“Was what?”
When she asks the question, I realize I spoke out loud. I use what little strength I have to lean up to look down at her.
“I have no words.”
She frowns at me.
“Seriously, woman, I don’t know if I will ever be able to think straight again.”
She rolls her eyes, but I lean forward to nibble on her bottom lip.
“It’s the truth, Savannah. You undid me.”
Her eyes soften. “Right back at you.”
I smile, then I give her a kiss, trying to let her know exactly how I feel. I know that if I profess my true feelings right now, she wouldn’t believe me. My Savannah is a cynic.
My Savannah.
I like the sound of that. Instead, I ease out of her slowly and feel a little guilt when she winces. “Sorry.”
She gives me a sleepy smile. “Don’t ever be sorry for making me orgasm twice, unless it’s because you’re sad you didn’t give me three.”
I can’t stop the bark of laughter and I don’t want to. Seeing her smiling up at me like this, I know I want it all. I want the house, the kids, the late nights of lovemaking…all of it.
I cup her face and lean down to kiss her, just a brush of my mouth over hers. Then, I force myself out of bed so I can get rid of the condom. On my way back to bed, I notice McLovin giving me the evil eye from the chair and I ignore the asshole.
Once I’m back in bed, I pull her into my arms.
“I hope I wasn’t too rough.”
She chuckles, and I count that as another win.
“Maybe you weren’t rough enough.”
I pull back and look down at her. She’s grinning at me, her eyes sparkling.
“You are the strangest virgin.”
“I was a strange virgin. Now I’m just strange.”
I kiss her nose, the act tender and almost endearing. This time, when I pull away, my heart turns over in my chest.
“Get some sleep,” I say.
She chuckles. “Yeah, why?”
“Because I haven’t had enough of you.”
She gives me a little smile before she snuggles in closer. The truth is, I don’t think I will ever get enough of her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Savannah
When I wake again, the room is dark but only because of my blackout curtains. Light peeks around the edges of the heavy fabric. I shift and feel the weight of Fritz’s arm. Not wanting to wake him, I still. I know he didn’t have much sleep last night. Add in the emotional upheaval of his Grannie Pam’s episode, he has to be exhausted. I take a long, deep breath and quietly sigh out my exhale. His scent surrounds me, the sandalwood cologne and the unique scent of Fritz.
What’s going to happen now? Will we continue living together? It will become awkward if we aren’t sleeping together. At least, for me it will be. For Fritz, I have no idea. He tends to play it loose with women. Maybe he just wants to move on from here and go back to being friends. I can do that.
In the next second, I admit my lie. I don’t know if I will ever be able to go back to merely being friends with him. I’m ridiculously in love with him. And that is going to be so sad. When he gets bored and starts dating other women, I’m going to have to deal with it.
Maybe I’m not in love with him. It might be just the virgin thing. Like, any guy I slept with the first time would make me think I was in love with him. I think back to what EJ and Allison have said about that. We have always been open about our sex lives, or lack thereof. Both of them describe it as not being that memorable. They each said that they were too young and inexperienced at the time, barely having done anything outside of heavy petting. I am not that kind of woman. Until last night, I had done almost everything outside of intercourse, so maybe that’s why. My age might be another factor. Also, Fritz is definitely amazing in bed.
“Jesus, woman, you’re making my head hurt,” he murmurs, his voice deeper than normal, filled with sleepy satisfaction. It’s all I can do to keep from sighing like a teenager with a crush. I feel his mouth on my skin, at that little slope where my neck meets my shoulders.
“Why am I making your head hurt?”
He continues to move his mouth over my flesh, then says, “You’re thinking too much.”
“Oh, now you can read thoughts?”
He chuckles and I curl my toes at the decadent sound. This man has turned me inside out, and the control freak that I usually am is just not happy about it. But that bitch can step back. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like this, just for me and no one else.
“I can’t read them, but I’m touching you. You tensed up.”
Did I? Dammit. The man already knows me too well, and I feel like I don’t know him at all.
He shifts away from me; his body no longer giving me his heat. I expect him to get out of the bed and leave me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he urges me onto my back. He leans over me and smiles.
“Good afternoon, Savannah.”
His eyes are warm, his smile one of those kinds that women talk about. You know what I mean…the kind of curving of the lips that make women swoon and babies coo.
“Good afternoon, Fritz.”
“Now,” he said, settling against me. “Tell me what’s worrying you this morning.”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t make me roll you over and spank you.”
The idea of his hand hard against my ass shouldn’t excite me, but I can’t help it. Heat flares low in my belly and the tell-tale signs of arousal slip over me.
“Good god, woman, don’t look at me like that. I’ll take you again, but it’s too soon.”
I frown.
He rolls his eyes. “Seriously, stop that.”
“What?”
“Looking like that. It makes me…fuck,” he swoops in and kisses me, hard, bruising, and so totally arousing. This man.
He pulls back. “Now, tell me what’s worrying you.”
