Disgruntled (12 page)

***
Brent had dozed for a second or two. When he looked up,
there she was on the doorstep, with some guy. Geez, she
had a steady stream of them around. They looked pretty
intimate. He adjusted the mirror to improve his view. Did
the guy see him? He sat still. Of course not, it was dark
outside and his lights were off.
What are they doing?
He kept
his eyes trained on the couple standing under the light on
her porch. The glow of their bodies cast a single long
shadow across the yard. Duh, he smirked, what else would
they be doing? So, his prior assumption of her as a lonely
spinster was off-base a little. Instead, she was more the
opposite. How many guys had he seen around her house the
past few days? Too many to remember them all. Ahhh.
That’s it. She’s really into men, lots of men. That’s her thing.

She uses them, then casts them aside.
He tsked softly.
He liked that she wasn’t all prim and
proper, had a dark side. She liked the chase. Made someone
want her, then dumped them so that they wanted her more.
Sort of an ego-thing, flitting from one guy to the next.
She
was the equivalent of a sexual harassment nightmare. She
just kept it away from work. Or did she? Her actions toward
him were subject for debate. Maybe not to that extreme but
still— it reminded him of that movie,
Bad Bosses
.
Yeah, maybe she actually did make moves on him and he’d
just read it wrong. He kind of liked that idea. Sure, it was a
good way to excuse it all, or at least explain it. She didn’t
hate him – she
wanted
him. That’s why she always looked
down at his crotch when she spoke. He’d thought she meant
to avoid looking at him or that he just plain bored her, but
maybe not so. Okay, he could deal with that. Why wouldn’t
she want him, after all? He was more than decent looking
and had been pretty successful at seducing one or two of the
girls at work when he wanted to. In fact, compared to some
of the guys he’d seen at her door, he was a damn male
model.
Oh CRAP!
The man was walking toward him, shouting
something about getting out of the truck. No way. Brent
turned the key.
Start, you piece of shit, start.
The truck grumbled
to a roar and he shoved his foot on the gas. Did the guy see
enough of him to know what he looked like?
Had he read
the license? The tires screeched a bit as Brent shot from the
curb into the street and careened away.
Brent threw a glance over his shoulder. Where was Reva?
Was she there too?
The guy is running after me? What the hell?
He punched the gas, flew around the corner and sped out of
sight. That was stupid, moron. Sitting around her house,
watching like a stalker or something! Really?

Reva’s eyes popped open around 7 a.m. on Sunday. She
heard voices—not the supernatural kind but
real
ones. They
came from outside the house. She slid from the bed, tiptoed
to the closet and grabbed her robe. This had always been a
quiet neighborhood in the morning. Voices outside her
house didn’t make sense. She grabbed her softball bat from
the bag and edged down the hallway. The sound came from
the backyard. She tiptoed to the door to peek through the
glass. Her shoulders bunched into knots as she listened to at
least two definitely male voices mumble. She couldn’t make
out the words.

Sliding the curtain aside, she peered over the windowsill
with the bat raised and ready.
She smiled. Todd’s backside greeted her as he crouched to
set rocks into place with Tim’s help.
Nice way to start the day.
They had started on the fountain. Judging by the extent of
completion, they’d been at it for a while.
“You boys had breakfast yet?” She slipped the bat down by
the doorjamb and stepped outside. Todd stood and turned.
His eyes traveled down to her open robe hanging off her
shoulder, and the tank and shorts beneath it. The expression
on his face heated instantly.
“Don’t bother getting dressed on our account, Rev,” Tim
chastised. He scooped another rock and handed it toward
Todd. Todd didn’t budge. Instead, his eyes warmed Reva
from the inside out, like an internal toaster. Tim shrugged
and stepped behind him, shifting the rock into place. “Hello,
the work’s down here—you can stop drooling any minute
now.”
Reva stared right back at Todd. “Hungry?” she asked.
“Definitely.” He grinned.
“What do you feel like? I don’t have much.”
Todd arched a brow and said nothing.
“Where’s Eric?” She broke the tension and glanced around
the yard.
“He’s mixing cement in the front with Ben.” Todd nodded
toward the house.
As if on cue, she heard the boy’s voice asking a million
questions of her brother.
They navigated a wheelbarrow
around the various yard adornments and stopped short of
Tim and Todd. Ben was no stranger to this type of thing,
having done more than the normal amount of yard work
with his own children.
