13. Brynlee
If distance makes the heart grow fonder, time makes the heart grow horny.
—Brynlee’s Secret Thoughts
I’ve learned more about Deacon Kane than I may even know about myself. That’s what texting, talking, and FaceTime phone sex every night like two teenagers living six hours apart will do for you.
His favorite food is pizza.
His favorite word is fuck. Something we happen to have in common. I did grow up in an MMA gym, after all. For Deacon, it’s a noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, and a proper noun. It also sounds sexy as hell coming out of his mouth when he’s groaning it when he sees what I’m wearing to bed on FaceTime. I may have gone a little overboard with my lingerie shopping since I realized this. But what can I say... it’s fun to see his reaction.
According to him, he and Isla are very good friends now. But it took a while for that to happen. Learning to co-parent was always easy, but it seems to be going well. At least for the time being. That is until tonight.
“I don’t understand.” I wrap my cardigan around myself and rest my hand holding the phone on my knees. “I thought she already planned to go to Japan with Shaun.”
“She’s really worried about how my schedule is going to affect Kennedy. And we haven’t agreed on any of the prospective nannies I sent her.” He runs his hand through his dark hair, and I silently wish I’d gone to Boston with him, just so I could be there for him. “She’s had an issue with each resume. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do.”
“What did your parents say?” I ask, knowing he was stopping to see them today before driving back to Kroydon Hills tomorrow.
“My mom said she could help a little. But let’s be realistic. They have a business that takes both of them to run. Their life is on Block Island, and I just signed a contract with the Revolution. My life will be in Philadelphia. Unless I ask to be let out of my contract, I have to find someone to help me in Kroydon Hills.”
“Deacon.” I cringe at that thought. “You can’t do that. This is a great opportunity for you. Max could have hired anyone to come in and take over this team, and he chose you. Don’t give up on that yet. You’ve got time. Even if you don’t have a nanny in place before Isla leaves, you still have over a month before preseason games start. Hell, your practices don’t even start until next month. You’ve got time to figure this out.”
He sighs and drops his head into his hands. “Yeah. I just don’t know. I told Isla we’d talk tomorrow when I get back to town. Are you working tomorrow?”
“I am.” Even though I wish I wasn’t, but I don’t tell him that. “I’ve got one more week to go before I start at Crucible.”
“I promised Kennedy I’d take her shopping once I’m home tomorrow, but I need to fucking see you, red. I need to touch you and not be stuck behind a goddamned screen.”
A nervous zing of anticipation runs down my body. “Is that your way of asking me on a date, Deacon?”
“It’s my way of saying let me cook you dinner the night after, then let me eat you for dessert. Come to my house. Pack a bag. And let’s not get out of bed for a few fucking days.”
Holy hotness . . . this man.
Yes, please.
“I’m working with Gracie in the morning and have a few appointments later in the afternoon. I’m not sure exactly what the next few days look like.” Except maybe I’ll be squeezing in one more trip to Le Désir lingerie shop.
“Good, baby. Because I promised Kennedy I’d take her shopping, but then I want you in my bed all weekend.”
Who am I to say no to that?
Afew hours later, I get settled on my couch with Sweet Temptations s’mores cupcake. A girl has to have her vices, and chocolate and caffeine are mine. I’m also that girl who likes her air-conditioning cranked low so she can be under a blanket. Which is why I’m tucked under a blanket in the corner of our couch with my iPad out when Maddox waltzes into the condo like he owns the place.
I spin to my knees and lean over the back of the couch as he makes his way into the kitchen. “Hey, asshole. You moved. You don’t get a key.”
“Not how this works, Brynnie. I raided your fridge when you lived upstairs, and you let me. No changing the rules now.” He looks in my Sweet Temptations bag and hums when he sees Aunt Amelia’s cupcakes.
“Ohh. These are my favorite.”
“Maddox, I’m going to kill you,” I growl like a feral fucking cat.
“You won’t be the first or last to try.” He pulls out a cookie and a mint chocolate-chip cookie cupcake. “You don’t even like mint chip. You know you bought this for me.”
I turn back around and tuck myself back under the soft white blanket.
Of course he’s right. I always get the damn mint chip because whenever I stop, I get enough for all of us, the guys included. Especially since it was just me in the condo after Kenzie moved out until Gracie came back.
The shit sits down next to me with his cupcake, his cookie, and a glass of milk, then picks up the remote. “Did you see that new Brat Pack documentary yet? It just came out last week. Looks pretty good.”
I steal the remote and the cookie right out of his hand and break off half, then take a sip of his milk too, just because I know he won’t stop me, and I want to be a pain in his ass. Once I’m satisfied, I hand him the remote but hold it out of reach. “Why didn’t you just tell me about my mom, Maddox?”
He dunks the cookie in his milk, because he knows I’ll never eat it after that, and stretches his legs up on the ottoman. “I would have told you either way, Brynn. But I’ve been trying to get you to swap condos for months.” He pops the whole fucking cookie in his mouth, then washes it down with the rest of the milk before he turns to me. “You didn’t need all that space. I did.”
“You didn’t need it. You and Callen were fine in here,” I argue, refusing to let him off that easy.
“Listen... Killian has been wanting to move out for months?—”
“Stop... Just stop.” I give in and drop the remote on his lap.
“Brynnie—You can’t be mad at me,” he pouts, and I actually laugh. His father is the head of the Philadelphia Mafia, and he just pouted because I’m pissed.
“Fine,” I give in. “I guess you’re right. I can’t be mad. Especially after the conversation I had with your mom when I picked up my coffee and cupcakes today.” I lift my brows and bite down on my lip, knowing this is going to be good.
He turns on the TV and brings up the apps list, searching for the documentary. “What conversation?”
Now it’s my turn to enjoy the torture.
The beauty of growing up so close to your cousins might be always having them by your side, but that also means you know how to hit them where it hurts the hardest when they’re least expecting it. When we were little, Maddox hated having the hair on his arm pulled.
Today, I may as well have pulled them all out, one by one.
Madman stiffens beside me. “What. Conversation. Brynn?”
“Oh, just the one I had with Aunt Amelia, telling her about our condo swap. I made sure she knew it was your idea and that you really pushed for it because you’re such an amazing brother that you wanted to be able to look out for Caitlin.”
Maddox opens his mouth, about to cut me off, but I don’t let him.
“You see, your mom and dad really don’t like that Caitlin is stuffed into a three-bedroom apartment with Ares and Nixon and that Bellamy and she are sharing a room. But oh man, did your mom love hearing that you were going to let Caitlin and Bellamy take the two extra rooms in the penthouse.” I pat his back and smile slowly and sweetly before I take the remote from him and hit play on the show. “Your mom is super proud of you, by the way.”
Maddox grinds his teeth before he picks his cupcake back up and pops the whole damn thing in his mouth. He takes his time chewing, then finally looks at me with a shake of his head. “Well played, Brynnie. Well played.”
“Checkmate, Madman. Checkmate.”