The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

“I was invited,” he said carefully as he weighed my reaction to him, “by your mother.”

“Of course you were,” I said in slight amusement.

“Dean! Oh, honey, you came!” My mother said, stepping between us to give him a long hug. I took a step back and blew out a frustrated breath as my mother rambled on.

“Dear, God, you are gorgeous!” she complimented as she hugged him again, giving me a subtle wink. I rolled my eyes.

“Dean, what are you drinking?” I snapped rudely, which got me an amused look from both of them.

“Scotch?” he asked my mother who nodded.

“I’ve got it,” I said, walking out of the room, but not before I heard her tell him. “Give her time. She’ll come around.” I paused, waiting on his reply.

“I’m counting on it.”

Don’t hold your breath, asshat.

As strong as my attraction to him might have been, I had no intention of giving in. The sooner they accepted it the better. They could plot all they wanted. Every day I was determined to get stronger in my resolve and more confident in my decision in regards to my life. I returned to the living room, Dean’s scotch in my hand as he shook hands with my father, both of them smiling.

“It’s so good to see you, Dean,” my father said, patting his back as they chatted away. I held Dean’s drink toward him, eager to get away from the love fest. Dean took it without looking my way.

“You’re welcome,” I said heatedly as he leaned over and brushed my cheek in the most tender kiss.

“Thank you,” he said, nodding in my direction before ripping his eyes away from mine and concentrating on my father’s words. I stood motionless for a few seconds then turned on my heel.

“You must be so proud of them,” Dean said, humoring my father, though I heard a sense of pride in his voice as well.

“Hellooo!” Rose called from the entryway.

“Oh!” I said, turning the corner and froze when I took in the sight before me. Grant was brushing her hair away from her face as he murmured in her ear. She looked absolutely beautiful as she smiled and nodded before chasing his words with a soft kiss. Grant saw me first.

“Dallas.” He smiled as he made his way toward me. I stood motionless, unsure of how to greet him, before he pulled me in a long hug. The first thing that hit me was the sheer size of him. He must have stood six foot four and had the build of a lumberjack. He felt like he was made of stone as he swallowed me in his arms. He pulled back, smiling as I caught his deep blue eyes twinkling. I was instantly smitten. He was a beautiful man and warmness emulated from his every pore. “I promise, I’ll be so good to her. I’ll be a good brother, too.”

My eyes watered as I nodded to him and he pulled me in for another hug. My eyes met my sister’s over his shoulder as she teared up herself. Wow.

There was something comforting about Grant’s presence, something that made him special, and I wasn’t immune to it. My mother and father came in to greet them both, and after they were greeted with words of congratulations and fierce hugs, the champagne began to flow and the music started. Rose had decided to have a small wedding on New Year’s Eve. I watched her and Grant make their rounds to greet their guests. Grant shook Dean’s hand, and I could tell he too was impressed with him as I listened to their conversation. Grant seemed to be naturally honest and had an air about him that people seemed to embrace. Rose was absolutely glowing as she watched him.

My mother beamed at the happy couple as I watched the two of them steal a kiss, or give each other a knowing look. It was insanely intimate and I could feel their connection and found myself a little envious of what they shared. More so, I was elated that Rose had found Grant. He had long jet-black hair that suited him. He was no Dean Martin, but I had no doubt he’d been a heart breaker just the same. I watched as he caressed my sisters hand, adored her with his eyes. They were breathtaking.

“It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Dean said, taking me by surprise. “You used to look at your parents that way.”

“I still do,” I admitted as Grant pulled Rose’s hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles before turning to give his attention to my mother.

“I like him. They seem good together,” he said before turning to me. I ripped my eyes away from my sister to look over at him. His eyes were roaming my body.

“Would you like some more scotch?” I asked, still playing hostess.

“No,” he said roughly.

“Dean—”

“What I want is to throw you over my shoulder, drive you back to my house, and make love to you all day long, and every day after that for the rest of your life.”

I pushed out a shaky breath.

“You used to look at me that way,” he said, his voice full of remorse, his face filled with longing. “I’d give anything to have that look back. I want you with every single breath I take. Familiar or not, I want all of you.”

Paralyzed by his confession and unable to tear my eyes away, I stood on my newly shaky legs, completely speechless. Dean had never been a subtle man, especially when it came to the way he felt about me, aside from hiding his feelings in high school. Our adult relationship had been the opposite. Dean had never once held back from exactly what he wanted me to know about himself, the way he felt about me, and what our relationship had meant to him. It kept me more than sated in our union. It was one of the reasons I had trusted him so completely when we were together, and why I’d fallen so damn hard.