CHAPTER FIFTEEN

VALERIE

Before I woke up fully, somewhere between sleep and consciousness, I knew exactly where I was and how I got there. And I liked it.

I liked it a hell of a lot.

After our time on the couch, he carried me to his bed, where we went another round, but this time was slower and if somehow possible more sensual and intimate. It went on for a long time, and at the end, I was exhausted and lying on my belly, his body draped over mine like a blanket.

My eyes fluttered open, happily staring at the muscular wall of his chest with my cheek was resting on his shoulder. With a deep breath, taking in the scent of his skin and the light cologne that hung in the air in his room, my hands roamed over the sculpted hardness, letting myself enjoy the feel of the light spattering of dark chest hair. A deep groan broke my attention to look up at beautiful blue-grey pools that were slowly blinking back at me.

“Morning.” One word, and I felt that raspy tone at the center of my body. And even if that part of me was slightly sore, warmth spread.

“Good morning,” I happily sighed, and without worrying about morning breath or what a mess I looked like, I lifted my body, our lips meeting to find the sweetest, most tender good-morning kiss ever.

“I like this,” he mumbled. I knew exactly what he meant.

He liked waking up together.

“I like this, too,” I agreed.

He opened his mouth, but an alarm clock on his nightstand went off. He groaned, reaching to turn it off. I probably should have rolled off him, but I burrowed my face into his neck.

“Fuck. I don’t want to leave,” he muttered.

“I don’t either.”

“We should hide away in bed together.” His suggestion made me smile.

“For a month,” I added, licking the skin in front of me.

“A month, huh?” he asked, amusement in his voice. I lifted my head to look at him.

“At least.”

“I like that.” He grinned, his eyes warm, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

“If only, right?” I rolled off him, sitting up and pulling the sheet to cover myself.

“What time do you go in?”

“Today? Nine. You?”

“Eight.”

“Oh.” I glanced at his digital clock. It was five to seven, and I knew he was going to have to hurry to leave.

“I’ll get out of your—” He pulled me back down into bed, his upper body half on mine.

“Shower with me.”

“If I shower with you, you’ll be late.”

“It will be worth being late,” he challenged, and I nodded.

We stayed in the shower till the hot water turned cold.

I was ten minutes late to work.

Thankfully, we both made it worth it.

***

“Hey, Duncan, a cop is looking for you.“ Kelly, a fellow nurse, let me know. I nodded and walked over to the triage desk, wondering what the chances would be that Bryan had come all the way out here.

“Valerie?” a feminine voice called, and I turned, placing my clipboard down.

“Tania?”

“Hi.” I frowned, wondering why she looked nervous.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, looking slightly guilty. “Can we talk?” she asked, and I nodded, letting Kelly know that I was going to take a break.

Walking to an empty waiting room, we sat down. I could only wonder what the hell was going on.

“You okay?” I asked again, and she gave me a shy smile.

“Yeah. Listen, umm … I think I need to apologize.” That wasn’t what I had expected at all, piquing my curiosity.

“For?”

“For giving Bryan that information about you,” she blurted, wringing her hands together and then exhaling. “I hated doing that.”

“Okay.” That was how he’d found out. She had been the one to look into me.

“I like you. I think the two of you would be great together—“

“Whoa, wait a—”

“I tried to see how it went. I told him not to overthink stuff and just talk to you, because everyone has a past. Before I was a cop, I had all sorts of weird jobs.”

“Tania—”

“I liked you, and he wanted information on Vaughn and Victor, and I thought, what would it hurt if I looked into you?”

“Tania—“

“I didn’t expect to find anything. Honestly, I really shouldn’t have even looked. But when all that came out about Vaughn, Bryan’s a buddy…”

“Tania.”

“What?”

“It’s okay.” I smiled gently, and her eyes met mine.

“You two?”

“We’re, umm.” I could feel my cheeks start to burn up thinking about the night before and how I ached in all the right places today. “We’re good.”

“Good.” Her relief was obvious as she ran her fingers through her thick, dark hair. “He’s been working on a case, and I just wanted to make sure you didn’t, you know, hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” I smiled. “I wasn’t hiding anything. Not really, anyhow. I’ve never hid my past. I just hadn’t shared it with him, yet. It’s just not something you blurt out after you say ‘Hi, I’m Valerie,’ if that makes sense?”

“No, totally, and I told him that everyone does things for whatever reason.”

“Yeah.” I shrugged and watched the worry wash over her face.

“I don’t have a ton of friends,” she blurted, and I smiled trying not to laugh at how awkward she was.

“Me either,” I confided.

“Especially not girlfriends. I have two sisters, but we aren’t close.”

“Hey, at least you have those. I don’t have any siblings.”

“Consider yourself blessed,” she muttered, and I giggled. Her face softened. “This is going to sound weird, but I think we could be friends.”