“I would rather kiss you.”
Fritz chuckles. “Jesus, woman. You are going to leave me without the ability to think.”
“I can do that?”
I’m not being coy. I might’ve had dates, I might have had oral sex before Fritz, but this is new for me. I also never understood my appeal. I know I’m attractive, but I’m also a temperamental asshole who’s difficult to deal with.
“Yeah,” he says, nibbling on my chin. “So, tell me.”
I don’t want to give into his demand. If I do, he will feel the need to lie to me, and I don’t want to deal with that. So, a half truth is about as far as I am willing to go right now.
“I’ve never really had a real morning after, so I’m just not sure what to do here.”
“Ah,” he says like that explains everything. I know he can tell I am not being completely truthful with him, but he’s not going to push it.
I open my mouth to explain, but the doorbell rings, and then there is pounding on my front door. I frown.
“You weren’t expecting anyone, were you?” Fritz asks as we both slip out of bed.
I shake my head. “EJ’s at work and Allison isn’t heading back from France until tonight.”
I grab my big fuzzy robe I rarely use because, hello, I live in San Antonio. After slipping it on and tying the belt, I head out the door.
“Wait, Savannah,” Fritz says as he steps into his jeans.
“I can answer my own door. It’s the middle of the day.”
I head down the stairs. The knocking has stopped, but as I step off the last stair, the knocking starts again. I look through the peephole and frown. All four of my brothers are on my stoop. I open the door.
“What the fuck?”
“Well, aren’t you pleasant? It’s the middle of the day, Savannah,” Austin says.
“Thanks. Is that why you stopped by? I have a clock, so you don’t really need to do this.”
“Come on, Savannah, we need to talk,” Diego says.
“Why?”
> “When did you quit?” Austin asks.
“I didn’t quit, I was fired.”
“Who is it?” Fritz asks as he walks down the stairs behind me. I look around and smile. He didn’t put on a shirt and his jeans aren’t even buttoned. So…fucking…sexy. Jesus, those tats, those muscles, that little happy trail bisecting his abs leading to that cock, I just want to eat him up.
His eyes take in my brothers, and I turn to face them again. “What are you all here for?”
“I might ask what he’s doing here?” Diego’s frown turns darker.
“Uh, none of your fucking business,” I say at the same time Fritz says, “I live here.”
“What?” Austin shouts.
God, he’s so loud. He’s always been that way. I didn’t want them in my house, but I don’t have a choice. Not with Mrs. Houseman looking on from across the street. That old biddy would call the cops on the Mexicans having a fight on the street.
I step back. “Come on in, boys.”
I emphasize that word because that is what they are. They might all hold jobs with the company, but they never take major responsibility. Granted, my parents never gave it to them, but they still never attempted to do anything beyond what they are all currently doing.
They file in and all of them toss Fritz nasty looks as they walk past him. He ignores them and steps closer to me.
“Do you want me to disappear?”
I frown. “Of course not. But, if I have to deal with them, I should have some coffee.”
He smiles and kisses my forehead. “Anything for you.”
“Also, how about buttoning your jeans? Super sexy, but maybe not remind them what we’ve been doing, and will definitely be doing later.”
His mouth twitches and he does as I ask. When he steps back and heads into the kitchen, I notice McLovin trailing after him. When the cat walks passed the table, he gives my brothers an irritated look. Apparently, he likes my brothers less than he likes Fritz. That is one other thing we both agree on.
I walk into the area where I keep my kitchenette table and wait. They are all watching Fritz like they think he’s some kind of intruder, which is rich since that’s their roll.
“So, want to tell me what you’re doing here on a Saturday?”
Each of them turns to me with the exception of Austin. His gaze lingers on Fritz, and I know that he wants to say something about me having a man in my house. When he finally turns to face me, it’s clear the others are waiting for him to begin.
“How long has he been living with you?”
“Over a month.”
Austin’s eyebrows climb. “And you didn’t tell us?”
“None of you ever want to know what I’m doing in my personal life. So why would you care now?”
Yeah, I might have thrown that out there, but they deserve it.
“And is this going anywhere?” Dallas asks. Yeah, he’s one of the middles, as we call him and Diego, and all of a sudden, he thinks he can judge my personal life.
“Why do you think you need to know?”
“You’re our sister.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say I’m not, but Fritz comes over to sit beside me. He knows the pain this is causing me.
“When you explain the twins I caught you with in your apartment a few years ago, then I will talk about Fritz. And, I will repeat the question. Why are you all here?”
Austin tears his gaze away from Fritz. “You quit and none of us knew.”
“I’ve been living with her for six weeks and not one of you knew, so I am guessing there is a lot about her life you don’t know,” Fritz says. All four of my brothers frown at him. If I wasn’t so irritated, I would have laughed.
“Really?” Lou asks.
Fritz crosses his arms over his chest and nods. “I know about my sisters’ lives. I have four.”
