Romancing My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens) Contemporary Romance (12 page)

She read his text.
What have you done to me? I can’t concentrate on a darn thing but you.
She held her phone against her chest, relishing in the warmth flushing through her body and memories of the look in his eyes when they were making love last night.

She thought of how sincere he’d been when he’d said,
Bec, I don’t want any secrets between us
, and the way he looked at her when he’d asked if she was running from something. Maybe she was running after all. Running from a world of pitiful looks and sighs. Running from what she could have been if she weren’t as determined as she was. But she couldn’t tell him that, either.

No, she couldn’t tell him any of it. As painful as it had been when she’d pretended not to know why he’d asked her if she wasn’t telling him something, or if she was married, she’d had to do it. Pierce had a big heart, and if he’d heard she was staying in her car, he would have wanted to save her.  It wasn’t his fault he was chivalrous. He just was, and she loved that about him as much as she disliked it when it came to her circumstances.

No, this was one secret—
the only secret
—she’d ever keep from him, and as soon as they were together long enough, she’d reveal that secret to him carefully. He would have to understand that she held it back only to allow their relationship to grow and flourish, pity-free.

ACQUISITIONS WERE LIKE heroine. The mere thought of them brought a rush of adrenaline, and the craving for the next one never receded. Pierce had always been that way. Even as a kid, if he wanted something that belonged to one of his siblings, he’d strategize and plan, then negotiate until it was his. Pierce loved almost every step of the decision-making process, from deciphering the numbers and quantifying the return on investments to the actual negotiations. The only part of the process that wasn’t invigorating was the due diligence process. Pierce didn’t like to wait for answers, and he abhorred dishonesty. When he found a snake in the grass, which he had many times in his business dealings, it not only pissed him off, but pushed him from reasonable to ruthless.

This week his team of financial experts were handling the due diligence for the Grand Casino. He wanted the Grand in a bad way. It was an older property that sat on a prime piece of real estate, riddled with promise. He was sure he could make it rise to success, but when he’d met with the owner, he’d gotten a bad vibe. It was all he could do to wait out the process and hope he was wrong. He had a feeling he wasn’t. He trusted his gut, and his gut told him something was off. Now it was a waiting game. Mr. In Control had zero control over how things would turn out during the due diligence process, and he hated the feeling of being at anyone’s mercy.

Except Rebecca’s
. He smiled as the memory of her taking control thrummed through him. In the blink of an eye, Rebecca went from lying beneath him, savoring every thrust and every kiss, to pushing him onto his back and driving him out of his mind as she teased and tasted, then rode him hard until they both went a little crazy. Relinquishing control in the bedroom wasn’t new to Pierce. He’d give women a little room to play before. Usually that’s all it was, playtime. Something a woman might do to keep his interest and add a little zest to a sexual tryst. But Rebecca brought control to a whole new level. The way she touched him, holding his hips firmly against the mattress while she made sweet love to him with her mouth and taking him right up to the edge and then moving away, leaving him throbbing, aching, pleading for more.

Shit. He was getting hard just thinking about it.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon, and between thoughts of Rebecca and the due diligence that was taking place, every minute had felt like there was a fire under his ass, making it impossible for him to sit still. He’d attended several meetings, and finally he’d taken a walk to the security room, where he was able to sneak a peek at Rebecca in the restaurant through the video surveillance monitors. He’d seen her waiting on tables, looking professional and beautiful, and he filled with pride and much, much more.

What is it about you, Bec?

“Something wrong, sir?” Chappie, the security manager, had asked.

“No. Just had a few minutes and wanted” —
to see the woman who is turning me inside out—
“to see how things were going.”

He’d wanted to head down during lunch to say hello, but since it was her first day of work, he didn’t want to create an issue. He knew damn well that the minute anyone found out they were dating, she’d be treated differently, as if she were a direct line to promotions and greatness. It was one reason he’d never dated his employees. He’d been chased by many, some probably not intent only on sleeping their way to a better position, but some, he was sure, had chased him solely for that purpose. There were plenty of cards on the table, and he didn’t need to deal from the house deck. He could thank Treat for that advice. It was good advice, too, except now he
was
dating someone who worked for him, even if he’d gone out with her prior to her actually being hired.

And he wasn’t about to stop dating Rebecca, or pretend they weren’t a couple. But he didn’t need to make her first day difficult or confusing, even if staying away from her for more than eight hours was quite possibly the most difficult thing he’d had to do all day.