“Me too.” I meant it. She was obviously a strong woman, working in the field she did.

“So, what do girlfriends do?”

“Hang out. Go eat. Get drinks?” I suggested.

“That sounds good, especially if it’s not a sports bar. The guys at work go to nothing but hole in the wall places.”

“I think we can do that. Maybe go to a wine bar or something.”

“What about pedicures?”

“I like that. Especially after a long work week.”

“Definitely.”

“Okay. Sounds good. I’ll call you and set something up?”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Awesome,” she said, beaming. “Well, I should probably go. We’re good?”

“Yeah,” I told her.

Walking side by side, we made small talk before we hugged good-bye and I watched her leave.

Somehow, the number of people in my life had grown quite a bit since meeting Bryan.

For someone who liked her space, I couldn’t find it in me to mind. I liked the idea of all the new people in my life.

I could only hope they would stick.

BRYAN

He breathed in deeply and kissed the top of her head as his hand wrapped around her, bringing in her body close.

“Hey,” he murmured and felt her take a deep breath, melting into his hold.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” Her lips touched his pec above his heart. He liked that. “But you’re in my bed,” she pointed out, and he could hear the cute little smile in her voice.

“You told me to be here.” He shrugged, opening his eyes, tilting his head down to see her. Her eyes were on his, an eyebrow raised high.

“I did, huh?” She grinned, and just like that, he was wide awake.

“Yeah.” His lips tilted up at her sexy attitude as her leg tangled with his. “You called me and were all, ‘Handsome, I have to work late.’”

“Hmm, that sounds familiar.“

“’I’m working late and need you to sleep in my bed.’”

“I said that, huh?”

“Yeah. Something about how you sleep better with me.”

“And you don’t?” she asked. It wasn’t lost on him that his sweet little goddess didn’t deny it.

“Well, you know I’d do anything for you. Especially when you were like, ‘I want you in my bed naked,’ and I was like, ‘Anything for you, Blondie,’” he playfully shared, though he was pretty sure there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for her.

“Whatever,” she muttered, and he knew she was holding back from laughing.

“How was your day?”

“Long,” she huffed snuggling into him. “Tiring. I need sleep.”

“What time do you go in tomorrow?”

“Nine, and I can’t be late.”

“Okay, baby, I got you,” he whispered into the darkness, listening to her soft breathing.

He had already set the alarm for them so they would wake up with time for a long shower. His fingers lingered in her hair, stroking her silky tendrils as they both drifted off into a deep sleep.

***

He was ruined.

Done for.

The night they returned from his brother’s, he had lost his mind and took her. He hadn’t planned on it, but he had not been able to stop himself from taking them farther than he had planned. And he didn’t regret it.

He couldn’t.

Their relationship had moved to another level, one he hadn’t experienced with anyone else. Not even his ex-wife. He would tell Val more about why his marriage ended and hope to God she still wanted him.

They were three days into their four-day work week, and he couldn’t wait for them to have a couple of days together. Even if he had to tell her shit he hated talking about. Shit he didn’t talk about with anyone. But she needed to know before they went any further.

He had been able to finish his day on time and come home with a pizza the day before, hoping they would be able to sit down together, so he could talk to her, but she had called him sounding worn out saying she had to work overtime and was just going to sleep there before her next shift. So, that was when he decided to just wait for their days off.

He hadn’t even slept with her for a full week, yet somehow, he missed her body next to his.

Sipping his beer with his feet up on the coffee table as he tried to zone out on the game that was playing, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He needed to get his shit together, because here he was, sulking like a school girl who got stood up for a homecoming dance. He had even turned down his brother’s invitation to a home-cooked meal. And as pretty as Marcus was, he was a hell of a cook. Instead, he came home, made a sandwich, and sat his ass down, counting down the minutes until she came home.

A knock at the door made him frown and wonder who the hell it could be. Could she have forgotten her key? he wondered. Opening the door, he groaned as he stared at two grinning, overly happy, smug faces.

“What do you guys want?” he asked, stepping away and going back to his spot on the couch.

“Well, thank you, Bryan, we would love to come in,” Marcus said, patting his shoulder.

“I’d love a beer, too,” Garrett added.

“In the fridge,” he called out, knowing Garrett would find his way.

His brothers settled in and he glanced over at Marc, who was looking around with wide eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Marc shrugged, but Bryan wasn’t stupid.

“You have that look. What?”

“You left my place, where you lived rent free, might I add, so you could pay to live here?”

“Shut up.”

“No, it makes sense, though.”

“What does?” Garrett asked, bringing him a new bottle and handing another to Marcus, a soda for himself.

“This guy moving out to live here.”

“He didn’t know about her,” Garrett clued in Marc.

