’t running anymore. Any minute, Ben would be walking out. Hopefully in nothing more than a towel.
“Look,” she said, her voice going a bit quieter. “This isn’t just messing around. I’m crazy about him. I’m in love with him, and the feeling is mutual. It’s not easy, because he’s all the way on the other side of the damn country, but this is new to us both. So I don’t have all the answers. All I know is that we’re looking for them.”
Riley sighed. “Wow. I…I don’t even know what to say to that. That was remarkably—”
“Mature? Logical? Not at all like the comments of a child?” she mocked.
“Fine. Point taken.”
“Good. Share that with your brothers when you talk to them.”
“You know, you could talk to them and take the heat off me. I mean, why wait until Thanksgiving?”
“It’s one more day, Riley.”
“Yeah, but you’re staying at Aidan’s. Let him meet Ben and talk to him. Once he gives his seal of approval, the rest of them will back off.”
“Because I’m not ready to share yet. You already know Ben. You should be giving the seal of approval and making them listen.”
“God, you’re such a brat,” he said with a huff.
“Aww, such sweet words. You should put them in a song.”
Laughing, Riley took a minute before saying anything else. “Fine. I’ll keep doing damage control, but tell Ben he better dazzle the hell out of them on Thursday.”
“Don’t worry. He will.”
“Good. Do you want to talk to Savannah again?”
She was about to answer when she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she saw Ben standing in the doorway to the bedroom in nothing but a towel.
Yes.
He grinned at her and crooked a finger to call her to him.
Hell yes.
“Uh, no. That’s okay. We’ll all talk on Thursday. So give Aislynn a kiss for me. Love you! Bye!”
Maybe Riley said goodbye, maybe he didn’t. Either way, Darcy finished the call and turned off the phone as she stood. Slowly, she walked toward Ben.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
She nodded.
“That sounded a little intense.”
“Riley and Savannah found out about us. From my brothers.”
“I guess I should be expecting a call from her, huh?”
“Probably.” By now, they were toe-to-toe. “Hopefully not today.”
Nodding, Ben reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I should probably follow your lead and turn off my phone.”
A slow smile crossed her face. “That’s up to you.” Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a light kiss on the lips. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but go and put some pants on so we can have lunch. I’m starving.”
/>
Ben threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, thank God! I didn’t want you to think there was something wrong with me for wanting food more than sex right now.”
Laughing, she stepped out of his arms and went toward the kitchen. “They’re both good choices, but yeah. Lunch is the priority right now. I’m making some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and soup, if that’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely. Give me five minutes to get dressed, and I’ll join you.”
Darcy went back to work, and sure enough, five minutes later, Ben was beside her. When they sat to eat, they both sighed in unison at the first bite. That made her smile—how in sync they were with one another.
“I followed your recipe,” she said with a grin. “I haven’t mastered it yet, but I think I’m off to a good start.”
He nodded in agreement. After a few bites, Ben put his sandwich down and wiped his hands before looking at her. “So I was thinking…”
“Uh-oh. You sound serious. Am I going to like this?”
Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. “I hope so, because I really do.”
“You? You really like something?” she teased. “Color me surprised, Mister Grumpy. Okay, lay it on me. Whatcha got?”
“I have an opportunity to go to New York next week to meet with my editor, Laura. She wants to get together and have me meet with a couple of gallery owners and talk about plans for next year when the book comes out.” He shrugged. “I’ll have some dinners to go to and a couple of meetings to go over schedules and whatnot, but I thought you might want to come with me.”
“You’re sure about this? You really want me with you? This is a big thing for you—for your career. I don’t want to be in the way.”
“You know, you throw that phrase around a lot, and I know that I personally keep telling you that you’re never in the way. So let that go,” he chided softly. “I want you there with me, Darcy. I think it might be nice to have a week away together.”
“We’re away now.”
He laughed softly as he shook his head. “Sweetheart, we’re hiding out here in your brother’s apartment until we have to face your family. I’m talking about being away and staying at a five-star hotel, going out to dinner, a Broadway show, sightseeing.” He took one of her hands in his and caressed it. “I’ve yet to take you out on a proper date. I kind of like the idea of taking you out to a nice restaurant, then touring a gallery, and then maybe a carriage ride through Central Park.”
“That does sound good.”
“Plus, I think this could be something that’s interesting to the both of us because of your interest in working in the art world. Maybe you can talk to some people, make connections…”
“In New York? But that would mean…I mean…I guess I could, and…”
New York had always been on her radar as a place to work—it was one of the best places for art galleries and museums. But now that she and Ben were together, did she really want to consider job hunting there? It wouldn’t bring her any closer to him and, if anything, it would put even more demands on her time.
Ben must have sensed the same thing, because he immediately changed the subject. “So are we making anything to bring to your father’s tomorrow? A pie? A side dish?”
“I’m supposed to bake some stuff tonight, but nothing major. Martha wants to do the dinner on her own this year. We’re all a little nervous about it.”
“Really? Why?”