He collected his files for the evening with the hopes of seeing Rebecca for dinner. They’d made plans to meet after work, and when his phone vibrated, he hoped it was her. A quick glance at the screen told him it was his sister, Emily, and disappointment washed over him.

“Hey, Em. How’s it going?”

“Crazy good. I’ve got a big passive house project for a school in Denver. I’m really excited about it. How are you?” Emily was tall, slender, and as pretty as she was sharp, with dark eyes and brown hair that she wore to the middle of her back.

“Great. We started the due diligence on that casino I told you about a few weeks ago.” Emily was five years younger than Pierce, and growing up as the only girl in a family of six kids had made her tougher than most women. But Pierce and Emily were close, and he knew that as sharp-witted as Emily was, she was equally as sensitive. He worried about her.

“Good luck. I hope it goes well. I was talking to Max the other day, and she said she and Treat are having dinner with you this week.”

“Yeah, they are. They just confirmed this morning for Thursday night.”

“So…are you going to tell me who she is or do I have to ask?”

Pierce had been wondering what had spurred the call from Emily, and now he understood. Emily loved to be in the thick of her brothers’ love lives, and earlier that morning he’d told Treat that he wanted to bring Rebecca to dinner with them. The Braden grapevine had obviously picked up speed.

“Seriously? It’s been what, a few hours since I told Treat I was bringing Rebecca to dinner?” He pictured Emily’s eyes wide, a grin on her face. He was sure the whole family had heard by now, or would hear within ten minutes of their call.

“Rebecca. I like her name.”

“Em.” He shook his head. “It’s dinner, not an engagement.”

“I know, but you never bring women to family events, and even though it’s Treat and Max, they’re family, so…”

“So you assume it’s something more than a date?” Which it totally was.

“Yup.”

He let her answer hang in the air between them, knowing it would only irritate her. He loved Emily, and he didn’t even mind that she pried into his love life on occasion, but she was fun to get a rise out of.

“Pierce! You’re not going to tell me anything? How about just how long you’ve been dating?”

“Em.”

“Give me something. Are you bringing her to Luke’s engagement party?” Her voice was so hopeful it made Pierce smile.

“Honestly, you’re jumping the gun, Emily. I’m not even sure she’ll come to dinner with Treat and Max. I just wanted the option there. I haven’t asked her yet.” After their intimate weekend together, he assumed that they’d be spending much of their free time together. Now he wondered if he was the one jumping the gun.

“Okay, that’s got me even
more
excited. You would never tell Treat about a woman unless you really, really liked her.” She squealed.

“God, Emily. You need a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. My brothers are dropping into Loveland like flies. You guys whore away your merry lives while I’m the one hoping for love, and then these amazing women drop from the sky and fulfill your every dream. Totally unfair, Pierce.”

His heart went out to her. It
was
unfair. Emily deserved to be happy, and she deserved to be with a man who would love all the things about her that he and his brothers did—including her stubborn attitude and quick wit. “You’re right, Emily. If any of us deserves a great relationship, it’s you. Life’s weird that way.”

“Tell me about it. All the good men are either taken or gay.”

He pictured her in her office overlooking the Colorado Mountains, surrounded by drawings of her latest project and daydreaming about finding Mr. Right.

“There’s an idea. You could get a sex change, bat for the other team.” He laughed.

“You laugh. I might just do that.” She sighed. “Well, I just have one question for you, big brother. What is it about Rebecca that flicked your internal switch from
playboy
to
boyfriend
?”

“Boyfriend?” He hadn’t aligned himself with that word in years.
Boyfriend
. Hm. He liked that where Rebecca was concerned.

“That’s what Max said, that Rebecca was your girlfriend. Isn’t she? I mean, you wouldn’t bring her to meet Treat and Max if she was just another casino floozy.”

“No, I definitely wouldn’t. Yeah, I guess I am her boyfriend. It’s all very new, Em. And, to be honest, very powerful. Unreal.” He leaned back in his leather chair and turned toward the window, remembering how ethereal their first kiss had been, and how things had magnified ever since.

