Chapter 8 #3
Nick cleared his throat. He almost answered her truthfully before forcing himself to remember that regardless of what either of them might insist at this moment, she belonged to his brother.
“Why to wash my car and take my suits to the cleaners,” he told her turning back to the sink, apparently completely serious. “Not to mention I hate cleaning the oven.”
“Now I know why you're still single,” she laughed, pulling away from the counter and dangling her glass in front of him.
Taking it out of her hand, Nick proceeded to wash it and the rest of the dishes, grumbling something about women never being satisfied.
By the time the kitchen was in order, Rebecca had packed up all her paraphernalia. Despite their easy banter there was a deep sadness in her eyes when she kissed him on the cheek.
“Thanks, Nick,” she told him softly.
“My pleasure honey,” he responded, giving her a warm hug.
Nick walked her to her car; made sure she was safely locked in, and told her to give a call when she got home. Then he returned to the apartment. He had a few well-chosen words for his stubborn brother.
“You acted like a jerk,” he stated, shoving open the bedroom door and striding into the room. Mason was lying on the bed, hands behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“I know.”
“A jealous, insensitive, jerk.”
“I know.”
“What the hell were you thinking of? I’m your brother for Christ's sake.”
“I know.”
“The least you could have done was come out and apologize.”
“I know.”
“Is that all you can say?” Nick demanded his hands on his hips, clearly pissed.
Mason sat up and ran his hands through his hair.
“I admit I was wrong, overreacted, but at the time it seemed that there was no other reasonable explanation. I'm in love with her,” he continued, as if that explained everything and getting to his feet he began to pace.
Nick stood stock still, watching the anguish on Mason's face, torn between sympathy and that good swift kick. He'd been in love once, so much in love that he'd been blinded to deception, but this was not the case here. Rebecca had truly been innocent of any wrong doing.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Nick asked.
“I don't know.”
Nick swore softly.
“You'd damn well better find out.”
“Nick, you don't know what that little hellion has put me through,” Mason ground out. “I can't begin to figure her out and I don't have a clue how to handle her.”
“Handle her! Hell man you handle your car, your business, your bank account, you don't handle your woman. You love her. And you trust her, until she gives you reason not to. And occasionally you give her a damn good spanking to remind her whose woman she is and what acceptable behavior is and what is not.”
Shaking his head in disgust Nick started out of the room but Mason's hand on his arm stopped him.
“What makes you such an expert?” Mason demanded. “I don't see a ring on your finger or a passel of little ones calling you daddy?”
“Experience and good sense,” Nick replied, answering, yet not answering the question.
“Don't give me that bull. You don't know what it's been like.
Rebecca isn't like other women. Just hearing her voice on the phone makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up and it isn't from desire, it's plain old-fashioned fear.
I never know what she going to do next. She's a flake, a flirt and absolutely fantastic in bed.
I love the way she looks, smells, and sips her coffee.
I can't imagine life without her and life with her is making me crazy.
“What happened here tonight might be a once in a lifetime experience for most women but with Rebecca this kind of thing is to be expected.
If a few days go by without some kind of catastrophe I actually begin to sweat.
In the last six weeks she's forgotten to eat, wrecked her car, broken her foot, overdosed on sleeping pills, beaten me with a broom, and ended up damn close to naked in the same room with another man.
No insult intended. Add to that the times she has made love to me until I could hardly move.
“She doesn't believe in marriage and apparently birth control is the farthest thing from her mind.
I'm telling you that woman is a menace to herself and every red blooded American male and if I can't convince her it's me she's supposed to spend the rest of her life with I'm afraid some other man will realize just how absolutely priceless she is.”
By the time he was finished Mason was out of breath and shaking and Nick was grinning like a fool.
“Wow little brother,” he said putting his arm around Mace's shoulders and guiding him out to the kitchen. “You've got it bad, real bad. Sit right down here and let old Nick make you a cup of his special Irish coffee,” he said eyes twinkling.
“I once knew a girl like Rebecca and I also loved her desperately. I, however, did not have a big brother to guide and advise me and I lost her,” he continued confidently. “That's not going to happen to you.”
Mason accepted the hot coffee gratefully but could not contain the snort of disbelief.
“Trust me,” Nick grinned, and surprisingly Mason did.