She frowned as wild imaginings ran through her head. Had he come to see what the holdup was and seen them? Was he hurt or did he leave to give them privacy?
Just then he walked back into the room from the dining room and she exhaled in relief. What the hell had she been thinking? She’d been right the first time—Colin would never just walk into her room, and even if he saw something between Trevor and her, why would it bother him? They were the couple.
Guilt at her small fantasy pricked her and she found it hard to meet either of the men’s eyes. Maybe she wasn’t built to handle something like a ménage. No—actually it was more that she was already so unsettled about her and Trevor and their relationship that there was no foundation on which to base her emotional decisions at the moment. She and Trevor really needed to have a chat and soon.
She walked blindly into the dining room and stopped in surprise. A beautiful bouquet of colourful flowers sat in the middle of the table, framed by lit tapers. Three places were set and dished with food at one end of the rectangular table.
Colin smiled when she turned to him. He poured a glass of wine and held it out to her. She accepted it gratefully. “Thank you. This all looks beautiful.”
“You’re welcome. Have a seat.” He set down his glass on the table and pulled out the chair at its head for her. After helping her, he took his own seat to her right and Trevor sat to her left, so they were an intimate tête-à-tête rather than spread out. It made sense, really.
“Eat while it’s warm,” Colin invited them. “Trev, can you pass the garlic bread?”
The food was delicious and Erica ate way too much, but just couldn’t resist. How often did she get a home-cooked meal this wonderful? Hardly ever. She never really cooked for herself—it was just easier to pick something up or let Rhonnie feed her with her crazy hours. And Trevor had never shown much inclination to cook like this. His kitchen skills ran more along the lines of how he thought of food—as fuel, not a pleasure to be savoured. Colin, though, seemed to appreciate the entire sensory experience as well as the process.
When she questioned him about it, he smiled a bit self-deprecatingly at first, but soon warmed to his subject. “I’m a bit of a home-body—when I’m not off on a contract, that is—so last thing I want to have to do is go out for meals I could make myself.”
“It’s amazing. You’re very talented,” she praised him.
“Thanks. It’s a pleasure.” His pride showed when he continued, “I actually learned a lot while I was in China about Asian cuisine. I’d love to cook for you again sometime, show you what I’ve managed to pick up.” He cleared his throat and glanced at his brother. “Both of you, of course.”
“I’d love that,” she answered honestly.
“Yeah, definitely. Maybe I should have stayed at the condo with you. I’d forgotten the benefits to living with you, man.” Trevor leant back in his chair. “You’ll just have to come here to cook for us like tonight. I mean,” he added quickly, probably realising that Colin might not want to be arbitrarily volunteered for K-P, “we’ll supply the wine and groceries then you can give it your magic touch.” He paused then added in true Trevor fashion, “And you’d get to enjoy our company.”
They all laughed. Erica was enjoying having both the brothers there in her home…and that was a huge quandary.
There was a very good chance that Colin could have been someone more her type than Trevor, but she’d met Trevor first. She was currently with him. No way could she even consider anything happening with Colin now. And even if she and Trevor called it quits, it would be the height of tacky to then start dating his brother. Talk about a daytime gossip show set-up.
On the other hand, if she broke it off with Trevor now as she’d planned, she wouldn’t have any excuse to see Colin anymore, and the thought of him disappearing from her life made her a bit queasy. Either way, she was screwed, and not in the good way.
Lust after her boyfriend’s brother? Or after her ex-boyfriend’s brother?
Awful choice. Neither one was where she wanted to go with her life.
Fuck.
Why did she have to like Colin so damn much? And why couldn’t she have met him first?
Damn it.
Chapter Seven
Beep.
“Fuck,” Colin cursed as he stopped moving and let the machine carry him down. He had debated making the phone call for exactly an hour and still hadn’t arrived at a firm decision. He knew it was an hour because it had been the entire time that he’d been on the elliptical in his brother’s workout room.
