Chapter 1

 

Incessant ringing woke Brie from her exhausted sleep. With a groan she reached out, whapping the alarm clock on the second attempt. Hearing the annoying warble continue, she reached for the device once more. Her muddled brain took a second to figure out the phone woke her instead of the alarm. Rolling over, she picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she mumbled, still hoarse from just waking up.

"Brie! I'm so glad I caught you. Are you feeling well, dear? Do you have a cold? Oh, those summer colds are just the worst, I swear. It's so fortunate that you start your vacation now, isn't it? Maybe you can get some extra sleep? That will surely help."

Blinking, Brie tried to keep up with her Aunt Flo's rambling. She couldn't hold back the snort at the recommendation for extra sleep. Glancing at the clock, she shook her head. Six thirty am. So much for sleeping in on my first day of vacation.

"Aunt Flo?"

"Of course, it's me, dear. Now, as I was saying… Poor Rye. Those old pipes under that house just started leaking. They have to dig all the metal ones up and replace them. Might take a couple of months to repair all the damage and get his house back in order again. And, his car, too. Transmission went out. It was fine one day and poof, the next it was totally gone. Just bad luck, that's all it is, a string of bad luck."

Yawning, Brie caught a familiar name. Rye. Rye Taylor. Her Aunt Flo and his Aunt Sally were the best of buddies, since grade school. To this day, they still did everything together—vacations, jobs, picnics—except when their husbands sent them a come-hither look. Then, no one would see them possibly for days.

Rye, a couple years older than Brie, had always been a competitor. His younger brother Jason tended to be more laid-back, full of smiles and jokes. Rye could charm a snake if he wanted, but his main goal aimed to win. Not necessarily at all costs, but he didn't lose; well, maybe a couple of times. She couldn't help but grin at the memory.

She had been seven at the time, making Rye nine. Their families had gathered for the yearly picnic at the old homestead of the Taylor family. Adults sat in the shade, telling stories of times past, the recent happenings, mixed with a few embarrassing tales tossed in for good measure. The boys, Rye and Jason, were busy playing tag with Aunt Flo's son, Jeremy. Brie, being the only girl, was pretty much left to her own devices. Obviously, one of the parents instructed the boys to include her as next thing she knew, Rye reluctantly asked her to join them in the game.

Having just finished a growth spurt, she matched him in height, but retained her inherent quickness. Needless to say, she caught him more than once, delighting in touching him to be it, then dashing away just out of his reach.

Tag ended up turning into a wrestling match, as Rye became more and more incensed to be the victor and reclaim his rights as the champion and holder of the throne. To his chagrin, Brie pinned him fair and square as the other boys looked on in disbelief. Always a quick thinker, Rye decided if he couldn't beat her, strapping her to a tree was the next best option. She was naïve enough to allow him to tie her up, thinking it was all part of their new game of Cowboys and Indians. As they walked off, the realization hit her that she had been bested in the age-old game of wits.

A few screams for help later, Rye's father James came to her rescue, smirking the whole time. The boys had gathered around, nervously shifting from one foot to the other, heads down, seemingly praying they wouldn't suffer any consequences for their prank. James ended up chuckling as he untied the first knot, yelling over his shoulder to his wife. "Sarah, I think Rye takes after you in the tying department." All the adults thought it was hilarious at the time. Brie didn't have a clue. She knew that instead of a lecture, Rye was commended on his abilities. She decided then and there that the family was just a tad bit eccentric.

Aunt Flo's voice broke through her memories. "He's pretty much family, dear, and family helps out one another. Don't worry; he's got a few days of leave, so you won't have to run up and down the road all day. And, with that wrenched shoulder, he needs a little looking after as well. Oh, my. Look at the time. His friend from the force should be dropping him off any minute now."

"Wait, what did you say?" She'd missed something important here. Sitting up in bed, she waited, hoping she wasn't hearing what she thought.

"Brie, you must pay better attention. Rye is going to be staying with you for a while, just until his house is repaired. Can't let him stay in one of those hotels; too expensive and sleazy to boot. I told Sally you wouldn't mind." She paused to take another breath.

"Aunt Flo! Rye doesn't even like me." Well, she wasn't sure of that since she hadn't seen him since he graduated high school. But, when they were younger, he was forever daring her and trying to outdo her in every aspect.

"Oh, nonsense. Of course he likes you."

"He tied me to a tree!" For some odd reason, that episode didn't come across as a promise of undying love.

"Now, dear. Boys will be boys. You know how they are at that age. Besides, that was years ago."

"But…"

"Oh, I've got to go, dear. John is hollering that he's going to leave without me if I don't get a move on. Bye, Brie, and play nice."

The phone clicked on the other end. "Aunt Flo?" Silence was her only answer. With a large sigh, Brie put the phone back on its cradle, her head still spinning over this latest twist in her life. The gist of what she'd heard revolved around the fact Rye's home flooded from burst pipes while his car met its demise from transmission issues. So, her aunt offered up Brie's house to Rye until his home was livable once more. Was there something mentioned about an injury in the midst of all that speed talking? Just great. Her well-earned vacation had come and she'd be stuck with an impromptu roommate, one who drove her completely insane. With a loud groan, she flopped back on the bed.

The doorbell interrupted her moment of self-pity. Blinking, she recalled her aunt's words. A buddy from the force should be dropping him off any minute.