Reva turned to the two new arrivals. “You guys look very
much in your element right now. I’m surprised you didn’t
bring
your
crew along Ben.”
“They’re out shopping for school shoes right now. Benny
blew a tire in gym this week.” Poor kid named after his Dad
and
nicknamed
Benny.
They
could
at
least
call
him
Benjamin. Not to mention he was small for his age—not a
good combination.
“Okay then, I’ll make pancakes. It’s the least I can do,” she
offered and stepped back inside.
Todd followed without hesitation. He glanced at the bat but
said nothing, then ambled into the kitchen. He washed
hands in the sink, dried them, and opened the fridge.
“Need something?” she asked.
“Thought I’d help.” He stood in the room, one hand
propped against the wall, looking big and burly and so
completely sexy. He had focused on her mouth, then on the
pebbles peeking through her shirt. “You distracted me.”
“How so?” She paused with eggs in one hand and a box of
pancake mix in the other. Focus somewhere else besides that
big chunk of testosterone hogging all the air. Maybe out the
window, or something? Look away. Now.
“Reva, I’m coming closer, okay?” He moved in. She didn’t
back away. When his hand glazed her cheek, it didn’t bother
her. Not one bit. “Were you intending to use that bat?”
“If I had to, sure, but not on you. I heard voices outside.”
Todd rested a thumb against her cheek and rubbed, while his
fingers spread across the back of her neck. There was
something incredibly personal and intimate in the simple
gesture. And in his eyes, she saw something that hadn’t been
there before. It softened him and hardened him at the same
time, as if they’d partnered against something. “Just us guys.
No need to worry.”
That was supposed to put her at ease? She wrestled her
heartbeat back to normal and looked at the stove. “Easy for
you to say. Um. You like pancakes, right? ’Cause I can do
that or scrambled eggs. I don’t have anything else.”
“I like pancakes. Eric does too. Kiss me.” Three simple
sentences, two of which just sailed off his lips and past her
ears. The third sentence brought her mind to a complete
stop – heavy on the brakes.
Screech.
“My brothers are right outside. Your son is—”
“Right outside too. So, you should feel ultra-safe right now.
Three men out there to save you. Well, two and a half.” He
nodded at the wood by the door. “No reason to use the bat.
They’re all within earshot if needed.”
Todd took the eggs and box from her hands, one by one,
and placed them on the counter by the stove. He stroked a
hand down her cheek then lower along her jaw and neck.
The thud of her heartbeat rang heavily in her ears, blocking
the voices outside.
What a fabulous way to start the day.
Todd
lowered his head to hers, bringing it within inches, stopping
a hair short of contact with his eyes locked on hers. He
waited.
He slid his eyes toward the door and back. “The bat’s right
there if you’d rather have that.”
“I’m okay. It’s just—complicated. I’m complicated,” Reva
said, breathing his air. “Probably more than you need. You
really think this is a wise idea?”
“Don’t really care about what’s wise, Reva. You’re going to
be okay. This is going to be okay. I’ve learned something
about you. You’re a lot stronger than you think. Come
closer.” He waited, and he stood there with that melt-me-tothe-bones mouth right in front of her. Holding. Breathing in
her air, pulling her toward him. There wasn’t anything she
could do to resist. It had to happen. They both needed it.
She put her mouth where he wanted it, right against those
strong, wet, greedy lips that instantly sucked her into his
world.
Mmmm. God, he tastes good.
“Dad?” Eric had stepped through the door. He stopped
when he saw Todd’s arms around Reva and his mouth
locked to hers. Reva struggled to pull back, realizing it must
be awful for a child to see their father embracing someone
other than his own mother.
“I’m sorry, Eric. Todd—your dad was just...” She had no
idea how to finish the sentence.
Todd held Reva to him, not allowing her to pull away. The
tightness of his arms felt good but the inability to move
started
panic
rising.
He
recognized
her
concern
and
loosened his grip.
“What
do
you
need,
bud?”
Todd
asked.
He
seemed
unconcerned with the situation.
“My cell phone was ringing. I left it on the porch in case
Mom called.” He held up the device with a small hand
engulfed in a dirty work glove. “She wants to talk to you.”
Reva broke free and moved to the stove. “I’ll get started on
that breakfast.”
