She pulls back, looking up at me. “Does knowing he has a plan make it better?”
“It’s better than when I opened my eyes this morning. A lot of things are better.”
Her lip disappears into her mouth, and she steps away, crossing her arms over her waist. “Are they better? Everything feels more complicated to me.”
I don’t like the sound of that.
“Hey, look at me.” I touch her cheek, and her pretty eyes meet mine. “Are you regretting last night?”
“No. Of course, not.” Her shoulders relax and she waves a hand. “I just didn’t want to make any assumptions, and with the way things are… that’s all.”
I feel like that’s not all by a longshot, but we can start here. “I’d like to see you again–if you’re interested.”
“I’m interested.”
I like how quickly she says it, and I’m sure my amusement is in my eyes. “Now, who the fuck are those assholes in the kitchen?”
Exhaling a laugh, she rolls her eyes. “Not my first choice of house guests, believe me.”
“What do they want?”
“According to Trip, my mother sent them to check on me. Or, if you ask Greg, New York is a nightmare right now. Who knows which is the real story?”
“How long are they planning to stay?”
“A few days? They’re headed back for the Belmont Gala.”
“Is that still happening?”
“As a matter of fact, my mother is very involved in that annual event. She’ll be pleased to know you’re so interested.” She’s teasing, and I let my eyes roam her beautiful face. I like seeing her smile.
“I guess I’m not the gala type.”
“To be honest, I’m not feeling much like it myself this year,” she sighs. “I was just heading to your house to collect our things. Hana and I’ll stay here while the guys are in town.”
“I don’t like that.” I don’t know if I’m being possessive or overprotective or both. “We still don’t know what’s going on around here or why Hugh left the way he did.”
“I can’t have Trip and Greg here alone, and I’m not telling them what’s really going on.” She gives me a little smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll be safe.”
“Keeping you safe is my job.” I hook my thumbs in her belt loops and pull her against my chest. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”
Gray-blue eyes meet mine, and she slides her hands up my shoulders. “It’s only a few days. I can’t exactly throw them out.”
“Can’t you?”
Rising on her toes, she lifts her lips to my ear. “You’re not jealous are you?”
It registers straight to my cock, and I push her back against the door. “I don’t get jealous. I get what I want.”
Leaning down, I cover her mouth with mine. Her pillow lips part, and she tastes like sugar as her tongue curls with mine. I slide my hands from her waist, circling my thumbs over her pointed nipples, and she emits a soft whimper.
I’m hard as a rock, tracing my lips to her eyebrow and into her hair. “I can’t fuck you if you’re here.”
“What’s stopping you?”
I’m ready to jerk those jeans down her hips and nail her to the wall when I hear voices outside the door. Exhaling a swear, I step back, sliding my hand over the boner in my pants.
“Come back to the house for dinner tonight, and bring your guests.” My tone is all business, and she’s killing me leaning against the door with heat in her eyes, breathing fast. “Lurlene bought a pile of groceries, and she’s planning a big dinner for all of us.”
Her disappointed smile is very satisfying. I like knowing she wants more, because I plan to give it to her.
“We’ll be there.” She turns with a sigh, opening the door. “I’ll pick up our things then.”
I catch her arm, not wanting to leave her with a pout. Leaning down, I press my lips to hers once more, and she melts into me.
My hand rises to her cheek, and I press my thumb to her chin. She blinks her pretty eyes open slowly, and I let her go. “Tonight.”
11
Blake
“Two men from New York?” Lurlene flurries around the kitchen like the house is on fire. “I don’t know if this is fancy enough. I need better dishes.”
“An additional fifth of vodka will be plenty.” I’m only half-teasing, hoping to calm her insecurity. “Trust me, Greg and Trip aren’t picky. They’ll drink more than they eat.”
Lurlene looks back at me as she opens a small cabinet over a partially filled wine rack. “We have a bottle of scotch and this whiskey.” She pulls out a small flask. “Hutch doesn’t drink much now that Pepper’s here.”
That nugget of information is unexpectedly satisfying, and I watch as Lurlene lifts the lid from a pan of sizzling pork chops. The kitchen fills with the scent of garlic and herbs, and my stomach growls loudly.
“Damn, Lurlene, what are you making?”
She waves me away. “Just pork chops and gravy. Put those potatoes in the Cuisinart. They need to be mashed.”
I carry a bowl of quartered, boiled potatoes from the counter beside me to the stainless steel mixer and dump them in the bowl. She’s preoccupied with the meat, and I lift a yellow box of cake mix, quickly scanning the directions on the side.
“I’m actually not too bad with a box. Want me to whip up the cupcakes?”
“Yes.” She doesn’t even hesitate, bumping me out of the way with her hip and flipping the switch to activate the massive beater. “Call Pepper in here, and she can help you.”
Leaning to the side, I catch sight of Pepper and Hana in the living room playing Uno. Pepper goes out on my sister with a wild draw-four card, and she jumps up to do a little victory dance in her softball uniform. Hana throws her cards on the table, and Scar actually chuckles at her loud complaints.
“I can do it myself.” I let the door close, returning to the island in the center of the busy room. It’s all so damned warm and homey. Hana’s playing Uno and drinking lemonade instead of gambling and smoking pot.
I glance over at Lurlene moving fast as I mix the ingredients. “I never see Pepper playing on her phone.”
“Hutch is fighting it.” She shakes her head, carrying the mashed potatoes “But he’s in a losing battle if you ask me. All these kids are on the TikToks and the Snapchats. She’ll be begging for her own phone soon enough.”
I think about Hana playing games with this little girl, having experiences we never did. “I can’t remember not having a phone.”
Hell, I can’t even remember playing cards outside a casino.
“I keep telling him the world is changing,” Lurlene fusses. “He’s stubborn as a mule, but she manages to get around him.”
“It’s true.” My voice is soft, and I glance at her, smiling as I slide the cakes into the oven. “I hope he’s able to hold out a little longer.”
Warmth filters through my chest as I think about Hutch doing his best to give his little niece a traditional life. The brief time I spent at Bishop I had something of a normal life, since the nuns didn’t allow phones. I could use my computer to send emails, but I didn’t have social media.