by Lori Foster
She used the excuse of calling in the dogs to get herself together. If she ever hoped to be more than a convenient bed partner, she had to take control of this situation right now. After drying the dogs’ paws from the dew-wet grass, she closed the door and returned to Brick.
He had the plates on the table and was buttering the toast. “How many eggs do you want?”
“One.”
He put it on her plate and took the other three for himself.
Merrily squared her shoulders. “I’m not a virgin anymore.”
For only a second, Brick paused. “Nope, definitely not.” He put the toast on the table and pulled out a chair for her.
She hesitated to get that close to him when they had so much to talk about, but if he could be cavalier, she would be, as well. “Thank you.”
After she sat, he kissed the top of her head, her temple, and near her ear he whispered, “You’re a sexy, barely tried ex-virgin and, again, Merrily, I want more.” He moved away and sat across from her. “So what do you say? Wanna play for a while?”
Boy, did she ever.
Pretending great thought, she sipped her coffee. “How long are we talking?”
That took the good humor out of his expression. “Need it spelled out, do you? Should we draw up a contract? Maybe specify an ironclad end date so that I’m not underfoot too long?”
“You’re angry?” For some reason, that made her feel better, less confused. “Recall, Brick, you said you wanted me to understand that you wouldn’t be getting involved—”
“I know exactly what I said.” He stabbed into a fried egg with his fork. “But I figured we’d play it by ear. Let things unfold naturally. Not...” He put his fork back down—with egg still clinging to it. “I don’t want to get sent packing too soon.”
“How soon is too soon?”
A flush of color slashed his high cheekbones. “Damn it, you are hung up on time frames, aren’t you?”
She had to bite back a smile of relief. He wanted her. More of her—however much that might be. Elation filled her heart.
“I’m sorry.” Teasing, she asked, “Have I hurt your feelings?”
He looked so dumbfounded by that possibility, and then bemused as he realized it was true, that Merrily laughed.
Maybe he cared more for her than even he realized. Why else would he get so riled over it?
“Virgins are the devil.” While eyeing her, he ate an entire strip of bacon in one bite. “Go ahead,” he said at her continued giggling. “Keep me in suspense. I probably have that coming.”
Because he sort of did, she took her time eating most of her egg, a few bites of toast, but she couldn’t bear the silence or his watchful gaze.
After finishing off a strip of bacon, she reached across the table for his hand. “You were so incredible, Brick.”
Grudgingly, he said, “Thank you.” His warm fingers curled around hers. “Given how you affect me, I might not have been at my best.”
Lord help her. “You were more than I expected. More than I knew was possible.”
“I’m listening.”
“I would love to continue having sex with you.” She thought to add, just in case she spooked him, “For as long as we’re both having fun, so please, go get a toothbrush and boxers and whatever else you need. Definitely more condoms. Maybe bring a whole box.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “Let’s play some more. I want to have as much fun as I can.” And because maybe he needed reassurance, she added, “With you.”
Staring at her, Brick breathed hard, shifted, then glanced at the clock. “If only we had enough time...”
A knock sounded on her door, sending the dogs into fits.
Brick groaned. Over the din, he said, “I’ll have you know, love, I’m hard. Again. Around you it appears to be a perpetual state but most definitely when you talk about having fun and playing—with me.” He shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and put his plate in the sink. He pulled out her chair.
Merrily smoothed her sleep-rumpled hair. “I need my own shower.”
“Go on, then, while I get the door and Jesse and I finish off the coffee. Take your time, okay? I’ll clean up the kitchen.”
That sounded so nice—almost like the partnership she’d always wanted. Brick Carlisle really was the whole package.
How long would she be able to keep him?
* * *
BRICK PULLED THE section of wire fencing taut, added new staples to the post, and Jesse hammered them in with a little more force than necessary.
Curious at Jesse’s tight-lipped mood, Brick moved down to the next section. “I take it sexual frustration is adding to your fervor today?”
“None of your business.”
“I know you didn’t spend the night.”
“No, I didn’t.” Jesse checked that the fencing was still adequately buried under the ground, found one spot that was a little loose and used a looped stake to secure it.
“This is a nice yard.” Brick admired their work. “Big enough, with plenty of shade. And now that we have the fence secure, the dogs are going to love the freedom.”
“Yeah.” Standing, Jesse wiped sweat from his brow with a forearm. “I like that they don’t have close neighbors on either side.”
“Private but not so secluded they aren’t safe.”
Jesse looked toward Tonya’s porch. They could both see her hot tub, now covered, in the corner of her porch. “She’s coming to my shop on Monday to check out the wood.”
“Ah, well, then things must be looking up for you.”
“Don’t be juvenile,” Jesse groused, but he grinned.
“What?” All innocence, Brick shrugged. “I meant that you’ve still got some opportunities with her. It had nothing to do with her seeing your wood.”
“Yeah, right.” Jesse nodded at where the women worked the grill. “So how’s it going for you?”
“Okay.”
“Just okay? Because I know that you did spend the night.”
