Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
JULIET
The smell of bacon pulls me out of a deep, dreamless sleep. Sitting up, I rub my hands over my face and look around. Daylight spills in through the curtains on the window, and Brooks is gone.
He’s making breakfast.
I have no idea where the bathroom is in this house. I hardly remember him carrying me in here last night. I was so freaking exhausted. Not only physically but also emotionally.
I still am, if I’m being honest.
I pad out of the open door and find a bathroom just across the hall. There’s a new toothbrush sitting by the sink, and I use it after doing my business, washing my hands, and splashing some water on my face.
Then I let my nose lead me out to the kitchen, where Brooks stands with his back to me, pulling bacon out of a pan.
“Good morning,” he says without turning around. “A couple of things. First, I have some celiac-safe things in the kitchen because of Birdie. Her dishes are pink.”
He opens the cupboard to show me, and it melts my heart.
“I’m using the one pan I bought for her that has never touched gluten. I’ll get more.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“I’ll get more,” he says again, and points with the tongs to a stool in front of the island. “Sit. Do you want orange juice?”
“Are you kidding me? I need coffee.”
He smirks and then stops to examine me. “How are you, Wildfire?”
“Tired. I slept hard, but I could drift right off again.” My yawn is wide and not a little embarrassing, and Brooks crosses to the fridge, where he pulls out a jug of juice and fills a pink glass, then hands it to me. “Drink this. I’m going to send you back to bed after breakfast.”
I take a sip and narrow my eyes at him.
Brooks is naturally bossy. He always has been. I’m sure being the oldest of five kids has something to do with it, but mostly, he’s just a dominant man.
Especially when it comes to sex.
My thighs clench at that thought. I love following his orders when he fucks me.
Not that we’re doing that. I just crashed here last night, nothing more.
“You’re really overthinking something over there.” He shakes his head at me.
Our conversation in the middle of the night seems to have changed things. I can feel the shift. He’s no longer looking at me like he wishes I’d disappear. He smiles at me. The tenderness that was always there before is back, but with the added benefit of many years of adulthood.
Thank God he doesn’t hate me anymore.
“It’s just a lot to take in. I feel like I’ve been overthinking for years.” And now that things are calmer with this man, I can breathe again.
My stomach isn’t in knots.
That alone makes me want to cry like a freaking baby.
“You know, I didn’t take you for a queen-sized bed kind of man.”
Brooks smirks at that and then plates our food with bacon, eggs, fruit, and some yogurt. He passes me a pink plate.
I love that he has safe dishes for his niece.
“We didn’t stay in my room,” he says. “It’s the guest room.”
“Oh.” I nod and stuff some eggs in my mouth, trying to keep my face clear.
He didn’t want me in his room.
That’s okay. He didn’t have to bring me here at all, and it felt good to be in a cooler room without the mildewy smell that’s permeating my apartment.
“I didn’t want to take you in there without your consent, Wildfire. Not because I didn’t want you there.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why are you suddenly reading my mind?”
His lips tip up in a half smile. “We may be starting over from scratch with each other, but I do still know parts of you.”
Starting over.
Is that what we’re doing?
Is that what I want to do?
I nibble my food and watch him move about the kitchen.
He’s eating, but he’s also cleaning up after himself as he chews, and I love watching his broad shoulders move in his white T-shirt.
He has some new tattoos on his left arm that weren’t there when we were younger. I’m still so damn attracted to him.
Maybe more now than ever before, and I wouldn’t have thought that was possible.
If there’s a way for Brooks and me to start over, to put the past behind us and move forward … yeah. I’d love to try that.
But it also makes me so nervous because if it doesn’t work again, it could destroy me. I’ll have to keep my walls up for a while. Protect myself until I can trust that things between us could work out.
“I don’t even know where we are,” I realize out loud, frowning. “I think I fell asleep in the truck as soon as you pulled out of your parking spot.”
“You did,” he confirms. “We can walk outside when you’re done eating so you can get your bearings. We’re in town.”
Nodding, I glance around. “It’s a great house, Brooks. How long have you lived here?”