He climbed off the machine and debated grabbing a towel to dry off with then decided to just take a shower instead. When he walked into the bedroom, he looked straight to the bed, thinking, as always, about the incredible night he’d shared with Erica there.
It was beyond frustrating that he’d found such an amazing and sexy woman…who was completely off-limits to him.
“Don’t be so dramatic. Trev being with her isn’t keeping you from being friends with her,” he muttered. And that was the unkindest cut of all. Not only was he incredibly attracted to her, but he also liked her. Loved spending time with her. Speaking of which…
Might as well.
He stripped off his workout shorts and tossed them into the hamper then crossed to the dresser to pick up his phone. Before he could talk himself out of it, he quickly tapped to dial for Erica and waited.
“Hi, Colin.” Erica sounded like she was smiling.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“Oh, kinda sorta not really. Been one of those days. But it’s always good to hear from you. What’s up?”
“I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner tonight.” Crap, that really sounded like he was asking her on a date. Oh well. So much for rehearsing the casual approach.
“Umm…”
Colin winced as she hesitated. “I totally get it if you’re busy or if you feel weird without…”
“No, not at all. I’d love to. I’m just trying to figure out what time I might be done. I don’t want you waiting on me.”
Reassured by her sincere tone of voice, he relaxed a bit. “I don’t have a timetable I need to stick to. Whenever works best for you. Would you rather go somewhere casual, or I could cook and we could eat in?”
A light sigh came over the line. “Eating in sounds great actually. I’m just really tired of people right now and being at home and quiet would be heavenly. But we could do take-out if it’s too much hassle. I hate to make you do all that work for me.”
Colin grinned at how fed-up she allowed herself to come across when she’d admitted she was sick of people. “Tell you what,” he offered, thinking fast, “I’ll fix something for dinner at my place instead and then bring it over to yours. That way you get a home-cooked meal and the peace of your own place, and you don’t have a mess in the kitchen.” He cut her next words out before she could get them out, “And yes, I’m sure. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”
She chuckled and the warm sound had an instantly arousing effect. It wasn’t until his shaft began to slowly fill that he realised he’d been standing there talking to her while naked. He dropped his hand to cup his growing erection. Man, she was like the sex goddess of healing. He’d been stuck on ‘off’ for so long that he’d forgotten how good it felt to have a normal reaction to a sexy woman, much less the day to day ebb and flow of hormones.
“Okay, well if you’re sure…” She paused to join him in laughing. “How about I give you a call or text when I’m leaving the office? Then I’ll see you when you get there. I have a stock of wine…or beer, whatever you think might go best.”
He pulled lightly on his erection, feeling a bit pervy doing so while she was unaware on the other end of the line, but just appreciating the contact. “I have a good idea of what you have there from my scouting the other day, when I cooked the thank you meal for you. You have a nice kitchen. I loved working in it. A bit more complete than Trev’s.” He huffed out a la
ugh, hoping he didn’t sound as breathless to her as he did to his own ears. By all rights, he should let her get back to work then get himself off in the shower, but he hated to have the conversation end.
“It’s true, neither one of us is nearly as handy in the kitchen as you are, so it’s mostly a place to keep snacks and breakfast stuff. And coffee, of course, for us non-heathens who still drink it.”
“Amen,” he joked back. “I was shocked that he’d given it up.” He licked his palm to give him a bit of glide. Really not wanting to talk about his brother while he was doing this, he steered them in another direction. “Well, for a woman who thinks of it as place to keep snacks, you definitely have about everything you’d need if you ever did want to do some cooking.”
“I have my friend Rhon to thank for that. Restaurateurs always have it in their head that everyone loves the process as much as they do. And with the amount of time Rhonnie spends in my kitchen… Well, things just started showing up.”
A surprising burst of jealousy hit him and he stopped the movement of his hand. Who’s Ron? “Well, be sure to thank him for me,” he tried to keep his tone casual and not accusatory, but he feared he sounded like a possessive ass.
