Pleasure Bound (Hard to Get 2)
As she ran down the steps and approached the front door, she realized she’d forgotten to grab her robe. She was still wearing her black pajama shorts and tank. Deanna peeked through the peephole and frowned. She twisted the lock and flung the door open. “Dean? What is it? Is something wrong?” It wasn’t like him to visit so early. He should’ve been at some construction site the way he always was this time of day.
“Can’t a guy visit his sister without there being an emergency?”
“Yes, but not this early in the morning.”
He looked her over and scowled. “Were you in bed?”
“No, I was up working on a design for a client.”
“Then can I come in?”
She stepped aside to let him enter. “Of course. Sorry.”
He shrugged a
nd walked through the door. “Don’t suppose you have coffee? It’s cold as shit outside.” He unzipped his heavy cotton work coat and tossed it onto the couch, then started to rub his hands together to chase away the chill.
Deanna laughed as she started toward the kitchen. “Cold? With that thick thing?”
As she went about making a fresh pot, Deanna heard Dean let out a weary sigh. “I do love that coat, but I swear Ohio winters get colder and colder every freaking year.”
“You’ll get no arguments from me.” Since Deanna had just come from warm, sunny Florida, she wasn’t all that in love with the cold Ohio winters either. “So, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?” she asked, even though she suspected it had something to do with Jonas.
He went to her cupboard, took down two mugs, and brought them to the table. “I think we both know why I’m here, Dee.”
Deanna’s hopes fell flat. “Jonas.”
“Yeah, him,” he muttered.
As he sat down in one of the chairs, it creaked a little, causing Deanna to ask, “You’ve put on a few more pounds of muscle, haven’t you?”
He nodded. “Been working out.”
“Me too. I might even be able to take you in a match.” She flexed her bicep, as small as it was, and grinned. “Care to place a bet?”
He laughed. “Best save your money now that you’re a freelance interior designer. It’s not an easy gig.”
Deanna sat across from him and waited for the coffee to finish brewing. “You’re just afraid I might show you up.” When Dean didn’t say anything but simply stared at her, Deanna slumped in her seat. “Might as well start the interrogation.”
“It’s not like that. I’m just worried about you. Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Jonas?”
“Because until this past weekend, I wasn’t.”
He leaned forward in his chair. “You went out of town with the guy and he hasn’t even taken you on a date?”
“He tried to take me on a date.” Deanna pulled her feet up under her to warm them. She loved her hardwood floors, but they were cold in the winter and she hadn’t bothered with slippers. “He tried to take me on several dates, but I kept turning him down.”
“That was smart. Going to Miami with him, not so much. What were you thinking?”
“I like him, Dean,” she explained. “And he likes me. What’s so bad about that?”
“This is Jonas we’re talking about, sweetheart. The guy would make a porn star blush.”
She snorted. “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a tad?”
“If it’s all so wonderful, then why didn’t you tell me you were going away with him? Why did I have to find out from Mom?”
“Because you would’ve tried to stop me,” she shot right back. “You wouldn’t have approved, just like you never approve of the guys I date.”