Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain #6)(55)

She went on.

“And neither of them lasted long so I really don’t know how to do this relationship stuff. I don’t have a lot of practice since obviously neither of those went the distance or, really, any distance.”

“Emme—” he tried again, but she talked over him.

“But I still know you calling my father about a work issue, my work, is not okay.”

“This isn’t a work issue, this is a guy issue,” he corrected.

“Oh yes?” she asked, putting one hand on her hip and tipping her head the other way, not a stance any man wanted to see, ever, even if his woman was wearing only a jeans and bra doing it. “So, you didn’t phone my father to come up and deal with Dane’s suspension and/or termination should he show at work after his bond hearing? And you didn’t do that without telling me?”

“I did that because it’s not safe for you to be near this guy and I intended to tell you but you got pissed and disappeared, I searched for you, only found you because you were at my house, things got heated then other shit took it off my mind.”

“So you did,” she stated. “You did phone my father to deal with a work issue.”

He pushed away from the jamb, her eyes fired and she took a step back so he settled in where he was, putting his mug on the counter and crossing his arms on his chest.

“I keep tellin’ you, I know that guy and I don’t want you anywhere near that guy,” he said.

“Well, luckily, I haven’t gone temporarily and spontaneously deaf every time you’ve mentioned that so I actually heard you say that. But this isn’t the same.”

“He’s that guy and you dealin’ with him in person or on the phone is just not gonna happen.”

“When it comes to my work, Jacob, you don’t get to make that call,” she declared.

“When it comes to my girl bein’ at work and dealin’ with this guy, I do,” he shot back.

“So, say, you’re out crimefighting or whatever you do and I feel it necessary to make sure you’re fed properly because I feel it’s my job to see to you, it’s okay I infiltrate your secret lair without your knowledge or permission to bring you chicken noodle soup and crackers?” she asked sarcastically.

He was finding it unfortunate she was in that bra that made him want to trail the lace at her tits with this tongue, those jeans that rode low on her h*ps that made him want to peel them off, she was cute, funny, and smarter than any woman he’d ever met, which meant she could go head to head with him and sometimes win. And he was finding this unfortunate because he didn’t know whether to laugh, grab her and kiss her, or growl.

“I meant to tell you about the call to your dad,” he reiterated.

“How about this for an alternate scenario?” she suggested, still sarcastic. “You talk to me about such things, including and especially if it involves speaking to my dad who’s my dad but he’s also my boss. Then I decide, or if necessary, we discuss how said speaking to my dad will happen.”

“He was happy to know, Emme,” Deck informed her.

“Yeah, Jacob,” she leaned toward him, “I know. He is right now lamenting the fact that I didn’t run into you on the street months ago so he could invite you to our annual family trip to Breckenridge and he is currently out buying you your own personal snowmobile. Which FYI, me, all my siblings and brother and sisters-in-law all have at Dad’s place in Breck. In other words, not only is he coming up to take care of business that he pays me to do, he’s either figured out we’re together or is praying to God at the same time doing a voodoo love dance, hoping we’ll get together because he’s always liked you like I always liked you. A lot.”

“He knows we’re together,” Deck told her.

“What? Did you tell him that too?”

Deck said nothing.

She stared.

The stare turned into a glare.

Then she hissed, “I cannot believe you.”

“Babe—”

“Don’t babe me, Jacob!” she snapped, her voice rising and her hands flying out to her sides before she clamped them both on her hips. “I can’t believe you told Dad we’re together!”

“Is it a secret?” he asked.

“No! But you haven’t seen him in nine years. I have, like, regularly, and I’m also his daughter, the fruit of his loins, so I think I should get to share with him who I’m dating, don’t you?”

The fruit of his loins.

Fuck, he wasn’t going to be able to stop his smile.

She caught it, the vibe in the bathroom turned heavy and her voice got low. “This isn’t funny, Jacob.”

“Emme, you don’t want me to laugh, don’t rant at me saying shit like ‘fruit of his loins’ lookin’ cute and sexy in jeans and a bra.”

He knew that was the wrong thing to say when she closed her eyes, looked away, then turned back and opened her eyes again.

“You are very intelligent,” she said quietly. “But because of that, you do not know all and get to do whatever the f**k you want to do. We’re talking about my job and my father. Discussing those how we’re discussing them and why is not amusing. I don’t care if I’m wearing a clown suit.”

Yeah. It was the wrong thing to say.