by Lea Hart
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sunday, July 23rd
Brady parked his truck in front of Claire’s ranch house and hoped like hell she liked surprises. He’d decided not to call and see if she wanted company because it would give her a chance to say no. When he’d read about the dog adoption fair at Beaullieu Park, he’d known it would be the perfect excuse.
He got out of his truck and hoped she had recovered from the hangover she was probably suffering from. Lilly had made a deadly thing called an Orange Blossom, which had mandarin vodka, Bayou Satsuma Rum, lemon, orange juice, and star anise. The ladies had more than a few and he figured they were all suffering today. He, Brock, and Hunter had kept to beer, so he was feeling as fit as a fiddle on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
As he walked up the path to Claire’s front door, he took the time to notice that the front was nicely landscaped and she had an impressive array of flowers blooming next to the front door. Which meant someone had taught her about the importance of gardening.
A house wasn’t a home until a woman took hold of it and made things right, and it seemed that Claire had done just that with her small house. He knocked on the front door and hoped she wasn’t going to be too pissed that he’d shown up.
Didn’t seem like that was going to be possible because the woman who opened the door did not look happy at all. Claire was wearing a pair of pink boxers, a T-shirt that advertised the local drive-through daiquiri place, and a hairstyle he didn’t dare to describe. “Hey, darlin’.”
“Brady, what are you doin’ here?”
“I found a dog fair for us to go to.”
When she stepped back, he walked in and closed the door behind him. Looking around, he knew he’d been right about a woman making a home. Claire had made this old house a beautiful, warm sanctuary. There were pictures hung on the walls, bookcases stuffed with books and mementos, and a soft blanket draped over the couch. All the touches that men never thought of were present. “Go put some clothes on and we can grab some lunch and then see if we like any of the dogs that are up for adoption.”
Sighing, she slowly walked into the kitchen and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea, then filled two glasses. “I don’t want to get dressed.”
Shrugging, he took the glass of tea she offered, sat on one of the stools at the bar, and grinned. “Just put a bra on, then, and a pair of shorts. Our dog could be out there and we don’t want to miss him just ’cause you didn’t want to get dressed.”
Slapping her hand on the counter, she huffed out a breath. “I was having a peaceful afternoon binging on Criminal Minds and I do not need the likes of you interrupting me.”
“Fine, don’t put a bra on. Just don’t be mad when I hit someone for staring.”
Waving her hand around, she sputtered, “This is why I decided to try online dating. The crazies are usually weeded out.”
He took a healthy drink and shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s working out so good.”
“If this is your charming personality, I’m going to give a hard pass.”
“I’ll take you to Olde Tyme Grocery and get you a sandwich and a snowball.” When her shoulders lowered and some of her venom disappeared, he figured she was softening. He kept his mouth shut and drank his tea because if wanted a chance, he’d best not gloat.
“I’ll be ordering fries to go along with my sandwich.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“I’m not putting on any makeup.”
“You’re too pretty to need anything.” He watched her fiddle with the towel next to the sink and then take a drink of her tea. If he was a betting man, he’d say he had her. Could be the promise of fries and a snowball. Whatever it was, he was grateful.
“All right.”
The smile that threatened to break across his face would not make her happy, so he looked down at his glass and tried to keep a straight face. If she got any hint as to how satisfied he was, she would take back her yes and just give him a bunch of no’s. “Thank you,” he said.
“I see that smile you’re fighting and I suggest you keep doing it. A woman does not like to think that she’s easily played.”
“Never thought that for a moment.” When she walked out of the kitchen, he let out a breath. So far so good. All he had to do was take small steps in the direction that he wanted them to end up and hope like hell she didn’t figure it out until they’d arrived. If God was planning on bestowing any favors on him, he sure would like Claire to be happy when they did.
***
Brady sat next to Claire in the small dining room that sat adjacent to the market and enjoyed his sandwich. They were sitting at the table right next to the stuffed bear and he swore the dead animal was glaring. Not much had been said since they sat down and started eating and he hoped it was due to the deliciousness of the po’boys in front of them. He didn’t mind quiet while he ate. He just wanted a little indication from Claire that she didn’t either.
His bold move this afternoon had as much of a chance at failing as it did at succeeding and he didn’t know which side they were closest to. He figured once she’d had a snowball, she would think this was all a pretty good idea. “Need anything?” he asked as she took a break.
“My goodness, no. This is perfect.” Leaning back, she bumped into old Smokey and laughed. “Not every day you eat next to a bear.”
“That is the truth. My granddaddy was into hunting and fishing, but my daddy wasn’t much for it. I didn’t grow up with any stuffed animals hung on the walls.”
“My daddy liked to go to duck camp with his buddies, but that was the extent of his hunting.”
“Do your folks live in town?” he asked.
“No…they were killed when I was fourteen in a car accident.”
Leaning forward, he covered her hand with his. “Sorry, darlin’. I know how hard it is to lose a parent.”
