“So I’m spending the night again?” she asked. Twice in a row. They hadn’t done that yet.

  “I already told you I’d hoped we’d have plans for the night.”

  But plans for the night didn’t mean she’d stay the whole night. “I have to run home and get clothes.”

  “We can do that after,” he said.

  “No. You can take the tree home and I’ll get Reese and some clothes and then go back to your place. No reason for you to follow me home just for that.”

  He sighed and waited while she called Ryan quick. She put her phone away while they both put their jackets and hats on. He pulled his gloves out when she did, then followed her out the door and on the property where they’d get a tree.

  She was hoping that was the end of their conversation but that hope was squashed like a bug hitting the windshield of a tractor trailer on the highway when he asked, “Are you ever going to let me see where you live?”

  She’d prefer not to. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a small house.” One that suited her and she loved, but it wasn’t anything special. Nothing like he lived in.

  Her old home had charm and character, but the house creaked when the wind blew, the windows rattled and let in some drafts. Her kitchen was functioning but hadn’t been updated since the nineties. Her one bathroom was in the same generation of style as her kitchen.

  She’d put some touches on the house and she was proud to have purchased it on her own. But it wasn’t like his mansion. Why throw it out in his face again that she didn’t have what he had?

  “It’s where you live. It’s where Rosie’s brother lives. Maybe I want to see where you get cozy at night.”

  “It’s nothing special,” she said. “Not like your place.”

  “And that’s the problem. You think I’m going to judge you on that?”

  “Not really.”

  “Then what really?” he asked, stopping and turning her to look at him.

  “It’s just a reminder is all.”

  “Of what?”

  “That you have so much more than me.”

  “You can’t let that go, can you? I hate to break it to you, but I’ve got a lot more than most of the women I’ve dated.”

  “And those relationships didn’t last very long, did they?” she reminded him.

  “No, they didn’t. But not for those reasons. Those women wanted more from me. They wanted material things. As you’ve pointed out before, I didn’t take it seriously because I knew what they were after. I’m taking what we have seriously because I’m hoping the only thing you’re after is me,” he said, slapping his hand to his chest.

  She’d hit a nerve. A major nerve.

  “I do want you. How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested in your money at all?”

  “You say it to me. You show it to me. You make me believe it and then you do things like this. Say words like this and make me wonder what is going through your head.”

  “There isn’t anything going through my head,” she argued.

  “Liar,” he said.

  That nerve she hit with him, he just poked hers with a hot iron. “I’m insecure over not being enough for you. You might not feel it, but I feel it myself.”

  “Then get over it,” he said. “I don’t feel it, so why do you?”

  She couldn’t tell him the reason why though. “I just do. I’m not used to what you’ve got. I’m trying to get used to it, but as we’ve been saying, it’s new.”

  He stared at her like he believed what she was saying. She hoped she’d sold it well enough. “So that’s it. Nothing more than you need time to adjust to it?”

  “Yes,” she said, then started to walk away. “Let’s get your tree. Ryan is waiting. I’ll cook you dinner tonight and we can relax and decorate it tomorrow.”

  “You want to cook me dinner after the day we’ve had?” he asked, following her now. The crisis was over, she prayed.

  “I can make grilled cheese with the best of them. Hope you weren’t thinking I was doing anything special.”

  He laughed and picked her up, then swung her around. “You’re special enough for me. Man, you make my head spin.”

  Just like hers was over that move. “The feeling is mutual.”

  The Person She Was

  Brendan was back at his house, the tree sitting in his sunroom thawing out while he looked around in his fridge for dinner.

  Yeah, Holly said she’d cook for him, but she’d had a long day. She hadn’t spent the whole time talking to people, getting her fingers sticky with glue and glitter, hanging out with the kids, or laughing with coworkers.

  Most of her day was spent directing people on the site for her business, answering questions, and running back and forth to fill in at the main building ringing people out so that her mother could enjoy the festivities.

  There wasn’t a selfish bone in that woman’s body. Which was why it annoyed him to no end she felt the way she did about herself.

  That she thought she wasn’t good enough to be with him because her bank account didn’t hold as many zeroes.

  He didn’t know how many times he had to tell her that meant nothing to him.

  What meant more was the person she was. The way she was with and around her family.

  Even his mother couldn’t say enough nice things about Holly. And Nancy, she’d been hinting at the relationship between him and Holly, but he wasn’t biting and giving up anything.

  Ryan on the other hand gave him a cold stare at first, but then relaxed. He wasn’t sure what that was all about when Ryan had been nothing but friendly to him from the first day.

  Then Holly said Ryan was just protective of his baby sister. Brendan couldn’t say much to that as he felt the same way about Kat.

  After rummaging around some more in the fridge, he figured dinner was probably going to be grilled cheese or omelets. Everything else he had was in the freezer. Chicken strips, fries, snacky foods. Things for when the guys were hungry and he could toss them in the fryer or the oven.

