“Who said that’s what I think?” she said, shocked to find herself flirting with him. “The truth is, I think you’re a loser, so one story can’t do any damage.”
He pretended to be shot in the heart. “Oh, the pain,” he said, staggering away from her. “I’m mortally wounded.”
“I think you’ll live,” she said. “Now, did you say something about a drink? I’m dying of thirst over here.”
“Maybe I can be of assistance with that,” Aaron said, walking over. “Malcolm needs to work on his manners.”
CHAPTER 5
***MALCOLM***
Malcolm was acutely aware of Rose sitting next to him all through dinner. Everything about her sparked an interest in him, the way she smelled, the sound of her voice as she talked, the accidental touch of their hands, even the way she chewed her food. By the time the meal was over, his head was spinning, and the dragon inside him was wide awake and sending little jolts of magic into his system, making him think things about her that he’d never thought about any woman.
The last thing he wanted or needed right now was a relationship, he reminded himself, pushing his plate away. He had enough in his life to deal with already, trying to balance a relationship as well would be a disaster. He had dreams and goals, a timeline he was following, and there was no place for anyone else in his life right now. His new property was the love of his life; there was no room for a woman.
Feeling better after the little talk with himself, he turned to find Rose deep in conversation with Aaron. She had her back turned to him, and she was leaning into his friend as they talked. A blast of what he could only describe as jealousy flared to life and grew until it was pulsing through him, making him want tostrike out at Aaron and pull Rose away from him. Shocked by the intensity, he struggled to get his emotions under control, afraid he was going to embarrass himself.
Before he could act on his feelings, Hattie came to his rescue. “It looks like everyone is done. I have an announcement before I bring out dessert,” she said, making everyone fall silent. “I’ve been offered the opportunity to supply all the desserts for the Winter Ball and all the holiday festivities at the college. I haven’t said yes yet because I wanted to talk to you all first. If I take the job, it would mean I wouldn’t be around as much for you boys; you’d have to do more around here for yourselves.”
“Hattie, that’s wonderful news,” Jackson said, a smile on his face. “Of course you should take it, we’ll be fine. Won’t we, boys?”
“I’ll start on another chore chart tonight,” Ryan said. “We’ll just rotate in your nights to cook, that should free you up some.”
“And we can all take turns doing the shopping,” Gabe said. “I used to work in our local grocery store in high school, I’ll take the lead on that one.”
“We can all start doing our own laundry,” he said. “We’ll split the days of the week and leave the weekend open for emergencies.”
Hattie looked around the table at all of them. “Thank you, boys,” she said, tearing up a little. “I don’t know what to say…you’re all such fine young men…I’m lucky to have been able to spend the time I have with you.”
“No, we’re the lucky ones,” Taylor said. “You’ve taken good care of us for almost four years, you’ve taught us how to take care of ourselves. Now we’re going to use that knowledge to give you the break you deserve.”
They all chimed and agreed with Taylor, then Abby got to her feet. “I’ll go get dessert while you all work out the rest of thedetails,” she said. “It sounds like we’re celebrating Hattie’s new business venture.”
Emily jumped to her feet. “I’ll get the coffee,” she said, starting to clear the table. “We’ll just get these out of the way first.”
Rose didn’t miss a beat and was on her feet a second later. “I’d love to help too,” she said, beginning to stack dishes as well. “It was a wonderful meal, I haven’t eaten that well in a long time.”
When she followed the other two women across the room to the sink, Aaron leaned over her empty chair with a dreamy look on his face. “I’m going to invite her to the Winter Ball,” he said, then looked at Rose across the room. “She’s beautiful and smart, she’ll look amazing in a formal gown, and we’ll be the most stunning couple there. Everyone will be jealous of me.”
The jealousy that had faded to the background for a brief minute when Rose walked away was back, but even more intense than before, and it took all his control not to drag his friend out of his chair and punch him. Shocked again at the intensity of his feelings, he sucked in several gulps of air and stared at Aaron until the rage and jealousy became manageable.
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. “Rose isn’t a showpiece you can take out just to impress people, she’s a person.”
“I know that,” Aaron waved his hand in the air. “I was just…well…come on, she’s hot, Malcolm, there’s no way you missed that.”
The jealousy flared again, this time making the dragon inside him stir to life, releasing a little burst of magic that sparked between them, and Aaron’s eyes widened. “Oh, man, you should have said something, I didn’t know that she was the one,” he said, then a smile spread across his face. “I was wondering which one of us was going to be next.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rose isn’t the one, and I’m not next,” he said, refusing to even think about what Aaron was suggesting. “We’re just friends, that’s all, I just don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“It’s just a dance, I’m not asking her to marry me,” Aaron said, getting a little defensive. “If you’re not going to ask her, then I am. So, what’s the deal?”
He looked across the room where Rose was laughing with Abby and Emily, and a stab of desire shot through him, making his entire body fill with warmth. “I’m going to ask her, so back off,” he said before he changed his mind. “But I’m not next, so don’t even go there.”
“Whatever you say,” Aaron said, shaking his head, a little smile on his face. “But if I’m right, you have to make me your best man when you get married.”
***Rose***
Rose let Malcolm help her put her jacket on, then followed him out the door when he opened it to the chill of the winter evening. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. I had a good time,” she said, falling into step next to him. “Hattie is a wonderful cook; if that chocolate cake is any indication of what she’s capable of, you all are lucky to have her making the desserts for your ball.”