“What?” Marc asked, sitting up, and Bryan fought from rolling his eyes. “What do you mean?

“He didn’t know about Val. Right? You didn’t know she came with the place?” Garrett asked him, grating his nerves.

“Shut up.” If he had, he probably would have moved in a year before, but there was no way he was going to admit that to his brothers.

“I’m just saying…”

“Maybe I needed a place of my own?” Bryan suggested, and Garrett laughed, while Marc scowled.

“Why?”

“Why not? My own space without you two biting each other’s heads off all the time.”

“Hey, we’re getting along just fine,” Garrett pointed out. Bryan couldn’t help but shake his head.

“Now. Now you are getting along. Which is weird, to have you both here, since you two never hang out.”

Marcus shrugged. “Grace is under a deadline, and her sisters took Lex to Disneyland.”

“Donnie had a date.” Garrett wagged his brows, and Bryan looked away from them.

“So, you two decided to come here?”

“Why not? Not like you were going to invite us. So, where is she?” Marc asked, and Bryan looked at him with the most annoyed expression he could muster.

“Working late.”

“Ah.”

“Ah, what?” he snapped his head back to his brothers, who were both grinning like a pair of idiots.

“I understand the pissy attitude.”

“I’m not pissy.”

“Whatever, man.”

“B, you have any food?” Garrett asked, and Bryan looked at Marc.

“You didn’t cook for him?” Marcus looked at him like he thought Bryan was an idiot.

“You know I did.”

“What can I say? I’m a growing boy.” Garrett winked, and Bryan lifted his brows, shaking his head.

“There’s leftover pizza in the fridge.”

“Sweet.” Garrett left, leaving him and Marcus alone.

“He’s doing good, huh?” Bryan softly asked Marc and watched his older brother nod.

“It’s almost like how he used to be,” Marc responded in a hushed tone.

“Now, let’s not exaggerate.” Bryan felt the need to be realistic.

Garrett had come back a different man and the glimpses of the guy they knew and grew up with were always welcome. Especially after the way their last family trip had blown up, Marc and Garrett coming to blows after Garrett had been a dick of epic proportions to Grace. Thankfully, Grace was a kind and forgiving woman.

“How are the wedding plans going?” Bryan asked, and Marc beamed.

“Good. I can’t wait.”

“I bet.” Bryan shook his head.

“How are you and Val?”

“We’re just—“

“Don’t do that,” he warned, and Bryan looked at him and shrugged.

“It’s… I don’t know. We live together——“

“You like her.” Hell, yeah, I do. He liked her too much. He was half in love with her. No, that wasn’t true; he was already there. “She’s pretty awesome. Lexi liked her.” Marc kept talking.

“Yeah,” he murmured, remembering how Val had interacted with the kid, and he wondered if she liked kids and what she wanted in the future. “I don’t know, though—“

”She’s nothing like Court,” Marc pointed out.

“Thank fuck,” Garrett muttered as he came back with a slice of pizza.

“Courtney wasn’t bad—“ he tried to defend his ex.

“You kidding me, man?” Garrett asked leaning his elbows on his knee. “She was a pain in the ass.”

“No.”

“Yeah, she was.”

“She was spoiled as fuck, too,” Marc added.

“That’s not—“

“And then you two ended,” Garrett pointed out as if Bryan could somehow forget.

“It wasn’t her—“

“She got remarried six months later, B,” Marcus gently pointed out.

“It wasn’t her fault our marriage went to shit.”

“Maybe, but she was a pain in the ass,” Garrett reminded him, and all Bryan could do was shake his head. They don’t get it. They wouldn’t get how it was his fault.

“What did happen between you two, anyhow?” Marcus asked for the first time, and Bryan chugged the rest of his beer.

No one had asked him that.

Not once.

He had always worried about the day someone did, and glancing at his brothers, he set his beer on the coffee table, feeling their eyes on him, but he didn’t look at them.

“I let her down,” he answered, pretending to watch the TV in front of him.

“How?”

“It doesn’t matter…”

“Was it someone else?” Garrett asked gently, and Bryan looked up at him, shaking his head. “Na, man. Nothing like that.”

“Then I don’t get how—“

“We were trying to start a family and I…” The truth was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t get it out. “I changed my mind.”

“You changed your mind?” Marc repeated in a tone that told Bryan he didn’t believe him.

“Yeah,” he semi-lied. He hadn’t changed his mind. Not completely at least.

“You always wanted kids,” Garrett pointed out, and Bryan shrugged. Anxiety about having to talk about what a damn failure he was started to make it hard to breathe.

“Enough of the girl talk, ladies.” He tried to change the more than uncomfortable conversation.

“I just don’t get it. Why did you change your mind about—“ Garrett started to push, but he stopped mid-sentence, and Bryan looked over to the front door.