“And you know who they are living with?”
“Most of the time. But we’re a close family.”
“You’re okay with them sleeping with guys?” Lou asks, a sneer curling his upper lip.
Fritz shrugs. “They’re all grown women with good heads on their shoulders. I think they can decide what they need in life and who they want in it. What I want to know is what kind of loser brothers are you that you didn’t know she had a roommate for six weeks?”
Oh, crap, they did not like that question, but Fritz is right. He knows what’s going on in his sisters’ lives. He knows about their kids, who Avery is working for, and how many shifts his sister Gerry has worked in one week. My “brothers” have no idea what I am doing at any given time.
“And Diego knew last Saturday about me not working for Mom and Dad.”
Austin tosses Diego a sneer. “Yeah, we only found out when I showed back up to work last night.”
“And? Listen, great to have you here to acknowledge I was fired. But I don’t understand why you all came over here on a Saturday to confront me.”
“We texted you all morning.”
I smirk at my oldest brother. “I was busy.”
He tosses Fritz a dirty look, then looks back at me. “We have family business to discuss.”
I cross my arms beneath my breasts. “So. Tell me. You can talk about it in front of Fritz. Truth is, he knows more than the four of you know.”
Again, their gazes swing to Fritz, who smiles at them. Then he pats me on the knee. “I’ll get your coffee.”
He leaves us, though he is just in the kitchen and can hear everything.
“He’s an outsider,” Dallas spits out.
“No, I am.”
Confusion stamps the features of three of their faces. Austin…he looks surprised, then the acknowledgment comes along with sadness.
He knows.
There is no doubt in my mind.
“We’re here because of the finances of Martinez Holdings,” Diego says, placing a thumb drive on the table. “We’re kind of fucked if we can’t figure something out.”
I look at the thumb drive, then back up at them. “What does that mean?”
“Mom and Dad have driven us so far into the red that there is a good chance we’ll have to declare bankruptcy by the end of the year.”
“And what does this have to do with me?”
“It’s our legacy,” Dallas says, but there isn’t that much gusto behind it. The truth is, Austin, Lou, and I are the only ones who really love the business. Dallas handles the marketing because he’s good with art. He’d rather work with iron, sculpting his days away.
“Maybe it’s yours, but it isn’t mine anymore. You don’t have to worry about the contract. I won’t insist on taking my recipes off the menu.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Diego demands in a near shout.
“Whoa there, Diego, you might want to dial it back,” Fritz says as he sets a mug of coffee in front of me on the table. He has a mug for himself, but I notice he doesn’t offer my brothers anything. Good.
“What I mean is that I signed a contract when I returned. I have a right to all the recipes I’ve developed. You can keep them.”
Austin shakes his head. “We want you back.”
“I don’t want to be back.”
“We’re your family.”
“In a way, I guess you are. But I don’t ever want to work for the family again.”
The moment I say it, I realize how true it is. Over the last few days, I have never felt this free before, and I don’t want that to change. It was what I had wanted to do for the longest time. Even before a kid should have thoughts of what they want to be when they grew up, it was assumed I would take over for Tito. My natural talent appeared before I turned six. From that point on, all I thought I wanted to do was take over the business. Even when Tito begged me to stay away, I always wanted to come back. Now…I don’t. I’m not sure what I want to do, but I know it isn’t that.
“What the fuck, Savannah?” Diego growls. “Of course, you’re family. You’re our sister. None of that has change
d.”
I feel Fritz’s hand on my knee. He squeezes it, letting me know that he’s there for me. All three of my younger brothers look confused by this argument, but I’m certain that Austin knows. I can see it in his expression.
“Do you want me to tell them? Or maybe you should have before you barged into my house.”
“We didn’t barge into your house,” Austin says.
“I’ve lived here for almost a year. I’ve been back how many years? None of you ever came over before now. Before it affected you personally.”
He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.
“What is she talking about?” Lou asks.
“I don’t think it’s important now,” Austin says.
I stare at him, knowing he is taking the coward’s way out. He could have stepped up this one time, but he isn’t going to. He’s going to make me do it, just like they always do.
“Fine.” I look at my other brothers. “I’m not your sister. Austin knows, from the way he’s acting, but I’m guessing none of you did.”
“Savannah.” I look at Austin, sadness and apology mar his pretty face.
“You know it’s true.”
“We didn’t have to tell them.”
“Wait? You mean this is true?” Diego asks.
“And you didn’t tell us?” This comes from Lou.
“Yeah, I knew. I’ve known for a while.”
“How?” I ask. “I mean, I guess it doesn’t matter, but I would like to know. Did they tell you?”
He shakes his head. “I heard Tito and Dad arguing. Mom came in and spat that out at him.”
I blink as tears burn the backs of my eyes. “Are you kidding me? When was this fight?”
“It was right before Tito went out to see you in San Francisco. He…”
Scrumptious: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Camos and Cupcakes Book 3) Page 24
