I’d decided we’d work out of my house during the renovation. It had worked fine before I’d got the office space, and although we had a lot more employees now, a week wouldn’t be too bad.
“Sounds good. I’ll make sure the guys know.” I started to go to my office to do just that, when Victoria called my name, stopping me in my tracks.
“Thanks for lunch,” she said, a strange expression on her face.
“Anytime, babe,” I replied, then added. “Six o’clock tonight … pack a bag.” I gave her a wink, and exited the room.
Chapter 14 ~ Victoria
Standing outside the door of Brock’s Spanish-style home, I was suddenly overcome with nerves. Sure, I’d been working side by side with Brady all week, but that was different than being at a family dinner with his brothers. Did this mean I was Brock’s girlfriend? He’d said he was looking for fun, not a relationship … Was I blowing things out of proportion? And, what about Brendan? I hadn’t met him yet, although I knew that he had a thing with my sister … Would he like me? What would happen if he didn’t?
I’d almost talked myself into turning around and going back home when the door opened, and the entryway filled with Brock. His hair was wet, with tiny drips of water escaping his hair to run down to the towel he had wrapped around his neck. My gaze followed one wayward drop, which somehow managed to bypass the towel and trail down his naked chest. I’d had fantasies about that chest. So broad and muscular, with the perfect amount of hair smattering the surface. I lowered my eyes and noticed he was wearing swimming trunks, when his low chuckle stopped my perusal.
I lifted my head to see him grinning down at me, obviously enjoying my blatant approval of his body.
“You wanna come in?” he asked, stepping back to allow room for me to enter. “I just took a swim, but I’ll only take a minute to get ready. I’ll show you where you can put your bag.”
Brock took the Coach duffle bag from my hand and guided me down the hall to the master bedroom. I’d stolen a few glances along the way, noticing that the overall feel of the house was very comfortable, and homey. The perfect place to raise children. I wondered if it was still as it had been before his parents had passed away.
I looked around the obviously masculine space and asked, “Isn’t this your room?”
Brock was in the process of toweling off, but he stopped what he was doing and answered, “Yes, it is.”
I looked around, hoping to conceal my embarrassment, and asked, “Should I really be staying in your room with your brothers in the house?”
Brock threw his head back and laughed. The deep jovial sound was so contagious that I had to will myself not to smile in response.
“First of all, we’re all adults here, Tori. Second, Brady actually has a house down the street, so although he’s here for dinner, he’ll be sleeping in his own bed. Third, Brendan comes and goes as he pleases, and we don’t get in each other’s business when it comes to who sleeps over and who doesn’t. You don’t have to worry about it,” Brock assured me. With every word he’d gotten closer, so now he was standing close enough that I had to tilt my head back to look at him.
I nodded, understanding what he was saying, but I wanted to make sure he understood what I was saying, so I countered, “Okay, I get it, but, Brock, I really wouldn’t feel comfortable being intimate with your brothers in the house.”
Brock smiled sweetly, his eyes crinkling at the sides, causing a little of the tension to leave my body. He brought his hand up to cup the back of my neck, then lowered his lips slowly to mine. Right before they touched, he said, “I promise to be a perfect gentleman,” then he finished his descent and kissed me softly, yet thoroughly, and I felt the rest of my tension dissipate.
He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine momentarily, then asked, “You good with that?”
I nodded and he pulled away, going to his dresser to pull out a pair of jeans, some boxers, and a T-shirt. He put his fingers to the waistband of his swim trunks, and I burst into action, scurrying out of the room before he dropped his trunks and I forgot to be embarrassed about his brothers being in the house. His sharp bark of laughter followed me as I hurried down the hall, following the sound of male voices.
“Hey,” I said timidly, entering the kitchen to see Brady sitting on a bar stool at the counter as he talked with Brendan, who was grating fresh Parmesan.
Both men looked up at my greeting. Brendan lifted his chin in a silent hello, and Brady replied, “What’s up?”
“Do you need any help?” I asked, stepping up to the counter near Brendan.
“Nah, thanks, I’m just putting the finishing touches on the baked ziti. The garlic knots will be done in a minute, and then it will be time to eat,” Brendan replied as he spread the cheese over the top of the delicious-looking ziti.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Brady asked, indicating the bottle of Shiraz that was breathing on the counter.
“Yes, thank you,” I replied as I rounded the counter to join him on the stools.
Brady poured a glass and handed it to me, then sipped his wine as he looked at me thoughtfully over his own wine. “What do you see in my brother?”
I sputtered the wine I’d just sipped, taken aback by his somewhat insulting questions. Although I wasn’t sure if it was insulting to me, or to Brock.
“What do you mean?” I asked obtusely, wishing Brock would hurry up and rescue me from this conversation.
“Well,” Brady began, looking at me pointedly, allowing his gaze to peruse me, from head to toe. “You’re classy, obviously from money, and you strike me as the wine and caviar type. And Brock, well, Brock is kind of a caveman.” This earned a laugh from Brendan, who was watching us with interest as he finished up dinner. “I mean, my brother’s a total badass and I love him, but he’s into beer and anything he can make on the grill. You two don’t exactly make sense.”
My back went ramrod straight as his words hit home.