Page 19 of Reindeer and Restraints
"I just want you to trust me."
She huffs. "Trust you? Of course I do, you're the nicest, most reliable guy around, which is why I need to get the tornado of my life out of your tidy house."
"I already said you could stay."
"Because you'retoonice." Her gaze shifts to the new blanket I set on the end table. "Did you get that for her?"
"Yeah." Because I'm the nicest guy around. That's definitely not the stage I want set when I propose to her. I can't have her think I'm doing it to be nice, like I'm saving her from being a single mom. Fuck!
Jolene motions for me to toss it to her. She balances the plate of lasagna precariously on her lap while reaching out. Fighting my love for all things tidy, I risk chaos and toss the blanket.
That's something I've been learning from her, that I can relax a little and the world will still be fine. It's liberating.
Her fingers trail over the tabs—silk, velvet, corduroy. "She'll love this. Thank you." She eats a bite of lasagna then says, "You really are the best brother a girl could have. I should have told you I was getting a sitter. I'll do better next time."
"I truly don't mind taking care of her." Unsure where the line crosses from nice into committed, I say, "I'm here for you. For Jane. We're in this together."
A wail pierces our ears from down the hall. I'm on my feet while Jolene tries to set her plate down and ends up knocking the new blanket into it.
I could have gotten to Jane's room already, but I couldn't stop watching the trainwreck.
"I'll get her." Jolene bolts past me. "You've done enough."
Have I? Picking her plate and blanket up, I stop in the kitchen first, rinse the dish, then take the blanket to the laundry room and spray it with stain remover.
I'm heading to Jane's room when Jolene meets me in the hall and flashes a tired smile. "She'll be up early, I better get to bed."
"Go on. I cleaned your plate."
She pecks my cheek. "You spoil me, big brother."
Stepbrother, I want to insist, but I need a bigger plan than that.
The popcorn tin sits untouched and the cider's cold. Family night crumbled—a real possibility that I'm brother-zoned. I try to laugh at my friend-zone joke, but it's not funny when I have a marriage proposal sitting under the Christmas tree.
All this time I thought I was wooing her, I was doing the exact opposite. How did I get this so wrong?
Is there something to be learned from her fascination with Krampus and her love of monster romances or am I grasping at straws?
I plop onto the couch and pull out my phone, entering a search I never would have imagined doing. Why do women love monster romances?
Chapter 9
Walker
I'm playing a dangerous game with Jolene, risking my heart on a woman who's not ready, as evidenced by how many times she’s ignored my calls and given one- or two-word responses to my texts.BusyandI can’taren’t the most encouraging replies.
Plus, I still haven't talked to Jeremy. No easy way to bring up...Hey, I’ve felt something for your sister ever since I saw that picture of her. Then I got really turned on when she ended up tangled in the reins… long story. Anyway, I obsessed over restraining her and fucking her senseless, so I bought her at a sex auction and did just that. Now we're friends with benefits.
Yeah, not something you tell your best friend.
And since I haven't received any irate calls from him, I'm guessing she didn't tell him.
Our phone number exchange at the Aubergine Affair replays in my mind…
After she tormented me by playfully implying she has other friends with benefits, I asked for her number.
When I dialed it so she'd have mine too, I teased her, asking what she was going to list it under since she didn't know my name. It was supposed to give us a playful way for me to tell her without it being weird but she said she'd list me asHim.
