by Maya Hughes
He plopped down onto the bed and she peeked out from under the blankets, making a little tunnel to keep in the warmth. This place was like an ice box, just the way she liked it for naps.
“I know you want to get a nap in, but there’s been a change of plans for the evening.”
“Please tell me someone didn’t destroy anything that we’re serving for dinner tonight.” She resisted the urge to throw off the blankets and speed to her kitchen.
“No, nothing like that,” he said, rubbing her ass through the blankets.
“Okay, then. We’re good and I can get back to sleeping,” she grumbled, trying to swat his hand away. This was not time for sex, it was time for sleep.
“Not quite yet,” he said, pulling on the blankets, trying to find her face.
“This had better be good, you’re interrupting my nap time,” she said, pulling the covers up over her head. Liam pushed them back again and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. It always made her a little giddy when he did that. He was always so gentle with her—well, except for when he wasn’t, but she was always on board with those times.
“I wanted to let you know you have tonight off and we’re going to Luc’s for dinner.”
“Your brother?” she said, sitting up.
“No, Luke Wilson, the actor. Yes, Luc, my brother. He’s been badgering me to bring you around ever since he found out that we were living together. Frankly, I think it’s Anna, his wife. I’m sure she’s been chomping at the bit to get you over there and tell you all the embarrassing family stuff our mom told her when she first met Luc.”
“I can’t have tonight off, I have to cook.” She’d met Luc before, even hung out a few times with him and Mark, but that was before she was dating his brother. Were they even dating? Getting the once-over from his twin wasn’t on her list of things she couldn’t wait to do.
“You can have tonight off, I’m the boss. Remember?” She hadn’t met anyone’s family since Jon’s and that hadn’t exactly gone swimmingly.
“But I haven’t told anyone I won’t be there tonight. What about—” She grasped for anything to get out of this. Even in the Baltic bedroom a thin line of sweat broke out across her forehead.
“It’s been taken care of, trust me,” he said, placing his fingers over her lips when she tried to interrupt him again. “It’s done, let someone else pick up a few more hours for their shift. It will be a good test run for you working less.”
“Why would I be working less?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Rox, you can’t seriously think that sixteen hours in the kitchen broken up by a few naps is a normal amount of work for anyone.”
“It’s how I’ve always done it.” She ran her kitchen. Her team needed her there.
“Back when there were only two of you working in the kitchen before the renovation. You have twelve employees now. You don’t need to be there all the time.”
“But—”
“No ‘buts.’ I’m the boss and I say you’re taking tonight off. You need a break, Rox. Everyone needs a break.” Her shoulders slumped as she fought to keep her eyes open. He was right. She sighed.
“I know, but it’s my baby.”
“The baby will be fine for an evening without you,” he said, rubbing her back.
“What if I just stop by to—?”
“If you step foot in The Bramble kitchen in the next eighteen hours, I will take away your farmers’ market buying privileges for two weeks.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said, her eyes wide, smacking him in the shoulder.
“Oh yes, I would. I’d make sure you could only buy fruit and veg from the supermarket,” he said, with fake menace.
“You’re a monster!” She threw her arm over her face, pretending to pass out and laughing.
“Fine, I’ll just lock up your bike in the garage and won’t let you take it out unless it’s for laps around the driveway.”
“Now you’re not playing fair.” She chucked a pillow at his head, hitting him right in the nose.
“Har har har.” He gave her a gentle tap on her cocooned legs. “Dinner’s at seven at their place. Take your nap and I’ll wake you up later.” He kissed her on her nose and wrapped the blankets around her.
“Fine, you’ve convinced me. I haven’t seen your brother in forever. Not since before the renovation.”
And she wished she’d never had to see him ever again. The funny, chill guy she’d met a few times before had been replaced by some American Psycho pod person. The stuffy attire was the same as it had always been, but his demeanor had changed completely. How he’d ended up with someone as normal and sweet as Anna was beyond her. But who was she to judge? She didn’t exactly have a great track record.
