Chapter 8 – Theo
8
THEO
W hat the hell am I doing?
It’s the one question I keep asking myself, but here I am, walking down the path to Allegra’s tiny apartment. It’s more of a cabin, really. We built it years ago when there weren’t a lot of housing options for our management team. Since the small suburban-like towns have cropped up, most of our management opt for that, but Allegra preferred living here. I guess I don’t know why, but being single and relatively young probably gives her more free time without commuting.
I knock on her door. It’s dark out, the sun has just set, and I’m here with one of her favorite treats. I didn’t know it was a favorite. Nancy told me it was with a wink. And I should feel guilty about lying to my pastry chef, but sometime today, after that kiss, things stopped being so fake. In fact, I had to fight to keep my head in the game all day. All I kept thinking about was how she tasted, the little mewls…the fact that she’s a virgin.
Fuck, that shouldn’t intrigue me. And yeah, I don’t care about a woman’s sexual history. It’s just that Allegra is so passionate. The thought of unleashing that in bed…well, it just makes me so fucking hard, I’m amazed I can still function.
“I told you guys, I need my sleep,” Allegra says as she opens the door. “Oh, you’re not my brothers.”
“I hope not because it would make that kiss this morning really wrong.”
She blushes a little, and it’s then that I realize she’s not wearing any makeup. Her hair is up in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing an old Marines t-shirt. And yep, I look down and take in the yoga pants and hippo slippers. Fuck, that is sexy for some odd reason. It shouldn’t be, but it is. It’s like I get to see the real her. Something that other people don’t get to see.
“Did you need something?”
Yeah, I need a lot of things. Like her naked, beneath me, as I ride her hard. I bite back a moan and push that thought aside and smile. “I brought you a treat.”
“You really don’t need to feed me like this.”
“So, I guess I can keep this very warm sopapilla to myself.”
“You lie.”
I open the bag a little and show her the pastry. She tries to grab it, but I keep it out of reach. “Only if you ask me in.”
She frowns, and even that turns me on. Jesus, I have a problem.
“Fine.” She steps back and lets me step into the apartment. Immediately, warmth surrounds me. She tries to grab the bag from me again, but I hold it up.
“We need a plate.”
“Why can’t we just eat it out of the bag?”
I give her my best offended look, then head off to the kitchen. The kitchen is well organized, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from her. I’ve noticed that having a tidy workspace is important to her. When the former manager had that office, it was always a mess. Now, she keeps it so clean, you could probably eat off it.
I find two small white plates. I place one treat on each of them, then pop them in the microwave for a couple of seconds. Next, I drizzle on a bit of lavender honey that we cultivate for the resort.
I get a little thrill that she watches every move I make. When I look up, she’s got a contemplative look on her face, which I just can’t figure out.
“What?”
She shakes her head. “I always admire people who can cook and look good while doing it.”
“You can’t cook.”
“As if. Of course, I can cook. But I know I don’t look as competent doing it as you do.”
I pick up the plates and place them on the small round dining table. I wait for her to sit down, then take my seat.
“You are good at your job.”
“I’m excellent at my job.”
I laugh. “I’m amazed you’re not a chef. You are definitely arrogant enough to be one.”
She laughs. “My mother knew I needed to have a bit more arrogance to deal with being the youngest of five.”
She picks up the sopapilla and takes a healthy bite. The moan that slips from her mouth sends another rush of need coursing through my veins.
“That is so damned good.” She licks the honey from her fingers. I’m sure she has no idea what she’s doing to me. “Nancy outdid herself.”
“I beg your pardon, but I made these.”
She blinks at me. “But you hate making sweets.”
“No. I prefer what I do, but I don’t mind doing sweets here and there, especially for someone who loves it so obviously.”
“Yeah, well…” she clears her throat as a delicate blush colors her cheeks. She really is adorable. How did I not see it for all these months?
“Don’t be embarrassed,” I say, taking a healthy bite of my own pastry and humming. “A little too much cinnamon.”
She rolls her eyes. “I think it’s perfect. I’ve never had it with the lavender honey.”
“I take it your brothers are settled in the apartment. Or so I was told by the staff.”