“I want
unreal
. You’re lucky, Pierce. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Em. When do you leave for Tuscany?” Emily had been bummed lately, feeling lonely and needing some excitement in her life, so their brother Wes had bought Emily tickets to go see a villa in Tuscany she’d been dying to see. They each had trust funds that had been passed down for generations, but their mother had brought them up to be frugal, and Emily would never have dipped into those funds for what she would call a frivolous trip. The irony was that it wasn’t frivolous at all. She’d earned it in so many ways. Emily had always tried to take care of her brothers, even though she was younger than all but Luke. She watched out for them, helped them anytime they asked, and she was their biggest cheerleader in everything they did. Pierce only hoped that Emily felt the same love coming back to her.

“I put it off until after the project I mentioned is done. Then I can go with a clear head. I’m excited. It gives me something to look forward to. Hey, Pierce, do you need me to pick up a gift for Luke and Daisy for you?”

Normally he’d have jumped at the chance to have Emily pick out something nice for his brother and future sister-in-law, but as he gazed out the window, he envisioned picking something out with Rebecca.

“That’s okay. I’ll pick something up. Thanks, though. Oh, and when you share the Pierce and Rebecca gossip with everyone, do me a favor and make me look good. Tell them I’m playing hard to get, going down kicking and screaming.”

“Well, are you?”

He pictured a smirk on her face. “Not even close.”

REBECCA PULLED UP in front of Daphne’s house wearing the smile that had been plastered on her face for the entire day. She’d texted Pierce before leaving to follow Daphne home, and they‘d made plans to meet at his place later that evening. She had wondered if three nights in her car would turn into three years and if she were just fooling herself into believing that she’d find a way back to a more livable home. She could hardly believe she’d gotten lucky enough to find a place to live so quickly, and an affordable one at that. It would have taken her forever to afford a place to live while working for ten dollars an hour at the bar. Luckily, she’d saved every penny she’d earned before quitting, and Daphne had wanted only the first month’s rent and a security deposit of half of a month’s rent, which left Rebecca with a little cash in her pocket, and she’d also be earning enough to pay Mr. Fralin, as promised. 

She stepped from the car and surveyed the quaint brick rambler. The house was fairly benign, with three average-sized windows and a black front door.  The front yard was small but neatly manicured, and it would have blended in with the other ramblers on the street if not for the lovely maple tree that stood tall and full just to the left of the driveway.

Daphne flung her arms into the air. “Welcome to our humble abode.”

“It’s really nice.” Daphne had been a big help to her throughout the morning, giving her tips on which regular customers were pickier than others, and when she’d seen Rebecca texting Pierce at the end of their shift, Daphne had thrown her arm over her shoulder as if they’d known each other forever and peeked at the message.
Sexting your boyfriend?
she’d joked. Rebecca had felt her cheeks flush at the comment. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in years, and when she was caring for her mother, sex had been the farthest thing from her mind. And before that, sex had been vanilla, whereas making love with Pierce was spicy as a jalapeño pepper, and since they’d come together, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. The comment had made her contemplate the idea of sexting, which she quickly dismissed. She could be
all that
behind closed doors, but the idea of putting something so intimate in a text, where anyone could get ahold of it? No way.

The house smelled fresh, as if someone had just cleaned. The front door opened to a narrow foyer with aged hardwood floors.

“Daph, that you?” A deep voice came from down the hall, followed by a gray-haired man with a paunch belly.

Daphne kissed him on the cheek. “Henry, this is Rebecca. Rebecca, this is my Henry.”

He had serious dark gray eyes, and at the moment they were darting between Daphne and Rebecca as he wiped his hands on a dish towel that was slung over his shoulder.

“Rebecca Rivera, nice to meet you.” She reached a hand out in greeting.

“Yes, Daphne told me you were interested in renting a room.” He pressed his lips together.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I really appreciate it.”

Henry looked her up and down. “You’re welcome, but we won’t have any partying or men in and out of the bedroom.”

“No, sir. I’m not like that. I’m two classes away from a business degree, and once I save enough money to take the last of my classes, I’ll be studying in my free time.” She shot a look at Daphne, hoping he wasn’t going to change his mind about the room and wondering why he seemed unfriendly when Daphne was one of the friendliest people she knew.

He nodded. “I’ll let you and Daph get settled, then. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Daphne opened the foyer closet door. “Feel free to hang your coats, keep boots or shoes, whatever you want, in there.” As soon as Henry was out of earshot, she leaned in close and whispered, “He’s a little embarrassed by this, but he’s really an old softie. He’ll warm to you quickly. I promise.”