“So, Roxanne, you’ve been working at The Bramble for three years now?”
“Yup, pretty much since Mark opened up. I’m pretty sure you saw me there when you used to visit.” He had been low-key grilling her all evening and she didn’t appreciate it. It was only because this was Liam’s family that she hadn’t thrown down her fork and walked out. Plus, she didn’t have a ride.
“And before that?”
“Before that, I worked at a small restaurant.” The diner had been even more ancient than the pre-renovated Bramble, but it was a trial by fire she’d come to appreciate after the fact.
“And before that?”
“Before that I was in culinary school.” She’d busted her butt in that place, dicing, julienning, and mincing her way to top grades.
“So, a recent culinary school graduate went from working in one kitchen to becoming the head cook at The Bramble?”
“Yup,” she said, taking a bite of her food, which seemed to turn into sawdust the minute it hit her mouth. He knew all of this. He’d had her food at the bar. Why was he being such a dick?
“And how did you accomplish that?” He raised his eyebrow and she raised hers right back.
“Luc, lay off. What’s with the third degree? You’ve known Rox since she started working for Mark,” Liam chimed in on his return from the kitchen. Anna followed him with a platter and set it on the table.
“I’m only trying to get to know her better. Usually she’s locked away in her kitchen, so we haven’t ever really gotten to have a conversation.”
“You call this a conversation?” she interjected, crossing her arms over her chest. Liam pulled out a chair for her and she took a seat. Luc did the same for Anna. “It feels more like an interrogation.”
“I think it’s strange that my asking you a few questions would put you on edge.” He glared across the table and Anna pulled on his sleeve. Liam pushed back from his plate, his chair scraping against the floor, and rounded the table.
“Luc, a word,” he said, nodding toward the hallway.
“I’m perfectly fine chatting here.”
“I’m sure you are,” Liam grabbed his brother by the arm and practically threw him through the hallway. Served him right. She hadn’t wanted to lose it on him, but she wasn’t just going to sit there and let him go after her.
“What the fuck is all that about, Luc?” he said, practically throwing Luc into his office and slamming the door.
“What? I can’t ask a few questions of my brother’s new flame?”
“No, you can’t jack-hole because apparently, you don’t know how to hold a conversation like a civil person.” His blood boiled as he glared at his twin, who was glaring right back at him.
“I’m only trying to get to the bottom of things.”
“The bottom of things?” He didn’t know what the hell had gotten into Luc. He knew Rox, had known her for years and now he had an issue with her? It didn’t make sense.
“Why a woman who hasn’t paid you any attention over the past three years has suddenly moved in with you? Were you two involved when Mark made his offer? Is that why you left Doppel? To be with her?” Luc accused, pointing his finger toward the closed door. Ah, so this is where it came from. He blamed Rox for him leaving the comp
any. Luc continued ranting.
“You were with Yvonne for a year, ready to propose. I helped pick out the ring and then you just drop her and pick up with Roxanne.”
“You think Rox is some kind of man-eater?” he asked, giving him a humorless laugh.
“All I’m saying is, we get this big acquisition deal on the table and then she’s here, she’s around you, and you’re all over at Doppel and no longer with the woman you professed to love only a few months ago.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about Luc.” He turned to leave, disgusted with his brother. He had no idea what Liam had been through and trying to turn what he and Rox shared into some game she was playing pissed him off. He knew Rox. She didn’t play games and she wasn’t a user.
“I don’t know what I’m talking about because you won’t talk to me anymore!” he shouted after him. “You just pick up one day and decide to invest in Mark’s bar and, as much as I love Mark, that’s out of the blue.”
“It was my own money. I can do whatever the hell I want with it,” Liam said through gritted teeth.
