“I’m glad,” she said.
“One night soon, it can be your fantasy night,” he said, stroking a hand down her back.
He felt her laugh more than heard it. Then she said, “Fair warning. My fantasy involves you fixing all the broken shit in my apartment.”
He smirked at her and said, “I’m going to do that anyway, Princess. Don’t waste your night on that.”
In answer, he felt her place a light kiss on the spot just below his collar bone. A moment later she asked, “Are you staying?”
“I hope that was an invitation, because I’m not sure I can move my legs yet,” he said.
“It was,” she admitted, placing another kiss against his collar bone. “I like waking up with you.”
When she adjusted herself against his side, he asked, “Sleepy yet?”
“Maybe,” she said. A moment later she yawned hugely, then amended her statement. “Yes.”
“Me, too,” he murmured, pulling the blankets up and around them.
* * * *
Evan took a swig of his beer and listened as Jamie talked about one of his clients. Since graduating, he’d been working at an advertising agency. He was bitching about the fact he was going to have to get an entire forty-five-second commercial color corrected because the yellow that they had used wasn’t quite “Tuckman’s Cheddar” yellow. Apparently the client had waffled back and forth about the color until they’d decided on one, then changed their minds after the fact.
He grinned and said, “That’s the precise reason I own my own business, bro. I was tired of getting phone calls every time the S&P dipped a hundredth of a percent. About the end of last year, I started to dread getting up. I kind of fell into the job. It was never really for me though. It was always about plants for me. For as long as I can remember.”
Jamie nodded and said, “You and Dad used to spend hours in the garden. I never understood the fascination. I’m glad you’re doing something that makes you happy, though.”
“Ever thought about opening up your own agency? I know you’re young yet, but if you’ve got a goal it makes what you’re doing in the interim easier.”
Before Jamie could answer him, he heard Taryn laugh from where she and Cora were sprawled out in the chaise lounges. He couldn’t help but redirect his attention toward her. She was so fucking beautiful.
His thoughts were interrupted when Jamie said, “Ev. You’re in trouble, buddy. You’ve got lovesick written all over your face.”
“It’s a little early for lovesick, but I like her,” he admitted. “Things have been going pretty well since I stopped being stupid.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I wasn’t sure how much more of your moping I could take,” Jamie said, shaking his head.
Evan laughed. “It wasn’t moping, really.”
A skeptical look on his face, Jamie said, “If you say so.”
Jamie was right. He had most definitely been moping.
Deciding a subject change was definitely in order, Evan mentioned, “So I was looking at Panthers tickets for when the Hawks are in town. Center ice is like fifty eight bucks. Interested?”
His eyes wide, Jamie said, “What night?”
“November 12th, a Wednesday,” Evan said.
“I’m in,” Jamie said, gleefully.
They had moved from Pittsburgh when he was incredibly young, his father had raised him as a Hawks fan, through and through. Jamie hadn’t even been born until they’d lived here for a decade, but he followed the family tradition, too.
“Taryn’s a Panthers fan,” Evan said regretfully.
Jamie winced and said, “Oh.” A moment later he gave Evan a huge smirk and added, “Clearly, there’s no accounting for good taste.”
Realizing he’d been insulted, Evan calmly gave his brother the finger and said, “Eat me.”