Not His Type (An Opposites Attract Romance)

by Lisa Crane

  “The redhead!” Riley said suddenly, snapping his fingers. Jazz looked at him blankly. “The redhead that was in here the other day. Brooke saw them through the kitchen window, and it was a pretty friendly kiss they shared.”

  “Oh, the tall skinny one?” Jazz asked. She frowned. “You think that’s what this is about? Come to think of it, I did overhear her ask him to dinner this Friday evening. I think she said they had a lot of catching up to do, or something along those lines.”

  They ate in silence for several minutes, each of them thinking, before Riley said, “Well, this is just speculation on my part, but yeah, I think the redhead has something to do with this.”

  “Aw, Ry,” Jazz said wistfully. “I don’t want to see Brooke get hurt.”

  “It might be too late,” he said. “I know she says they’re friends, and he’s out of her league, but it’s obvious she’s attracted to him.” Riley shook his head thoughtfully. “But something happened. That much is clear.”

  When Brooke returned to work a short time later, she seemed in a slightly better frame of mind. She was still quiet, but if Jazz, Riley or a customer spoke to her, she responded in polite, friendly tones. She worked the remainder of the afternoon with Jazz, decorating the multi-tiered wedding cake. Shortly before the bakery closed, Brooke grabbed the broom; while she swept, Riley washed up the utensils and pans they’d used, and Jazz totaled receipts in her office. The bell over the front door suddenly jingled.

  “Sorry, we’re closed.” Riley and Brooke heard Jazz speaking. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know it was you! Come on in!”

  “Be right back,” Riley said.

  He left the kitchen to check on his wife, returning just a moment later. He went back to washing dishes and Brooke continued sweeping. When she was through in the kitchen, she went out front to sweep in the counter and dining area. She froze when she recognized the deep voice talking to Jazz.

  Slowly, Brooke approached the office. Travis sat on one of the chairs, smiling and talking with Jazz. He looked completely relaxed, leaning back in the chair, one booted foot resting on the opposite knee. As if sensing her presence, Travis turned and faced Brooke.

  “Hey, Bunny-girl!” he said cheerfully.

  “Travis,” Brooke said, her tone even and reserved. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on the security system,” he answered. “I always follow-up a couple of times with new installations, make sure there are no problems.” He grinned at her. “Can I give you a ride home, since I’m already here?”

  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “Not a bother, Brooke,” Travis said, his smile still in place. “We’re going the same way.”

  “Okay,” she said reluctantly. She couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse to give for not accepting his offer. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  “You’re ready now,” Riley said from behind her, pulling the broom from her hand. “Go on, we’re done here.”

  “Oh, and Brooke,” Jazz said. “Give some thought to my invitation, won’t you?”

  “What invitation is that?” Riley asked.

  “I asked Brooke to join us for Thanksgiving,” she explained.

  “Oh.” Travis looked disappointed as his gaze turned to Brooke. “I was going to invite you to join me at my parents’ home.”

  “Oh, you should definitely go with Travis!” Jazz said quickly. She looked at Brooke, eyebrows raised questioningly. “You don’t speak Spanish, do you?”

  “Um, no,” Brooke answered, puzzled. “Just a few words and phrases.”

  “Oh, well, there you go,” Jazz said as if that resolved the situation. “My family speaks Spanish at family gatherings. You’d be lost and uncomfortable all day long, and I’d hate that for you.”

  “And I suppose Riley is fluent in Spanish?” Brooke asked sarcastically.

  “Actually, I am now,” Riley said. He grinned. “But Jazz is right. Those first few family dinners before we were married were very awkward.” He smiled. “I don’t want you to think we’re rescinding the invitation, but I think you’d enjoy spending the holiday with Travis and his family.”

  “Um-hm,” Brooke said noncommittally. She offered the same vague answer she’d given Jazz previously. “We’ll see.”