Todd took the phone and walked outside. The scowl on his
face made it clear he had no desire to talk to the person on
the other end. Reva watched him listen to the voice, his back
tense but strong. He held the phone in one hand and the
other hand rested on his hip. For some reason, that made
her smile. Once he’d ended the call, he stayed outside a few
minutes then came back in.
“Sorry about that. I said I wanted to help.” He stood in the
door, covered in cement dust, dirt, and sweat…and he
looked—amazing.
“You are helping. You’re making me a fountain.”
“I meant with the breakfast.” He dropped an arm from the
doorjamb. A puff of dirt and dust fell from the sleeve of his
shirt. Reva looked at the small cloud and smiled.
“I don’t think you want to eat concrete pancakes, do you?”
She raised a brow.
“I’ll wash up first.” He headed to the sink and turned on the
tap.
“It’s going to take more than tap water to get that out of
your shirt. If you plan on helping, you need to—” Todd
reached a hand behind his shoulder and tugged the shirt
over his head. He wadded it in a ball and stepped to the
door to toss the dusty fabric on the porch railing before
returning. Her brothers cast a glance his way but they
continued working.
Todd returned to the sink, took the soap and scrubbed his
chest. Reva stared as small drips of water rolled down and
attached to the fine hairs at his naval. She sighed seeing his
back muscles flinch and roll with each fluid movement.

He turned and startled her. “You know, I’m beginning to
see a pattern here. What is it about you and my shirts?” He
grabbed the towel from the rod and rubbed his hands.
“I don’t have a problem with your shirts. I just have a
problem with dirt in my food. And for some reason, you
always seem to have something on you. Paint. Dirt. Cement.
Something.”
Not to mention, I’m starting to like the view a little.
“Reva, what do you need?” He put his tanned, hold-meforever arms on his hips and waited.
What do I need? Let’s start with those.
“Where’s the griddle?” he added.
“Oh, uh. I just use a skillet. Bottom drawer on the right.”
She turned around to the counter and pulled a bowl from
the cabinet. “Put it on the burner and turn it to medium. I’ll
have this mixed up in a second. Can you spray it with the
can up there?” She avoided looking again as she pointed to
the cabinet where her dry goods were stored. Once the
batter was mixed, she slid next to him and used a spoon to
ladle batter into the heated skillet.
Todd stood in front of the burner, his warm chest within
inches of her arm. Suddenly Reva was very conscious of the
fact she was still in her pajamas and apparently so was he aware that was.
“You’re going to get burned if you don’t back up.” Reva
reached into the drawer by the stove and pulled out a
spatula. She noted the bubbles rising. She raised the edge of
the first pancake and leaned down to see if it had browned
enough to turn. The simple move put her hair against his
skin and she got a whiff of sweat, salt, and pure male
sensuality all at once.
Todd lifted a hand and pushed the tickling hair up and
tucked it behind her ear, holding it in place behind Reva’s
neck. “You’re going to cook your hair.” He pulled the twist
tie from the pancake mix, then wrapped it around her locks
in a makeshift ponytail.
She stood and met his gaze, which instantly went from
amused to smoldering. He inched against her and lowered
his mouth to her ear. “Don’t worry, Reva, I can take a lot
more heat than you can.”
He pulled the spatula from her hand, slowly rubbing his
fingers across the tops of hers. Then he flipped the pancakes
one
by
one.
After
eons
of
silence,
he
transferred
the
perfectly cooked pancakes to a waiting plate. The tension
was too much, too intense. Reva hated intense. Intense
always ended up—more intense. She took the spoon and
scooped more batter into the skillet for the next batch and in
the process brushed it across his arm, leaving a large blotch
of goo.
“Oh no. I’m sorry.” She attempted to wipe it away with her
hand, furiously working to clean the mess. “I didn’t mean
to.”
Todd laughed. He took the batter she’d scooped from his
arm into his palm. “It’s fine, Reva. It’s okay. I don’t care.”
“No, really. I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.”
“Reva.”
“Here, let me get a towel.” She stepped back and tripped,
sending more batter splattering on his leg and her thigh. She
panicked.
“Reva, stop backing away. Don’t you move a damn inch
toward a towel, the sink, or anywhere else. It’s okay. It’s just
batter. I don’t care. Really. Here.” He scooped the batter
from his leg and wiped it—across her neck. Then he took
the spoon from her hand and ran a finger across it, then
wiped it on her nose. “Now we’re even. Okay?”
