Page 55 of Four Dates and A Forever
Luckily for them, while most of the Eastons sought blame, Gage had the forethought to see an opportunity to heal their family. And Darcy had a big enough heart to give them all a second chance.
Darcy gave him a long, hard look that had him squirming in his shoes. “If I weren’t so late, I’d get to the bottom of this roommate you’re hiding.”
Rhett gulped. His sister-in-law had gained more confessions from him and his brothers than a Catholic priest.
“You wouldn’t want to keep true love waiting, now would you?” she continued. She gave Rhett a knowing smile and gave Gage a parting kiss. “See you after work, sweetie.”
When she shut the door, Rhett lifted a brow. “Sweetie?”
“You sleeping with anything but an ugly-ass dog lately?”
Littleshit went ballistic, lunging for the jugular. Rhett released the kraken and the dog charged under the desk. Just when he was about to attack, he lifted his leg and peed on Gage’s shoe.
Gage shot up. “Are you kidding me?” He shook his foot. “I have a strict no dog policy.”
“He isn’t a dog, he’s an icon. Has more followers on social media than me.”
“He’s a demon.”
Said demon strutted proudly back to papa and Rhett picked him up. The dog walked around in three exact circles on Rhett’s lap, then lay down and closed one eye—the other was eyeballing Gage, as if ready to attack at any sudden movements.
“And apparently a cockblock too,” Gage said, taking off his shoes with disgust.
“What does that mean?”
Gage leaned back in his chair, then kicked his sock-clad feet up on the desk. “You’re living with a beautiful woman, who you’ve had a boner for since college, and you’re still sleeping in your own bed.”
He might still be in his own bed, but he was on her mind. And that was more important than a one-night stand.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t have to. I can tell you’re about as close to getting laid as Clay is to getting Jillian to marry him.”
Clay and Jillian had been dating for over a year and while Clay would love to tie the knot, Jillian didn’t see the need to follow society norms. Not that his baby brother minded; Clay was happy just to make the love of his life happy.
As if remembering the time, Gage asked, “What are you doing in my office this early? Shouldn’t you be doing something very rock star, like sleeping until noon? Or, I don’t know, maybe writing?”
“As a matter of fact, that’s part of the reason I’m here,” he said. “I’ve got something.”
Gage flashed his teeth. “What kind of something.”
“A fan-fucking-tastic kind of something. It’s not ready yet.” Rhett was very private about his work. A lot like someone else he knew who had to have it perfect before having others weigh in. And while most artists didn’t go to their agent for creative direction, Gage was more than his agent and brother. He was the guy who stepped up when their dad passed and put all his confidence and belief in Rhett and his music. “But it’s practically writing itself.”
“What changed?”
“What do you mean?”
“How did you go from brain fart to fan-fucking-tastic?”
Elsie,a little whisper said. It started that morning they’d sparred in her bed while she’d been in nothing but a pink thong, then grew stronger after that kiss—or should he say kisses.
Rhett lifted a shoulder. “Maybe being home is what I needed.”
“So you’re thinking of your tax shelter as home?”
Was he? Even under renovations, the place felt warm and welcoming with a distinct feminine feel that softened the creative vibe, which was fine by him. Maybe that vibe was what was making the notes flow. Was it his home? He didn’t know but it felt like a hell of a lot more than a simple investment.
“It’s coming along,” was all he was going to say on the matter. “Speaking of coming along, how is Portland Live going?”