“How?” she asked. “I don’t mean to be rude, but unless you’ve lost one, you have no idea.”
“Lost my mama to cancer when I was eight. I’m speaking from experience.”
Claire bent down and rested her head against their joined hands. “I’m an idiot. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
Lifting her face with his fingers, he gave her a small smile. “I get it. People always offer some bullshit platitude when they hear, so thinking that I had no idea what you were talking about isn’t surprising.”
“Still, it was insensitive and I apologize.”
Brady leaned forward until their faces were an inch apart. “Give me a sweet kiss and all is forgiven.” He didn’t really expect her to comply, so when she closed the gap and laid her soft, sweet lips against his, he about fell out of his chair. Electricity shot through his heart as their mouths melded together, and he knew there had never been a more perfect first kiss in all of history. When she pulled away, he leaned forward and gave her one more before she escaped. “I bet we have a lot of things in common.”
“Maybe we do,” she replied as her hand fluttered to his chest.
Claire’s small hand resting against his T-shirt was one of the finest moments of his life. It signaled to him that he wasn’t completely crazy and whatever he’d been feeling might be reciprocated at some point. Everything about his life had taught him to appreciate any small moment of happiness that came his way. Things, people, and circumstances could change on a dime and if you didn’t grab hold of the good stuff, you might very well end up empty-handed.
This right here was a piece of the good stuff, and he filled his lungs with the scent of the woman sitting next to him and the memory of her lips against his. It was the sort of thing that could make a man believe in happiness. A happiness that could last.
When the sound of the crowded restaurant filled his ears, he lifted his head away and noticed she had a very happy smile on her face. “You about ready for that snowball?”
“Almost. I’m going to eat a couple more fries.”
“Proud of you, girl,” he respon
ded as he twined their hands together. Might as well take advantage of their closeness and keep them connected. When she gave him a smile as she lifted a fry, he about pulled her into his lap.
After she was done, she slipped her hand away and Brady decided to let her. It was one thing to show interest and it was another thing to be a possessive asshole. Right now, he wanted to stay well on the side of polite interest. If he showed more, she was going to rabbit and he’d never have a chance.
“This is about the best time I’ve had all week. I didn’t even have to do my hair or makeup. Which, truth be told, is a relief. I had no idea that dating took so much time,” Claire commented as she sat back.
He let his eyes graze over her shapely, tanned legs and bit his bottom lip. She was as appealing as any woman he’d ever seen. The fact that she looked happy only made her all the more beautiful. “I’ve never seen you look prettier.”
“My goodness, that is a lot of hogwash.” Patting his hand, she crossed her legs and then piled her napkins onto her plate. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel good, though.”
“It’s the truth.” He collected her plate and then his and got up to dump them into the trash. When he returned, he saw that she was studying him with a nice amount of interest. Yep, definitely a good day. He held out his hand and waited. “Come on. Let’s go get a snowball and then see if we find a dog.”
“I don’t know why you keep sayin’ us and we. I’m going to find a dog I like who will fit into my life.” She put her hand in his and stood.
When he saw that her shorts were riding up, he pulled them down. No one needed to see more of Claire than was necessary. Also, the whole my dog business was a crock of shit. If they were going to be together then it was going to be their dog. Which might not be necessary to point out at this exact moment. “Let’s get to gettin’, then. We don’t want all the good ones taken.”
“You’re right. We can take our snowballs to go.”
He led her out of the market and slipped his sunglasses on as they headed to the side of the building where the snowballs were sold. As they stood in line, he looped his arm over her shoulder and felt like he was getting real close to making a dream happen. A pretty girl in his arms, a satisfying career, and maybe a dog. Now all he had to do was get Claire interested in sharing it all with him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Monday, July 24th
Sitting at her desk, Claire studied her spreadsheet and realized her week of dates had been totally derailed. It went okay for the first three, but everything after that had been a big waste of time. Which is exactly the opposite of what she wanted. All the time she had taken to craft her online profile might very well be wasted if she couldn’t get her train heading in the right direction.
Checking the schedule, she realized she was supposed to meet Vince the vet for dinner. Which, up until Saturday, she’d been real excited about. Darn Brady had distracted her from her purpose. Twirling her pen in her hand, she realized that they’d spent the whole weekend together. And…she liked it.
Liked him.
Which would never do. From the moment she’d called him on Friday, they had barely been apart. Squaring her shoulders, she dropped the pen on her desk, pulled up Vince’s profile on Facebook, and gazed at his handsome face. Last week when they had spoken, she felt like he might be the best candidate, and now she could barely scrabble together an ounce of excitement. She realized it was because of the kiss Brady had given her last night when he dropped her off. Standing under the porch light, with the sounds of summer filling the air, he gave her one of the best kisses of her life. It was the sort of kiss that made a woman believe in fairy tales, princes, and happily-ever-after. Which wasn’t something she wanted to do.
