Surrendering To His Mrs. Right (Soul Food Diner) (6 page)

“Sure.” She picked up the receiver. “The Boyd’s residence
, how can I help you?”

“Indy Neela Kent
, what the fuck are you doing over at my house?” Liam asked. “Again!”

The nerve of him. He was off being a gigolo with Brenda, and she was supposed to sit home pining over him. She was done with that. “It’s not just your house. Tim lives here, too.”

He huffed into her ear. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“
And I’m not going to either.” She pulled the phone from her ear. “It’s Liam.”

“Tell him I’ll call him back later, I’m in the middle of something.” He loaded the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Tim can’t come to the phone so he’ll call you later. Bye.” She hung up before Liam had time to respond. Then stuck her tongue out at the phone. “Blow me.” Why wasn’t she allowed over there when he wasn’t? She liked spending time with Tim. Tim appeared around the drying his hands on a dishtowel. Warmth rushed through her body to her toes. She was getting more than the hots for Tim.

“What did Liam want?”

“I didn’t ask.” Since he’d decided to spend Christmas away from home she was doing her best to let go of her feelings for Liam. For her own good.

“Fair enough.” Tim sat next to her. “Things seemed a little hostile
, by your tone. Are things all right between you and Liam?”

“No.” And it wasn’t fair.

“Why aren’t things okay between you two?”

Because Liam was
an insecure prick. “Shit, I could fuck an entire football team and he wouldn’t care, but I can’t hang out with Saint Fucking Tim!” Indy covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

“Is it because there
’s something going on between the two of you?”

“Are you insane? He’s halfway across the country with another woman. No
, it’s
you
in relation to him.”

“What?” He tilted his head.

For a second he looked kinda blurry. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. It’s not fair to Liam.” The whirling in her head wasn’t helping matters either.

“Just explain enough not to leave me utterly confused.”

“Liam doesn’t like any of his friends around you. He has this irrational fear they’ll all ditch him for Saint Tim.”

“I’m no Saint, Indy.”

She sure as hell hoped not. “That's irrelevant because it’s not about you but about how he compares to you.” Her wine glass on the table was empty. Her head was fuzzy.

Indy wasn’t sure she could walk home.

“You’re looking a little tipsy.” He stood and held out his hand for her.

“I am.”
With her hand in his, she let him tug her to her feet but stumbled into his hard chest. “Mmm. Great body.”

“I was thinking the
same thing about yours.” He angled her face to meet his piercing blue eyes. “I can set up the guest room for you, if you like?”

At this moment it wasn’t the guest bed she wanted. “Okay, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll let your father know you’re here.” He guided her over to the sofa.

“Can you leave out the part about me being, umm
, intoxicated?” she asked.

“Definitely.” He grinned. “I’ll come back for you once I set up the bed.”

She relaxed into his comfy oversized leather couch.

Tim
firm ass molded in his slacks as climbed the stairs. Shit, he was fine. Would it be so bad if she let herself explore what she hoped was going on with Tim? She was a single woman, after all. But there was the matter of Liam. and Tim was a no-go zone if she ever hoped Liam would want her as more than a friend. Liam was insecure comparing himself to Tim. The man wasn’t to blame for Liam making himself hard to love. Sometimes she even wondered why she so desperately wanted him to be interested in her.

Tim went into the room next to his and pulled covers from the closet. Moonlight shone through the windows. There were fresh sheets folded on the bed for unexpected holiday guests or—a first for him—a highly intoxicated girl. Indy definitely was a lightweight when it came to drinking. Not even university life had changed that. But why did she feel the need to drink around him? Was that the only way she could bring herself to let her guard down? He made up the bed. Maybe he could change that. Show her that he was safe. That everything she did and said wouldn’t be held against her in a court of law. Mr. Kent probably wouldn’t appreciate his law jokes.

The phone rang
and he picked up but so did Indy.

“The Boyd playboy mansion.”

That was actually kind of funny. Tim covered the mouthpiece.

“What are you still doing there, Indy?” Liam asked with evident annoyance.

She breathed into the phone. “What’s your deal? Shit, my father doesn’t even give me such a hard time. What? I can’t
bang
out with Tim…”

“What the hell did you just say?”

“I can’t
hang
out with Tim?”

A Freudian slip perhaps. If she kept that up his brother would get the impression there was more than friendship blooming.

“Not when I’m not around. No, you can’t.”

“That’s stupid.”

In the background Brenda called to Liam. “Indy, you have your own friends, and Tim is too polite to tell you he doesn’t want to hang out with you.”

“You’re an ass.”

Tim concurred. Liam was being a dick. His brother should know he wasn’t in the habit of wasting his time around people he didn’t care for. Didn't his tiny circle of friends prove that?

“An honest one,
” Liam said.

Nothing he’d said was honest. Tim wanted Indy around. Around was too vague. He wanted Indy
, period.

“Did he tell you this?”
Indy asked.

“I know my brother.” Apparently not as well as he thought
, or claimed to. “What do you think is going to happen? Has he brought you around his friends or the hospital? You’re his kid brother’s best friend.”

“The way you’re acting
, I’d think you were jealous but I know you too well for that.”

Tim was reading the same vibe which
, as she’d stated, made no sense.

“I’m looking out for you. I know you don’t connect to people
. What happens if you let your childish romanticism get the best of you? What do you think he’s going to make of you when he finds out you’re still a virgin?”

