Something to Prove

“Nope. I got this in the bag.”

That’s what he was afraid of. He pushed her hair off her shoulder and placed a wet kiss on her neck. “Wouldn’t want you to get distracted.”

She shivered and stepped away to pick up her ball. She hoisted it and focused.

“Naked sounds pretty good.”

She stepped up and faltered. The ball slid into the gutter. “Stop cheating.”

“I don’t cheat.”

“You’re trying to distract me.”

“Me? You groped me before I took my turn.”

Her face reddened and she turned away. Her ball came back, and he sent up a little prayer. Before the ball reached the end of the lane, she turned away. “Shit.”

Her curse was quiet, and he peered around her to see that the ball ran crooked. It knocked over four pins. Not enough to win.

He tried not to smirk. “Good game.”

“Whatever.”

Talk about a sore loser.

She put her ball back on the rack and sat down to change her shoes. He sat beside her and she edged away.

He changed his shoes and watched her pull her hair back into place. Just like that, Libby was gone.

An hour later, Colin wiped the sweat from his forehead. He couldn’t believe that he’d not only beat Elizabeth at bowling but that she’d honored their bet and left. She looked better, but not herself, regardless of what she thought.

After sending her on her way, Colin checked in at the bar and closed himself in the small storeroom that would become the kitchen. Ever since they’d cleared out the basement, most of their inventory went there. With the door closed, Colin hoped the customers at the bar wouldn’t hear his noise.

His sledgehammer slammed through the last bit of drywall and he smiled. Libby. He never would’ve guessed that she’d been a Libby. The simple switch to a nickname changed who she was. Libby was the girl dancing at the club. Libby was the woman who tried to pick him up for a one-night stand.

The light went on in his head. Libby was the snorer. The obnoxious laugh and the clumsy behavior belonged to her.

There was a lot to like about Libby.

Knowing that she would probably try to find a loophole in their deal, he said he wouldn’t nag her if she went back to his apartment. She could make some phone calls, but then she had to nap.

He worked until he had the wall opened up. Tomorrow he’d finish it so it would be a walkthrough. He taped plastic over the opening and let both Bianca and Mike know that he’d be back in few hours.

Before putting in a whole night of work, he needed a shower and a nap, hopefully next to a warm, naked woman. The thought made his dick jump. He’d been afraid to do anything more than give Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek for days now. He didn’t want to risk any activity that would land her in the hospital.

But she was almost back to normal. She fought with him and she bowled like she wanted to win.

If he took it slow and easy, she would be fine.

He swung open his apartment door. “Honey, I’m home.”

It was meant as a joke, but it felt right. Elizabeth peeked around the corner from the breakfast counter. “Hey.”

When she stood, he realized that she was wearing a pair of his shorts, hanging precariously on her hips. She’d taken his shirt and rubber-banded it tight around her waist, showing a hint of skin where it should’ve met the shorts. He tugged at the shorts and saw that she was bare beneath. Maybe the shower could wait. “The deal was you’d be naked.”

She grabbed his hand at the waistband. “I decided a compromise was fair. I know how much you like me in your clothes.”

Instead of scooting away she pushed into his body, their hands clasped at her waist. She ran her tongue across his lips, pulling a groan from his chest.

“Take a shower with me.”

Now she did pull away. “I haven’t done enough today to warrant a shower.”

“Then let’s get you sweaty enough to need one.” He pulled her toward the couch, shoving the shorts down along the way.

She stepped out of the shorts and pulled the shirt over her head. Looked like he was going to get the warm, naked woman he was looking for. He kissed her neck and smelled the cinnamon scent on her skin.

She pushed him onto the couch and straddled him. He held her away from his dusty jeans. He wanted to go slow and make sure she was okay, but Elizabeth, as usual, didn’t seem to agree with him. She tugged at the button of his jeans like she hadn’t gotten laid in a year.

“Slow down.” He picked her up and set her down on the couch before taking off his jeans.

Her hair lay in a pool spread out over her shoulders, blending in with the smooth leather of the couch. Her hands began to rub across her stomach and head south, and he whipped off his shirt. No way was she going on without him.

He grabbed her hands and held them at her hips. He kissed his way down her torso, following the path her hands had taken. She moaned when he stopped at her belly button. Her hips thrust up letting him know without words what she wanted.

So he gave it to her—lips and tongue, fast and smooth until she was writhing and panting his name.