  Travis reached for Brooke’s jacket where it hung on a peg in Jazz’s office. He held it for her as she slipped it on; once again, he wrapped the scarf snuggly around her throat. Brooke avoided his gaze and quickly stepped away. She gave Riley and Jazz a tight smile and turned to leave.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

  Riley followed Brooke and Travis to the front door and locked it behind them. He returned to the office to find his wife grinning smugly. She smirked at him, her dark eyes sparkling impishly.

  “So dinners with my family were awkward, huh?” she asked.

  “I didn’t say it had anything to do with the language,” Riley laughed. “No, I was more concerned about being the gringo who was trying to steal their little princess, actually!”

  “Do you think she’ll go with Travis?” Jazz asked hopefully.

  “We have a week to convince her.” Riley tilted his head thoughtfully. “Do you feel up to a shopping trip?”

  “What are you thinking, Riley Parker?”

  “I think you should knock off early Saturday afternoon and take Brooke shopping. I don’t know what’s going on with the baggy sweatshirts and jeans, but I think she’d see herself in a whole new light if you took her shopping and helped her pick something out.”

  “I love you so much!” Jazz said, smiling fondly at her husband. “You have the best heart!”

  Chapter 22

  Travis tried several friendly overtures, attempting to get Brooke to open up and talk to him on the ride home. He had little to no luck as she answered in single words or short phrases. Sighing, Travis steered the Hummer to the side of the road and killed the engine. Brooke stared at him.

  “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “What are we doing?” he repeated. “Well, I am trying to get you to talk to me, and you are having none of it.” He paused, looking at her solemnly. “Brooke, did I do something to make you angry?”

  “No,” Brooke answered.

  “Have I said something to upset you?”

  “No.” That wasn’t really a lie; Will, not Travis, had said the words that had cut so deeply.

  “Brooke, come on!” Travis cajoled. “Talk to me! We were fine yesterday. We had a great day – at least I thought we did! Now today, you left before I could take you to work and you won’t talk to me. You barely look at me.” He sighed and placed a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Brooke, please tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart.”

  “I am not your sweetheart,” she said tonelessly.

  Travis stared at her uncomprehendingly. “I don’t…I didn’t mean….” He shook his head, a puzzled frown on his face. “You don’t want me to call you sweetheart? Is that it?”

  “You didn’t do or say anything, Travis,” Brooke finally said. She sighed. “I’m an idiot, okay? That’s what’s wrong. I’m just an idiot, and I need to get a grip and get over myself.” She gave him a hint of a smile, her violet eyes soft. “And once again, I find myself in the position of needing to apologize. I’ve been a witch and I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything, Travis. Really.”

  “You promise?” he queried doubtfully.

  “I promise,” Brooke said, smiling more fully now.

  “So…um…we good? Friends again?”

  “Friends.”

  A satisfied smile on his face, Travis faced forward and started the engine. They drove in silence for a few minutes. As the truck stopped in Travis’ driveway, he reached over and caught Brooke’s arm before she could get out. She glanced back at him curiously.

  “Will you come over in a while?” Travis asked. “Are you still willing to work with me? Until I hire someone, that is.”

  “Yes,” sh
e agreed quietly. “I’ll be over in, say, an hour?”

  “Perfect!” he said happily. “I’ll see you then!”

  Brooke walked to her own house. She let Boo outside while she went to the kitchen to look for something to eat. Staring into her pantry, she remembered the conversation she’d had with Jazz and Riley. She eyed her reflection in the glass of her back door; she closed the pantry and reached for an apple. Leaving the kitchen, she sat down on the sofa to watch the news.

  Whistling cheerfully, Travis walked into his own house. In the kitchen, he found some frozen containers in the freezer; each one was labeled neatly, complete with heating directions in his mother’s feminine handwriting. Smiling, he popped one in the microwave and went to his office; while his dinner heated up, he sorted through mail and organized his desk so he’d be able to show Brooke what he needed her to do. As he worked, he wondered again about Brooke’s behavior; he still felt there was something he should know. He’d felt he’d somehow hurt Brooke, or disappointed her; for the life of him, he didn’t know how he’d done so.