“Fine, whatever, but then you tell me you’re quitting the company we built together. A company we put our blood, sweat, and tears into, where we were supposed to be doing this as brothers and you bail on me. Then you dump your girlfriend, almost fiancée, and you don’t think I’m going to wonder what the hell is going on, especially when you show up with someone new? Someone who has pretty much hated your guts from the beginning? You don’t think it’s strange?”
“No, I don’t think it’s strange. Rox and I have been through a lot and she’s not like that at all. Working at The Bramble gave us time to talk and hash out what was going on between us, and it was all a big misunderstanding. Once we smoothed things over, it just evolved like this and she needed help, so I helped. Where it’s gone from there is between us, but she’s not the type of woman you’re trying to paint her as.”
“How could you just up and leave Yvonne though? You two were so good together.”
“You don’t know jack shit about her and we weren’t perfect together. She was perfect at pretending to be everything I wanted.” He turned to storm out when Luc grabbed his arm, fingers digging into him to hold him still.
“What the hell happened? And why won’t you tell me about it? Did you cheat on her or something? I won’t think less of you, whatever it is. I don’t know when this started up with Rox, but I won’t hold it against her, if that’s the deal.” As much as he didn’t want to admit he’d been played for a fool, he couldn’t let Luc think Rox had any part in their break up. His shoulders dropped and he took a deep breath. Better get it out there.
“No, I didn’t cheat on Yvonne,” he said, pulling his arm from his brother’s grasp. He sat on the arm of the sofa, dropping his head, digging his shoes into the plush cream carpet. “She lied about everything.”
“Who?”
Liam’s head jerked up and he shot his brother a glare before looking back down at his hands.
“Who do you think?! Yvonne! She never loved me,” he said, shaking his head. “She loved what being with me meant. What it could get her.” Luc looked at him, completely confused. He’d have to tell him the whole story. “I overheard her talking to who knows who. She told me she was pregnant. I was keeping it quiet because we were in the first trimester.” A humorless laugh escaped him.
“At least I thought we were. She lied about being pregnant. I was planning the perfect proposal and she was lying to me about it to get me to marry her faster. She never loved me. She wanted the money and when I plopped down a nice ‘go away and never talk to me again’ settlement in her lap, she took it and ran, never even looking back.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” His brother strode across the office, his shoes entering Liam’s view. “Why would you keep something this big from me? We’re brothers, we’re freaking twins. How could you not tell me this?”
“Because I’ve always been the fuck up when itcomes to everything you’ve excelled at: sports, girls, business.”
“What are you talking about? Business? You built Doppel!”
“I built the software. You went out and sold it. You're the front man, I’m the guy behind the curtain hacking away.”
“And what would I have to sell, if you hadn’t built anything? I’ve always wanted to have the technical know-how you do. You never needed to study, never needed to try. And sports! Have you seen your arms lately? Once you started boxing I’ve been afraid you’d pull my arm off with a handshake.”
Liam couldn’t hold back his laugh at that one.
“As far as women go, yes, I’ve been luckier than you, but that’s only because I met Anna and she told me to get my head out of my ass and stop being a moron. Apparently, I need that sometimes.” Liam glanced up and saw the sincerity in his brother’s eyes.
“I’d say more than sometimes. More like daily reminders.”
“Listen, I’m sorry about how I was with Rox before. And I’ll be sure to apologize when I go out there. If I didn’t, I’m sure Anna would be trying to remove my balls with pliers later tonight. Because I didn’t know what was going on with you and I jumped to conclusions, I’m sorry. It’s not like she’s a felon or anything,” he said, holding out his arm. Liam grasped him along the forearm, stood and tugged him over abruptly, making him land flat on his back on the couch.
“Apology accepted, now go make it to Rox.”
Luc dusted off his crisply pressed grey pants, which were a little rumpled now and straightened his button-down shirt.
“I guess I deserved that,” he said, opening the office door and striding back into the dining room.
The rest of the evening went much smoother. Rox graciously accepted Luc’s apology and he relaxed a bit, even unbuttoned a couple of top buttons over some beers after dinner. Liam hadn’t realized Luc had gotten so uptight lately. He’d have thought that marriage would have chilled him out some. Anna had her work cut out for her.