He released her hands and moved to sit beside her on the couch. He pulled a condom from his jeans. Elizabeth looked a little boneless lying next to him, and he was about to slide over her body when she pushed up to straddle him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked.

“Absolutely nowhere.” He buried himself in her and let her set the pace until they were both sated and relaxed.

She had her nose pressed against his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’ve missed that.”

“Me too,” she mumbled against his skin.

“Are you okay?”

She pushed on his chest to look into his eyes. “I told you I’m fine.”

He wanted to believe her, but she’d really scared the shit out of him.

He stood, putting her carefully on her feet, and kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you order us some dinner while I take a shower?”

She grimaced, and he realized that she hadn’t eaten any regular food in days.

“The doctor said you can eat, right?”

He thought it wasn’t possible for her to look more miserable, but she did.

“Yeah, but part of me is afraid to. I want pizza so bad, but I think I need to wait until I’m done with medication.” She stood and gathered the clothes they’d tossed over the living room, while he headed toward the bathroom.

Colin decided that he’d take her out for the biggest and best pizza he could find as soon as she thought her stomach could handle it. Then he had an idea. “How about shepherd’s pie?”

“Huh?”

“We serve it downstairs. Mashed potatoes over ground beef and vegetables. Pretty simple, but filling.” He was already at the phone calling Mary. “Hey, Mary, it’s Colin. Can you put in an order for shepherd’s pie and a burger and fries?”

“And why can’t you come down and put it in yourself?”

“Because I’m about to step into the shower. My friend Elizabeth will be down in a few to pick it up. Thanks. You know I love you.” He hung up and smiled at Elizabeth. “She loves me like a brother.”

“Uh-huh.”

Elizabeth stared at him like she was still hungry for more than dinner. If she traveled all the time, how many men did she do this with? Did she have a guy in every city? Jealousy pinched him, and he pushed it back. They were having a good time. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had plenty of other women.

The problem he had now was that he wasn’t sure any of them could ever measure up to Libby.

Elizabeth stretched out in Colin’s bed. The rest of their week had gone off without a hitch and life was looking good. Especially the sight of the naked man sprawled beside her. For an entire week, Colin had taken care of her. He made sure she’d eaten regular meals, kept her from working too many hours in one day, given her multiple orgasms. All in all, a pretty damn good week.

Of all the things she’d miss in Chicago, this would top the list. Lazing around in bed on a Sunday morning. No rush to get the paper, no hurry to get something done, to be productive.

Colin had accomplished the one thing no one else ever could.

He’d taught her to slow down and relax.

The proof was in her lack of accidents. She hadn’t broken anything in weeks. She hadn’t stumbled or fallen.

Except for him.

The thought came out of nowhere like a slap in the face. A shiver tumbled through her body. She slid from the bed and went to the bathroom, hoping that a warm shower would erase the shiver and the thought.

She wasn’t supposed to fall for him. They had great sex and an even better partnership. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more. Stepping under the hot spray, she tried to come to terms with her new knowledge.

How had she not seen it coming?

Worse, did Colin see it? Did he care?

Of course he cared. Colin cared about everyone around him. She knew she should’ve gotten some distance from him, but he drew her in and she was caught.

The water removed the shiver, but the idea of falling for Colin stuck. She wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved him—she couldn’t be that stupid, could she?

The bathroom door swung open, interrupting her questions. Berating herself would have to wait.

Colin pulled the shower curtain aside. “Are you planning on saving any hot water for me?”

“If you didn’t sleep so late, you could’ve been here first. Early bird gets the hot water.”

“Oh, yeah?”

He reached for her and she let him pull her into his embrace. He claimed her mouth with his, and she forgot about being cocky. He licked water from her neck, and she felt his erection against her stomach.

Suddenly, he pulled back, leaving her feeling cold again. “As much as I want to continue this, we need to get going. We’re on dessert duty, and if we don’t hit the bakery early enough, all the good stuff will be gone.”

She heard the words and they made sense in theory, but she had no idea what he was talking about. “Huh?”

“Dinner with my family. My turn to bring dessert.”

She vaguely remembered him telling her he had some family dinner thing to go to, but she had no intention of being part of that. She twisted past him in the tub. “I’ll let you finish up then.”

He grabbed her wrist. “Don’t try running out of here. You have to go with me to dinner. My family is expecting you.”

