Chapter 10

What started as a simple conversation, Bronx had found a way to turn into a surprisingly satisfying living arrangement. Nola had come home from work the Friday after Christmas to find him in her home, jamming his clothes into her closet and he hadn’t left since. Not that she minded. Having Bronx around was an interesting adventure. He made sure breakfast waited for her every morning and they rode to work together every day this week. He’d made sure she ate lunch by ordering it and then sitting with her to eat it. It felt so good she couldn’t help the niggle of doubt that things would fall apart. Any day now.

She wanted to relax. More than anything she wished she could quiet her mind and think good thoughts. Enjoy the moments she had with Bronx while she had them. Unfortunately for Nola, she’d been raised by a wise woman and Grammie had always told her that tigers didn’t get their stripes right away. “It took a long time and a lot of growing pains for them to become the majestic creatures we see today,” she’d said on more than one occasion. That lesson reared its ugly head as she waited for Bronx to tire of her, of playing the dutiful father to be.

But she gave him the benefit of the doubt, every day when she woke up and found ginger ale—the real stuff, not the sugary soda in the big grocery stores—sitting on the nightstand right by a plate of crackers. She let herself believe when he rubbed her feet after she’d spent all day in sexy shoes, she would have to give up soon. He cooked some nights and she cooked too but sometimes they ordered in and ate in front of the TV. She never could have imagined living like this.

With Bronx.

For all the great things she experienced by having him around, there was one thing she found very difficult. Sharing a bed with him. Every night this week she had fallen asleep with the best of intentions, on her side with her back facing him as she curled into a ball. However, she always woke up in the same position. Head resting on his chest, one hand low on his rock hard abs and a leg thrown over his. It really was humiliating to think that even in her sleep, she couldn’t deny Bronx.

Hell, who was she kidding, she couldn’t deny him.Period. Asleep or awake. She loved him and, she could admit, she had loved him for a long time. Probably since the very beginning when he’d flirted outrageously with her. But that didn’t mean she had to fool herself into thinking that they were two people in a unique circumstance and trying to cope as best they could. Nola promised herself she would not make waves. She would not want or ask for more than what they had. That probably meant soon, she would be living alone. Again.

“We should go out tonight,” Bronx said as he strolled into the room, interrupting her thoughts and making her mouth water, in nothing but low slung cotton pants and damp hair. Why did he always have to look so appealing?

Go out? Was he kidding? “I won’t make it to ten o’clock, never mind midnight. You should go on without me.” She hadn’t figured he would stay in on tonight of all nights. Bronx loved to party and this was the biggest party night of the year.

He didn’t like it and he did very little to hide that fact from her. “I’m not leaving you alone tonight, Nola, and Brooks is out of town.”

She hid her own grin at his gruff worry. “I am aware of that, just as you are aware that I’m much too old for a babysitter.” She sighed, appreciative at his concern but annoyed he thought her useless. “I told you I would only allow this living arrangement to continue if it didn’t interfere with your regular life. Which includes going to a party on New Year’s Eve.”

His scowl lessened, shifted to concern as he stood in front of her. “But what are you going to do? More importantly,” he grinned that panty dropping arrogant smile, “I was hoping to get a midnight kiss.”

That would be nice. Nola couldn’t remember the last time she had someone to kiss at midnight. “As much as I might like that, I’ll be long asleep by then.”

Bronx, as she’d known he would, took her words as a challenge. He sat beside her, so close that not even a breath of air could pass between them, and placed her hands on his warm chest, still moist from the shower. One hand speared her hair while the other slowly slid up her bare thigh. Then his mouth descended on hers, a slow and deep assault that was hotter than any kiss she’d ever had. So hot she could smell her panties smoldering beneath her dress. The kiss went on and on, her body melting into his. Her mouth begging for more. Bronx pulled back and smiled, she blinked then licked her lips but holy hell, Bronx was her new favorite flavor. “I’ll bet if we started that kiss at bedtime, ten, I could have you wide awake to ring in the New Year.”

She laughed at him, leaning in for another kiss. Losing track of time and space as she climbed into his lap, grinding against him with his hard throbbing cock cradled between her legs. They kissed endlessly, like horny teenagers at home alone for the first time.

Somehow, Bronx managed to make her forget all about him going out to a party. All about her being in bed by ten.

It had been the best start to a new year she’d everhad.

* * *

Bronx was in trouble. He didn’t quite know the exactly flavor of the trouble but his racing heart and sweaty hands told him it would be the life changing, big as hell variety. And all of it had to do with a curvy little blonde who was as efficient as she was sexy.

After the new year, he and Nola had settled into a routine that felt a lot like a relationship. But it couldn’t be a relationship because Bronx hated them. Plain and simple, he didn’t fucking do relationships. Hell, he began to panic the minute something felt a little too much like a relationship. So yeah, he tried to relax, because it couldn’t be a relationship. Whatever it actually was though, he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

It scared the holy fucking hell out of him. But, he liked it.

Seriously though, he loved it.

He knew that as a fact because January had come and gone in a flash and he hadn’t felt that he couldn’t do the things he wanted to do because he hadn’t wanted to do those things. He wanted Nola and it was as simple as that. Though his world had gotten smaller—Nola, the baby and work—he didn’t feel restrained in any way. He and Nola got along great, made love often and work, well Galactic Warriors had quickly become the best selling video game of the holiday season. It was the hottest gift in the country, selling better than popular sequels and trilogies from bigger and better known companies. Two big ass government checks had cleared for their new predictive software and three more were expected by the end of the quarter. Yeah, life was good.

Damn good.

“Have you heard the good news, brother?” Brooks strode in wearing a bright smile and an expensive, ugly suit.

