Page 63 of Hot for the Jerk

“Do you regret it?”Gabrielle asked gently.

I shook my head.“No.It was amazing.I came twice.”

They both smiled.

“Then I offered him … something in return, because no way did any man dothatand not expect reciprocation.But he turned me down.He said it wasn’t about him.That he was fine.It was about me.He then, of course, went and jerked off in the bathroom, but he never expected anything from me.”

“So you think he wants somethingnow?”Gabrielle asked, though I could tell by her tone and the softness in her normally sharp amber eyes, that she didn’t believe that for a second.

Neither did I.

“I don’t think he wantssomething.As in reciprocation for what he gave me.I honestly don’t know what the hell he wants.But he’s confusing the fuck out of me.”

“I’ll tell you what he wants,” Naomi said, a big grin stretching across her face.“He wants a prickly little cactus, and not just for a couple of nights in a B&B.”

My belly did a not altogether unpleasant flip again.

Gabrielle’s gaze glittered as she smiled.“I think you might be right.”

I glanced into my dining room at the little cactus on my windowsill.Why was the idea of that not nearly as unnerving as I thought it should be?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jagger

Sinceoverthelastyear our family had grown by five fantastic, beautiful people, we decided to do our big family dinner down at the restaurant.Cramming into one house was already tight enough now that the kids were getting bigger, but add five extra adults and it was impossible to fit everyone around the dinner table anyway.

So, we all gathered down at the restaurant to open presents and have dinner.We opened up the feast to any staff members that didn’t have anywhere to go.So Wyatt’s sous chef Burke and his new lady love, Evie, joined us.

While Logan wasn’t dating Renée, one of our servers, we all knew he liked her, so when I invited Renée to join us for Christmas, since she wasn’t going to Spokane to see family.That only meant Logan spent an extra long time in the bathroom this morning getting ready.

That meant I was, once again, the only adult without a pairing.Without a partner.

No matter how you swung it, I was always the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and so on, wheel.Even the children were evenly matched.Three girls, three boys.I made the group of us an odd number, and while it’d never bothered me before, this time it did.

Especially when I watched my brothers dote on their significant others and be affectionate.For too long, I put my own desires for romance on the back burner, or hid it from them, because I didn’t want to throw it in their faces after their loss.But now, they’d all moved on and were throwing their love in my face.Not on purpose, of course, but it felt that way a little.

I sat on the edge of one of the booths in the restaurant, watching my nephews race the new remote-controlled robots they got for Christmas through the obstacle course of empty beer bottles that Clint had set up for them.My nieces all screamed for joy when they opened up the new fancy art kits I bought them.All three girls were at a big table near the window that looked out onto the patio and ocean, coloring up a storm that rivaled the one outside.

Clint and Bennett tossed back beers with Logan and Renée while Burke, Vica, Brooke, and Wyatt all worked hard in the kitchen preparing dinner.I tried to offer my assistance, as did Chloe and Dom, but we were told to, “Get lost,” in the very nicest way.But with her strong Italian accent, it still sounded extremely bossy coming from Vica.

Justine and Chloe were deep in conversation near the coloring nieces.So that left me and Dom, who slid in on the other side of the booth.

“From one silent man to another, your Christmas gift from me is my willingness to listen and speak,” Dom said, cracking a smile as he tipped back his beer.“What’s got you making that face?”

I glanced at my brother, who was only two years older than me.“Did you feel … envious when you saw Clint, Bennett, and Wyatt moving on?”

Dom’s thick, dark brows lifted only a half an inch as he thought about it.“Envious?I don’t think so.”He shook his head.“I wasn’t sure it was possible, honestly.How could they move on after what we lost?I didn’t think my heart would ever belong or be open to another person.”His blue-hazel gaze shifted to where Chloe sat with Justine, her smile wide and carefree as her hand rested protectively on her belly.“But I don’t think you’re everreadyuntil the right person comes along.If I hadn’t met Chloe, I would still tell you I wasn’t ready.”

I released a long, slow sigh and brought my beer bottle to my lips, letting the cool, seasonal lager with hints of cranberry and ginger slide down my throat.“I want what you guys have.”

Dom didn’t seem surprised at all.“Anyone in particular you want it with?Perhaps a fiery redhead whose family owns a vineyard?”His smile was small, but knowing.“You definitely came back from Wayman different.I couldn’t really put my finger on what it was, but I’m starting to figure it out.Or at least, I have my suspicions.”

I shook my head and set my empty bottle on the table.“She’s so freaking tough to figure out.Not to mention moody.And suspicious.And snarky.”

“Not one of those things was said with an ounce of malice in your tone.Nothing but affection came through with those words.You like Raina.”Like he often did, even when he wasn’t aware of it, Dom pulled out the man bun at the back of his head to let his dark hair fan down around his face to nearly his shoulders.Then he scooped it all back up and retied it with the black elastic.“What are you going to do about it?”

Silas ran up to his dad with some kind of food on his cheek.“Is it okay that I had one of the Christmas cupcakes Vica made, even though we haven’t had dinner yet?”

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