Page 16 of Free Me

Blake’s eyes widen and his expression becomes serious. “You wouldn’t.”

I cross my arms, mirroring his pose, and raise an eyebrow. “But I would. I take my clients’ health seriously, and if tattling to Mia is what it takes to get you healthier, then so be it. Plus, she’s a great person and a valuable client resource. I wouldn’t want to tick her off. So you’ll continue with our sessions for the next eight weeks, no excuses, no cheating, no missing our appointments, and you’ll be on your best behavior.” I smile to take the sting out of my words. “And you could fire me, but you won’t.” I wink at him and cock my hip, gesturing up and down my body. “You’d miss seeing aaaaall this fabulousness.”

He laughs and holds up his hands. “Okay, you win. I’ll do as I’m told. But after, we can talk about getting to know each other better? You’ll let me take you out?”

That surprises me. I’m not sure what I thought he meant by getting to know me better, but it wasn’t that. “On a date?”

“Yes, on a date. I truly would like to get to know you.”

Oh my stars! I fight to contain the squee that wants to burst out of my chest. Blake is actually incredibly sweet, and my insides kind of melt. “Oh. Then, yes. I’d love that.”

“Excellent.” He takes up his position again. “Should we get back to work?”

I nod and follow him to the center of the room, wondering if either of us knows what we’ve just agreed to.

7

Blake

Iclimbthestairsto the tiny front porch of my stepmother’s updated Craftsman house and ring the doorbell, barely waiting a minute before the bright red door swings open and I get a look at my brother’s frowning face. ‘We’re not interested in switching cable companies.’

I flip him off and gesture inside the house. ‘Are you going to let me in?’

He scratches his jaw and squints at me. ‘Your face is familiar. Have we met before?’

‘Asshole.’ I pull him into a tight hug. Tadhg and I have always been close, even with the twelve-year age gap, and I’ve missed him. After he left his abusive ex, he lived with me for about a year, and hanging out with him was always my favorite way to spend my rare down time. I give him a final squeeze, then hand over one of the two bottles of wine I brought. ‘Here, take this. It’s hell trying to hug and sign with my arms full of wine.’

‘Fuck off.’ Tadhg grins and waves me into the house. He half turns so I can see his signing hand. ‘We’re all in the kitchen. Mom has Quinn making the salad.’

The closer we get to the hub of the house, the stronger the aroma of Mia’s cooking gets. I tap Tadhg on the shoulder, and he glances at me. ‘Mia made lasagna!’ Tadhg just grins. He knows it’s my favorite meal she cooks. When I step into the kitchen, Quinn waves, and Mia holds out an arm for a hug, never leaving the pot she’s stirring at the stove. ‘Hey, Quinn.’ I cross the room to Mia, sliding a hand around her waist, giving her a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. ‘Hi, Mia. The lasagna smells amazing!’ I peer into the pot she’s stirring. ‘Yum. What’s that?’

‘Blackberry slump. I found the recipe online, and it seemed simple and tasty, so I figured I’d give it a try. If it’s awful, we don’t have to eat it.’ She gestures to the bottle of wine in my hand. ‘What did you bring?’

‘Two bottles of Jupiter Winery’s Celestial Cabernet Sauvignon.’ I wink at Quinn, who is already opening the other bottle. ‘Have to support the extended family. Plus, it’s delicious.’

Quinn’s eyes dart between the cork he’s extracting from the bottle and our hands as he follows our conversation. He grins when I mention his brother’s winery. ‘I’m sure Jamie and Ash will love to know you like it.’ Tadhg places four wine glasses on the counter and Quinn pours a healthy serving into each.

Tadhg grabs two of the glasses and hands one to me and one to Mia, taking the last one himself. I swirl the wine to let it breathe as Tadhg offers a toast. ‘To family.’ We raise our glasses and sip. I hum appreciatively as the dark fruit flavors burst on my tongue. ‘I’m thinking about calling Jamie to discuss hosting a book launch at Jupiter Winery.’

Quinn pauses, glass halfway to his lips. ‘For which author?’ He and Tadhg exchange an excited look.

I smirk and take a sip of wine. ‘Gary Atkinson.’

Tadhg waves to get my attention. ‘True biz?’ When I nod, he pins me with his gaze. ‘We’re invited, right?’

It still amuses me that he gets so worked up about Gary. He and Quinn are avid fans of his books, and they’ve met him a few times at the office, so it’s not like it’ll be the first time. ‘Of course. It’s a book signing. Readers are supposed to come to events like that. I’ll see if Kaino’s available.’

Tadhg waves off the suggestion. ‘You don’t have to. I can hire my own interpreter. I’ll see if they’re free for the event, or if they’re already booked.’

‘Nope. It’s my company’s event, so I hire the interpreter.’ Tadhg rolls his eyes but gives in.

My phone buzzes, but I ignore it. Mostly because Mia and Tadhg will give me shit if I don’t. It buzzes again, and Mia turns from the stove, eyeing my pocket, then looking pointedly at me. ‘You’ve started your relaxation classes?’

Message received loud and clear. I absolutely ignore my phone. ‘Yes. I’ve had three so far.’ Three torturous classes with the hottest instructor ever and more sexual tension than is advisable for a relaxation session. But we’ve kept things impersonal, like we discussed. I may or may not be counting the weeks until we can talk aboutthings.

Ever alert, Mia narrows her eyes at me, a knowing smile curling her lips. ‘And how do you like working with Stef?’

I can feel sweat beading on my neck, and it has nothing to do with the heat from the oven or the wine. ‘Fine.’ It’s a brush-off answer, but I don’t really want to have that conversation if I can help it. She knows me too well to bluff, and I don’t want to subject myself to her version of twenty-questions about my private life. Before she can push, I turn to Tadhg and Quinn. ‘What’s new with you guys? How’s business?’

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