Chapter 21
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Brooks
“That was seriously the best meal that I may have ever consumed,” Audrey says, pausing ahead of me so I can open the door for her. “And that’s saying something because I’ve had a lot of really good meals.”
I follow her out of Paramount, an upscale but casual restaurant a neighbor recommended to us this morning when we went for a walk after breakfast. We planned on making burgers on the grill on the back deck, but the weather person kept promising rain that, so far, hasn’t happened.
It seemed like a less risky plan just to go to town and get something.
“Thanks for dinner,” Audrey says, tucking her purse under her arm.
“Of course. Thanks for coming with me.”
She laughs, the sound light and bright. “I thought I was going to have to practice my self-defense skills tonight if that waitress didn’t stop fluttering her lashes at you.”
I lick my lips, trying to hide a smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. My attention was focused solely on the beautiful woman across from me.”
“Charmer.”
The backs of our hands brush against each other as we walk, so on a whim, I turn my palm over, giving her an opportunity to place hers on mine.
To my surprise, she takes the offer and laces our fingers together like it’s something we do regularly.
She lifts her gaze to mine, flashing me the sweetest smile that smashes me right in the chest. I know she hates sweet, but I doubt she’ll ever be anything but that.
Sure, there’s a developing sex fiend beneath her polished and endearing facade. I’ve loved bringing that out in her.
We venture down the sidewalk, taking in the inky sky and sparkling silver stars. People pass us, smiling kindly or offering us a quick hello, their laughter and conversations trickling behind them. I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed.
“How did we not know this town was here?” Audrey asks, string lights twinkling over our heads. “It’s like a Christmas village, except in Tennessee and in February.”
“I grew up in Sugar Creek, and I didn’t know this was here. It might be Tennessee’s best kept secret.”
Our arms swing between us as we walk slowly to my truck. The roads in the downtown area are narrow with limited street parking. We wound up parking behind an ice cream parlor a few blocks away from the restaurant.
She glances at me again, her eyes saying things I’m sure she’ll never admit—which is fine. Because, if I’m right, I’m thinking the same things, but I’m not admitting them, either.
I lay awake long after she fell asleep last night, holding her and replaying our conversation.
When I think about the shit I shared with her, shit I haven’t told anyone but Gray, Hartley, and Jasper, I’m befuddled.
It’s almost an out-of-body experience. I never talk about my father, and I talk even less about what happened the last night of his life.
So, why did I crack open like a lobster?
I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she …
exists. A smile lights up her features as a family stroll by, and the little girl with them waves like a practiced princess.
Audrey scrunches her nose in the cutest way, and the child giggles.
As beautiful as the woman holding my hand is, that’ snot even the best quality.
She’s so smart and brave, magnetic. Everyone means a little something to her, no matter their job or position, and that’s so attractive.
There’s nothing unattractive about Audrey Van.
“Hey, look,” she says, pointing out a small black building with green trim. “It’s Tina’s Tattoos.”
“Want to check off another box?”
Her steps slow. “No. I’m not even sure what I want. And if I’m going to do it, I want to make sure it’s exactly right. I’ll have it forever, you know?”
“Okay. It’s up to you.”
She stops and turns to me, reaching up and taking my face in her hands. Her eyes shine beneath the streetlamp. They’re so clear, so unguarded. Her willingness to be so honest and vulnerable with me—that she trusts me this much—is baffling.
“You are a good one, Brooks. I hope you know that.”
“Stop it,” I whisper, grinning at her. “People are watching.”
Her laughter dances through the air. “Where’s that who cares what people think attitude now?”
“I left it at the house.” I wink, dipping my mouth to capture hers. She lifts her chin and meets me halfway, guiding my lips to hers. Her touch is so gentle but reassuring in a way that I don’t want to spend too much time considering.
Her lips are pillows and her breath tinged with an after-dinner mint, and my heart swells so large that it rattles my ribs. I don’t know what to do with this. Just chalk it up to a beautiful girl fucking with my brain and knowing it’ll dissipate as soon as we go our separate ways, I guess.
I’m merely a mortal fighting against an angel, after all.
I lean back, pulling her into a tight hug, when my gaze lands on a little shop I didn’t see on our way to Paramount.
It’s smaller than the tattoo shop, with a white picket fence separating it from the sidewalk.
In the window, in pink fluorescent lights, the word intimo is written in script.
It hangs above a mannequin dressed in a robe, flocked by two garment racks loaded with what looks like women’s attire.
“Hey,” I say. “Look back there.”
She glances over her shoulder, confused until she finds the target. “Oh.”
“Wanna?” I tease. “It’s on the list.”
“I don’t want to buy lingerie with you.” She shoves me playfully, laughing. “No way.”
I huff. “And why the hell not?” I pull her into me again, burying my face into the crook of her neck. “I know this body better than anyone at this point. Do you disagree?”
She moans softly as I press a kiss to the bend of her shoulder.
“That’s my point,” I say.
Her nervousness is adorable. I know she hates being embarrassed and shy, but it’s one of my favorite things about her. Not that she’s so self-conscious, necessarily, but more that she’s so aware of others. She just needs to learn to be aware of them and then tell them to fuck off when necessary.
“Let’s just look,” I say. “It’s not like we have anything else to do.”