  Exactly an hour after he’d arrived home, Travis answered a knock at his door. He smiled down at Brooke and stepped aside to allow her inside. She stepped in, her jacket wrapped snuggly around her. In the warmth of his house, Travis helped her out of the jacket, laying it casually across the back of the sofa. Brooke followed him to his office, and Travis gestured for her to sit behind the desk. He moved to stand behind her, one hand resting on the back of the chair.

  “Okay,” Travis said. He leaned forward and pointed at an icon on the laptop’s screen. “That’s my accounting software. I do everything from there.”

  “Billing, paying and payroll?” Brooke asked. She clicked on the icon. “Which are we doing tonight?”

  “Ah,” Travis said thoughtfully. “I guess we should do some billing. Payroll is pretty easy right now. Receivables is pretty self-explanatory, too.”

  “And if you don’t bill, you can’t make payroll or payables.”

  “Exactly!” he chuckled.

  Fifteen minutes later, Brooke already had a solid grasp on Travis’ billing system. He watched her, impressed with how quickly she caught on, adding several new client accounts in preparation for the regular monthly billing. Suddenly, she turned to ask him a question about an installation; her soft hair brushed against his cheek. She smelled so good Travis wanted to bite her! Her face was close to his; her mouth was so close he could feel her warm breath against his lips.

  Brooke leaned slowly to one side, moving away from Travis. Just as slowly, he leaned forward, following her as she shifted away. His mouth touched hers; it was just the slightest pressure of his lips against hers. Brooke froze and Travis increased the pressure. One large hand slid beneath Brooke’s silky hair; Travis tilted his head, slanting his mouth across Brooke’s. His tongue slid across the seam of her lips, seeking entrance; after a moment, Brooke opened to him, her eyes fluttering closed. She sighed and leaned into him.

  The sound of Travis’ cell phone, ringing and vibrating on the desk, brought Brooke back to her senses. She spun around in the chair, nearly knocking Travis off his feet. She jumped up and backed away from him, staring at him, one hand pressed to her mouth.

  “What are you doing?” Brooke demanded.

  “I’m sorry!” Travis said, apparently as stunned as Brooke was. He rubbed his hand down over his face, his eyes closed briefly. “Brooke, I’m sorry, I – you just smelled so good!”

  “I smelled good?” she echoed. “Are you nuts? Do you kiss everyone who smells good? Random strangers on the street?” Brooke affected a deep voice. “Excuse me, sir, you smell really great, I think I’ll kiss you!”

  “Don’t be absurd, Brooke!” Travis said defensively.

  “Me? Absurd? Oh, I don’t think so!”

  “Listen, Brooke, I’m sorry,” he said again. His voice was sincere, his expression pained. “Really sorry, okay? Look, I’ll go take care of some things in the garage and leave you alone to work in here. Please?”

  Brooke looked at him for a long moment before she finally nodded her agreement. She gave him a wry look and said, “You must really need the help.”

  Chapter 23

  Travis nearly knocked the door off its hinges in his hurry to get out of the office. He strode through the house to the garage door, closing it firmly behind him. He stood there for a moment, eyes closed again, wondering what had gotten into him. He’d kissed Brooke Valentine! Really kissed her, not given her a little peck on the cheek or a big brotherly kiss on the top of her head. And he couldn’t blame it on Brooke, either! As attracted to him as he believed she was, Brooke had been leaning away from Travis, until he’d leaned forward and kissed her.

  And what a kiss! Travis hadn’t intended to kiss Brooke – ever! But as soon as his lips met hers, he felt a bone-melting heat flood through him. If pressed, Travis didn’t think he could explain the feelings and sensations that had raced through him when Brooke had opened her lips to his. He’d kissed plenty of women, beginning with the popular, pretty cheerleader-type in high school, all the way up to now, when women like Lorna Morgan never seemed to be in short supply.

  But never in his life had he kissed a woman that stirred in him the response Brooke had. He’d felt protective of her innocent hesitation. He’d felt gentleness toward her soft sweetness. Then her tongue had shyly touched his, and he’d tasted the complex blend that was Brooke, and it had nearly been his undoing. He’d felt a rush of lust, pure and simple, roar through his body. If the ringing of his phone hadn’t interrupted that kiss, Travis wasn’t certain he’d have regained control. It actually hadn’t been him who’d regained control when the phone rang; he hadn’t even heard it! No, it was Brooke who broke off the kiss.

