Chapter 23

Jill spotted Mac’s sleek red Ferrari through her window. He was late, but it couldn’t have been for a better cause. The way he’d helped Peggy and Keith made Jill certain she was making the right decision by working for him. He was not only a good businessman, but a good man.

When she sank into the supple leather seat of the car, her butt would have sighed if it could. Totally stoked about being in her first Ferrari, she took a deep breath to savor the moment.

His gloves curled around the leather-studded steering wheel. “Ready?”

She ran her hands down her skirt, smoothing away the wrinkles. “Ah…can I be totally honest?”

His hand poised on the gear shift. “Yes, I thought we’d covered that.”

Her hands gestured in space. “The Ferrari was a mistake. The locals will think you’re another transplant trying to horn in on their small town.” She picked a string off her green jacket. “There’s nothing we can do since people have seen you, but you might want to drive something a little…less conspicuous next time.”

“That would explain the oohs and ahs I got as I left the hospital parking lot. You’re right. I didn’t think about it. It was such a nice day, I couldn’t help myself. The roads are as clear as I could hope for in winter.”

Jill eyed the shiny dashboard frame and flashy metal gadgets. “Yeah, this baby would be toast in snow.”

“She fishtails like crazy but fulfills my love for speed. I won’t make the mistake again.”

The grim lines around his mouth made her realize he was a kindred spirit. He was mad at himself for the miscalculation. She tried to distract him with some levity.

“I thought a poker player would be more patient. I don’t know. Take things slower.”

“The table is different. I’m tempted to show you how fast this car can go, but that would fall under your ‘flashy’ category. And I’ve heard that word often enough today.”

The bold green odometer drew her attention. “Another time perhaps. We should go. We’ll be closing down city hall.”

He put the car into gear. She didn’t know if she was imagining it, but she’d swear the purring engine was giving her a butt massage.

“Any pointers before we head inside? I have files on the local staff, so I know the players.”

“The city council won’t be there, but the rank and file will be. You’ll want to make friends.”

The car eased around the corner. “It’s what I do best.”

“I believe it.”

Hours later, Jill was thinking the same thing as she walked into The Chop House with Mac, waving to a few of the staff and regulars. When he’d asked her to join him for a combo celebration and strategy dinner after their successful trip to City Hall, she’d suggested the best place in town. Being seen in public together would help kick off their partnership. Dare’s gossip mill twirled as brightly as a Fourth of July sparkler. She had the uncomfortable feeling of being watched as she ate her steak salad, wondering if Brian had grilled the meat. Her gaze continued to track to the back for a glimpse of him.

After their dinner, she introduced Mac to a few key customers at the restaurant and set up follow-up appointments for him. Everyone was calling him a Good Samaritan for helping Keith. He’d become a town hero. By the time they rose to leave, they’d been at the restaurant for three hours. Mac had sampled the menu with grace, complimenting the staff and asking to talk to the chef personally. Tom came out. Brian didn’t.

She stopped short when Brian uncurled from the bench by the coat-check station on their way out. “Why aren’t you doing your chef thing?” she asked. He was decked out in normal clothes—jeans and a black fleece—and he seemed to be suffering from a bad case of nerves.

“I didn’t see your car outside, so I asked to leave early. I thought I could take you home. You must be Mac Maven. I’m Brian McConnell.” He extended a hand to Mac, his mouth tight.

Mac didn’t miss a beat even though there was a definite edge to Brian’s voice. “Good to meet you. I enjoyed the meal. My compliments.”

“Glad it worked for you.” Brian crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Mac.

Jill could feel the is mine bigger than yours energy pass between them. Oh, for heaven’s sake.

“Well, we submitted the plans,” she said, hoping to keep things civil.

“Yes, I heard. Congrats. So, can I take you home?”

Clearly he wanted some time to talk to her. “Mac, why don’t you go on? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

His hand touched her elbow. “Are you sure?”

Brian’s eyes looked like they were ready to burst into flame. “I’m sure.”

Mac nodded to Brian. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

Jill waited until Mac left before drilling a finger in Brian’s chest. “What was that about? You weren’t waiting to take me home so you could size up the guy who wouldn’t consider you as a chef?”

“Nope.” He held up his hands. “I have something to discuss with you. This is too important to wait.” He stepped forward, bringing their heads closer together.