His fork pauses midway between his plate and his mouth. “A long time.”
I take a bite of bacon, and he picks up the conversation.
“Are you planning to live in your apartment long term?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Probably not, but it’ll work for a while, once I get it fixed.
It’s going to take more work now.” Sighing, I push aside my mostly empty plate.
I was hungrier than I thought. “I should get back to the restaurant and figure out how I’m going to tear out the floor, and all of the million other things that I need to do. ”
“Come here.” Brooks holds his hand out for mine, and without hesitating, I slide my hand into his, linking our fingers, and just like last night, it feels like coming home. “Let me give you a quick tour around here. The house isn’t huge. One story, four bedrooms, two bathrooms.”
He leads me back down the hallway, past the guest room and bath, and points out the other rooms.
“I use one room for a small home gym, and the other is my office. This at the end is the primary suite.”
He leads me inside, and I can’t help but smile. This is so Brooks. Decorated in browns and oranges, it’s masculine. And it smells like him.
Like leather and whiskey and a little motor oil.
His bathroom has recently been remodeled, just like the kitchen. The vanity and double sinks gleam, there’s a soaking tub in the corner, and the standing shower looks heavenly.
“I have to say, I have bathroom envy.”
He smirks, and without thinking about it, he brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my knuckles.
“The laundry is off the kitchen in a mudroom.”
“Nice.”
He leads me back out through the living room, where a brown leather couch and recliner sit in front of a massive television, and we walk right out the front door.
When I see what’s across the street, my jaw drops.
“Holy shit, Brooks. You live across from the big house.” I’m staring at my dream home, and it honestly brings tears to my eyes. “This is a good spot.”
“Yeah.” His own voice is rough. “It’s walkable, but you won’t have to do that. Come on.”
He leads me down the stairs of the porch and around to the garage, where my car is parked out front.
“How—”
“Gabe dropped it off for you this morning. I finished it up last night before I came to your place. The keys are in it.”
Oh man, the cost of these repairs on top of the cost of renovating my restaurant is going to kill me.
I have no choice but to use Justin’s money.
“Thank God, I can drive again. Thank you. How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me anything, Wildfire.”
I turn and frown up at him. “It doesn’t cost you nothing to repair vehicles, Brooks Blackwell. I’m happy to pay you.”
“Have you checked your credit card? The idiot who shall not be named should have refunded all of your money.”
I blink up at him, then pull my phone out of my pocket and check the app.
Sure enough, more than six thousand dollars was credited last week.
“Holy shit.”
“You shouldn’t have been treated that way. You have your money back, and I don’t want a dime of it.”
“But—”
“Christ, you’d argue with a turnip.” He frames my face and bends down to slide his lips over mine, brushing gently back and forth and making my skin tingle as he effectively shuts me up. Fuck, he always was a grade A kisser. “Come on, you’re going back to bed.”
“I really should go home—”
“Your home smells like mildew, is likely to get mold, and you’re fucking exhausted, Jules. And while you’re always fucking gorgeous, you have bruises under your eyes. You need to get some more sleep.”
We walk back inside through the back door, and I catch sight of the laundry room before he leads me through to the kitchen.
“See? You’re not even arguing with me.”
“I am tired. But I have so much to do.” Tears fill my eyes, and I know it’s because of the exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. “I can’t take the day off.”
“This is why you need to go back to bed.” He picks me up bridal style and walks right past the guest room and into his bedroom. “And I really love the thought of you in my bed, Wildfire.”
If we’re being honest, I love that thought too. But this feels like a slippery slope. I don’t want to get too used to it.
“I can use the guest room.”
“Are you uncomfortable in my room?”
I bite my lip as I think it over. “No.”
“Then you’ll sleep in here.” He sets me on my feet, then opens the covers for me. “Slide in there, pretty girl.”
I can’t help but smirk as I slip between the sheets, and he covers me up. My eyes are still so heavy.
“Why am I so tired?”
“You’ve had a lot going on,” he says, brushing his fingers through my hair. That only makes me sleepier, and before I know it, I’ve drifted off again.