Running out was exactly what she’d planned. “I’m not crashing your family dinner.”

“It’s not a formal thing. We eat together as a family at least once a month. Since I couldn’t make it last week because you were sick, we’re doing it again. If you don’t show, then I’ll have to listen to Moira complain. And she’ll probably track you down and drag you there.” He gave a careless shrug. “For some reason, she likes you.”

Elizabeth stepped from the shower and dried off. She liked Moira as well. Moira was the first friend she’d made in a long time.

“Call her,” Colin said from behind the curtain.

“Why?”

“She’ll tell you to come. It’s as close to an invitation as you’re gonna get.”

The water cut off, and he yanked the curtain open. The man looked even more delicious when wet. She handed him a towel so she could think straight.

He wrapped it at his hips and stepped out. The look he gave her in the mirror told her he had the same thought she did every time she looked at the damn reflection.

She shook her head. “Look, I appreciate the invite, but I’m not going to a family gathering.”

“It’s not a gathering, it’s dinner.”

She hung her towel up and left the room. Hopefully, he’d get the hint that the conversation was over. She couldn’t do a family thing with him. Their relationship would become even more complicated. She dressed quickly.

He followed her into the bedroom, water still sliding down his chest. How she wanted to follow that trail with her tongue. “If you want to talk, get dressed.”

He chuckled low. “I think I do better at negotiating when I’m not.”

“That’s the problem.”

“What’s the big deal about dinner?”

“I don’t want to offend anyone by not eating the food. I’m still a little cautious about eating. You know that.”

“Trust me, my mother’s food is good, but there’s no way it’ll upset your stomach. The only seasoning she owns is salt and pepper. The food is about as bland as you’ll find.”

She threw a pair of underwear at him. “That’s not a nice way to talk about your mom’s cooking. Plus, you said it was her recipe they use for the shepherd’s pie, and I really like that.”

His smile spread across his face. “I never said you had good taste. Although it started as her recipe, Liam doctored it.”

She gave him a shove, knowing it wouldn’t actually move him, but it gave her an excuse to put her hands on his chest. “We also have the bowling alley opening tonight. One of us should be there.”

He pulled her to his chest, and water began to soak into her T-shirt.

“We’ll both be at the alley tonight. Dinner isn’t an all-day thing. We eat, we talk, we leave. Plus they all know the alley is reopening tonight. They plan to come.”

She groaned and twisted away. “As much as I appreciate you filling our establishment with your family, I’d much rather have paying customers.”

Colin pulled clothes from his dresser. “They’ll pay. And they’ll bring friends who’ll pay.”

She sighed. This conversation was getting them nowhere. She went to the living room and gathered the notes she had on licensing the bowling alley to serve food. It was all so complicated because no one could verify what licenses the bowling alley had or used to have. She’d avoided calling Keith. She really didn’t want to get him involved.

“Ryan will be at dinner. I’m sure you can talk to him about the food issue. He probably knows people who can help.” He grabbed his keys from the counter. “Let’s go.”

They stood staring at each other for a minute. He wasn’t leaving without her. He’d made that clear. She finally caved.

“I still don’t understand why you need me to come.” She left her papers on the table and walked toward him.

He slung an arm over her shoulder and kissed her head. “I like hanging out with you, and if I leave you here, you’ll just stress about licenses and forget to eat.”

An hour later, Elizabeth was sandwiched between two of Colin’s brothers on the couch in their childhood home. She’d met Ryan, of course, when she’d first offered him the chance to partner with her. The other one, Liam, looked nothing like the other two. Moira was helping her mother in the kitchen.

According to Colin, they were short a couple of siblings, not that she’d notice, but they’d gained in-laws to fill the gaps. Gaps? He’d talked about having a big family often enough that she should’ve known what to expect, but there was no way to prepare for being crowded into a bungalow with this many people. It wasn’t normal.

Just as she’d started to talk about the bowling alley license, the baby in Ryan’s arms began to squawk. Ryan shifted to rise, but Colin came from the other side of the room.

“I’ll take him.”

Ryan’s face wrinkled. “He needs to be changed.”

“I can handle it.” Colin stretched out his arms and took the baby.

“I’m not going to argue. Have at it.”

Elizabeth sat stunned for a minute, knowing that she should gather her thoughts to get Ryan’s input, but the sight of Colin cradling a baby surprised her. He appeared to be totally at ease with holding a newborn.

