Page 176 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“A ponytail?”

Nodding, I add, “Yeah. That’s the only way I saw her spider tattoo on the side of her neck.”

For some reason, Tia looks horrified. I don’t think it could be the tattoo. I have dozens of them, and she’s always liked them.

“A chef with a tattoo who wears a ponytail?” she asks in a tone that tells me none of that pleases her.

I shrug, still not understanding why we’re bothering to talk about her. “I guess. She seems nice. You’ll get to meet her when we get hungry.”

To my surprise, she swings her legs off the bed and grabs her clothes to start getting dressed. “I think I’m hungry now.”

“Really? I was enjoying us just lying here in bed.”

As Tia tugs her black yoga pants up her legs, she says, “We can get back to that after we eat and I see this cook.”

Ah, now I understand.

I slowly sit up, smiling because I get why she’s so eager to meet Ivy. “You don’t have any reason to be jealous, Tia. She’s the cook. That’s it. She makes our meals. Nothing else.”

She shakes her head as she looks for her T-shirt. “I’m not jealous. I just want to meet the person we’re going to be sharing this house with. I’m curious. Where does she sleep?”

As I search for my pants, I answer, “I’m not sure. This is the first day I’m here.”

When she begins walking toward the door, I follow her, but before we get out to the hallway, Tia spins around and shakes her head. “You are not planning on walking around with just pants on. Where’s your shirt?”

I look around and can’t find it. “I don’t know. I must have tossed it somewhere when I was getting undressed.”

“You need to find it.”

Sure I need to make her see she’s worrying over nothing, I pull Tia to me and kiss her long and deep. When I pull away, I smile. “You don’t have to worry, baby. I’m madly, crazy, out of my mind in love with you. I don’t care about the cook my uncle hired to feed us. If you want, I’ll call Ryker and tell him to get her out of here.”

Oddly enough, that doesn’t bring a smile to her face. Her frown actually grows deeper. “Don’t be like that. Please, don’t. You make me feel like I’m being stupid.”

“No, you’re being jealous, and I can’t deny I like it. But you don’t have to be.”

Tia hangs her head and doesn’t speak for a long time. Finally, she quietly says, “I’m sorry. I’m being stupid.”

“No, not stupid at all.”

When she lifts her head, I see tears in her eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m being stupid! Is there a better reason for someone to cry?”

I’m pretty sure there’s no good answer to that question, so I avoid answering by hugging her tightly to me. Against the top of her head, I say, “You’re not stupid. You don’t have anything to worry about, though.”

Looking up at me, she says, “I guess I’m feeling insecure. You left me for a year, and then this happens, which I understand. I’m not angry about you bringing me here. Not anymore. I just find it strange that our first days together again are with some woman with tattoos named Ivy.”

I brush her hair back to see her beautiful face. “I’ll tell Ryker she can go back to the house then. I can cook. I know you can cook. We don’t need her here.”

Tia’s blushes and her cheeks turn pink. “No, that doesn’t sound right. Don’t listen to me. I’m being stupid.”

“Are you sure? I don’t need her here. I have all I need right in front of me.”

Standing on her tiptoes, she kisses me sweetly on the lips and finally smiles. “I’m sure. It’s fine. If Ryker says she’s that good, maybe we’ll have some great meals.”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go grab a bite to eat and you can meet her and see there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure she’s back from the store by now.”

I take Tia’s hand in mine and bring it to my lips to give her a tiny kiss on the knuckles. As we walk out of the bedroom, I nudge her arm.

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