Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(49)

So yeah, I was glad Beau had a better childhood than I’d ever had. Didn’t make me any less jealous of him, though. But it did make me wonder what kind of dad I’d be one day. Not that I’d ever get there. I’d kind of have to be able to settle with one woman first, and shit...

I was thinking about that kiss again.

Anywhere around Sarah was the last place I should be right now. Except my blood felt as if it’d been ignited with fireworks as I paused in the kitchen to collect everything I needed for my plans.

The entire way over to her place, I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and hummed under my breath, trying to expel my nervous energy. I couldn’t wait to see her.

Once I arrived, I was tempted to go around the side to her window but decided I was going to do this right.

She’d wanted a first real date. Well, she was going to get one.





SARAH




I was checking out a couple computer programming job openings in the area on my laptop when someone knocked on my door. Glancing up, I blinked when a grinning Brandt stepped inside, and my heart nearly pounded itself out of my chest.

“Hey. You busy?” he asked.

He looked good, like especially good. Which was weird, because he wasn’t dressed up at all. He wore a plain white, V-necked T-shirt and a regular pair of blue jeans that, okay, looked newer than most of the pairs he owned. But, I don’t know, there was something about him, as if he’d just shaved before coming over or had combed his hair or...what the hell? Was that cologne wafting off him?

It was! That was the scent I’d given him for Christmas.

Why the heck was he wearing cologne?

“Sarah?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow and looking amused by the way I was gawking at him.

I shook my head, getting my head back in the game.

Busy, he’d asked if I was busy.

“Sure,” I said. “I mean, no. Not busy. What do you need? Everything okay?”

I swear his eyes freaking sparkled with glee as he grinned at me. “Everything’s perfect. But I need you to come with me.”

He was being so mysterious, I laughed. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise,” he murmured, holding down a hand to me. “Are you in or out?”

“Oh, I’m in.” He knew what a sucker I was for surprises. Taking his hand as he helped me stand, I asked, “Is it out in public? Should I change?”

“Don’t change. You look perfect.” He kept grinning as he helped me to my chair, and it made my stomach churn, reminding me of our kiss. He looked like a little boy who couldn’t wait to give his parents the Christmas presents he’d picked out for them. It was freaking adorable.

“You’re being so mysterious,” I couldn’t help but say.

Chuckling, he leaned down to whisper into my ear. “And you love it.”

I shivered, and for once, I was happy I had CP to use as an excuse for my tremors, because holy hell, his breath on my neck was heaven.

Straightening, he crooked his finger for me to follow. “This way.”

He could’ve been leading me straight to the center of Hell, and I would’ve followed him eagerly. Looking the way he did and being so playfully cryptic, Brandt was just too tempting to resist.

As we entered the front room where Reese was braiding Issa’s hair, Brandt snapped his fingers and pointed to her. “Can I borrow something from your kitchen?” he asked. “I swear I’ll give it back when we’re done.”

“Uh...” Reese blinked before grinning slyly. “Well, sure. Go ahead.”

“Thanks.” He darted from the room, and I gazed after him, wondering what the heck he was getting.

Feeling a little drool at the corner of my mouth, I quickly wiped it away and sent my sister-in-law a confused glance. “Do you know what this is about?”

“No clue,” she answered, then whispered, “Maybe he wants to kiss you again.”

My face heated. “Shh!”

Reese snickered. Then she started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Brandt asked, sweeping back into the room.

“Nothing,” Reese and I yelped together.

He sent us an odd look before murmuring, “Okay,” and held the door open for me.

I glanced at Reese again, curious about his overly nice behavior.

Eyes twinkling with mirth, she blew me a kiss. “Have fun.” The wink that followed told me she definitely thought I’d be getting kissed again before the night was over. God, I hoped she was right.

I flushed and couldn’t meet Brandt’s gaze as I rolled past him out the door.

He said nothing on the way to his truck, but once we reached it, he leaned ahead of me to open my door. Then he helped me stand and climb into my seat before folding my chair. I watched him with a slight frown, wondering why he was being so...attentive. Usually he let me do all that by myself because my independence was so important to me. But this evening, something was different.

As soon as he shut my door, the most heavenly smell hit my nose, drifting up from the rear of the cab. I tried to twist around to see but couldn’t quite manage it.

“What’s that smell?” I demanded as soon as Brandt climbed into the truck.

He laughed as he tossed what looked like Reese’s wine bottle opener into the back. “You and your super sniffer. I should’ve known you’d catch on to that immediately.”