Rodrick
Rodrick
I t was nice seeing Evie so happy. She was surrounded by her friends and that was new for him. He only had a few close friends—mostly, his brother and Luke. It was fun to hang out with new people. They spent the evening eating, drinking, and just plain acting silly. He hadn’t really played games since he and Alex were kids, and they were trying to kill time. Whenever he or Alex were grounded from television, they broke out the board games. It usually ended up with a fistfight and more television timeout, but they were both hardheaded jerks when they were teens.
“I’m going to grab a beer out of the kitchen,” Rod said. “Can I get anyone else one?” Everyone put their hands up and he chuckled. “I’ll make a few trips then,” he joked.
“No need,” Alex insisted. “I’ll come with you and give you a hand.”
Rod knew that by giving him a hand, his brother meant that he was going to be grilling him about what he had found him and Evie doing in the car. “Thanks,” Rod said. He knew that sooner or later, he’d have to explain this whole mess to his brother and Nova, but he was hoping to sit down with Evie first to decide what they were doing together. He was hoping that she’d help give him some clarity about what the two of them were doing, but he was sure that she was just as clueless as he was.
Rod followed Alex into the fridge and took the three bottles of beer that he handed him. Alex shut the door and turned on his brother. “What the hell was that out in your car?” he asked.
“I think it was pretty self-explanatory. I told you that I like her, and well, I think she likes me too. Has Nova said that she suspects anything?” he asked.
“No,” Alex breathed. “In fact, when we pulled up here and found the two of you, she actually squealed and clapped. She’s really excited that you both are together. I am too if I’m being honest. Now, I won’t have to lie to my wife and keep a secret. If you two are together, then you’re technically not lying to Nova.”
“That’s what I told Evie, but I’m not sure if she’s on board or not. We’re going back to her place after this is over and talking things through,” Rod said.
“Is that code for sex?” Alex asked. He wasn’t about to tell his brother that Evie was a virgin, and he wouldn’t pressure her for sex until she was ready. Hell, he didn’t know if that was something that she’d even want with him. Maybe she had some crazy notion to save herself for marriage and that would be a shame because Rod had no intention of getting married any time soon.
“No,” Rod breathed, “it’s not a code for sex. Listen, I appreciate you keeping our little secret, but with any luck, it won’t be something you have to keep for much longer.”
“Good to know,” Alex said. “But sooner or later, you and Evie will have to come clean with Nova.”
“You guys coming back with those beers?” Nova asked.
“What do you care?” Rod asked. “You can’t drink them anyway,” he said.
“See, this is why we had to tell everyone about me being pregnant tonight. You all would have given me hell for not drinking tonight.”
“You’re right,” Tyler agreed. “Plus, we’re super excited about meeting him or her in eight months.”
“We are too,” Alex said. He handed out the bottles of beer and sat down next to Nova, pulling her against his side. Watching the two of them made Rod feel a bit jealous. He had to admit, he really never thought about settling down until he saw how happy it made his older brother. He still didn’t have any immediate plans to get married, but he was at least thinking about it for his long-term plan.
“Have you two ever thought about having kids?” Evie asked Tyler and Doug.
“We have, but it’s not as easy for us. We’ll either have to find a good adoption agency or a surrogate that we can trust. Either way, we’ll need a damn good lawyer to navigate our way through the mountains of paperwork that will accompany either option.”
“You’re in luck,” Nova teased. “We happen to know a really good firm you can work with and I’m betting that you’ll be able to get the friends and family discount.”
“Then we’re one step closer to our dream,” Tyler said, smiling over at Doug. The two of them were unexpected for Rod. He wasn’t sure that he’d feel comfortable around them—not because they were two guys, but because they had such a tight relationship with Evie. He worried that Tyler would spill the beans about their secret, but he hadn’t yet. Plus, he seemed super protective of Evie and Rod couldn’t blame the guy. He was beginning to feel the same way about her. After spending the last week with her, he’d never do anything to intentionally hurt her. Now, all the two of them had to do was find a way to navigate a path forward, and he was sure that he’d never have to face down her two angry best friends for breaking her heart because Rod never planned on doing that to Evie.
They stayed past eleven and Rod was exhausted. He drove Evie home and when she turned to ask him if he still wanted to come in, he threw his plans out the window and wanted to turn her down. He was going to insist that he was tired and ask her for a raincheck. He was being a giant chicken and he knew that if he went into her house with her, he might push her for something more than talking. He didn’t want to take that chance with her—the chance of hurting her because he could be a demanding asshole. But when he opened his mouth to tell her that he’d changed his mind about talking, he found himself saying that he’d love to come in for a bit.
Rod followed Evie to her front porch, trying to be patient as she fiddled with her keys, nervously trying to unlock the front door. “Here, I can get that for you,” he offered. He held out his hand to her and Evie handed him the keys.
“I guess I’m a little bit nervous,” she admitted.
“I’ll admit, I am too,” he said, unlocking the door. “But remember, we’re just talking, honey,” he reminded.
She stepped into the open door and took her keys back from him, letting her fingers brush his hand, and he felt those same damn sparks that he had when he kissed her earlier that night. “What if I don’t want to just talk?” she whispered.
“Don’t tease me, Evie,” he growled. “You don’t have to make me any promises you don’t want to keep. I know that you’re a virgin, and I won’t press you for anything.” He wanted to get down on his fucking knees and beg her to have sex with him, but that wasn’t a part of the bargain that he had struck with her.
“How about we talk about this while we—you know, talk,” she teased. “Want some coffee?” she asked. When he hired her, she said that she would never fetch his coffee for him.
“I thought that you making me coffee was off the table,” he teased.
“Well, we aren’t at work, so do you want some?” she asked.
“Sure,” he agreed. “I’m tired, so coffee would be great.”