  Now Travis smacked himself in the forehead with his open hand. He’d be lucky if Brooke ever spoke to him again. And thinking about it, he realized he felt a sense of loss at the prospect of losing her friendship. They’d only known each other a few weeks, but Travis realized he valued her friendship already. When her defenses weren’t up, Brooke was sweet and smart and funny. He enjoyed spending time with her, and wanted to get to know her even better. Travis expected he’d find a good friend in Brooke if he didn’t mess things up between them.

  In Travis’ office, once again seated behind his desk, Brooke wondered much the same thing Travis did; what had gotten into him? Why had he kissed her? Her! Short, plain and plump Brooke Valentine! Brooke had shared a handful of kisses with boys in high school, but not many. Her mother’s reputation often prevented Brooke being asked out by the boys she wanted to date, while sparking the wrong kind of interest in other boys. As a result, Brooke had kept to herself more often than not. But now, Brooke had to admit, she’d never been kissed the way Travis Cooper had just kissed her!

  The rest of his physique, from what Brooke had seen and felt, was hard as a rock; his lips, however, were soft and warm. His mouth and tongue had teased hers until she’d returned his kiss eagerly. Brooke blushed now remembering just how eager she’d been! When his phone rang, she’d nearly wept with frustration at the end of the contact. But it couldn’t happen again. If she had the slightest chance of her heart remaining intact, Brooke had to promise herself there were no more kisses like that one.

  The cell phone lying near Brooke’s hand began ringing again. Brooke automatically glanced over at it. A photograph of the redhead – Lorna, Travis had called her – smiled up from the display on the phone, along with her name. Brooke felt as if she’d been doused with ice water; that little reminder would certainly go a long way toward ensuring Brooke never kissed Travis again!

  “Brooke?”

  At the sound of Travis’ voice, Brooke shifted her gaze from the still ringing cell phone to the man in the doorway. She gave him a polite smile, picked up the phone and extended it to him.

  “Lorna,” she said. “Probably calling to confirm your date.” She rose. “You should get that, I’m about done here anyway.” She scooted pas
t him, trying not to touch him as she did so. “I think you should just be able to print your invoices. Good night, Travis.”

  “Brooke, wait!” Travis said quickly, reaching for her arm. “Will you let me give you a ride in the morning?”

  Travis waited. Finally, Brooke nodded quickly. She pulled her arm from his grasp and hurried from his house. Sighing, Travis answered his phone.

  “Hey, Lorna,” he said, aware that his voice sounded very unenthusiastic.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?” Lorna asked. Travis could hear the frown in her voice. “I can call back later.”

  “No, no, this is fine,” Travis said. “I was just, uh, finishing up some work. How’re you doing this evening?”

  “Good,” she answered. Her voice, following his reassurance, shifted to a deeper, slightly husky tone. “I was just thinking about you and thought I’d give you a call. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I ran into you, Travis.”

  “Um, yeah, that was a stroke of luck, wasn’t it?”

  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure you felt that way.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Well, you have been back for over a year,” she pouted. “And not a single phone call. You’re a very naughty boy, Travis.”

  “I just kind of figured you probably moved on, Lorna,” Travis said. He was glad she couldn’t see the face he made at her words and tone. “I assumed you were probably dating someone by the time I came back.”

  “Oh, I dated a few men, Travis, but…” Lorna sighed dramatically. “They weren’t you. Nobody is like you, Travis. I’m so looking forward to our evening tomorrow night.”

  “Yeah, uh…me, too.” Suddenly, Travis couldn’t end the phone call quickly enough. “Listen, Lorna, I do still have a little work I’d like to get done tonight. So if you don’t mind….”

  “Of course, darling,” she cooed. “I just wanted to hear your voice and tell you how happy I am to be seeing you again. You’ll pick me up at seven tomorrow, right?”

  “Absolutely,” he said firmly. “Seven sharp.”