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He took a bite of the turtle brownie and let the flavors of caramel, chocolate, and nuts meld together. They were paired perfectly with just enough sweetness, salt, and bitterness to make them delicious and addictive. He realized life wasn’t all that different from the brownie as he thought about the chemistry of the blended flavors. Some things looked like they went together, like a musician and a movie star, but it wasn’t the best combination when you opened the packages and tried to mix them together. Finding the right ingredients for success takes a lot of experimentation and often takes a lot of time. He and Viv had chemistry. Did they have all the right ingredients for the perfect mix? She seemed like a perfect mix for him. She knew about his past but didn’t hold it against him. She knew what it was like to be an underdog and fight to the top and have to keep fighting to stay there. Their battles were different, but battles that shaped them, nonetheless. He battled inner demons and feelings of worthlessness. She battled society’s unspoken rules and her family. He could have included her diminutive size, but that didn’t even occur to him. He saw Viv as tall and mighty.
“There are things I want that I don’t have. They’re probably things I need, but I’m unaware of their necessity and value.” He reached down and petted Lucky. “Like this guy. I needed him but wouldn’t have taken him in without your prodding.”
She laughed. “It’s not like I gave you much choice. I screamed ‘stop,’ and you did.”
“I’m good at following directions. I’ve done everything you asked, right?” He wasn’t usually good with rules but wanted to make things easier for Viv. Besides, resistance seemed useless, and he didn’t want to risk losing her before they’d had a chance to get to know each other.
“You’ve been an excellent client.”
“And you’ve been a great bodyguard. I haven’t had a single trespasser since I hired you.”
“The security system helps, and you’re never alone.”
“True.” He didn’t know if it was time to broach the subject, but it needed to be said. “Do you think I still need a security detail?” He didn’t want her to think he was firing her, but Viv had stringent rules about fraternization. While she let him kiss her, there was no way she would let their relationship progress, and he wanted more—needed more. “I default to your wisdom and experience, but Sarah hasn’t been seen anywhere near me since your rental car disaster.”
“True, but we’ve made it harder for her to get in or destroy what she doesn’t want to see, like another woman’s vehicle in front of your house.”
Viv paid Jackson to return her car and borrowed her brother’s to get back and forth. For the most part, they took his truck everywhere which made him feel needed. The problem with Cameron was that she had never needed him. Everything he could give her, she could get herself or get from her fans, but Viv seemed to need him as much as he did her.
“Do you think the threat is over?”
She sighed. “I think with the type of work you do and your reputation, the threat is forever, but I can understand why you’d want to cut me loose.”
He reached across the table and took her hands. “Cutting you loose is the last thing on my mind. Getting closer is what I want, and that isn’t going to happen while we have a professional relationship.”
She pointed to the sticker and pen. “Then make a wish.”
“And you’re going to grant it? The wish I’d make isn’t the kind of thing I can put on a public board.”
“Oh my.” She took a bite of brownie and chewed slowly, but Red could see she was trying to figure out what he would wish for. “Give me a try.”
That was his wish, but he wouldn’t be so base when he asked and didn’t want just a try. He was hedging for the long term. While he wasn’t ready to offer forever, he wanted more than a single night or two. So, he took the note and penned his heartfelt wish, and handed it to Viv.
As she read it, he watched her for a reaction, but Viv was wearing her best poker face. “You want all of this?”
“That’s only a start.”
She cocked her head. “Wow. I imagined your wish would look like a cross between a list of college courses and a hot romance novel—chemistry, shared passions, history, the simmering climax of joining our bodies and souls. I wasn’t expecting this.” She stared at him and nodded, and he thought it was a done deal until she said, “I need some assurances first.”
Was she asking for forever and a ring? That never seemed to go well for him. “Umm, what kind of assurances are you thinking of? Guaranteed multiple orgasms? Breakfast in bed? I have to learn pole dancing?”
Viv gave him that soul-affirming smile he had hoped to elicit. “It’s not really what I need; it’s what we should do to make sure expectations don’t fly away and take us somewhere we don’t want to go emotionally or otherwise, and I need to feel sure there are no more threats against you. Plus, I think a thorough check-up with the doc is probably in order.”
“Oh, I can do that. By the way, I may not have played it safe as far as women were concerned, but I always played safely. In addition to the stalkers there are fans who bank on paternity suits as well. Looking at it all, I’ve been fortunate and more careful than you’d expect. I didn’t earn all of my reputation, but sex and the idea that I’m having it all the time sells,” he laughed. “As far as expectations go, my only desire is to know you, to hold you, to discover you and to explore with you what we could be together, whatever that becomes. I want us to grow and learn about how to love each other.”
She laughed. “You look pale. Oh my gosh. Did you think I wanted to march you down the aisle?” She rolled her eyes. “No worries. It’s far too late for either of us to be virgin brides. I’m not looking for a wedding just yet. Besides, my mom was not in the ‘why should he buy the cow if he gets the milk free’ camp. She always told me to try it before you buy it and make sure your bull is hung the way you like. Doesn’t matter how many cows he can milk if he doesn’t satisfy you.”
Red almost blushed. “I already like your mom.” He considered the Armstrong family and wondered why Viv’s mom wasn’t there already, seeing as her brother just had a baby. “I would have thought she’d be here.”
“Oh, she’s coming soon, and they might never get rid of her. Natalie is the first and only grandchild. If anyone thinks my mom is leaving after she arrives, they are nuts. I saw some plans on Val’s table for a cabin they will build across the lake.”
“Your brother used the same company I did. Cooper Construction could have it up and ready in weeks. They use these cool kits, and they are earth friendly.”
She looked at him strangely. “You never cease to amaze me. A musician and a tree hugger.”
“Hey, we must preserve what’s good in the world.”
Viv looked at the note and tucked it in her pocket. She nodded, a soft smile on her face. “You’re right. To take care of the people we love, we do need to take care of the world we live in. Speaking of which, I think it’s time for us to review your safety protocol again.”