“How about we sit in my family room?” she asked. “That way we can keep the feeling relaxed. I’m already a bundle of nerves.” Rod took the two coffee mugs that she had pulled down from her and put them down on the counter. He pulled her into his arms and sealed his mouth over hers, loving the way that she sighed against his lips.
Rod ended the kiss and smiled down at her. “Still nervous?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “How do you do that?” she asked.
“Do what?” he questioned.
“Calm me,” she breathed. “You just have this crazy effect on me. You calm my nerves and make me feel like everything’s going to be all right.”
“It will be all right—no matter what happens, honey,” he said.
“Well, you haven’t run off since I told you that I’m a virgin,” she said. “That’s a big deal since most guys take off as soon as they hear that word.”
“They were morons, Evie,” Rod said. “I have to admit, the thought of you being a virgin scares the shit out of me. I’ve never been with a virgin, and I’d never want to hurt you.”
“You won’t hurt me, Rod,” she said.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey,” he said. “I’m just trying to figure out how someone who looks like you never lost her virginity.”
“Honestly, I was focused on my schooling,” she admitted. “I graduated early from high school. I was always bright and then, I started college when I was only sixteen. At first, I commuted, but then, I met Nova and Tyler and moved into their apartment. It worked out for me because they kind of looked out for me. I knew that I was a lot younger than most college girls, but once word got around, most guys treated me as though I had the plague. They avoided me at all costs. I started dating guys from town, avoiding college guys, and when the notorious third date hit, they asked me to jump into bed with them, and when I admitted to being a virgin, I never heard from them again. They dropped me back at my dorm room and made the promise to call me in a day or so, but nothing ever happened. I guess I resigned myself to being a virgin forever, you know? I started law school and decided to become a paralegal instead of a lawyer and graduated early. I’m only twenty-two,” she admitted.
“Yeah,” he breathed. “I saw that on your paperwork. It’s also one of the reasons why I told myself to steer clear of you. I’m twenty-nine and convinced myself that you’re too young for me.”
She giggled, handing him his coffee. “Come on, let’s sit in the family room and you can tell me about how an old man like you became a lawyer,” Evie teased. He followed her into the small room and sat on her sofa, loving the way she sat right next to him, her leg touching his as if she was comfortable with him already.
“Well, I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a lawyer. My grandfather was in oil and came from old money. He left my brother and me very well off, and I didn’t think about doing much of anything. I didn’t have to, honestly. I traveled and had way more fun than was legally acceptable to have. My brother had become a lawyer like our old man, and together, they tried to intervene on my good time.” He loved that his brother and father cared about him, but he didn’t need them telling him what to do with the rest of his life.
“Well, it seems that they broke through to you,” Evie said. “I mean, you’re a lawyer now.”
“Yeah, they wore me down. At first, I stubbornly refused to listen to a word that they were saying, but after a while, I looked into going to college and eventually law school and realized that it fit me. I decided to go, not telling either of them about my decision until I had my first two years of school under my belt.”
“You kept it a secret?” she asked. “Boy, you were really stubborn.”
“Still am,” he said. “I guess that’s why I was all right with keeping Nova in the dark. I don’t like being told what to do with my life, you know?”
“I do,” she agreed. “I fought Nova for weeks when she tried to throw us together.”
“Are you happy that you’ve changed your mind?” he asked.
“I am,” she admitted. “I got a pretty good job out of the deal,” she teased.
“Hey,” he grumbled.
“Well, this thing between us is kind of new, so I’m not really sure what to call it or how I feel about it,” Evie admitted. He felt the same way, but he was willing to see where this thing ended up if she was.
“Are you willing to give this thing a chance?” he asked.
“Yeah, but we’re going to need to give it some kind of parameters,” she said.
“You mean rules, right?” he asked.
“Yes, and I’d like to know exactly what I’m getting into with you, Rod. Is this going to be a real relationship or are we still faking things for Nova?”
“It’s real,” he breathed. “My feelings for you are real, Evie.”
“What about work?” she asked. “Will we be able to keep this and work separate?”
“If that’s what you’d like to do,” he agreed. “I’m fine with keeping our relationship a secret.”
“So, it’s a relationship then?” she asked.
“I’d like to call it that, if you’re good with that term,” he said. Rod was beginning to feel as though he was negotiating an arbitration. Next, he’d offer to draw up a contract and he wondered if that’s what it would take to get Evie to trust him.
“I am good with calling it a relationship,” she agreed. “And for now, I’d like to keep it and work separate.”
“Deal,” he agreed. He held out his hand to her and she placed hers into his and shook. Rod pulled her against his body and kissed her, ignoring the fact that they were both holding their half-full coffee mugs still.
“Shoot,” she mumbled. “I spilled coffee all over both of us.”
“Not a problem,” he insisted, looking down at his wet shirt. He pulled it off and tossed it to the floor, loving the way she looked his upper body over. “You might want to get out of that shirt too, honey,” he said.
“I’ve never taken my shirt off in front of a guy before,” she whispered.
“There’s always a first time, honey,” he said. “For everything.”
“Subtle,” she said.
He took her coffee mug from her and set it next to his on the table. “I won’t push you, Evie. We can take this at your pace.” He gently kissed her lips and she nodded and stood, tugging her shirt up over her head revealing her lacy black bra she had hidden underneath.
“You’re sexy as fuck, honey,” Rod breathed.
“Really?” she questioned, looking down her body. Rod reached up and pulled her down on top of his body.
“Really,” he assured.
“Are we still talking?” she asked.
“That depends on you, honey,” he said. “What do you want to do?”
“Um,” she squeaked. “I think I’d like to make out.” Rod chuckled and nodded, “Done deal, honey.” He pulled her down and kissed her, sure that he’d never get enough of his secret new assistant.