"Ack!" After jumping out of the bed, she took a second to slide on her pink bunny slippers, hopping a few feet as she jammed her little toe. Finally, she quickly headed down the hall to the main room, finger combing her hair all the way. Jeez! He would have to show up at the crack of dawn, when I look like the bride of Frankenstein. Heck, I don't even have time to brush my teeth yet. Okay, just remember, don't get within breathing distance of him. Can't have him thinking I have a major halitosis problem.

Walking past the counter that separated the kitchen from the family room, she spied a few items she'd purchased on her way home from a twelve-hour shift the evening before. Too exhausted to do much more, she put the perishables in the fridge, leaving the other items on the counter to deal with this morning. The peach-colored box of tampons caught her eye. She dashed over, grabbed the box and had no more than turned back in the direction of her room before the doorbell rang again, a second series of chimes that encouraged her to rush to answer before the silly pattern played again.

"Oh, good grief!" She opened the nearest kitchen drawer, tossed the box in, and slammed it shut on her way to the front door.

Breathing a little hard from her frantic scurrying, she peeked out the door, unlocking it as she did. Brie took a deep breath as she opened it, her gaze landing on a wide, powerful male chest.

Wow, guess he ate his vegetables. Yummy. She had to tilt her head back in order to gaze up on his face. Short, neatly trimmed black hair covered his head. Piercing deep blue eyes stared down at her, a twinkle in their depths. Shoulders wide, giving an impression of sheer power, yet not the bulkiness that some men displayed. This strength spoke more of physical labor and hard work than from hours in the gym. Although, she had no doubt he knew his way around a weight bench quite well. Glancing down, she noted that his chest trailed down to a lean waist. She skipped on southward, noticing powerful thighs encased in tight denim, leading down to a pair of black work boots. A large, rugged brown suitcase sat on his left side, a gym bag tossed over the right shoulder, his arm resting against the zipper.

Put that together with those snug jeans, that hunky body, and teasing smile… No, no, no. What am I thinking? Bad, Brie. Very bad. Temporary roommate. That's all this is. Yeah, so the new roomie looks like Adonis come to life, no biggie. You can do this.

"Rye. Good to see you again." Was that my voice, that breathy whisper? Not a good sign. Got to turn off the drool faucet and get the brain gears back to running. Swallowing, she tried again. "I'm sorry about your house."

 

* * * *

 

"Brie?" Rye grinned, having caught her appraisal of him. Hell, I can't blame her. He found himself doing the very same thing. Last time he saw her, she was what? Sixteen? Eighteen? She had grown from a scrappy girl to a young woman. Now, standing there in pajamas buttoned up to her chin and ridiculous house shoes complete with bunny faces and ears, she made his breath catch. Her long blonde hair, tangled from sleep, appeared dark now, but would probably shine in the sun once brushed out. Large hazel eyes completed a rounded face, and the small dimple in her chin snared his attention. Cute and irresistible. Her smaller stature put the top of her head just short of chin level on him. The oversized sleepwear hinted at nice curves in a small package.

Shifting, he tried to ease the sudden tightness in his jeans at the sound of her voice. Damn. This isn't what I need. One minute of her presence and his body went into overdrive. How in the world am I going to last the summer living with her? The thoughts of running around aroused for the next few weeks certainly didn't appeal. The last thing he wanted was for her to discover his body's reaction. "Thank you." Looking down, he paused before adding, "Look, I'm sorry about this. I can rent a hotel…"

"No!"

Her vehement retort startled him with its intensity. Searching her face, he waited for her to continue.

She took a deep breath before clarifying. "No. I want you to stay here. It's okay. Really." A small smile crossed her face. "I have plenty of room. Like Aunt Flo said, you are the next best thing to family."

Giving a quick nod, he bent down to pick up the suitcase. "Thanks, Brie. I'll pay you…"

Shaking her head, she opened the door. "No way, Rye. Now, get in here before someone thinks you're propositioning me."

A chuckle escaped at her words. If she only knew how much he wanted to do that very thing. Damn. It had been a long dry spell if he was primed to jump Brie right here in the doorway.

He felt her stare, catching the direction of her gaze from his peripheral vision. Maybe he wasn't the only one affected and interested after all. The little blonde licked her lips, while her gaze remained plastered on his posterior. Let her look. I certainly intend to check out what lies beneath her frumpy pajamas, too.

Setting down his suitcase, he scanned the room. Neat and orderly came to mind. Not overly huge, nor cramped. Just a comfortable size. Turning back to his host, he smiled warmly, noting her attention remained on his backside. Amusement flared once again. Maybe this won't be such a bad summer month after all.

Brie returned his grin and pointed toward the hallway. "I'll show you where the spare bedroom is so you can get settled in." Walking past him, she led the way down the hall.

Rye picked up the suitcase once more, watching her slide past. The gentle sway of her hips had his jeans cinching tight once more. Cool your jets, man. Yeah, so she has a nice ass, one that a man can cup in his hands as he pulls her… Shaking his head, he forced that image from his mind. No more of that. We're simply going to be roommates for a while. No more, no less. Following her down the hall, he soon stood in his new quarters. Brie had already showed him the bathroom one door down from his room as she traveled the length of the hall.

"Make yourself at home. I'm going to jump in the shower. If you're hungry, there's plenty in the fridge." Having said that, she disappeared back inside her bedroom, the door closing firmly behind her.

Rye's attention lingered on that wooden barrier for a moment longer as one thought came to mind. He needed to invest in some looser jeans and soon.