She quirked a brow at him. “And how does bringing me there prove you’re a relationship kind of guy, exactly?”
He moved closer, and Deanna soon found herself wedged between the counter and Jonas’s big, hard body. Not a bad place to be, all in all. “Here you’re constantly surrounded by your family and work,” he murmured. “I can’t get two words with you without one of your brothers interrupting. Especially now that Dean and Wade know how I feel about you. They’ve been hovering like a couple of mother hens. I want you alone, Deanna. Is that such a crime?”
She hadn’t noticed her brothers coddling her, but now that she thought about it, she realized Jonas had a valid point. They had been coming around more, and calling daily too. Deanna suddenly felt like a coward. Hiding behind them to keep Jonas at bay? So not her style. Although, she had been avoiding him to save herself from potential heartache.
“I quit my nursing job,” she blurted out. Where had that come from?
Jonas’s eyes widened. “You did?”
She shrugged. “I’ve decided to do the interior design full-time.”
“You have so many clients that you can afford to quit the day job?”
“I’m getting there. It’s not easy. There is a lot of competition in this business, and you have to bid on jobs. I’ve lost a few, but I’ve been saving, so it didn’t set me back. Nursing wasn’t making me happy, and I figured if I’m ever going to do it, now is the time.”
Jonas cupped her cheek in his palm. “I’m proud of you. Being self-employed is a tough choice to make.”
With great effort, Deanna removed Jonas’s calloused hand from her cheek. “Y-yeah, it is.” She attempted to tamp down her reaction to his overwhelming nearness before continuing. “I hope I didn’t make a horrible mistake.”
“I think you’ll do great, but why the subject change?”
Deanna looked down at the floor, uncertain how to respond. Uncertain how honest she wanted to be with him. Letting a man like Jonas into her private thoughts could prove dangerous. He struck her as the type of guy who would use every advantage he had with a woman to get what he wanted, and he’d already made it clear he wanted her.
Jonas tipped her chin up. “Is going to Miami with me so frightening, kitten?”
That nickname again. Damn if she wasn’t starting to enjoy it too. “No, it’s not. It’s exciting, to tell the truth.”
He moved then, pinning her against the counter. She could feel every hard, muscular inch of him. Her body stood up and took notice. Deanna had the wild urge to rub against him. To ease the ache he’d caused. With a lot of effort, she reminded her overheated feminine parts that she wasn’t the type of woman normally ruled by her hormones. Right at that moment, her hormones seemed to have some really great ideas.
“Then what is it?” he asked, his voice softening. “You can tell me.”
Deanna thought about the one real relationship she’d had with a man. Sadly, it hadn’t been a good experience. Could she tell him about Gary? She looked into Jonas’s eyes and realized the truth. He wasn’t budging until he had an answer to her question.
Pushing a hand through her hair, Deanna said, “You might as well have a seat. It’s sort of a long story.”
Jonas hesitated a moment, and his intense gaze seemed to be searching for something in hers. Finally, he backed up, and she could finally breathe normally again. After he sat, she went to the other side of the table and took the chair she’d vacated earlier. “Gary Anderson.”
“Huh?”
“He’s a guy I dated while in college. I fell madly in love with him.”
Deanna watched the way Jonas’s entire body went rigid. “Okay, but what’s he got to do with us?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, if you’ll hush, I’ll tell you.”
He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine. I’m all ears.”
“Dating Gary was a mistake, but I didn’t know that at the time. I thought he was the one.” She looked at the frayed cuff on her robe and started to pick at a loose thread. “I was young and stupid. Gary was self-centered, egotistical, a complete womanizer, and those were his better qualities.”
He snorted. “Sounds like a real stand-up guy.”
“I didn’t know what he was really like,
not at first. He completely swept me off my feet with his easy charm. And I guess I was at an age where I wanted guys to notice me. I had a wild streak. Gary took full advantage of it.”
“The wild streak I can see, or at least I’d like to see it. But where did you meet this guy?”
“At a nightclub. I don’t think it’s even in business anymore. I was out with some friends from college. Gary was there. He asked me to dance when a slow song came on. He smiled and I caved. He was older, more confident. I suppose I let my heart overrule my head.”