She shrugged. “It’s always been just us. We have our own traditions, and it was weird enough when my brothers started getting married and their wives wanted to contribute to the meal.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The Shaughnessys are big on routines and traditions. When something works, we stick with it. So when someone suggests using fresh cranberries instead of the jellied kind, we freak out a bit.”
“Ah, I get that. There were things my parents always made on Thanksgiving—we had a set menu that we never wavered from. It was all the basics, but since they died, whenever I’ve eaten at someone else’s house on the holiday and the menu is different, it feels weird.”
She laughed. “Then we can be weirded out together, because I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be different for all of us.”
“And we agreed to this why?”
She smiled and reached for her glass of soda. “Because it’s family,” she said simply. “And you’re supposed to be with family during the holidays.” Then she realized what she said. “Sorry. That was wrong for me to say.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re here with my family and not with yours. I’m sure your brothers would have liked to spend the time with you too.”
He shrugged and picked up his sandwich again. “It’s not like that for us. I think they would like it, but I’m okay with the way things are.”
“Ben, you need to make time for your brothers. They’re the only family you have. If we’re going to be up in New York, you should invite them to come and see you. I bet they would love it and get a kick out of some of the events that are being held in your honor.”
He rolled his eyes and took another bite of his lunch. “I doubt it. They don’t get excited over my work, and I don’t get excited over theirs.”
“Well, that’s just sad. We’re always celebrating and supporting each other’s jobs in our family.”
“Can we drop this for now?” he asked.
The rest of the meal was spent in silence, and after they were done eating, Darcy excused herself to go and take a shower. Ben said he’d clean up the kitchen, and she didn’t even bother to argue or offer to help. She needed the time away from him for a few minutes to let everything they had talked about sink in.
The idea of going away with him for a week was exciting, and she loved that it had been his idea. Using the trip to scope out jobs had some potential. After all, she kept talking about being serious about this career choice. How could she pass up the opportunity? His family? That was going to be an issue for sure.
“Too much to think about,” she murmured.
Turning on the shower, Darcy waited for the water to heat up and then stepped under the spray. And for a few minutes, she allowed herself the luxury of not thinking about anything at all.
* * *
He knew she was disappointed in the way their conversation had turned, but he couldn’t help it. There were going to be things that they were going to have to agree to disagree about. And no matter how much he loved her and wanted to make her happy, he didn’t like the idea of being pushed, especially not where his family was concerned. And he certainly didn’t want to argue about it when there were so many other things they could be doing.
A few minutes later, Ben heard the water in the bathroom turn off. He smiled and strode purposefully toward the bathroom.
To Darcy.
She opened the door as he was approaching. Her skin was dewy and rosy from the hot water, she didn’t have on a stitch of makeup, and she was wrapped in a towel that barely covered her.
She was perfection.
Her dark eyes went wide as he reached for her, taking the towel from her body. With a soft gasp, she stood perfectly still as if waiting for what he was going to do next.
Words. Dozens, hundreds of words buzzed in his head that he wanted to say to her, but for the life of him, he couldn’t voice them. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t seductive. It was a kiss that took and claimed and demanded.
And she instantly wrapped herself around him.
God, he loved that about her.
Without breaking the kiss, Ben picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and thought of nothing else but the woman in his arms and pleasing her until he had nothing left to give.
Chapter 9
It was easy to ignore the deafening silence and the intimidating
glares.
Well, easy for her.
Darcy breezed through the living room with the pies she had baked and gave everyone a wave and a smile on her way to the kitchen. And while it may have seemed mean to leave Ben standing in the middle of the angry mob, they had discussed it on their way over, and he had asked for the opportunity to talk to her family without her hovering.
So as she put the pies down on the kitchen counter, she peeked out into the living room and held her breath.
This was her.
Not hovering.
She almost laughed as her brothers all seemed to sit at the same time, their wives beside them. Traitors. Although it was probably for the best that her sisters-in-law stayed in there. Less of a chance of things getting out of hand.
“So what kind of pies did you decide on?” Martha asked.
“Oh, um, I did two pumpkin and two apple. The basics,” she said distractedly. Martha placed her hand on her shoulder, and she turned toward her.
“They’re going to behave. Trust me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because your father had a long talk with everyone before you arrived. And by the way, showing up thirty minutes late was brilliant,” Martha said with a wink. She turned and went toward the oven. “At first, everyone thought you were being fashionably late, but I figured you wanted to make sure everyone was here and settled in before you arrived.”
That wasn’t totally the plan, but Darcy was glad that was how others were seeing it.
“So how bad was it? Was there yelling?”
Martha bent over to baste the turkey before answering. Closing the oven door, she smoothed her hands over her apron. “No. I think everyone got that out of their system the other day.”
“Whew.”
“However, they’re still going to grill that poor young man, so I hope he’s prepared.”
Darcy nodded and craned her neck to look into the living room. “He is. This is all so…stupid.”
“Don’t look at it like that.” Martha grabbed her hand, gently pulled her toward the kitchen table, and motioned for her to sit down. “I think it’s incredibly sweet.”
“Sweet?” she cried, and then her hand instantly covered her mouth. Inside voice, she chided herself. “How can you say that?”
Holiday Spice Page 20
