The Duet(40)

“Erase it from your memory. You were not given permission to check out my goods.”

“But they were oh so good,” he said, dropping his hand over his heart like he was wounded. The content smile on his lips told me he was far from it. I kicked him in the side playfully, and then reached down so he could grab onto my hand and stand up.

“Thanks for coming in to rescue me,” I said, my cheeks red with residual embarrassment.

“It was my pleasure, but just so you know, you’re now the boy who cried wolf. I’m not going to come running in next time you scream while you’re in the bath,” he swore, shaking his head.

“That’s fine. I hope you got a good look because you’re never going to see this ass ever again,” I joked.

Jason’s amused smirk turned into something a little more dangerous. He stepped forward and gripped my robe, just below my hips, and bent down so his mouth hovered over mine.

“No worries, Sweet Cheeks. I’ve been told I have quite the memory,” he said as I held my breath. He left me there in limbo as I waited for him to tear through the wall between us. It was pure torture, like someone dangling an ice cream cone in front of your mouth when you’re trying to stave off a sweet tooth.

He leaned forward two more inches, his chest pressing against mine, and then he stole a kiss. His free hand gripped my wet hair, tugging me closer. It was quick, over before it even began. But his supple lips were on mine, and for one brief second I felt like I was drowning in him.

When he pulled back, I fluttered my eyes open and actively fought off a moan. Without a word, he let go of me and exited my bathroom like he was the King of Siam. I would have said something, formed a retort to his earlier teasing, but the mood had already shifted. He was like an unpredictable summer storm. One minute he hated me, one minute he wanted to kiss me. And as he fled from the room, I assumed his pendulum was already swinging away from me once again.

I stayed where I was, running my finger back and forth across my bottom lip. It’d been a really, really good first kiss. To put it in perspective, any kisses that I’d had before that kiss were just a waste of facial muscles. I should have been saving up all my energy for Jason Monroe because I had a feeling I was going to need it.

I stood there fanning myself for a solid ten minutes before I realized that Mr. Spidey could still be somewhere in the bathroom. Nope. Nope. I rushed out and closed the door. Guess I’ll just never go into that room again.

Problem solved.

…



Thirty minutes later, after I’d called Summer back and parts of my dignity were finally seeping back in, I padded down the stairs in search of food. My call with Summer wasn’t long, but she’d informed me that the next day a car would arrive at 8:00 A.M. sharp to drive me to Billings, Montana. The meetings and photo shoots I’d been avoiding while in Montana had finally caught up to me, and I was booked solid for two days. There was a photo shoot for a fragrance line and a swimsuit company wanted initial designs approved for the “Brooklyn Heart Collection.” It was only two days, but the thought of leaving the ranch, of leaving Jason, didn’t sit well with me.

I trotted down the rest of the stairs, trying to shake the confusing feelings playing out in my head. Maybe I was just hungry. That was usually the culprit to any bad mood.

“Hey, Brooklyn,” Derek called out as soon as my feet hit the bottom stair. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a playful smile. His tight t-shirt was dirty from work and his hair was patted down at an awkward angle from being stuffed under a cowboy hat all day. In all, he was still pretty cute.

“I heard you’re quite the screamer,” he said with a cheeky smile. My gaze darted to where Jason was sitting behind him at the table. His dark hair concealed his eyes as he stared down at his phone, and even though he wasn’t contributing, his wicked smile told me he was enjoying Derek’s teasing all the same.

Before I could reply, LuAnne twisted away from the stove with her dishtowel to smack Derek on the back of the head. The loud clap of the towel rang out in the kitchen and Derek leaned forward to get out of her reach.

“Brook, don’t you worry about these two boys. They never grow up, I swear,” she said, giving me a ‘what are we going to do’ shrug as I stepped past the doorway.

“Which is exactly why I’m glad I’m headed to Billings for two days,” I announced, giving Derek a playful glare. Maybe I was actually happy to get a break.

Derek’s bottom lip stuck out like a five-year-old. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah, my assistant has me booked with meetings for a solid 48 hours.”