Always(Time for Love Book 4)(40)

“Okay. We’ll make up some story then about why you’re not moving in yet. But Bren,” Darren said, halting her with a hand on her arm, “did you see how happy she was?”

“But this is so wrong!”

“The doctor told us to expect the worst if no compatible donor turns up within the next couple of months,” Darren said gravely.

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, Darren.”

Darren’s eyes misted. “I wish we didn’t have to do this. It’s hard for me, too. But I just want to see her laugh and smile. She’s hardly smiled since Dad died. At least she’s happy again.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around Darren to give him a comforting hug. “She’s very lucky to have you for a son.”

“She’s lucky to have you too. You’ve always been the daughter she’s always wanted,” he murmured.

Brenna took a deep, ragged breath. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Ash about this new development. He’d be understanding. She knew he would be. But this would trouble him a lot.

“You’re worried about Ash, aren’t you?” Darren asked.

She nodded. “I’m sure he’ll understand, though.”

“You know, you don’t need to tell him about the engagement thing. In fact, you don’t need to tell anyone about it. That’s really only for Mum’s benefit. No one else has to know. It would make it easier for you.”

“But I don’t want to hide things from Ash,” she said, although her mind opened up to the suggestion.

“Why make him worry about this, Bren? He already knows we’re pretending to be together anyway, right? Technically speaking, being engaged is still being together. We won’t be doing anything differently from what we’re doing now. And it’s not as if Ash and my mum talk to each other anyway.”

She swallowed, getting more receptive to the idea. “I guess you have a point. The being engaged bit is only a term to make your mum happy.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay. But, Darren, no more coming up with surprises that would make things unmanageable, please. And to be perfectly clear, we are not telling your mum that we’re moving in together. We’ll say we’re both very busy at work, and we haven’t gotten around to arranging it. And for heaven’s sake, even if she gives you her engagement ring, please don’t order one for me. We are not messing up with her ring.”

“Okay.”

“Good,” she said, pushing away the niggling feeling in her stomach. Like Darren had said, they were not going to be doing anything differently from what they were doing now. Being ‘engaged’ was only a term for Patty’s benefit. Nothing for her to feel guilty or worried about if she didn’t mention this to Ash or anyone else.

She sighed. Hopefully, she was right.





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


Ash made a face as he read an email from a doctor friend inviting him to a dinner on Friday night to discuss the latest developments in their profession. Normally, he wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. But he already wasn’t spending enough time with Brenna.

Things had started to get hectic again with Brenna’s work. Their company usually got very busy from November until the end of the southern hemisphere summer in February. Some of the events she was managing were being held on weekends, which meant he and Brenna were hard pressed to find one whole day that they could spend together. Also, while he didn’t begrudge her visiting Patty, it didn’t help that Darren’s mother seemed to be requesting too much of her time.

In the last three weeks, they’d only seen each other seven times. That simply wasn’t enough. He missed her like crazy.

But he had a remedy in mind for that. He couldn’t wait to see her tonight so he could raise the topic.

*****

“Bren... baby...” Ash gasped in pleasure as he thrust faster into Brenna while rubbing her nub with his thumb. He was rewarded with her cry of ecstasy, her orgasm triggering his own powerful release.

He collapsed on top of her, catching his breath. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear, thinking he could say that to her a gazillion times and never get tired.

Brenna mumbled something resembling ‘Me too’.

He raised his head to look at her. Her eyes were shut and she was lying perfectly still. She was tired—exhausted perhaps.

Smiling fondly, he kissed her. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said, then lay on his back.

“Hm. No,” Brenna said sleepily. “I need to go home.”

He wrapped her in his arms tightly, not intending to let her go anywhere. “You’re too tired to drive. Stay here tonight.” They really should have gone to her place instead of his. But Brenna had been preferring his house over her apartment, saying it was more convenient as it was closer to their offices. Whenever they were scheduled to meet on a weekday, she’d drive to his place early in the morning, then they’d both go to work together in his car.

“I can’t stay,” Brenna said, half-heartedly trying to extricate herself from his arms.

“Yes, you can,” he said authoritatively.

“I don’t have work clothes here for tomorrow,” she reasoned.

He sighed. Brenna had been so preoccupied with problems she’d been having with a particular conference she was managing. She’d forgotten again to pack some clothes for an overnight stay at his place.