I hope so
. She let out a relieved sigh. She could relate to his discomfort, especially at his age. It was one thing to lose a job in your twenties, but in your sixties, she didn’t imagine that there were many places hiring people of retiring age.

She followed Daphne down the hall. Daphne waved her hand toward a step-down living room to their left. “Living room. Just keep it clean in case you have your sexting boyfriend over.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“
Tsk
. I don’t sext. I’m not even sure I’d know how.”

“I’m teasing, hon. I wouldn’t have offered the room if you’d come across as a loose type of woman. I’ve been watching you. You’re very serious, and you handle the customers with finesse. Cool and confident.”

Cool and confident
. Rebecca liked that. She followed Daphne through the living room, up one step to a dining room, and through a doorway to a cozy, wood-paneled den. She could see herself curled up on the sofa beneath the reading lamp, studying.

“This is great.”

“This room is very soothing. It’s Henry’s favorite room in the house. Come on. I’ll show you the kitchen and your room.”

She followed her through the dining room to a comfortable kitchen. Light wood cabinets hung from the walls, and white appliances were tucked efficiently into Formica countertops. There was a table for four in the corner of the room. Daphne opened a pantry on the far wall.

“Food.” She swung open another door. “Basement.”

Rebecca was glad to see the house was orderly. She and her mother had always kept a neat house, save for the rogue pair of shoes or magazines that seemed to have minds of their own. They walked down a hall lined with photographs of Daphne and Henry. Rebecca noticed that there were no photographs of children, and she wondered if that was by choice.

She couldn’t wait to put out pictures of her mother in her room. She missed seeing her, and the photos helped. She rubbed the ring on her index finger, thinking of how much she and her mother would have loved living in a little house such as this one. They’d always lived in apartments, and it was Rebecca’s dream to one day own a small house of her own.

“And this is your room.” Daphne opened the door to a moderately sized bedroom. There was a double bed against the far wall, across from a tall, dark wood dresser. Bedside tables graced both sides of the bed, and light spilled in through a double window that faced the backyard. Daphne opened another door. “And your bathroom.”

“This is perfect.” Rebecca sat on the bed. It was soft and bouncy. She didn’t mind that she’d be sharing the house with Daphne and Henry. She didn’t care that she might have to share in the yard work, and of course, the housework. She had a new friend and a home to sleep in, and that was enough to make her feel blessed. And, most important, she’d done it on her own.

And I have Pierce
. She smiled at the thought.

“Daphne, I can’t thank you enough.”

“You’re helping us as much as we’re helping you. Do you want me to help you bring some stuff in?”

They unpacked Rebecca’s car, and she went to work putting her clothes away and making her room feel like home. She took the top off of the last box she had to unpack, the most important box, and withdrew three framed photographs. She held one in her hands and sat on the bed, relishing in the image of her mother at eighteen, holding her when she was just an infant. Her mother had been beautiful before she’d gotten sick. She and Rebecca shared the same big eyes and high cheekbones, and before her illness had sucked the color from her skin and the luster from her hair, her mother’s skin had been a shade darker than Rebecca’s and her hair had been shiny with fashionable natural curls. Rebecca studied her mother’s face in the photo. While Rebecca must have gotten her pointy chin from her father, her mouth was all Rivera.

I miss you, Mom. I think you’d like it here
. She ran her finger over the picture and then set it on the dresser and wondered what Pierce would think of her room. Would he think it odd that a twenty-seven-year old woman didn’t have her own place, or would he not care at all? He didn’t seem to flash his wealth, and she was glad for that. If he had, she probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day.

And now she couldn’t imagine a day without him.

She set the other two photographs of her and her mother on the dresser beside the first, and then she withdrew a wooden box that she’d painted in second grade and given to her mother as a Mother’s Day gift. Hand-painted red flowers with blue leaves that only a mother could love adorned the top and sides of the box. She lifted the lid and smiled at the sight of the photograph, cracked with age and glued to the inside of the lid. Her lips were smushed against her mother’s cheek, her eyes closed. Her mother’s cheeks held the color of joy—and life. She’d taught Rebecca so much in what now seemed like such a short period of time. To be confident, enjoy life, and that there was nothing she couldn’t achieve if she put her mind to it. Her mother had been good at dropping lessons like others dropped names, but perhaps the most important lesson Rebecca learned from her mother was the one that went unsaid.