Rational thought, careful consideration, and questionnaires were supposed to lead her to a happy relationship. Not a big, sexy alpha man she had nothing in common with.
He was like a damn Snickers bar, hard to resist and not good for her health. But damn delicious and probably very satisfying.
But she could resist. It wasn’t like she had all that much fun with him. So what if he rescued her from a situation that could have potentially been dangerous? So what if he took her to Borden’s after without a breath of complaint? It’s not like a lot of men wouldn’t do the very same thing.
Liar, liar, pants on fire, her inner voice chanted. Brady was a fine man and he’d shown that to her again and again over the weekend.
“But…what?” she asked herself.
Was she resisting him because she lost her breath and her sense when she’d seen his very fine body draped in a towel? Maybe.
Or was it the way he kissed her and made her toes curl? Possibly.
It might be best to ignore all the feelings Brady was evoking and concentrate on the men she had something in common with. Maybe Vince the vet was the one she’d been waiting for. Leaning closer, she studied his jaw and realized it wasn’t as sharp as Brady’s. No matter. They probably would never stop having things to discuss. She knew from the emails they’d exchanged that they liked the same music, had similar political beliefs, and both liked fried pickles. As far as she was concerned, that was a lot. Except he didn’t really get her jokes. She’d discovered that when they’d spoken last week. She’d attributed it to nerves and hoped that when they met in person, they would find a rhythm. After all, he was smart and educated and had a terrific career. And the man loved dogs. What more could she want?
Rubbing her bottom lip, she realized she wanted a hundred more kisses like the one Brady had given her. That was some fine magic he conjured up when he pressed his mouth against hers. It was like being in the middle of a firework. Electricity passed through her body and bright sparkly lights lit up her vision. Also, that weird tumbly feeling in her stomach wasn’t bad, either. No doubt about it—the man knew how to kiss.
Which begged the question, was it him or just his superior ability? After all, the man wasn’t born a lethal operator. He learned all of those skills when he joined the FBI. Maybe the kissing was something he learned too, which meant a lot of other men had the ability as well. Not that she’d come across one in all her years of dating, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t. Maybe Vince was a magical kisser as well. All she had to do was meet him at six tonight at Charly G’s and find out. Clearly, he thought they were going to hit it off because he had insisted on dinner and not just drinks. She’d found it charming when he suggested they go all in and spend more than thirty minutes together.
She dragged her purse off the back of her chair, dug into the black hole, and found her phone. Time to confirm their plans. No more hesitating. Just as she was looking for his number, Brady walked into her office.
Drat!
“Hey,” she called out as she continued to scroll through her contacts. It was best if she didn’t pay him too much attention because if she did, those doubtful thoughts about going on her date could creep back in. Brady was going to be a friend and nothing more. No matter how much electricity was sparking between them.
“I hope you’re canceling your date this evening. No way are you going out with another man after the weekend we had together,” he said with a confident grin.
Lifting her eyes, she watched him stalk across the room and park his behind on the corner of her desk. He crossed his enormous arms and let his leg swing back and forth like he was the damn king of the jungle. “As a matter of fact, I’m just about to confirm my dinner plans with Vince.”
Even if she was having a hundred doubts, there was no way she was canceling now. The nerve of the man, telling her what to do. “He’s taking me to dinner and I’m looking forward to getting to know him.” The fact that she had just talked herself into going through with it was of no concern to the man fuming in front of her.
“Are you telling me that you’re going out with another man, despite what happened this weekend?”
The way his voice got low and he leaned forward made her wonder what he’d be like in bed. Which i
s exactly what she didn’t need to be thinking about. Happy hormones and fluttery feelings had never really worked out for her, and she didn’t think Brady was going to be the exception. Having things in common, shared goals, and mutual respect were important. Not star-tripping excitement.
“I had these plans long before you came along, and I’m not going to cancel just because we spent some time together. Vince and I have a lot in common and I would be a fool not to get to know him.”
“You haven’t spent a minute in his company. Why do you think you have anything in common?”
“The questionnaire. The dating site I’m on uses it as a starting point to discover who might be a good match and then applies an algorithm to fine-tune it. I looked at what they use and I have to say, it’s kind of impressive.”
“You like this because it makes sense to you.” Shaking his head, he gave her a very sad smile. “The one thing a computer can’t tell you is who you have chemistry with. None of your fancy formulas are going to point you in the direction of the person who is your other half. Fate, God, and a bit of luck are the only things that are going to help people find the right one.”
Leaning back in her chair, Claire scrunched up her face. “Sorry, that is a load of bull hockey. None of those things have ever helped me and I don’t expect them to. Logic and reason are a lot better and that’s what I plan on using.”
Brady stood and leaned over with a sexy smirk. “Darlin’, we’ve had a kiss or two since Friday, and I, for one, know that magic like that has nothing to do with any program on a computer. The way you make me feel when our lips are pressed together tells me that there is a God and he or she is blessing me with his or her good grace.”