Her mouth fell open and she looked from spoon to man,
taking it all in. Was he joking with her? Taunting her with
her own mistake rather than erupting at her incredible
clumsiness? She had no idea how to react. There was a time
when this was all she knew. Teasing and taunting with her
family was common. Then it all changed.
“You did
not
just do that,” she finally said.
“I did.” He grinned. “What are you gonna do about it?” He
baited her.
He baited her
. His eyes danced wickedly as he
swayed the spoon over the skillet and dropped pancake
dollops into the oiled heat. He had his back turned for a
brief second and she took it all in. He wasn’t mad. She’d
gotten it all over him and he hadn’t even scowled. She
dipped a finger in the bowl of batter that he balanced in one
hand. Scooping a finger full, she reached up and brushed it
across his cheek. He swung around and she jumped back.
Todd laughed. He shook his head and set the bowl down.
He grabbed the finger and clasped it, watching her face as he
pulled her closer. And closer. Oh God, she’d gone too far.
She never knew when to stop. He bent his head and put the
finger – in his mouth.
Reva practically salivated as he licked the batter. He didn’t
bother to wipe it from his face, leg, or arm but intently
concentrated on her finger. Then he raised a brow as he
leaned toward her neck, his eyes focused on hers. He opened
his mouth slowly and moved closer. His lips were parted and
she could see the moist tongue as it started a focused
mission toward her neck. He was going to—
“Ahem. Are we cooking pancakes in here? Do I smell
something burning?” Ben asked.
Reva stepped back and lifted the plate from the counter.
“First batch is ready. Why don’t you guys come in and have
some. But leave the dirt outside please.”
She dropped the plate on the table, gathered syrup, plates
and utensils from the kitchen and stacked them alongside,
then stood with hands on hips while Eric and her brothers
made their way in.
Todd
stood
up,
regained
his
composure
and
chuckled.
“Saved by big brother. You are so lucky.”
Thirty minutes later, Reva sat at her kitchen table with four
shirtless men of varied ages as they gobbled the pancakes
with fervor. She contemplated mixing another batch. They
teased easily with each other. When a knock on the door
interrupted their debate over who would win the Super Bowl
this year, Reva jumped.
Who would show up now?
She opened the door to a petite, full-figured woman with
stylish short-cropped hair that hugged perfectly against her
face. The woman glanced her up and down in her pajamas
and raised a brow. “You must be Reva,” she said.
That one glance managed to make Reva uncomfortably
aware
that
she
needed
more
clothes,
or
at
least
not
sleepwear. “Yes. Can I help you?”
“I want my son.”
Oh. That explained the surliness.
“You’re Eric’s mother? That’s great! Come in, they’re all in
the kitchen. Have you had breakfast? We have pancakes, or
at least we did a second ago. Not sure now.” Reva managed
a smile and waved her in.
Todd stood and strode forward. He intercepted the woman
as she stomped through to the kitchen. “Wow, you got here
fast. I thought you said it’d be after lunch.” He grinned.
Obviously not the reception she wanted, the woman gave
him her worst scowl. It was a doozy.
Annie stopped dead in her tracks. She looked from bare
chest to bare chest then to Reva in her pajamas. “What the
hell?”
“Don’t go jumping to conclusions,” Todd said.
“Conclusions? You’re kidding me, right? A pajama party?
Based on what’s going on here, I think Eric needs to go
home.” She ran a look up and down Reva’s attire. Reva
pulled her robe tight around her shoulders.
“Well, that depends on what you think is going on. If hard
work is a problem for you—as I remember from our past, it
is. Eric has been helping us build a fountain in Reva’s
backyard.” Todd sidled up next to Reva with his shoulder
against her. Reva glanced down at the tanned fingers that
rested against the back of her hand. “Reva, this is Annie,
Eric’s mother. Annie,” he gestured with a hand, “Reva
Zamora. The two gentlemen in the dining room are Reva’s
brothers, Tim and Ben. ”
Reva forced a smile. “I think I’ll go get dressed. Be right
back.”
“Yeah. Probably a good idea.” The acid tone of Annie’s
voice followed her. Odd. Was that jealousy? Why? The
woman had left him, not the other way around.
“Be nice,” Todd admonished. Reva wanted to stay and hear
the rest but her modesty got the best of her.