I shrugged, not wanting him to feel guilty because he hadn’t been the one who was here to listen when his dad felt like bending someone’s ear. “You know how nosy I can be.” I smiled. “I asked a lot of questions. Besides, I’m a sucker for a good love story and your parents had a great one.”
Joel’s parents met when her father came to work for his on the farm. Mrs. Wheeler’s mom left when she was just a little girl and she and her dad were living hand to mouth for all those years. Joel’s paternal grandfather met his maternal grandfather at the local watering hole and decided to give a drifter with a kid a chance, offering to let them stay in the little house on the property while earning his keep as a farm hand. It was the first real home they’d ever had. And they never left. It wasn’t until Joel’s dad returned from college that his parents finally admitted they had feelings for each other.
“What about your love story?” His expression was somber when he asked, “Why haven’t you met the love of your life yet?”
It was weird, having this discussion while lying in his bed, but blowing him off didn’t feel like an option. It felt like the kind of question that demanded an answer. “I’ve been a bit of a workaholic ever since I got this crazy idea to build this lifestyle brand.” I palmed my forehead. “Most days it felt impossible to gain any traction, because it’s so competitive, but something inside me couldn’t give up. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question.”
“I thought it did. I haven’t had time for relationships, simple as that.”
“I call bullshit.”
Only Joel would. “Excuse me?”
“Love doesn’t look for the perfect time, Gia. It happens when it happens. So, why hasn’t it happened for you?”
Wow, he wasn’t going to let this go, was he? How could I admit to him that no one had ever set the butterflies in my tummy loose the way he did tonight? “I could ask you the same question.”
He smirked. “Fair enough.” He rolled out of bed. “Let me get us something to drink. I don’t know about you, but I worked up a thirst.”
So evasive,I thought, watching him leave the room. I wondered if there was a woman out there somewhere who’d broken his heart. And if there was, would he ever tell me about her… or would I really want to know?
ChapterNine
Joel
As I stared at Gia across the kitchen table the morning after the best night of my life, I knew it was time for me to man up, or watch her leave again. And after she fell asleep in my arms, I never wanted to face another night without her.
“Now that we’ve cleared the air,” I said, grinning when she blushed. “Let’s talk about our plans.” The engagement ring she’d left behind was tucked safely away in my master bedroom safe, but I wouldn’t feel better until it was back on her finger, where it belonged.
“Our plans,” she repeated, taking a bite of her ham and cheese omelet. “I wasn’t sure we were still…” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to make any assumptions about where we go from here.”
I considered teasing her about using me for my body, but it didn’t seem appropriate after our argument the other night. I knew Gia could be sensitive and I didn’t want to rub salt in an open wound.
“I think we can agree, it was a dumb argument. We both said things we didn’t mean and apologized, I vote we move on, get back to the plan.” I winked at her. “Last night proved we’re compatible in the bedroom so our marriage shouldn’t be a hardship for either one of us, right?” I planned to become the man she’d never known she needed, and that would be a hell of a lot easier if we were living under the same roof.
She cleared her throat delicately before reaching for her coffee mug. She held the oversized mug between her hands, regarding me over the rim. “Last nightandthis morning, remember?”
“How could I forget?” I’d never view shower sex the same way again. She’d accused me of rocking her world last night, but this morning she’d damn near blown my head off when she surprised me in the shower to even last night’s score. “Best surprise of my life, hands down.”
She grinned because she’d used those very same words, hands down, when she was on her knees in the shower and I’d curled my hands around her head, trying to control the show.
“Okay,” she said, setting her mug down. “Are we really going to do this? You’re sure? Because if you’re having any second thoughts, I wouldn’t blame you. I know I’m asking a lot and I would never want you to feel I’m using you. I mean it, Joel. Our friendship means too much to me.”
Friendship. That word was starting to rattle me. I knew everyone said there was nothing better than being married to your best friend and friendship and mutual respect was the foundation of every great marriage, but I needed to be so much more than her friend.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked, frowning.
I didn’t realize I’d been frowning until I forced a smile. “No, not at all. No doubts, G. Let’s do this thing.”
She drew a deep breath before inching her chair back. “Okay, so where do we start?”
“Where we left off before our little disagreement, I guess?”
Clapping her hands together, she asked, “Does that mean we can get a puppy today?”
God, she was adorable.