Brick rubbed the back of his neck, scowled, then blurted, “She had me damn near begging this morning.”
That got Jesse refocused real fast. “Begging for what?”
“Now who’s being juvenile?” He peeled leather work gloves off his hands. “More time with her.”
“She doesn’t want more time?”
“I think she does, but I gave her my damned spiel going in about no commitments and now she’s...well, she’s holding me to it.”
“What a dunce.” Quickly, Jesse clarified, “You, not her.” And then, “Why the hell would you go into all that with her?”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Because you always lay it out there with women?”
“Yeah.” Frustration bubbled over. “Thing is, she’s not like any of the others.”
“Duh. I could have told you that.” He clapped Brick on the shoulder. “You knew her a month and didn’t ask her out, but every time you look at her, it’s clear to anyone with eyes that you’ve got it bad. That alone sets her apart from other women.”
“Yeah.” Brick thought back on his hesitation, all the lame reasons he’d given himself for steering clear. “I’ve been an ass and now I have to figure it out.”
“Fuck me sideways. You actually admit it? Just like that?”
“Yeah. Just like that.” After having Merrily last night, he’d known deep down that he didn’t want to let her go. Not now. Not anytime soon. Probably not ever.
That thought was so uncomfortable, he glanced at Jesse. “She thought I’d want Tonya.”
“No.”
Jesse’s predicament was far more amusing than his own. “Pay attention, man. I’m head ov
er ass, so there’s no reason to mean-mug me. Tonya doesn’t interest me. Take a breath and get a grip.”
Jesse bent to pick up tools. “She spelled it out last night. Friendship is the only thing on the agenda.”
Huh. Usually Jesse scored with ease. Outright rejection had to burn his ass a little. “Better luck with the next one.”
Jesse didn’t seem to hear that sentiment. “It’s not just me, though. She said all guys are off-limits.”
Brick remembered the hot tub comment and scowled. “She’s into women?”
“Nope.” He narrowed his eyes. “I asked.”
Wow. That had to have been an interesting conversation. “Probably too many bozos hitting on her, then, her looking the way she does and all.”
“Maybe, but I get a feeling it’s more than that.” Uneasy, Jesse chewed on his thoughts a bit before saying, “There’s something about her, something sort of... Hell, I don’t know. Maybe wounded.”
And that would change everything. Brick started them toward the house. “So what are you going to do?” No way in hell would he let Jesse muck this up for him. He wanted Merrily for the long haul. A disgruntled friend of his pushing her neighbor could wear out the welcome for them both.
Jesse rolled one shoulder. “She has a lot of stuff that needs to be done around the house, and I don’t mind doing it, so I’m going to be her friend. For a little while, anyway.” He stared at Tonya as they neared the porch. “After that...I dunno. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
A LITTLE WHILE turned into a month.
Brick was having the time of his life. He came in from work greeted by berserk enthusiasm from the dogs and purring acceptance from the cats. Merrily showed more subtlety; she’d smile, wrap her arms around him and kiss him senseless.
He loved it. Hell, he loved her.
He hadn’t exactly told her yet, not with her holding that invisible timer. Instead he showed her in every way he knew how and hoped she ended up caring enough to want to get all legal with him.
They took turns cooking and cleaning and caring for the animals. Brick helped to free up her time so she could dedicate more attention to her class work. She got along great with Jesse, and it hadn’t taken her more than two minutes after her introduction for her to win over his brother, Evan, and his sister-in-law, Cinder. Of course they loved her—who wouldn’t?
Whenever possible, be it morning, afternoon, or evening, they burned up the sheets. And every time got better. He hadn’t officially moved in, but he spent far more time at her duplex than he did at his own place. For him, life was pretty damned sweet, almost as sweet as Merrily herself.
But poor Jesse hadn’t gained any headway at all.
He was still hanging around, and both sides of the house had been rehabbed in numerous ways. Tonya now had a nice fence surrounding her hot tub and a new patio for it to sit on. She’d insisted on paying something, so they’d let her buy materials—at cost—and donated the labor.
On Merrily’s side, they’d built a deck that now held an assortment of outdoor furniture and a nice propane grill.
Jesse, using every excuse he could to continue hanging around, currently put the finishing touches on a small house for the dogs and connecting perches for the cats. The pet “condo,” as Merrily called it, was elaborate and decorative and looked great in the yard.
But so far, it freaked out the animals. They walked a wide path around both structures.
Poor Merrily worried that her animals would hurt Jesse’s feelings, and that left Brick cracking up.
“You’re so tenderhearted.” It was one of the things he loved most about her.
While Jesse nailed in the last shingle on the roof of the “condo,” Dundee snarled.
“Oh, no.” Hand to her mouth, Merrily fretted. “I feel terrible. It’s so awesome. I mean, look at it. It’s like their own little home. Not just a doghouse, but something really special.”
Yeah, special enough that it had taken Jesse two weeks to build. Sure, Jesse enjoyed the work, and he even seemed to enjoy Tonya’s platonic friendship.