Her body sizzled from the heat pouring off him. He took her hand and led her outside. She inhaled his musky scent—pine shampoo and spicy aftershave, a special hint of smoked meat knocking it out of the ballpark. “And what if I don’t want to go with you?” she asked to be contrary.

He nudged a mound of ice with his hiking boots. “Then walk.” Whistling, he headed to his SUV. “But I think you’ll want to hear this.”

He sure knew how to get her attention. She trudged after him, her interest piqued. “I might get pneumonia from walking, so I guess I’ll go with you.”

Opening the door for her, he caged her against the frame. “We wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

All their problems faded to the background, leaving only the fire between them, much like two campers caught out in a snowstorm only wanting to stay warm.

“God, I want to kiss you. Right now,” he murmured, studying her mouth.

She wanted that too. So much for her don’t have sex with him again with so much unresolved rule. Maybe a chastity belt would keep her in check.

“Let’s go to your place,” he said, breaking the spell. “We’ll both need our wits about us for this conversation.” He shut her door and came around.

When he started the car, she turned her head. “You’re intentionally intriguing me.”

He chuckled. “Yes, I am. Let’s go home.”

His use of that word made a different kind of warmth pool in her belly. The kind of warmth people sang songs about during war. Home.

She couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

***

Jill pounced the minute they stepped inside her place. He should have expected it.

“Okay, what gives? You decided something, didn’t you?”

He took his time, pulling off his outerwear. When he spun her around to help her out of her own, she huffed, but didn’t protest. Thank God. He concentrated on making his mouth twist into a smile even though his heart was racing like he’d taken too much Sudafed.

“Let’s go into the family room.”

She sat on her insane orange couch decorated with even more brightly colored pillows. He realized there was no way he could sit still, so he remained standing.

“Okay. So, here’s how I see it. You know how much I love the Broncos, right?” Watching ESPN while cooking had given him the brainstorm he’d been hoping for.

She blinked like a spotted owl. “Yeah.”

He paced the room, knocking his fist into his palm like he imagined a coach would do when talking to his team. “To make the team gel, everyone goes away before the season starts, and they live together for a few weeks. I think we need to do something like that.”

Her fingers tugged on an ear. “I don’t think I heard you right. I work. You work. We—”

“Have some major decisions coming up. Let’s start with you. You need to trust me again to see if you want to continue a relationship with me. If you can, then we’re together—a couple. If this works, you might also want to re-examine the idea of opening a place together if a) the hotel doesn’t pass or b) you end up not liking Mac or the work. We have three weeks until the city council vote.”

She held up her hand, but he shook his head. “In a sec. Now, there’s me. I need to know whether or not we’re going to be together. Jill, I have to be honest here. I love you, but if you can’t trust me and don’t want to be with me, I can’t stay here. If that ends up being the case, I would take Simca up on her offer.”

Jill clutched a green pillow, her knuckles white, but said nothing.

His mouth felt as dry as day-old toast at the thought of leaving. God, he didn’t even want to consider it. His idea had to work. “But if we decide we can be together at the end of this timeline I’m suggesting, and the hotel doesn’t work, I want us to explore the idea of the restaurant again. If we’re together and you decide to take Mac’s offer, I’ll figure out something else here in Dare. I’m willing to do that to be with you.”

Her elbow dropped onto her knee as her hand cupped her temple. “Can I—”

“Not yet.” He had to get out the most important part. His hands fisted at his side. “I haven’t forgotten you telling me that I have to make the decision to stay for you and not a potential baby. Forgive me for being direct, but as much as I’ve been trying to tell myself it was only one time, I can’t stop thinking about what you said and what might happen if you’re pregnant.” A headache spread to the base of his skull. “And you need to believe I love you and would stay for you before we find out.”

Her long red curls caressed her arm as she curled forward.

“Do you see what I’m saying? We have to give this our full attention. Spend more time together. See if we can make things work. Make everything gel.”

Her head lifted. Her green eyes were glassy. “Like the Broncos,” she said dryly. “Why does it always go back to football? Never mind. Okay, I see your point. How long?”