  Most times the men wanted jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, pizza bites. Guy food with beer.

  Holly didn’t often eat a salad like most of the women he dated did, but she wasn’t going to throw back a cold one with a greasy appetizer for a meal either.

  Rosie started to bark the minute the doorbell went off and took off in a run. He followed her up front and opened the door to see Holly standing there with Reese, who took off in a sprint the minute his leash was unclipped.

  He reached for Holly’s bag and took it, then set it on the stairs to take up later, pulled her into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers. The need to feel her and hold her like this had been plaguing him all day.

  He lifted his head to hear her laugh, then she asked, “What prompted that?”

  “I can’t be around you without wanting to do that. It didn’t seem appropriate to kiss you like that in front of everyone when you got all embarrassed over a little peck on the lips.”

  “I might have punched you in the arm if you’d done that today in the greenhouse.”

  Exactly as he’d thought, going to prove she was nothing like any of the women he’d ever dated before. Most of them would have loved the attention. Loved that they were marked by him in front of everyone.

  In the past, he’d never been one for public displays of affection. Too many eyes on him.

  With Holly, it never crossed his mind to be cautious or even worry if anyone was watching.

  “I was just looking through the fridge for food. I thought I’d cook for you since you worked harder than me today.”

  “I think we both worked equally as hard. I’m used to being on my feet. You’re probably used to talking to people all day like you did.”

  “Is that a shot against me?” he asked, not insulted...not completely.

  She giggled and it was a sound he’d never heard before. “Not necessarily.”

  “Close enough,” he said. “Anyway, unless you want to eat like we’re watching the Super Bowl, it’s grilled cheese or omelets.”

  “I bet you have a whole freezer full of man food. Fatty, greasy, and yummy.”

  He looked at her tiny slim build. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her and he guessed because she worked so much. Sure, she sat behind a desk like him the majority of the time, but she got up and ran around the farm more than she let on.

  She wasn’t one to diet; she ate what she wanted, when she wanted. And he had a feeling she didn’t do much formal exercise, since she’d never said a word about it.

  No, she was in great shape from just her daily life.

  Him, he exercised. He had to. He was making sure his heart stayed in the best shape it could.

  Holly had never mentioned the gym in his building and he wondered if she knew it was there. It probably wasn’t a place that Kat showed her since it wasn’t going to be decorated.

  If he wasn’t working out at his office, then he made sure he did at home. Seven days a week he was on his treadmill running. That was the very least he’d do daily. If he had more time, he’d lift weights, but his heart was what he was concerned about.

  “Do you want fatty, greasy, yummy food? I can make it.”

  “I’ve never seen you eat like that. Just takeout, but you seem to not go overboard with fat and grease either. I mean I know you take blood thinners, but don’t you have to have a healthy diet too?”

  His heart condition didn’t often come up, but she was the only one who ever questioned things. Who ever really wanted to know.

  “I eat healthy the majority of the time. But we all deserve to splurge now and again. It’s more for the guys than me, but I’ll pick at it.”

  “Then we can pick at it tonight. How about veggie omelets? I can make them if you’ve got any veggies in the fridge.”

  “I saw some peppers in there and tomatoes. Does that work?” he asked.

  “Works well enough for me. And you can pick out something we shouldn’t eat but want to out of your freezer. Surprise me.”

  He laughed. “A surprise artery clogger coming up.”

  The two of them worked together getting their quick and filling meal made, then cleaned up. He went to sit on the couch, but she pulled his hand and led him to the stairs. Even better in his mind.

  The dogs were both napping in front of the fireplace, giving them the privacy they needed.

  When they got to his room she bypassed the bed and went to his bathroom instead, then turned on the water in his big clawfoot tub. He couldn’t remember the last time he was in it.

  “This could be interesting,” he said.

  “That was my hope,” she said. “We ended the day outside in the cold and wind and I’m still a little chilled even though your house is always warm. I can’t figure out how such a big house never seems chilly.”

  “The floors,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Heated floors.”

  “Why haven’t I noticed that?”

  “They aren’t for you to notice, but they are never cold either.”

  “Nice feature,” she said. “My house is drafty, so I’m always wearing layers in it.”

  He knew better than to make a comment on that. Rather, he went to a cabinet and found some body wash and dumped it into the tub for some makeshift bubbles. It didn’t build up like he would have hoped, but it was good enough.

  The two of them undressed. Not sexy or flirty moves, but more comfortable ones. Of people that could be themselves around each other.

  Some might find that odd for just dating a few weeks, but to him, it felt...right.

  Once the water was filled enough, and both of them naked, he swung her up in his arms, heard her laugh, then climbed into the tub and sat down, placing her on his lap.

  The softness of her ass on his stiff dick, the smoothness of her legs brushing against his. Her perky nipples right in line with his mouth like he was hoping for, made him go right for it.

  He pulled her in, he tasted her like he’d been dying to do all day and he loved the feel of her nails burning on his shoulders.

