Bargaining with the Bride (Honeybrook Love, Inc. 1)

"I kind of knew you would."

"And I like of liked you helping me today."

"Oh yeah?" He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. From this distance, with her legs pulled up against her chest like that, he could almost see the triangle of her panties between her thighs. He tried his best not to look, but the more he tried to focus away, the more it called to his attention.

"It was...nice."

"Yeah, it was for me too."

He smiled briefly, and then stepped into the kitchen to uncork a bottle of wine. Hopefully, by the time he revisited the living room, her feet would be on the ground and his head would be on his shoulders again.

Tonight, they were going to toast to a very unusual bargain.

8

When Garret got home, bearing Chinese and an industrial bottle of Pinot, it was to find Rachael lounging in one of the wooden kitchen chairs, her drawn face lit only by the harsh light of her computer screen. He stood in the doorframe for a moment, surveying the way her pretty mouth scrunched up at whatever she was reading and the way one of her delicate feet absentmindedly pet Tesla under the table.

Repressing an internal sigh, he wondered for the millionth time what he was going to do about her.

If he was honest with himself, it wasn’t just the fact that she’d been glued in front of her computer from morning till night that worried him, though that was no small concern. He had to do something about her. Or, more accurately, about the fact that her feelings worried him so much. This was only a business deal. There was no reason for him to be going to bed, wondering what she was thinking in the next room. What she was wearing. If she was wearing anything at all…

Rachael sighed, and he took it as a sign to flick on the light. With a start, she stared around for him, the serious scowl on her face replaced with a wan smile instead.

“Hey there,” she sounded tired. Had she not been sleeping? He should…

No. He shouldn’t do anything. It was none of his business what she did.

“Hey. I picked up dinner. I got a bottle too, but,” He paused and nodded toward the empty glass beside her laptop. “Maybe it’d be better to save that for another night?”

She followed his gaze and then shook her head. “That? No, I was going to pour a glass, but I got distracted. Wine would be great. Welcome, even.”

She snagged her glass from the table, carefully avoiding Tesla who was, as always, underfoot. Garret bit back a smile, remembering how Rachael had yelped the first time she’d seen her furry familiar. Now, he hardly ever saw the two of them apart. In fact, if Rachael was home, the pug barely bothered to move to greet Garret anymore.

As Garret began unpacking the overstuffed white cartons from the brown paper bag, Rachael got out a second wine glass and filled them both nearly to the brim.

“What made you think to get dinner?” she asked.

Because you’ve seemed upset…

He couldn’t tell her that. He was her friend, sure, but it still seemed strangely intimate to admit. He certainly couldn’t admit that he’d called every restaurant in the area trying to get a meatloaf for take out before settling on Chinese.

Instead, he shrugged and said, “I had a craving.”

“Works for me.” She slid the container of pork-fried rice toward her, then opened a drawer and placed two forks on the marble counter. After popping her container open, she frowned and asked, “You’re the kind of guy who eats his Chinese on plates, aren’t you?”

“I am.” He picked up his own utensil, and then added, “but I’m flexible.”

She smiled, the first genuine smile he’d seen all week, and he lost the battle not to smile back.

He picked up his spicy beef and broccoli and followed her to the table. “So what’s with the stressed-out face?”

“Oh that’s just my face.”

“Come on,” he prompted.

She sighed, “My mother finally responded to the e-mail we wrote her. She said she wished she was more surprised, that she never liked Lance, and that she wonders if I’m ready for a commitment like marriage.” She pushed her food aside and took a long sip from her glass. “Nothing is ever easy, is it?”

“No. But the good news is you don’t have to go back there.”