“Her. That’s right, I keep forgetting you haven’t met her yet.” She paused. “I guess you’ve only been here about a week—it seems like longer.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” The question in his head left his mouth before he could prevent it.
“Oh, a very good thing. You’re… I just really get along with you. It’s nice.”
Nice? Uh-oh. That was the kiss of death. He laughed at his wayward thoughts. “Well, I feel the same way about you.” Although I wouldn’t use the word nice. “Which is why I wanted to spend some time with you tonight.” And that was the honest truth. Sexual attraction firmly aside—where it should be, by all rights, since she was taken—he felt very comfortable and in tune with Erica. She was a pleasure to be around.
Oh yes, a definitely pleasure…
He gripped his cock again, lightly massaging it, the sound of her voice adding to the enjoyable sensations.
“I’m so glad you called. I’d better get back to it. But I’ll be in touch later on and see you soon.” The smile was back in her voice. He loved that he could tell her moods so easily.
“Bye, Erica.”
“Bye.” The call disconnected and he laid the phone on the dresser before quickly crossing to the bathroom.
He started the water in the shower and when it had warmed, he stepped in and did a quick rinse. There was no debate needed—before anything else, he squeezed out a dollop of conditioner into his palm then stepped slightly out of the spray and slicked his semi-erection.
It didn’t take much to coax it to a full stand. Colin began an easy rhythm as he closed his eyes. His mind went straight to Erica and her voice, her creamy skin and beautiful pale pink nipples…the way her mouth had been so warm and soft around his cock…and the incredible way she’d welcomed him into her body. No awkwardness, they’d moved together like they’d been partnered for years, in perfect sync.
He lingered on that memory of surging into her with her beautiful eyes focused intently on him, watching as he came…
Breathing hard, he threw his free hand up to brace himself on the wall as he jetted his cum onto the floor of the shower. He took a minute to recover and during that time, Erica’s smiling face lingered in his mind.
* * * *
“Hi!” Erica opened the door wide for him. “Let me take that.”
“Actually take this bag instead.” Colin held out a reusable shopping bag to her and kept his firm hold on the warm, foil-covered casserole dish containing the enchiladas.
She accepted the bag and stood to the side to let Colin in then closed the door and trailed him into the kitchen. “Oh my God, whatever that is, it smells fantastic. My mouth is watering.”
Colin grinned then impulsively turned and leaned to kiss her cheek before he walked over to set the dish on the stovetop. “Green chicken enchiladas. They’re done—I just need to melt a bit of pepper jack on top. I wasn’t sure if you had sour cream or other fixings, so I brought them along.” He nodded towards the bag she still held.
“You’re amazing. You’re going to spoil me.” She gave him a warm smile then began to unpack the contents of the bag. She paused before she lifted the small chili pepper plant out. “Is this for me?” she asked, examining it with delight. “It’s so sweet. Are those edible?”
The plant had been an impulse buy for him. He’d gravitated towards the floral section when he’d gone shopping earlier, but he wasn’t sure whether it was too romantic to bring a bouquet. So when he’d spotted the little pepper plants with the bright orange fruits hanging from them, he’d decided to keep to the Mexican theme. “Yes, I imagine they are, though they’re kind of pretty just as décor.”
“Oh definitely. I know just the place for you,” she crooned to the plant and carried it over to the sink, above which was a kitchen window of the type made exactly for housing plants to maximize sun. It was exactly where Colin had pictured it going when he’d chosen it. She moved a few things around and gave it a place of honour then stepped back and admired it with a pleased expression.
“Thank you so much. I love it.” She threw her arms around Colin and pressed against him for a tight hug. His eyes closed and he held her to him for several seconds, inhaling her already recognizable scent, before he reluctantly released her.
She stepped back with a hint of awareness in her eyes and her lips parted. Then she closed her mouth and turned away, breaking the spell. “So what can I do to help?”