Well, she hadn’t said no yet. His shoulder lifted. “We move in together now. I can come here since you’re more of a nester than I am. I’ll have to bring Mutt, of course. We’ll see how it goes. By the time of the city council vote, we’ll both know what we need.” He shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked on his heels, gazing at her with a hopeful heart. “So what do you think?”

A high-pitch laugh bubbled out. “I’m…speechless.”

He sat on the coffee table in front of her and held her hands, panic bubbling up inside. “I need you to believe I love you with all these things coming up. This was…the best I could come up with.” He didn’t care what she thought. Football held the answers to most of life’s questions.

Red spots rose up on her neck. “The best?” she repeated.

A frustrated sigh escaped him. “Well, I could hire some pilot to fly a banner with Brian Loves Jill on it, but I’m not sure that would get through your thick skull.” So much for holding his frustration at bay.

She rolled her beautiful eyes at him. “You’re a regular romantic.”

He squeezed her hands, yanking her gaze back to his. “I will be if you’ll let me move in with you. We’ll call a truce. No talk about the future or the restaurant stuff. Let’s just be together.”

When she glanced away, he had to force his hands not to squeeze hers to death.

The scarlet dots spread to her face. “And this living together would include everything? ”

Her embarrassment reminded him—they’d only made love once, and it hadn’t ended well. Being in a sexual relationship was new to her. He needed to remember that. “I want to show you how good it can be between us, Jill.”

She swallowed, making the red splotches bounce. “Well, when you finally go for it, there’s no holding you back. Should I call you John Elway?”

A smile tickled the corner of his mouth. “You’re the same way. We’re both passionate people, Jill. That’s why we’re so good together.”

She leaned forward. So did he. His forehead brushed hers as they both looked down.

“We’ll probably argue about how to load the dishwasher.”

Since he could feel her weakening, he pressed his advantage. “Consider it foreplay.”

Jill pulled back and narrowed her eyes. “You’ll have to do better than that if you’re going to get me to agree to this crazy-ass plan. What will my family think? Heck, what will the town think? You might feel untouchable after living in NYC, but this is still Dare.”

“I’m not untouchable. I know people will talk. As for your family, you have to decide how you feel about that. I’m giving you my best idea here. Do you have a better one?”

“No, I don’t, but Brian—”

He put his finger to her lips. “No buts. Truce only. We deal with the present. We don’t talk about anything else.”

“Okay, but we can’t keep the world out forever.” Her green eyes flamed like basil in sunlight.

He leaned in to kiss the side of her mouth. “Jill, this is huge. Living together. Day in, day out.”

“Doesn’t that scare you?”

Nuzzling her cheek with his own, he pressed his lips to her ear. “Like nothing I’ve ever done. Not even rock climbing up that waterfall in Pine Canyon in winter.”

“That was by far the stupidest thing you have ever done. If you’d died, you would have made the Darwin Awards.”

His shoulder hitched up. “It’s not the stupidest thing I’ve done, but I try to learn.” The mistakes he’d made with her flashed through his mind.

When she met his eyes, he knew she was thinking about it too. “Yes, it’s important to learn.”

She didn’t move away when he kissed her. He sank into her mouth, so hot and inviting. His tongue traced hers, but he pulled back before it could become too intense. He wanted their second time to be special. Romance. Anticipation. Ambience. She deserved it.

“So, can I move some things in tomorrow?” he asked.

“Okay, but this had better work.” Her smile flashed and then faded, like her nerves had gotten the better of her.

He kissed her forehead. “It will, Jill.” The words trust me didn’t cross his lips although he was thinking them. “Will you let me make dinner for you tomorrow night? Something special?”

A thousand hopes fired in her green eyes. “I’d love that.”

They walked to the door together. He put his coat on while she fiddled with her gold bracelets.

“I’m going crazy. First it’s one thing. Then it’s another. I’m struggling to keep up.”

Good. It was nice to know he wasn’t the only one off balance, although he felt more centered now than he had in weeks. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black. Speaking of kettles,” he murmured in a husky tone. “Be ready to be stirred within an inch of your life tomorrow.”

“I don’t usually think of kettles being stirred,” she whispered.

“They are in my kitchen.”

Her sharp intake of breath told him everything he needed to know. He walked down the sidewalk. Her comment about them fighting over the dishwasher came to mind, making him grin.

They were going to burn the house down if they didn’t argue over how to set the fire first.