“Well, I could think of a few things.”
“We’re on the same page,” I say, taking her hand and heading to the shop. “We’re just taking different paths to get there.”
She groans to make her point but follows along with no struggle. I open the gate on the fence, and then we traipse up the small set of stairs. A buzzer beeps as we enter the store.
“Hello,” a woman says with bright red hair. She must be in her fifties with glasses and a sharp black jacket. “I’m Darla. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” I say, ignoring Darla’s blush.
Audrey takes my hand again, following me to the displays. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“Get over it. I owe you a pair since I ripped the others off you, remember?”
Darla drops a stack of magazines behind us at the desk.
We take our time, winding through the displays of women’s lingerie. I had no idea there were this many styles to choose from. Some of the more risqué ones I’d give my left arm to see Audrey wear for me, but I’m pretty sure it’s too much, too soon.
And soon is all we have.
I swallow, stopping at a headless mannequin. I touch the edge of the wine-colored garment she’s wearing. “This is hot.”
“I’m not paying eighty dollars for that.”
“Fair.” I find one in her size, patting myself on the back for checking the size of the blue set at the lake house. I figured I’d have to replace the one I destroyed by purchasing one online. This is a much better solution. “Do you like the green one, too? Or are we just thinking the red?”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I said I’m not paying that much for that small piece of fabric.”
“I heard you.” I grab the green one also and then move to a setup of satin high leg teddys. “Yes, or no?”
“Brooks …”
“I’m hearing yes,” I say, rifling through the drawers until I find a buttery yellow one.
“This is ridiculous. It’s unnecessary and wildly overpriced.” She follows me across the room to bodysuits. “It’s a waste of money.”
I shrug, spotting a soft pink piece that’s so sexy that I could come just from imagining this on her. “Sex sells.”
“There’s no way to justify that price tag.”
“I disagree.” I pull out an ocean-blue version alongside the pink one. “Your tits would look amazing in these.”
Her shoulders fall and I sense she’s giving in. I’ve sensed her desire to give in since we walked in the door. This is just new for her—hell, it’s new for me, too, because I’ve never done this before. But it’ll be worth it.
“You’re probably three or four hundred dollars in,” she says.
“Then I guess you better convince your brother to get me back to work or you and your wet pussy will bankrupt me.”
She starts to speak but nothing comes out. I touch the tip of my finger to her chin and lift it so she has nowhere to look but at me.
“I told you that I can’t promise Drew will help you,” she says solemnly with her big, blue Bambi eyes.
I frown. “Oh, damn. That’s right.” I feign disappointment. “Guess you’ll have to pay me back for my services this week in another way.” I nod to a wall filled with bras and panties of all sorts and styles. “I think five or six sets would be a good start.”
“You are out of control.”
Dropping my finger, I survey the options. There are cards labeling what the fit is for each bra and panty. It’s a whole system I can’t understand.
“This is a part of the process,” I say, distracted by the colors and fabrics. “You’re going to try these on for me at the house, I’m going to tell you how hot you are—I’ll probably fuck you a few times—and then you’ll feel more confident. It’s a total win all around.”
She bites her lip but gives up without admitting defeat.
Together, we pick five sets and then go to the register. Darla looks up at us nervously. “Did you find everything?” She surveys our—my—selections. “It looks like you did.”
“He’s uncontrollable,” Audrey says.
“Honey, if your biggest problem is that a man who looks like that is uncontrollable in a little shop like this, I’m ready and willing to trade you places,” Darla says, laughing as she zaps each tag with a wand.
Audrey gazes up at me like I’ve somehow set her up but also like she’s slightly amused.
“These are excellent choices,” Darla says, taking my credit card from me. “I hope you enjoy them.”
“She should enjoy them, shouldn’t she?” I goad. “I want her to always feel as sexy as I think she is.”
Darla sighs as if that’s the best thing she’s heard all day. “Honey, you got you a good man right here. Lock him up and throw away the key before someone tries to steal him.”
Audrey watches my profile, but I don’t look at her. Instead, I take my card from Darla as she shoves the receipt into one of the bags.
“Have a good evening, and thanks for shopping with us,” Darla says.
“Thank you,” I say, gathering the bags.
Audrey gives her a smile and a wave before we exit the store.
She slips her hand through my crooked elbow, leaning her head on my arm.
Tension leaves my body, replaced with an unexpected warmth.
A part of me wants to lean into whatever this is, and the other part wants to keep a careful, measured distance.
It’s such a strange bout of mind fuckery.
We’re steps from the truck when a crack of thunder breaks through the air. I look up as huge, cold droplets of water fall from the sky onto my face. Audrey shrieks and we jog the rest of the way to my vehicle. I toss our purchases into the back seat and then help her climb into the cab.
But as I step away to close the door, her gaze catches mine, and I lift a brow.
“Thanks,” she says. “Not just for dinner, but for everything.”
The corner of my mouth flickers. Thank you, too. “You’re welcome.”
I slam the door, moving to the back of my truck.
I take a second, just one short moment, to catch my breath.
She’s so easy to spoil, an interesting conversationalist, and the sex with her has been some of the best I’ve ever had.
The taste of her is imprinted on my tongue, and right now, I fear I’ll never be able to forget her.
I was right. She’s going to be the death of me.