And Then One Day Read online

He moved her until her back was against the wall and silenced her with a kiss. It was a little wild, a little brutal, but he took a little offense to her comment. He knew he wasn’t a slacker and that there was nothing wrong with his skills as a mechanic. The problem with her car was just a ruse to keep her here. He wanted to tell her that–wanted to defend himself–but doing so would make her leave sooner.

  And there was no way he was going to let that happen.

  And it had nothing to do with his sister’s request and everything to do with him and how much he didn’t want Courtney to leave.

  Something he should probably address with her sooner rather than later.

  The unfortunate part of having known each other for so long was that…he knew her. Courtney dated a lot of guys–something she openly admitted–and he knew she had a fairly short attention span when she dated. He had no way of knowing it would be any different with him, and yeah, it was something that was niggling at the back of his mind this past week. Part of him was afraid to rock the boat and end this before he was ready.

  Enough depressing thoughts! You have a sexy woman clinging to you! Focus!

  His lips left hers and burned a trail down her cheek, her neck, and down over her breast–gently biting it through the fabric of her t-shirt. She was grinding against him and making all the sexy little sounds she always did.

  “Do you know how many times I dreamed of having you kiss me whenever we were both here?” she said breathlessly. “You’d walk in when I was hanging out with Scarlett and I used to wish you’d come over and kiss me just like this.”

  “Yeah?” he growled against her. “Did you ever dream I’d be doing this?” Lifting her shirt, he kissed her bare skin. It was warm and smooth and tasted so damn good that he could go on kissing her forever.

  She sighed as his mouth moved from one breast to the other. “I dreamed of this and so much more. You were always very dirty in my fantasies,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t mind you being very dirty right now.”

  It was all the encouragement he needed. In the blink of an eye, he whipped her shirt up over her head and began to tug at her yoga pants.

  “What a coincidence,” he murmured, his mouth moving up along her throat. “I plan on being very dirty with you right now.”

  No words were spoken after that. It was all breathless sighs and it was damn near perfect.

  9

  On Wednesday afternoon, Courtney hung up her phone and sighed. She was sitting on the sofa in Dean’s living room and seriously just wanted to cry.

  Nothing was going right.

  Nothing.

  Here she was almost two weeks since she was supposed to leave for Raleigh and her car wasn’t ready yet, she had no leads on a local job, and she was tired of lying to Scarlett. It was all becoming a little too much for her to handle but she didn’t want to have a breakdown in front of Dean. She called him at lunchtime to ask about her car and he said he was busy and would talk to her when he got home.

  Actually, he said he’d talk to her later because he was standing in the office with his father.

  Yeah, the lying was getting old, and if she just knew when she was leaving, it would be okay–like if they only had another couple of days together, she could almost excuse their lying to everyone. But if her car needed to be junked and she was going to have to stay in Magnolia for another couple of weeks until she could buy a car, then she needed to rethink so many things and deal with the fallout.

  But…she didn’t want to just have to stay for another couple of weeks. Honestly, she was re-thinking her entire relocation. It didn’t seem like Dean was just killing time with her–otherwise he wouldn’t have let her all but move in with him. Of course that didn’t mean he was looking for something serious or permanent, but he also wasn’t booting her out the door, moving her over to Scarlett’s, or helping her look for places to stay. That had to mean something, right?

  Every day they spent together had her feeling like she never really knew him at all. So many things she had thought she knew were just…wrong. It didn’t seem possible for her to be learning so much about him. After practically growing up around him, Courtney felt like she knew just about all there was to know.

  But she was wrong.

  The man who essentially was the rock for his family, the one who took care of everyone and always seemed like he had everything under control…well…he didn’t seem to have anyone taking care of him. He was always doing for others and she didn’t see anyone returning the favor.

  Not that she thought his family was doing it on purpose, but…they all looked to him to fix things in their lives and in the week and a half that she’d been here with him, no one called just to see how he was.

  They only called to ask for help and favors.

  And again, maybe she just didn’t know any better because she was an only child. Maybe this was the way things were between siblings, but…it still left her feeling a little bad for him. More than once she had seen the weariness on his face after hanging up the phone and it made her wonder if he was wishing he didn’t have to be the go-to guy for everyone.

  That was one of the reasons she was happy she was here.

  The little domestic bliss their situation had created fulfilled her in a way she never thought possible. Whether it was picking up groceries or doing the dishes, Dean was always beyond grateful. He thanked her for every little thing she did and seemed surprised by it all at the same time. Just last night she had done a load of laundry for them and folded it and put it away and he had been at a loss for words.

  He thanked her for hours on end.

  Who knew laundry could be so sexy?

  It wasn’t all about the sex, though. It was a definite perk, but she genuinely enjoyed spending time with him–just talking and watching TV and hanging out. They were going to go back to Scarlett’s this weekend to do more work on the house and she was beyond excited about it. All week long she had gone online looking for design inspiration and checking prices so they could get the best deals on the items they were going to need. She wanted to call Scarlett and tell her all about it, but…she didn’t. She talked to her friend almost every day but was always careful to veer the conversation toward how Scarlett was feeling and how the progress on her and Mason’s new house was coming.