Life is too short to pretend
. Rebecca didn’t pretend in any way. She tried not to hide her feelings, or lack thereof, and she tried not to cover her opinions with lies or to put on airs to seem like something she wasn’t. No, Rebecca had learned to just be herself and to allow the good, the bad, and the excellent to come as it may.

When she’d met Pierce, she’d pushed away the sparks that had flown between them and tried to ignore the way the air charged and heated and the way his eyes were like a giant vortex of passion and kindness that sucked her right in. In the span of a few days, she’d come to enjoy the heat of his stare as he snuck peeks at her, the way that he laughed a little under his breath and shook his head when they were teasing each other, and the whisper of his breath across her skin. She lay back on the bed, which was now covered with her own sheets and blanket and felt more like her own. She looked up at the ceiling and then closed her eyes. If she tried really hard, she could bring forth his scent and the sound of his voice.

Her phone vibrated and she reluctantly opened her eyes, wanting to stay with thoughts of Pierce a moment longer, but he was the only person who would text her. She retrieved her phone from the dresser and read Pierce’s message.

Can’t wait to see you. Almost done with your errands?

Errands. The word sent a stab of pain through her chest. She hated not telling him the truth, but she believed that for now, keeping the truth from him was the right thing to do. She thought of Henry and wondered if she’d be better off trying to get to know him instead of running off to spend time with Pierce.

I’m going to be a little longer. Want to skip it and see each other tomorrow instead?

He texted back a minute later.
Not a chance. Want to stay at your place tonight? I can whip over.

She smiled at his offer, but after meeting Henry, she wasn’t sure they should ever stay in her room. She felt as if it would be disrespectful, and there was no need when they could stay at Pierce’s house. A new worry entered her mind. Would Henry and Daphne mind if she didn’t come home at night? Oh gosh. She probably should have thought this through a little better. She didn’t want to seem unappreciative, but she was a grown woman, after all.

She texted him back.
It’s okay. I’ll be over in a little while. Can’t wait to see you!

Daphne poked her head into Rebecca’s room. “Hey, Rebecca. Henry made a wonderful roast. Want to join us?”

She could eat quickly, and this would be the perfect way to get to know Henry a little better. “Sure, thank you.”

Daphne handed Rebecca a key. “Great. I’ll set another place. I almost forgot to give this to you.”

“Daphne, I can’t thank you enough. Your house is lovely, and I really appreciate you letting me move in so quickly.”

“When you told me you’d been living in your car for the past few days, I knew it was fate.”  She hugged Rebecca and picked up one of the framed pictures. “Oh, what a beautiful picture.”

“Thanks. That’s my mom.”

“She looks nice.”

“She was.” Rebecca realized too late that she hadn’t told Daphne about her mother’s passing.

“Was?” Understanding flashed in Daphne’s eyes. “Aw, Rebecca.” She gathered Rebecca in her arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She drew back with a wrinkled brow. “If you ever want to talk, I’m a really good listener.”

“Thank you.” Rebecca was glad that Daphne didn’t dwell on the topic.

They followed the warm, spicy aroma to the kitchen, where Henry was cutting the roast.

“Can I do something to help?” Rebecca asked.

Henry ignored the question and continued cutting the meat. Daphne put her arm around her shoulder. “Sure. Why don’t you make a salad while I set out the silverware.”

Rebecca began cutting lettuce and dicing tomatoes.

“You don’t need to cut them fancy,” Henry said, eyes still on the roast.

“Habit, I guess. My mom loved colors in our meals, so we always added red, orange, and green peppers, tomatoes, and things like chick peas, and chopped the colorful veggies up real small so they would add more color. If it bothers you, I could—”

“Henry, Rebecca’s mother passed away.”

Henry stopped slicing and shifted his eyes to Rebecca. There it was. That look that always seemed to follow the news of her mother’s death.

“It’s okay.” Rebecca pointed to the diced veggies. “See? She’s still very much around.”

His smile put a fissure in the steel wall he’d erected around himself. He glanced at her several times while she was mixing the salad.

At the dining room table, as he piled salad onto his plate, Henry said, “I think I like the salad better this way.”

Daphne smiled and squeezed his arm. Rebecca loved that they sat beside each other instead of across from each other. She’d never understood the idea of formality at dinnertime. Wasn’t dinner supposed to be about families coming together?

They ate dinner and talked about Rebecca’s first day of work. It was nice to share the day with them. It was nice to feel like she had a home, too, although after spending the weekend with Pierce, she felt at home there even more.