He sighed a sigh of relief at the sight of his pretty little blonde in an oversized hoodie, scrub pants, backpack over her shoulder, and her motorcycle helmet in her hand. God, she is sexy.

“Oh,” she gasped in surprise as she took in the sight of him sitting around with his brothers. They all stood, still looking at her. “Umm, hi, guys.” She waved with her free hand as she closed the front door.

“You ride?” Marc asked, obviously surprised.

“Only in good weather.” She grinned, shrugging out of her hoodie.

“A motorcycle?” he clarified, and she smiled.

“Well, it sure isn’t a razor scooter,” she answered like a smartass, and he couldn’t have been prouder.

“And you restore cars?” Marc asked. He could see the way her round cheeks brightened as she settled the rest of her things on the floor by the door.

“Umm…”

“And fix shit around the house?” Marc kept asking like an idiot. Bryan didn’t know what the asshole’s issue was.

“Well, fix and build. The entertainment center the TV is on.” She pointed, and all three Wright brothers turned to look at the piece where the television sat. Bryan was once again impressed with the kind of woman she was.

“Damn. If I had met you before Grace…”

“You would still have had no chance with her. She’s only watched one of your movies,” Garrett said out loud before Bryan could say a word.

“So?”

“So, it was the one on Netflix.”

“Really?” Bryan asked, grinning like an idiot himself.

“Umm... I have one on DVD that someone gave me in a secret Santa thing,” she shared, and Bryan chuckled. Fuck, she is perfect.

“I, on the other hand, Val, just saying, let’s be honest, I’m better-looking, older and wiser, and know what the fuck I’m doing. So, if you change your mind—“ Garrett started in, and now Bryan was done.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled, having enough of his brother’s flirting with his girl. Stomping over to her, he brought her into his arms, breathed in the clean scent that was all Valerie, and ignored his brothers’ not-so subtle gawking. “Hey, Blondie.”

“Hey, handsome.” Her tone was soft and happy, and with the smile she gave him, the anxiety and worry from his day faded away, disappearing completely once his lips touched hers. Pulling away, he watched her eyes open, sparkling back at him. Fuck. He really wished his brothers would go home.

She pulled away from his touch. He didn’t like it, but he got it. “So, what are you guys doing?” she asked sitting on the love seat. He followed her like a lost puppy and sat next to her, his arm going over shoulder to bring her body closer to his.

“They came over to bug,” he mumbled.

“Bryan.”

“We came to see this ray of sunshine,” Marc chimed in. Both his brothers were grinning now. He fought from rolling his eyes. “We also wanted to invite you two over.”

“Oh?” she perked up, and Bryan wondered what the fuck they were up to.

“Family dinner. Talk about the wedding plans and shit like that. Mom wants all of us together.”

“Mom?” Bryan asked, his jaw clenching. What were his brothers up to?

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I don’t think I should be there,” she started to say, shaking her head. “That’s a family—”

“My mom and grandma made a point to make sure to invite you, Val,” Garrett said, and with that, Bryan’s eye twitched.

“Why?” She straightened so he wouldn’t be touching her. He didn’t like it.

“Well, you are living with this guy.”

“We’re not living, living, together!” She made sure to point out, something else he didn’t like. “We’re roommates,” she reminded them and stood up, tension radiating off her as she ran her fingers through her hair, hair he wanted to touch and smell and fucking wash if she let him.

What the hell is my deal?

“Umm, I’m sorry. I’m just tired. It’s been a long week and I have to go back in tomorrow. Give Bryan the details, and I’ll see if I can swing it.” She smiled, and he knew she was going to make whatever excuse she could so she wouldn’t have to go. Suddenly, the fact that this little family shindig had bulldozed over both of them didn’t matter. Now, he wanted to know why she didn’t want to go. She had been okay hanging out with his brothers. Hell, she was cool hanging out with his partner Ty and Tania.

“Lexi would like to see you. So would Grace,” Marc gently mentioned. His older brother knew she didn’t want to go and was trying to talk her into it, using the kid. Sneaky but brilliant. Looking at his girl, he saw the very moment she decided she couldn’t not go.

“Okay, sure, then.” She turned to look at him. “But you need to make sure your parents understand we are roommates not…”

“Not what?” he asked her. His? Because she was his. Isn’t she?

“I think that’s our cue to go.” Garrett stood and walked to Val, giving her a gentle hug. “See ya later, Val. Be safe riding that thing, okay?”

“Always.” She nodded looking up at Garrett, and Bryan could feel jealousy prick at his neck, wanting her attention on him.

He had never felt that need with a woman before. Not even with his ex-wife did he ever feel jealousy with anyone. Not even at the end of everything when she admitted she had fallen in love with someone else.

“I’ll walk them out.”

“Okay. Bye, guys!” She smiled, waving over her shoulder as she headed to her room.