Page 22 of Falling Fast

“Just once.” His lips quirked, his golden-amber eyes warming with a smile. “She’s unique. Mysterious,” he added as he chewed.

It was hard not to stare at the way his lips moved as he chewed. Full, shockingly soft lips she remembered exactly how they’d felt on her own. Watching him now reminded her how badly she wanted to feel that delectable mouth on the rest of her body.

Mostly because it was Jamie, and a little because he posed a challenge her competitive streak demanded she keep chipping away at until she got her way.

She pushed the distracting thoughts aside. “Oh yeah. Pretty sure I still haven’t scratched the surface of her, even though I try to pop over to see her and Brody about once a week or so.” She’d never seen her middle brother so happy.

“You’re really close to your family,” he said in an almost approving tone as he reached for his own beer.

“Yeah, I am.” She wanted to know more about his. It felt strange that he knew all about hers when she knew almost nothing about his, except that his parents were both originally from Mexico and now lived in Southern California. She’d asked Easton a few things about him over the past year but not too much, not wanting to seem overly curious in case it tipped her brother off that something was going on between them.

Well,hadbeen going on. “My mom died when I was little and it’s been just the five of us ever since. My dad made it a priority that we stick together and stay close, no matter what. And trust me, that wasn’t always easy, especially after Wyatt was wounded.” In the depths of his depression her eldest brother had tried to push his family away along with everyone else.

No damn way they’d been about to let that happen. Some of the run-ins she’d had with him had been epic and were now family legend, but she didn’t regret a thing. Wyatt was more like his old self now than ever before.

Jamie set his beer down on the table, the muscles in his arm shifting as he moved. The man was distraction and temptation personified. “I’ll bet. I’m sorry about your mom. That must have been hard, losing her when you were so young.”

A pang hit her in the center of her chest. It always happened when she thought of her mom, and how grief-stricken her mom had been at the thought of leaving them behind. “Thanks. I think it’s been toughest on my dad though. They’d been together forever, since high school. He’s lonely but never dated anyone after she passed, and wouldn’t now because of the stroke, even if another woman out there could tolerate his gruffness.” She chewed a mouthful of pizza, thoughtful. “It’s funny what I remember about her. I can still remember the way she smelled. Sweet, like vanilla, from her perfume.”

He merely watched her as he continued to eat, so she kept talking.

“I was so young, I only have a few really clear memories of her. One Christmas dinner in particular. Her carrying my cake into the dining room on my fifth birthday. She always made each of us our favorite kind of cake from scratch for our birthdays. I remember cuddling up in bed together while she read me stories.” A wistful ache swelled inside her. “Other than that, I mostly know her through pictures and stories from my dad and brothers. I wish I’d had more time to make memories with her.”

“But you remember how much she loved you.”

“Yes, absolutely.” That’s why losing her still hurt so much. She shifted on the couch, a little uncomfortable at having just revealed all that. “What about you?”

He broke eye contact, busied himself with lifting another piece of pizza from the box. “I’m close with my family too.”

“You’ve got a sister, right?”

He nodded. “Two years older than me. We fought like crazy when we were kids, but never in front of my parents because we weren’t stupid. My mom had this thing about wooden spoons. I don’t know how many she went through over the years from spanking us when we deserved it, but I’m guessing it was quite a few. Only when we fought or were disrespectful though. We learned in a hurry to fight in private.”

Charlie smiled, already liking the sound of his mom. “But you’re close to your sister now?”

“Yeah. She’s married and expecting a baby in another few months.”

“So are you excited to be an uncle?” She had trouble imagining him handling a baby; he just didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would be comfortable with it.

“Can’t wait. If I can get the time off I’m going to be there when the baby’s due.”

That was so sweet, and unexpected from such an intense, hard-edged man. Tonight he was showing her a side of him she’d never known existed, and now it was even harder to keep her distance.

She had to though. She wasn’t ready to give up her independence or commit to any man. She’d lived long enough doing what she was told, and putting aside everything else in her life when her brother and father needed her during their recoveries. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted and she relished the independence.

“If I had to guess, Piper and Easton will probably start a family soon after they get married.” Maybe Austen and Wyatt too, which would be a trip. Trinity couldn’t have kids, and Charlie wasn’t sure she even wanted to, but if they wanted kids she and Brody could always adopt one day.

“Yeah, he told me. Piper’s worried if they wait too much longer, she might not be able to have a baby.”

Charlie stilled, the piece of pizza inches from her mouth. Easton had told him that, but not her? “Oh.”

Jamie still wasn’t making eye contact with her, however, and something told her he was holding back something big from her. “Must be hard, being that far away from your family all the time,” she said, watching him. “I’m only a few hours away, and two of my brothers live right near D.C. but I still miss them when they’re off on a mission or training op.”

Another nod, still no eye contact. “We usually talk on the phone a couple times a week, but…yeah. I don’t get back home as much as I’d like.”

Okay, there was definitely something in his tone and expression. Guilt? “That’s the great part about being from a tight-knit family though. They might drive you crazy and get all up in your business, but only because they care, and they’ll always be there for you.”

Jamie stopped chewing, seemed to force himself to swallow before reaching for his beer again. “Not always, which you understand better than most people.”

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