“Yeah,” she says, frowning. “I’m so not in the mood for them this weekend. Rachel showed up this morning when I was dealing with them.”
“She didn’t give you any shit, did she?”
“Please.” She rolls her eyes. “That woman doesn’t know she’s tangling with a military brAT.”
“I’ve always heard that phrase but never knew what it meant. Just that you’re brats?”
She chuckles. “Born, raised, and trained.”
“Ah. I don’t know if I’ve known any military brats.”
“Eddie in the kitchen is an Air Force brAT. Oh, and Nancy. Her dad was in the Army.”
“Really? She never mentioned it.”
She shrugs. “Not every family is built for the military. Her father was somewhat of a jerk, from what I understand. Being isolated away from extended members makes it hard to deal with stuff like that.”
“But not your father?”
“He was a bit of a dictator in some ways. My mother softens him. And now he’s just the CEO of Sullivan Security.”
“Which all of your brothers work at?”
“Yes. They thought I would too, and I have no idea why because I have a degree in hotel management.”
I smile. “They miss you.”
“No. They want to control my life.”
“Maybe, but I think it’s out of love. They hate that you’re here all by yourself. It isn’t that you are a woman. Well, that might be part of it, but I think it’s because you’re a unit.”
She cocks her head. “You barely know them.”
“True, but they really do love you.”
Her lips twist. “Yeah. And I love them, even if they do annoy me.”
I laugh because she sounds irritated that she loves them.
She takes another bite of her sopapilla. Some of the honey ends up on the corner of her mouth. I lean forward and use my thumb to clean it off her face.
“Oops,” she says.
I lift my thumb to my mouth to clean off the honey. All the while keeping my gaze connected with hers. I watch as her whiskey-colored eyes darken, her pupils dilating.
“A little bit of you. A little bit of honey. Delicious.”
Her tongue sneaks out and wets her bottom lip. And right then, I realize I have to have her. There is no way I can walk out of here without taking a chance. It’s been building for months, and why I haven’t had a woman for over six of those months. Every day, the need grew, and that must be the reason I haven’t been able to control my temper around her.
I rise out of my chair and take her hand, pulling her out of hers.
“This is a horrible idea, Theo.”
“No. It’s scary. But it isn’t bad.”
“We work together.”
“Yeah,” I say, wrapping my arm around her waist and cupping her face with my other.
“Remember the part where I said I was a virgin?”
I nod, still maintaining eye contact. “Are you saving yourself? No judgment, I just want to know now.”
She shakes her head. “I never…it never worked out.”
“Can I let you in on a little secret?”
“What? You’re a virgin too?”
I snort. “No. But from the moment you told me you were a virgin, I’ve been unbelievably aroused. I’m amazed I made it through the dinner service tonight.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t mess with me, Theo.”
“I’m not. I shouldn’t be telling the food and beverage manager how I almost caused so many problems in the kitchen tonight.” I should be embarrassed to admit it, but I just feel relieved to share it.
“Really?” she asks as she slides her hands up my chest to my shoulders.
“And another little secret?” I lean down to nip at her lush mouth.
“What?”
“I haven’t been with a woman in over six months.”
Her eyes widen. Yeah, I have a bad reputation, and I was known for having a different woman every weekend.
“It happened that weekend of Milo and Hazel’s wedding. At the reception, Milo dragged you out on the dance floor and twirled you around. You were laughing.”
“Because I can’t dance.”
I shake my head. “It didn’t matter. Because when I saw you so happy, I yearned for that.”
“You were rude to me that day.”
I close my eyes. “I don’t want to admit this. Not to you, really anyone, but especially not you. I think you scared me.”
I open my eyes when she says nothing, but she’s eyeing me skeptically. “I’m serious. I don’t know if it was seeing my brother so happy that had me looking at things differently, or it was just you in that sexy black dress. But the moment I saw you so happy, all I could think of was getting to be the person who made you feel like that.”
She studies me, her gaze moving back and forth between my eyes, then she rises to her tiptoes, pressing her mouth against mine. It’s a sweet kiss, filled with expectations, wonder, and a bit of naughtiness when she takes my bottom lip between her teeth.
“Take me to bed, Theo.”