But Brick wasn’t fooled.
“Put a few treats in there,” Brick suggested. “The dogs will like it more then.”
“Great idea!” Merrily rushed inside to get some dog chews.
Brick strolled out to Jesse. “You can only put so many nails in there, bud.”
He gave one more whack of the hammer and relented. “Yeah, it’s done.” Standing back, he admired it. “Looks good, huh?”
Dolly got close—ran past—and slowed again. Dundee walked over and lifted his leg on the side.
“Great.” Jesse laughed. “If he’s marking his territory, then he must be willing to claim it as his own, right?”
Brick ignored that. “Tonya’s usually home by now.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Should be here any minute.”
Jesse looked up at the setting sun, then off to the side. “I have to take off soon anyway.” He bent to gather his tools. “I have a date.”
Why that shocked Brick, he couldn’t say. Hell, Jesse had shown more patience than any healthy guy could be expected. “Damn.”
He glanced up at Brick. “What?”
Brick dropped to sit on his ass, his wrists draped over his knees. “Something just occurred to me.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“Merrily’s ex.”
“What about him?”
“He waited for Merrily. For a long time, in fact.”
Jesse pulled his shirt back on. “Not as easy as it looks, ya know?”
“I can only imagine.”
“Lucky you.” Jesse shook his head. “Try living it.”
“Her ex did. Try to live with it, I mean.”
“It’s not the same, Brick.” Jesse sat in the thick grass, too, with the tree shading him. “She had reasons, right? She was younger and she had her hands full with some really heavy responsibilities.”
True, all of it. But it didn’t make him feel any better. Would he have been any better? Would he have waited for Merrily?
Could he have waited? He just didn’t know.
“I don’t suppose Tonya’s given you any reason for...?” What could Brick call it? Not lack of interest. He gestured. “For the hands-off policy.”
“Not a clue.”
They both heard a car door and knew Tonya was home.
Brick eyed him. “You sure you don’t want to stick around and have dinner with us?”
“Nope.” He pushed to his feet.
Brick did the same. He wasn’t a busybody old lady, and he sure as hell wasn’t a matchmaker. But damn it, now that he was so happy, he wanted the same for Jesse. “Talk to her one more time, okay?”
“Let it go, Brick.”
“Spell it out to her. Ask her to confide in you.” He gave Jesse a shrug. “What d’ya have to lose?”
* * *
ARMS LADEN WITH doggy treats and toys, Merrily started out but hesitated when Tonya tapped at the front door.
She rolled her eyes, knowing Tonya had seen Jesse’s truck and knowing her friend wanted to see him. But instead of going around back to where the men waited, she came to the front.
“Come on in.”
Tonya stuck her head in the door, saw Merrily standing there alone, and smiled as she walked in.
She wore another fashionable suit, this one beige with a coffee-colored blouse beneath. It looked amazing with her pale hair, but then, Tonya could wear a tent and make it look good.
Leaving the front door open, she walked in to admire the repaired baseboard in the living room. “I like it when you have a boyfriend. Things get done.”
“Wait until you see the house Jesse built for t
he animals. It’s incredible.” She shook her head on a grin. “I’ve taken shameful advantage of them both.”
“Nonsense.” Tonya relieved her of half the dog toys. “Men in love are happy to help out.”
“Jesse is in love with you?” Wow. And here she thought they hadn’t gotten past the talking stage yet.
Tonya laughed at her. “Of course not. Jesse and I are just...friends.”
“Uh-huh.” Merrily set aside her load and folded her arms. “You want to be more than friends. Admit it.”
Her smile dimmed. “I can’t.” She, too, set aside the toys. “But I was talking about Brick anyway. It’s clear he’s madly in love with you.”
Hearing that shot Merrily’s heart into her throat. She shook her head in denial, even while hope filled her. “He’s not.”
“Oh, hon, of course he is.” Tonya took her hands. “You can’t tell?”
“I...” She didn’t know what to say. “He’s wonderful.”
“Yes, he is. But wonderful men aren’t necessarily in love. There’s a difference. Brick is in love—with a capital L. Just ask him.”
“No!”
Tonya smiled. “Afraid?”
She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. “I don’t want to rock the boat.”
“Oh, please. I know men, and Brick will be thrilled to hear it from you. He’s probably doing his own share of fretting, unsure how you feel about things.”
That distracted Merrily. “If you know men so well, then why don’t you realize how invested Jesse is? He’s done everything he can to win you over.”
Tonya bit her lip—and another knock sounded on the door. Both women turned, and Merrily fell back a step. “Kyle.”
“Who?” Tonya asked.
Her stomach dropped again, this time for a very different reason. “He’s my ex.”
“No way.” Tonya looked up, saw Kyle smiling as he stepped in uninvited, and quickly sidled around Merrily to head for the kitchen. “I think I’ll just go get Brick.”
Merrily barely heard her. Kyle was back, but seeing him didn’t have the effect she’d expected. It didn’t hurt to see him. It wasn’t a relief.