  When had her life gotten so complicated and exhausting?

  And on top of all that, every day she looked for jobs and there were a few that weren’t as far away as Raleigh, but most were still an hour’s commute.

  “Ugh…I so don’t want to do that drive every day.”

  Yeah, nothing was going right.

  Her next option was to get a job doing something other than being a dental hygienist to hold her over, but…that bothered her. After all her schooling and having a job she loved–and yes, she totally loved working in a dentist’s office–the thought of taking on some other job seemed like a waste of time.

  But you’re running out of money…

  Right. That was another thing. Pretty soon she was going to have to start charging everything because her savings would be gone. When she planned her move to Raleigh, she felt good about the money she had put aside to fund her fresh start. Now with the car repairs and not working, that money was possibly going to be gone fast.

  Groaning, she threw her head back against the sofa cushions. “And now all I want to do is go shopping to make myself feel better.” Another groan. “Something’s got to give here. Soon.”

  Turning her head, she looked at the oversized clock on the living room wall and realized Dean would be home any minute. He was extremely regimented and she found that he walked through the door every day at five-thirty or within five minutes of it. It was kind of cute. The garage was only ten minutes away but clearly the man had a routine. Back when Dr. Curtis’ office was open, she never found herself coming home from work at the same time every day. After work, she always stopped to talk with her co-workers or ran errands. She wondered if he normally did those things and s
he was the reason he wasn’t.

  Hmm…

  Rather than sit and think about that, she went to the kitchen and checked on the chicken and biscuit casserole she placed in the oven earlier. It would be ready soon and she looked up when–right on cue–Dean walked through the door.

  And yeah, he took her breath away.

  “Hey,” he said with a small smile as he tossed his keys on the kitchen island.

  “Hey, yourself,” she replied, not wanting to seem too anxious. “So? Any news on my car?”

  His smile quickly faded and she swore she heard him groan.

  That can’t be good…

  “It’s bad news, isn’t it? You can tell me. I can handle it.”

  “Why don’t we talk about it over dinner? I’m going to go grab a shower.”

  Courtney didn’t even let him take a step. “So…what’s wrong with it?”

  “Court, come on. I’ve been under cars all day. I really just want a hot shower and clean clothes…”

  “And you’ll get all of that after you tell me what’s going on with my car.”

  Raking a hand through his hair, he sighed. “Fine. Okay. It’s the uh…rear axle. It’s cracked.”

  “And you’re just seeing that now?”

  “Yes.”

  Courtney stared at Dean hard for a minute in disbelief. “You’ve had the car for almost two weeks. How come you’re just finding this problem now? I thought it was almost fixed!” For the life of her, she wasn’t sure why she was so upset. No car meant she couldn’t move to Raleigh.

  And it meant she was staying with Dean.

  That part was perfect, but she was beginning to wonder about what was going on with her car.

  And then it hit her.

  “Oh, my gosh…I get it,” she said quietly, solemnly. “I know what this is about.”

  If anything, Dean paled.

  “You…you do?” he asked, his voice equally quiet.

  She nodded. “Yeah. I do.” Pausing, she tried to think of the best way to say what she wanted to say without coming off as…bitchy.

  “Courtney,” he began before she could speak again. “Let me explain. It wasn’t…”

  But she held up a hand to stop him. “You’re worried because this is turning into way more work than either of us expected and it’s going to cost a lot, right?”

  “Um…”

  “Look, I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me, and I know because I’m still unemployed you’re wondering how I’m going to afford to pay for it all since I’m already practically mooching off of you by staying here…”

  “Uh, no. I just…”

  “But I want you to know that I don’t expect you to give me some sort of crazy discount or deal because we’re dating.” Then she laughed softly and reached for one of his hands. “Not that I’d say no to a little discount and maybe the possibility of making payments, but…”

  “No,” Dean said again. “That’s not it. I need to tell you…”

  But she wasn’t listening. He had just come home and he was dirty and a little sweaty and…yeah, who knew engine grease and the smell of gasoline were such turn-ons? And yet, every day she found herself practically tackling him as soon as he walked in the door.

  “And I need to tell you how much I need you,” she cooed, taking him by the hand and leading him through the bedroom and into the bathroom. She knew how much he liked taking a shower as soon as he got home and she really liked helping him with it.

  Honestly, she’d never been so clean in her entire life, but it was totally worth it.

  “Court…”

  “Shh.” Placing a finger over his lips, she reached in and turned the water on. “You are amazing and I want to show you how much I appreciate you.”

  He groaned and she took that as a good sign.

  Quickly stripping, Courtney reached out and helped Dean with his clothes, and before she knew it, he was kissing her under the steamy spray. God, how she loved this! For all the years she’d known him, she always saw him as someone who was in control. Since the night of the wedding, however, she was coming to learn how much she loved making him lose it. There was a wildness to him–a ferocity when they were making love–that she was completely addicted to. Hell, if her car wasn’t such a mess already, she’d be tempted to sneak down to the garage and start pulling parts out herself so she’d have an excuse to stay.