True
, Tim might have overreacted but it had been so unexpected. Now that the initial shock had worn off it was a nonissue for him. It was refreshing.

“You
’re such a buzz killer. Did you call to make me feel like shit or do you want to talk to Tim?”

Why
was his brother being so cold? Indy was his best friend. Why wouldn’t he be lifting her up not pulling her down?

“I’m sorry the truth is painful. But it’s cos you’re my homey that I don’t sugarcoat it. Yeah
, I’d like to speak to my big bro.”

“Tim, Liam’s on the phone again,”
she shouted up.

“Thanks, Indy.” He went to the receiver in his own room so there
’d be a sound on the phone when he picked up.

“Hello.” He heard Indy hang up.

“Hey, what’s Indy doing over?”

“We had dinner and wrapped some gifts.” Being questioned by Liam about Indy was awkward. “She’s great company. I get why you two get along so well.” If he made clear that he wouldn’t take his best friend maybe his brother would back off.

“Just remember she’s my friend,” Liam said.

“I know she’s important to you.” So why didn’t he treat her better?

“Hanging out a few times doesn’t make you someone’s buddy.”

“True. Just like being someone’s brother doesn’t give you the right to speak on their behalf. So don’t ever do it again without asking my permission.”

“Were you listening to our fucking conversation?”

“As matter of fact I
was, and you were out of line.”

“Out of line was I? Let me put things completely
in line
for you then, bro. I don’t want you preying on my best friend because you can’t have normal relationships with women.”

“Are you done?” Tim had no intention of being manipulated by Liam. The man
hadn’t gone on the offensive, he’d simply switched targets. “You’re on the attack so the only thing I can come up with is that you have feelings beyond friendship for Indy. So what I don’t get is why you’re over there with another woman.”

“It isn’t like that with Indy. She’s one of my peeps.” Liam huffed. Brenda called
out to him again. “I’ve emailed you a link to some tickets I need picked up for the New Year’s Eve bash I’m taking Indy to.”

“Great. Bye.” Tim hung up the two handsets without waiting to hear
if his brother had anything additional to say.

All this time he had no idea Liam could be so toxic with Indy. So much like their parents it scared him.
He was right about one thing though—hanging out a few times didn’t make him Indy’s friend, but he wanted to be that and much more to her.

He dialed her father’s number.

“Hello?” Mr. Kent said.

“Mr. Kent, Tim here.”

“Tim, is everything all right?”

“Yes, I’m calling to let you know that Indy has fallen asleep over here.”

“Thank you for letting us know she’s safe.” He heard rustling over the phone. “I’m taking the wife on a surprise overnight boat trip New Year’s Eve, do you mind keeping an eye on my baby girl while we’re away? Maybe she can stay over?”

“I don’t mind.” Hopefully he hadn’t sounded too eager to have the man’s daughter spend the night again.

“Thanks, Tim. I knew we could count on you.”

He hung up. The problem was
, with his feelings deepening toward Indy he didn’t know if he could be counted on. Though he had every intention on proving Liam wrong, he was perfectly capable of having a normal relationship with woman unlike his brother and father. Indy was a strong outspoken woman so why did she allow Liam talk to her that way?

D
ownstairs, he found Indy on the sofa, eyes closed.

“I’m probably going to need your help to get up there.” She held out her hands.

He reached under her and picked her up. “I didn't think you'd ask.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on
. "I'm real good at asking."

As he carried her to the stairs, she m
oaned. Instantly, his body drew taut. A soft sweet coconut scent emanated from her. He went to the stairs. Though he wanted to take her to his bed, the time wasn’t right. She’d had too much to drink, she probably didn’t know what to make of what was going on between them, and Liam certainly hadn’t helped. Plus, if he was going to be her first he wanted it to special. Even go overboard, make the experience a fairy tale like in the movies. Nor would he want to rush her into that decision. Until she'd be ready to go all the way, perhaps she would be open to exploring some of his talents in pleasuring a woman. Perhaps not to night

“Tim, can I ask you something?”
She spoke slowly pronouncing each word carefully. 

“Yes, of course.”

“Are you just being nice to me because I’m Liam’s best friend?” Lazily, she ran her fingers up the nape of his neck.

His brother was such an ass. At least she had the guts to ask him. “Greg’s also Liam’s best friend and I don’t intend to hang out with him ever
, if I can help it.”

"
I’ve really had a great time hanging out the last few days." She chuckled. “But I have other friends so I don’t want you to have me along to be nice.”

“As have I. Even if you and Liam stopped being friends, you and I wouldn’t.” Hopefully that cleared her mind a little about what she meant to him.
He set her feet to the floor.

“Thanks, Tim.” Indy hugged him
, crushing those soft curves to his body. He was hard for her. Craving her. But he held back his desire and returned her hug and, when she let him go, he released her.

Their gazes locked in the dim lighting.

“You look like you want to kiss me.”

He
did. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t. You’ve had too much to drink.”

“You are such a noble guy.” She took his hand. “I like that about you.”

Despite what he’d said, he already regretted it. He smiled. A noble guy who’d be jerking off tonight. “I’ll bring you one of my T-shirts to sleep in.”

He
went into his bedroom and pulled a t-shirt from his drawer. There were some other things she’d need so he stopped in the washroom, got a glass of water and some aspirin.

Indy lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Peacefully stretched out. What he wouldn’t give to be welcome to climb in next to her. He’d scoop her up into his arms and hold her all night. If that was all she wanted from him.