15
Chapter
Liam went through the filing cabinet in the office searching for another maintenance agreement. Who the hell knew that everything in a damn bar broke all the time? And going through these filing cabinets was ridiculous. Why hadn’t Mark put any of this online? It didn’t make any sense. That’s something he’d work on getting done tomorrow. Plus, with everything saved electronically, they could get rid of these monstrous filing cabinets and make more space in the office. With some rearranging, this could be a cozy home away from home with as much time as he and Rox spent there. An actual bed might get her to take more breaks and he could certainly think of a thing or two he could do to convince her to take some time off up there with him.
He’d dropped Rox off at the kitchen and she was prepping for the afternoon service. Someone let him know that the walk-in fridge was on the fritz last night, so he needed to schedule getting that fixed and head off to a meeting with his brother. He always made sure someone was there with Rox for morning prep, especially if he wasn’t going to be in the bar all day. He hated the idea of her being there all alone, especially with her psycho ex out there somewhere. His fists clenched at the thought of him harming a hair on her head.
The meeting with his brother would be interesting. Luc had laid off the guilt trips about him leaving, but hadn’t given up on trying to get him to come back. Honestly, the idea of going back to work in the office did not appeal to him one bit, especially when he got to spend his days and nights with a certain motorcycle riding chef. Rox brightened his days in a way he hadn’t thought possible. Going to bed dead tired, waking up next to her and coming to the restaurant everyday were some of the best times he’d had in a while and he wasn’t giving it up for anyone.
He’d at least been able to convince Luc to meet at a restaurant. This way he wouldn’t be wrangled into meeting at the Doppel offices again. And short of Luc inviting their entire office out to lunch to corner him, he expected it to be a quiet morning meeting where he kept te
lling Luc he wasn’t coming back.
He looked around Mark’s office and was struck by how quickly this place had grown on him. It was less like he was treading on Mark’s territory and more like it was a place he could call his own. With almost ten hours a day spent there, it was no wonder. His fingers ran over the files until he found the one he was looking for, ‘Rogue Refrigeration.’ First the freezer, then the refrigerator. It was all probably in need of replacing. When the renovations had been done, a lot of it had been aesthetics, so maybe a major appliance overhaul was due. He’d have to check the investment fund to see how they were doing. He knew that the revenue was far outpacing what was going out, so maybe they could go top of the line with everything.
He smiled, imagining Rox would freak over the surprise of commercial Viking appliances for the kitchen. Still smiling, he grabbed the folder. He was sure she would be incredibly grateful and repay him handsomely for his thoughtfulness. Pulling out his phone, he made a note to order those tomorrow. As he pulled out the Rogue folder there was another one stuck to it. It had Rox’s name on it. Why did Mark have a file on Rox? He’d seen the payroll files and they were in a separate cabinet.
Curious, he pulled it out and went to sit down at the desk with it. There staring up at him was a file complete with a mugshot of her. And a totally different name. The list next to her name was impressive, theft, burglary, shoplifting, and on and on for what seemed like years and then stopped. She’d never mentioned anything about being arrested before. They’d talked about a lot in their time together, but she hadn’t said anything to him. After everything they’d shared, she still didn’t trust him. It hit him like a gut punch. Did she think he wouldn’t understand? Or was she hiding more from him? Why hadn’t she told him? Let him know about her criminal past, like she had about her past with Jon?
Grabbing the folder, he checked his phone and saw he was late to the meeting with Luc. He crammed the folder into his bag and stormed out of the office. Making it to the meeting fifteen minutes late would agitate Luc more. He hated it when people were late and part of Liam wondered if he was late to things with Luc just to piss him off. Yeah, it was probably that. He walked into the restaurant, trying to stop the troubling thoughts about Rox that raced through his mind on the way over here. They’d talk about it later. He’d get the answers from her then.