“I haven’t but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“Hell yeah,” he said, grinning as he took a seat. “Galactic Warriors has been chosen for the 2018 Ultimate Gaming Warriors Competition. Thanks to our kickass performance and all the buzz surrounding it. This means nonstop promotion, sponsorships and best of all, merch.”

Bronx laughed and shook his head. “You really are a suit,” he told him with affection. The truth was that without Brooks they might not have turned that inheritance into a billion dollar gaming empire.

“Thanks. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” His smile was bright but dimmed at the next topic of conversation. “So how are things going?” Bronx appreciated his brother’s attempts to mind his business considering he and Nola were such close friends.

“With Nola? Great. But odd. I’m having a great time, I love being with her and I care about her and the baby. But I have this weird feeling lately that I can’t explain.”

Brooks smiled. “Racing heart?”

“Yeah.”

“Lack of concentration?”

Bronx nodded again.

“You’re finding it hard to focus on work, driving, hobbies?”

Shit. “Yeah, how do you know?” He was impressed but terrified but his brother’s accuracy.

“You can’t sleep because one particular thought is plaguing you?”

He smacked his palms on his desk and frowned. “Okay now you’re freaking me the fuck out, Brooks. What is wrong with me? Is it stress?”

His brother smiled, hands steepled in front of him and legs crossed at the ankles. “Oh my poor clueless baby brother,” he chuckled. “I’ve waited for this day for years. Ever since you teased me about that hot sorority chick.”

“That girl was a cock tease and a snob.”

“Still. I didn’t think this day could get any better and yet, it has.”

“What day,” he growled.

“The day you fell in love,” he said simply, smiling like a man who’d just gotten laid.

Love. He let the word roll around on his tongue before it settled on his chest, his shoulders and his mind like a ton of bricks. “It can’t be…can it?” Bronx had never been in love before, wasn’t even sure he believed in love. He loved Brooks and he already felt love for his baby, but a woman? He’d never even let himself trust a woman more than was required for a quick roll in the sack. Though…he did trust Nola. With his business and with their baby, but his heart? He didn’t know. Did he? “Shit.”

Brooks’ laugh echoed in the office and he wore a shit eating grin. “Cheer up, baby brother. You’ve chosen the best woman I know to love. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

His shoulders sagged. “No fucking clue. Do you have anything helpful to add?”

Brooks’ eyebrows rose and he opened his mouth to speak at the same time Gabriela knocked and entered without waiting for an invitation. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I found this note on Nola’s desk and it looked important so I figured you’d want to see it.” She smiled sweetly and left quickly.

Bronx looked at the note and frowned. “It looks like a message from General Howard. It’s a week old!”

Brooks frowned. “Sounds to me like your assistant is kicking up shit again.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Nola is the queen of paperless. She sends me messages on e-sticky notes. The only thing she prints are contracts. When was the last time she handed you a sheet of paper?”

Unfortunately, Bronx couldn’t say he’d noticed one way or the other. “I hear what you’re saying but I’ve talked to Gabriela about her beef with Nola and it’s done.” He couldn’t believe that Nola would forget a message like this but, “She has been kind of forgetful at home. Left her cell phone in the fridge. I’ll just call her desk.”

Brooks frowned and Bronx was really getting sick of that look from his brother. “She’s not in until after lunch today. How could you not know that?”

Half-listening to his brother, Bronx dialed her cell phone. “How should I know…Yeah, Nola where in the hell are you? I have a message found on your desk a week ago that I never received dammit. What is-,” he stared at the phone flashing the call time. “She hung up on me.” Nola had never done that, not even when he’d been a bigger asshole.

Brooks shook his head though amusement still shone on his face. “Maybe next time try asking a question or I don’t know, acting like a goddamn human.” He held a finger up when his phone rang and pulled it out of his pocket, turning the screen so Bronx could see an image of Nola with her tongue stuck out and a dollop of ketchup on her cheek.

“Let me talk to her.”

“No. Hey Nola, how’s it going?” He listened, a bland smile on his face while Bronx struggled not to leap over the desk and snatch the phone form his brother. “Right, that’s what I thought,” he said and continued to listen, smiling and laughing. Chatting like Bronx wasn’t waiting impatiently. Hell, like he wasn’t waiting at all. “Okay, I’ll pass it on. Congratulations, I think.” He laughed and then made arrangements to meet for lunch. “See you at noon thirty-ish, then. Yes, I do think that’s vague enough. Bye.”

“Well?” Brooks for some reason had decided to torture him. “Brooks!”

“What? Oh, right. She said to tell “asshole jerk face” which is you,” he said and pointed right at Bronx. She spoke to the general when he called during her ultrasound that you apparently forgot about.”

Shit. He had forgotten.

“The General left no less than a dozen messages for you over the past week and when you didn’t bother to call him back he called Nola because he liked her and she made a good impression thanks to gifting his grandson with the one gift none of his friends’ parents were able to get.” He smiled, sounding proud.

“Brooks,” he said in a warning voice that had absolutely no impact on his brother.

“Right. Well, she gave him your direct number since your assistant is, her exact words were ‘a waste of skin and bones.’” Brooks stood and buttoned his jacket, before making his way to the door. He turned with a smile. “One other thing. Congratulations, you’re having twins.”

“She told you that?”

He nodded, so filled with amusement he couldn’t stop his shoulders from shaking. “Said you didn’t deserve to be the first to know since you forgot and were acting like ajerk. And taking Gabriela’s word over hers. Again.” He folded his arms and glared at Bronx. “That last part was from me.”

“Twins?” He’d been worried as hell about one baby and now he had two that he could fuck up. “We’ll need a bigger house. A bigger car for Nola. What else?”

Brooks shook his head. “Seems to me you already know exactly what you need to do, baby brother. All that’s left is to do it.”