“So you were saying . . .” Ryan prompted.

“Your brother busted a hole in the wall between the bowling alley and the bar. They used to be connected and the storeroom was a small kitchen. He’d like to start serving food, but I’m not sure. I can’t figure out how difficult it would be to get the correct licensing. He suggested I talk to you.” She eased back on the couch, and although she listened to Ryan’s answer, part of her brain was cued in to watching for Colin’s return.

Ryan indeed had friends who might be able to help with her dilemma, and he promised to call them first thing Monday morning.

When he finished, she said, “I haven’t had the chance to thank you for your help with the break-in. I’m sure Colin told you that I’d gotten sick. I’m really grateful you stepped in to help him.”

He shrugged, like he hadn’t been expecting her to acknowledge his help. “It’s what family does.” He braced his elbows on his knees and leaned toward her. “You’re good for him. I haven’t seen him this focused in . . . ever.”

“That’s not me, it’s the business. He really wants to build something of his own.”

“Don’t we all,” came a voice from behind her.

She’d forgotten Liam was there.

“He could’ve started or taken over any number of businesses. There’s a reason this one stuck with him. I owe you some thanks too. Colin hasn’t been around much, and this project of yours has kept him close to home. It means a lot to my mom.”

But not to you? She wanted to ask, but didn’t. She’d never understand the dynamic between these siblings.

Colin returned with the baby, but didn’t move to hand him over to Ryan. The infant was curled under Colin’s chin, comfortable and quiet. Elizabeth couldn’t argue with that. She knew how nice that exact spot was.

“Dinner,” Moira called from the kitchen door. She walked over to the dining room table and placed a plate of ham in the center. Her mother followed with what looked like mashed potatoes.

Colin held out his free hand to help her up. “It’ll be fine,” he whispered as she walked past him.

Elizabeth inhaled deeply. Was that homemade bread she smelled?

In the dining room, Moira pointed to a chair. “Sit next to me. I haven’t seen you all week and I want to catch up.”

“Can I help with something?” Elizabeth asked.

“Nope. Sit.” Then Moira disappeared back to the kitchen. When she returned, she was carrying two round loaves of bread.

Colin nudged her and took the seat at the head of the table, baby still in his arms. Another woman, Ryan’s wife, if Elizabeth remembered correctly, came in.

“I’ll go put him down.”

“If you move him, he’ll wake up. Eat.”

Quinn eyed him with a raised brow. “Are you sure?”

Ryan had taken his seat. “Don’t question it. He already changed a diaper. I think he’s trying to impress our guest.”

“Fuck you,” Colin said with no anger.

Quinn moved away to sit, but pointed a finger at Colin. “I do not want those to be my son’s first words, so watch your mouth.”

Unbelievably, the reprimand worked, and Colin mumbled an apology.

Elizabeth looked at Quinn. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Years of being a teacher.” She smiled broadly at Elizabeth. “So tell us about yourself.”

“Not much to tell. I’m here fixing a mess of a business my father bought a long time ago and left neglected. With any luck, the bowling alley will open successfully tonight. If I can get the right license in place, we’ll start offering a small menu, and I’ll be done.”

Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “Colin already told us that. I meant tell me about yourself, not your work.”

Colin’s mother, Eileen, entered the room, wiping her hands on a towel before taking her seat opposite Colin. Conversation stopped.

“Colin, say grace.”

Everyone around the table held hands. Since he was still holding the baby on his chest with his right arm, only Colin’s left hand was free, which he extended to her. She placed her hand in his.

He stroked her fingers before he spoke. “Lord, thank you for family, good friends, and a good meal. And thank you for healthy baby Patrick. Amen.”

He squeezed her hand once more and, for a minute, she thought he wouldn’t let go.

She slid her hand from his grasp and took a sip of water.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Elizabeth.”

Water slid down her throat and she began to choke. She’d hoped that questions would stop once people started to eat. Apparently, Quinn was a multitasker.

When her throat cleared, Elizabeth tried to answer. “There’s still not much to tell. I live in a suburb of Miami, but I’m not there often. I travel for work probably about eighty to eighty-five percent of the time.”

“What about your family?” Eileen asked.

“My father has the business headquarters in Miami.”

“So you don’t see them?” The thought appeared to really bother Eileen.