  Probably something I really need to start thinking about…

  Although, in all fairness, it was hard to even remember her own name when Dean’s hands were soaping up her body.

  This would eventually fade, right? This need, this…this…craving she had for him and that he clearly had for her too. This was all just because it was temporary. It had to be. Once she had her car back and was preparing to leave, they’d be okay.

  Or…she hoped she would.

  Eventually.

  His mouth was working its way down her body and she knew she was lying to herself again.

  There was no way she’d ever be okay after this. Dean Jones had ruined her for all other men and as he dropped to his knees and hooked one of her legs over his shoulder, she couldn’t find the will to care.

  The next day, Dean looked up from his seat in the office when he heard the door close. It was his turn to handle the billing and as much as he appreciated the peace and quiet and not having to be bent over an engine, he hated staring at the computer while he entered in numbers. The interruption was exactly what he needed. His brother Hunter was standing against the door staring at him.

  “What’s up?” he asked gruffly, leaning back in his chair.

  Hunter rarely showed up unannounced, mainly because his life was so busy. Between his job as a fireman for the Magnolia Sound fire department, he also had a toddler. So for him to be here, there had to be a reason.

  Dean motioned for his brother to take a seat and he did.

  “So?”

  “So what’s going on with you?” Hunter asked after a minute.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Dude, come on. The door’s closed and it’s just me. What’s going on?”

  For the life of him, he had no idea what Hunter was talking about. Maybe it was a lack of sleep and exhaustion from putting in hours both here at the garage and at Scarlett’s place over the weekend, but…Dean wasn’t afraid to admit he was clueless–which is exactly what he said to his brother.

  With a smirk, Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “Okay, fine. I was over at Scarlett’s earlier today. She told me she put the plans for her old place on hold because Courtney’s staying there.”

  “O-kay…”

  “Then she told me how she asked you to stall on getting Court’s car fixed so she’d be forced to stay in town.”

  “Yeah. But I don’t feel good about that. I almost told her the truth a couple of days ago, but…”

  “But you didn’t, right?”

  He nodded.

  “So I asked if Court’s found a job yet and Scarlett tells me no.” Shifting slightly in his seat, he adds, “Then I mentioned how I know of a position opening up in the public health department that might be a good fit.”

  Dean instantly perked up and straightened in his chair. “Really? Here in town? That would be awesome!”

  Hunter smiled. “That’s what I thought, too.” He paused. “Anyway, so Scar tries to call her and it goes to voicemail and I just figured she’d talk to her later. I hung out for a little bit more and then left.” Another pause. “On my way home, I decided to stop at the Publix and pick up some burgers to make for dinner and I see Courtney getting in her car.”

  His brother was the worst at telling a story. It always took forever.

  “I couldn’t get to her in time so I decided to just follow her back to Scarlett’s house.”

  Oh. Shit.

  The smirk got a little cockier.

  “But Court didn’t go to Scarlett’s place,” Hunter said. “Do you know where sh
e went?”

  Resting his arms on the desk surface, Dean’s face rested in his hands.

  “Want to tell me why our friend Courtney’s bringing groceries to your house?”

  “Uh…”

  Leaning forward, Hunter’s smile grew. “And being how you weren’t home and she just let herself in…”

  “Okay, okay, okay,” he snapped, straightening again. “Enough.” Raking a hand through his hair, Dean stood and felt like punching something.

  Preferably his brother, but…that wasn’t an option right now.

  After taking a moment to mentally count to ten, he looked at Hunter. “Yeah, so…Court’s staying at my place.” And then the whole story came out–from the kiss at the rehearsal dinner, to her spending the night after the wedding and…everything since.

  Within reason.

  His brother stared at him for a solid minute without saying a word and Dean couldn’t take the silence. “Well? Aren’t you going to say anything? Tell me how wrong I am or…or that I’m some kind of hypocrite?” he demanded.

  Hunter relaxed in his chair and said, “Do you think you’re a hypocrite?”

  “Of course I do!” he cried. “Hell, at the wedding, I gave Kyle shit for even looking at Courtney, and then I went and…”

  “Did a whole lot more than look?” Hunter finished for him, his grin still in place.

  “Exactly!”

  More silence.

  “Okay, so obviously no one knows about this, right?”

  Dean nodded.

  “And why is that?”

  He knew his eyes went ridiculously wide. “Why? Are you serious? Can you imagine what everyone’s going to say?”

  “Um…maybe ‘Good for you’ or ‘It’s nice to see you so happy’?”

  “No one’s going to say that and you know it,” Dean said miserably, sitting back down in his chair.

  “Okay, I’ll play along,” Hunter said mildly. “What do you think people are going to say?”

  “Let’s see, first there will be the whole indignation thing and how dare I mess around with the girl who’s like family to us.”

  Hunter merely nodded.