Colin shook his head at himself and turned on the broiler. “Do you want to eat inside or out? Hmm, I guess it’s getting a bit dark out there…”
“Why don’t we eat inside, but maybe we can go sit outside and enjoy the evening afterwards?”
“Okay, that sounds good.” He opened the pepper jack, which he’d bought pre-shredded to help minimise the prep, mindful of his earlier wish to not make a mess in her house, though he fully planned to do the few dishes too. After sprinkling the pan with cheese, he popped it under the heat to melt and meanwhile opened the sour cream and pico de gallo. “We’ll keep this simple rather than dirty more dishes.” He got out two spoons and plopped one each into the containers.
“Perfect.” Erica grinned. “Believe it or not, I don’t mind casual dining.” She lowered his voice conspiratorially. “I even eat out of the carton sometimes.”
They shared a laugh, Colin loving the image of the usually put-together Erica hunkered over a take-out container with a fork.
“So—do you have a plan for what to drink? I can get something out.”
“Actually, I was just thinking we’d have a couple of those Dos Equis Ambers I saw in your beverage cooler. I brought some sliced limes.”
“Oh, that’s what the limes are for. I thought they were a garnish.” She made a silly face. “Because I’m all about the accessories, of course.” Erica walked over to the under counter glass-front fridge, opened it and pulled out two bottles of beer. Then to his surprise, she did something under the counter’s edge to open them and neatly caught the tops in her hand.
He walked over to take a look at the mounted bottle opener then took the two open bottles from her. “Wow, that’s handy. Very clever. More of Rhonnie’s work?”
“Yes.” Erica nodded ruefully. “I bought this place new and they were still finishing it, so she took over the kitchen plans and had them include this small fridge and the wine fridge in the pantry. And the window box. And the extra oven. And the bottle opener.” She waved her hand around the room as Colin laughed.
He took slivers of lime and popped them into the bottles. “Cheers,” he toasted and they clinked bottles. After a quick drink, he set his down then pulled the enchiladas from the oven. He set them on the stovetop and turned the broiler off. “Perfect timing. Do you want to grab some plates?”
; Erica set two plates out then stood back and watched as Colin plated their helpings and garnished them with fresh cilantro, sour cream and the pico de gallo. “See? I did plan a garnish, just not the lime.”
He carried the plate to the table and followed her lead as she set her bottle on the placemat at the head of the table, then put his next to hers in the same place he’d sat the other night.
It struck him how effortless it was to be with Erica. The camaraderie they shared was true and easy. He tried to thrust away the wishes he knew had no place in their lives and just enjoy his time with her.
They ate their meal, both of them going back for second helpings, and talked about various topics. The conversation never really lagged, though they didn’t fill every single moment with chatter, sometimes content to simply enjoy the food and company.
After they’d cleared the kitchen—together, in spite of Colin’s protests that she should sit and relax—they made cups of coffee and moved to the balcony. In addition to the chairs and table set, there was a loveseat glider, and it was there that Erica sat. Colin started to move towards a chair, but Erica beckoned him over, patting the seat next to her.
“Come try this out. It’s really smooth and comfortable.”
Colin changed direction and set down their coffees on the low table in front of the seat, then sat next to Erica. His weight set the glider in motion. “Wow. Doesn’t take much to get it going, does it?”
“No, which is fine. I like rocking. It’s very soothing to me.” She sort of wriggled down into the cushion and lifted her feet to tuck them to the side up on the seat, angling herself in Colin’s direction.
The moment just seemed to call out for him to hold her and he raised his arm along the back. She instantly settled in against him, and Colin wondered with a touch of bitterness whether this was something she did often with Trevor and if Colin was being used a substitute while he was gone. Immediately he tried to banish the thought, but he must have communicated his turmoil through tension in his body, because Erica lifted her head.
Falling for the Other Brother Page 5