Elizabeth shrugged. “I see my father and brother on various job sites. I live in the coach house that my brother owns, so when I’m home I see my sister-in-law and nieces.”

Eileen tsked.

“I didn’t bring Libby here for an inquisition.”

As soon as she heard him use her nickname, Elizabeth felt the wave of attention shift back to her. Her cheeks flamed.

Eileen didn’t falter. “We’re just getting to know your lady friend.”

Moira gave her a nudge under the table. “Libby?”

Elizabeth turned to Moira and knocked her fork off the table. Then when she bent to pick it up, she whacked her head on the underside of the table.

She clenched her teeth to prevent the curse word from slipping out. She was embarrassed enough without Quinn scolding her too. When she resurfaced, everyone had begun to eat and conversation had continued as if she hadn’t just made a total fool of herself.

Except Colin. He smiled, and her muscles eased a little.

Unfortunately, Moira also kept her attention on Elizabeth. She leaned close and whispered, “So what exactly is going on with you and my brother?”

“What do you mean?” Elizabeth didn’t want to lie, but she certainly didn’t want to fuel any gossip or place any unrealistic expectations on her relationship with Colin.

“You’re sleeping with him.”

Elizabeth felt everything from her chest to the tips of her ears burn red. “Even if I wanted to talk about this, it would never be at a dinner table with your entire family.”

“Moira, stop whispering at the table. It’s rude,” Eileen reprimanded.

“Sorry, Mom.”

The apology might as well have come from a snotty teen because, at a glance, Elizabeth saw the corner of Moira’s mouth lift as she tried to hide her smile.

With excellent timing, the baby began to squirm and cry. Quinn stood. “He’s probably hungry. I’ll take him.”

Colin handed over the bundle and focused his attention on loading his plate. In between bites he filled his family in on the progress of the bar and the bowling alley. Colin had been right, the food was pretty bland, not that it mattered. Elizabeth didn’t taste much after Moira’s declaration.

Except for the bread. That was truly delicious. “What kind of bread is this?” she asked Moira.

“Irish soda bread.”

“I thought that had raisins and stuff in it.”

“Shh . . . don’t let my mom hear that. Real Irish soda bread is bread and not dessert.”

“Whatever it is, it’s fabulous.”

“It’s an old family recipe, passed down from generation to generation.” Moira wagged her eyebrows. “Maybe we’ll get a copy for you.”

Elizabeth sighed. This was why she didn’t want to come to a family dinner. There were always expectations when a date is brought to the family home.

She poked at the remaining food on her plate and glanced at her watch. They had no idea how many people to expect at the bowling alley. They’d sent out flyers around the neighborhood and done some basic advertising, but it was a bowling alley. It wasn’t like they were introducing a new nightclub.

She envisioned a senior center sending a bus full of old people who would haggle over prices. Maybe the local high school might start using it as a hangout. She couldn’t imagine which would be worse.

Colin leaned over and touched her arm, sending a warm pulse up. “I’m done. How about you?”

She nodded and stood so quickly her chair almost toppled. After rescuing the chair, she turned to grab her plate, but Colin already had it in his hands.

With a smirk he said, “My mother’s fond of these plates. I’ll take them to the kitchen.”

His mild teasing didn’t help. She was grateful that she’d left her hair down so that her red ears couldn’t be seen. “Eileen, thank you so much for dinner. We need to be going.”

Eileen stood and took her hand. “Thank you for joining us.”

Elizabeth managed to carry her and Colin’s glasses to the kitchen without incident. At the sink he smiled and took them from her.

“See, you survived. No big deal.”

Before she could respond, Moira and Liam entered carrying their plates. Colin pointed to the bakery box. “Enjoy. Don’t forget you guys promised to come to the bowling alley tonight.”

“Colin, you shouldn’t strong-arm your family into coming.”

Moira nudged her. “We’re used to it. Besides, I think we have things to discuss. Things much more interesting than Highlander.”

“Keep the traffic moving,” Ryan yelled from behind his siblings.

Elizabeth shifted to allow them access to the sink and turned to leave.

“Elizabeth,” Ryan said, “I’ll call you tomorrow when I have some information.”

“Thanks.” On her way out, she said good-bye to Eileen and Quinn.

The house was so full of people and . . . love. It was weird and overwhelming. And as much as she wanted to escape, she also wanted to burrow in.

She didn’t need these complications.