  She was expressive in her feelings, never holding back and never making him feel like he was lacking.

  Until she pointed out that he didn’t put himself first, he didn’t realize part of that was he was afraid that he’d never measure up. That it was only his wealth that someone wanted. Probably because most women in his past were pretty vocal about it.

  With Holly it was completely different and he wanted to show her that. He wanted to show her how much he felt for her. How much he realized he was coming to love her.

  He shifted his mouth to the other nipple and then latched on. She arched her back, pushing herself closer to him, giving him better access.

  She moved off his lap, spread her legs wide and got up on her knees, pushing her breasts in front of him. Using her hands and squeezing them together while his lips moved from one to the other, licking her skin, tasting as much as he could.

  His hands went to her hips and urged her to stand up, putting her lush mound in front of him now.

  He nudged her legs a bit, parted her lower lips and put his mouth to her tender flesh, found her hidden bud of pleasure and pulled that between his lips to suck. To nurture. To taste the very core of her.

  She loved when he did this. He knew. Not just because she’d told him before, but because he could see it in her response to him.

  See it in her eyes when she let out a breath and completely relaxed.

  He slid one hand between her legs, stroked her up and down while his mouth continued to devour her.

  Her legs were quivering, her hands holding his head in place, and his finger plunged inside of her. With that move her knees almost buckled, but he held her up and he continued to torment her.

  To bring her to the point where she’d shout his name like he loved to hear so often.

  It wasn’t long and didn’t take more than a few strokes of his finger before she was cursing and crumbling back down to her knees, then pulling him close and hugging him tight. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “My pleasure,” he said back, then kissed her on the forehead.

  He thought maybe they were done. That they could go into his room and finish up on the bed.

  She had other ideas.

  “Switch positions,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Stand up and let me stay on my knees. It’s my turn. I’ve been dying to do this.”

  Oh man, he’d been dying for her to do it.

  He quickly did what she said, standing in front of her, watching while she reached her hand forward and wrapped him up tight. He was hot and swollen and knew it wouldn’t take much to send him over the edge. Not after what he’d just done to her.

  She inched her mouth forward, closed her lips over the tip of his head and just sucked like it was a tootsie pop and she was testing out the mystery flavor she was given.

  Then once she knew it was one she liked, she opened her mouth wide and pulled him in all the way.

  The groan escaped his lips before he could stop it. His eyes never leaving her face, letting him catch the grin that parted from her lips as she continued to suck him.

  The sucking stopped sooner than he would have liked, but her tongue came out as she licked the length of him up and down. As she took the moisture from his tip and spread it around, put it in her mouth, then licked her lips like this was the best thing that had touched her mouth in years.

  She opened wide again, covered him fully, going deeper than before, bringing her hands up and stroking at the same time her head was bobbing up and down.

  “Holly, it’s not going to be long,” he croaked out.

  Her eyes shifted up, a mischievous look in them, and that was all he said. He put his hands in her hair and urged her to continue the same pace.

  She did. She added more pressure with her mouth and her hands and he had no choice but to let go while she finished him off.

  Dropping to his knees he knew exactly how she’d felt moments ago and found himself pulling her in for a hug and saying, “Thank you,” to her too.

  Make An Appearance

  The next morning, Holly rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom while Brendan slept on.

  She was spent both physically and emotionally.

  Somewhere in the past few weeks her heart started to soften and she felt the first stages of what might be love with Brendan.

  She wouldn’t tell him. She wouldn’t let on. But she knew how she was feeling and had to figure out a way to keep a tight rein on it.

  Like she admitted to him, there was so much she was insecure about for someone that never used to feel insecure about much in life.

  She’d always been confident. Always been outspoken. Always knew what she wanted.

  Then her trust in men was shaken. Her trust in people in general had been altered with her grandmother, but Jack... and then it was more personal.

  She’d dated over the past two years, but nothing got serious. Of course everyone she dated was in the same social class as her and most of her insecurity didn’t make an appearance. Those relationships didn’t last for a variety of reasons.

  Some of her doing, some of the guy’s. But no one tugged at her like Brendan did and it made her question everything.

  When she walked out of the bathroom, Brendan was sitting up in bed, his back to the headboard, the dogs both on the comforter when they weren’t allowed before.

  She narrowed her eyes. “What is the meaning of this?”

  “They wanted to cuddle,” he said.

  Rosie was lying against Brendan’s side on her back, her legs in the air, getting massive belly rubs. Reese was on his feet looking on like he couldn’t believe where he was when his own owner didn’t allow this.

  “Reese,” she said firmly and her dog jumped down.

  “That wasn’t nice,” Brendan said. “They should be allowed the same liberties just like all siblings.”

  She laughed. “Were you and Kat treated the same? I know Ryan and I weren’t.”

  “No,” he said quietly.

  She wasn’t sure what that was about. “How come? Because of your heart?”