Bounty (Page 132)

He waited until my giggles subsided before he stated quietly, “Max and Nina tomorrow night. If Sunny and Shambles can do it, we go to them next weekend. And next time I hear we might have plans, even if they’re not certain, I’ll share that with you.”

I was still smiling from my humor but what he said made that smile fade.

Although I’d had relationships that had lasted, they’d lasted months, not years. This meant I was an amateur at this. Having a home. Having a man. Making plans this weekend, the next, doing that taking into account there was another person involved.

Still, it was not lost on me that Deke didn’t share something that involved me, he wanted one thing and I wanted something else.

It happened. There was a solution. We came to it quickly (or Deke did) and Deke saw without me having to point it out that he’d made a (minor) mistake.

I liked this and how it ended, with me giggling and Deke getting it. No escalating into an argument, no disagreement about what we were going to be doing.

Just…

Us.

I felt pressure at the small of my back and focused on him again when he asked, “That doesn’t work for you?”

“Works great, honey,” I answered quietly. “Call Max and confirm. I’ll talk to Sunny and Shambles.”

He flattened his whole hand at my back as he murmured, “Right.”

“Now, go get pizza,” I ordered.

“Right,” he repeated, bending his head and touching his mouth to mine.

We broke, but he didn’t remove his hand from the small of my back as he turned away from me and started guiding both of us to the kitchen.

“Next single, famous hottie Max has got on the rotation that he wants to send a man out alone to get work started on her place, I’m volunteering to go in,” Scott called as we moved to the guys huddled around the open pizza boxes at my kinda kitchen island.

Scott was one of Max’s crew. The one who I guessed was the youngest of the lot and him saying shit like that out loud was why I’d guessed it.

“Bud,” Bubba said so low I wasn’t certain anyone but me heard him.

“Next time you think about runnin’ your mouth about my woman in front of my face, and hers, you don’t want my fist down your throat, you think again,” Deke returned conversationally over Bubba’s one word.

He spoke conversationally, but the edge of his tone not being a threat, but something else a whole lot stronger, was still there.

Scott read the conversational tone and not the other, clearly, for he replied affably through a mouth full of pizza, “It’s a compliment, bro.”

Deke said nothing but I saw Scott’s expression shift so I peered up at my man, catching the tail end of the look he’d sent to Scott. Even fading, I read it and felt a tingle trail down my spine.

I did not share with Scott I didn’t mind a little razzing about anything, and through that sharing the same with all the boys. Boys who I was facing at least another week of them being in my house. Including razzing me and Deke about hooking up and the way we did. Because I really didn’t mind it. I’d grown up around men, these men being my dad’s band and his friends. I knew how it was.

I didn’t share because, for whatever reason he had, Deke didn’t like it. Most likely he didn’t like it because he thought it might bother me. Therefore he wanted it shut down so he shut it down and it wouldn’t be cool for him to make that point and me to contradict it.

I did not have a problem with this. It was my lion protecting me, even against things that I didn’t need protected from.

You didn’t mess with a lion, especially my lion, who was so badass he could shut someone down with a look.

I reached for a slice of pepperoni and did it trying not to smile.

Deke reached for the same.

I decided to eat one slice with the boys and take my next slice to my music room so not only was the client not there, hanging with them, but also the client who one of their own was banging wasn’t there, making things weird for everybody.

I had floors. Nearly had stairs. There was now more than one working toilet in my house. And I was edging in on having a kitchen.

None of this sucked.

Still, I ate my slice, grabbed my next one, gave my man a look that included a small smile, and wandered to my music room, wishing it was just Deke and me, sandwiches and La-La Land treats with the occasional Bubba mixed in.

But it wasn’t.

Whatever.

I had afternoon Crock-Pot plans that would lead to nesting.

So I had good waiting for me.

All I needed to make it better was to coax Krys into coming with me.

* * * * *

“Jesus,” Deke called as I struggled in the door with some of my many purchases.

It was late.

The guys were gone.

But Deke was doing his usual overtime.

And I saw I not only had my built-in hutch, I had my stone backsplashes and patterned copper oven back.

So I was smiling hugely even as I dumped my bags with a loud thump to the floor and announced, “Crock-Pots are heavy.”

Deke moved to me, asking, “How much you still got out there?”

“Um…a lot,” I shared.

We’d just say Deluxe Home Store had a good day.

And I had plastic spoons that were actually awesome spoon/scrapers that Lauren talked me into getting—in three colors.

Amongst other things.

Deke stopped close. “You leave anything in the store?”

“Barely.”

“Krys good?”

I kept smiling. “Yup. And Breanne was perfect her first time shopping. And Lauren is the master homewares shopper. And I’m more than good. I’m nesting and I just knew that copper oven back would be the bomb.”