AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I curled in the spot I’d just vacated, and he sat on the love seat facing me.
“Thanks for calling my dad.” I rolled my hands in my lap.
“Of course. I didn’t want Dr. Henry to worry about you.”
I looked toward the front door and chewed on my bottom lip.
“Is there something else?” His eyebrows knitted together as his gaze roamed my face.
“I just worry about him. He’s been alone for so long, and now I can’t be there in case he needs me.”
“I’ve known Dr. Henry for a while, and he’s a tough one. It’s okay to relax while you’re here. He’s in good hands. This little storm is nothing he can’t handle. Besides, I heard he picked up Martin. Knowing the two of them, only God knows what trouble they might cause.” Thomas smiled and shook his head.
Martin came from Cosland with the Kingstons. “I didn’t know my dad knew Martin that well.”
“Oh, your dad and Martin get together at least twice a month. I’ve heard stories about bowling and billiards. This year, they tried to organize their own monthly poker night in town. I don’t think it worked out.” He gave a soft chuckle. “I invited Dr. Henry to our monthly poker nights, but I know it’s a lot to have him drive home in the dark. That’s actually how they started. I had Martin take him home one night because the truck got a flat, and we couldn’t get it fixed until the morning.”
I smiled. It meant a lot to hear that Dad was enjoying himself. And it also made me curious why I didn’t know any of this before tonight. Why would he keep this from me? I’d been in town for almost six months.
I looked up and saw Thomas watching me. My cheeks warmed. His eyes held me captive as desire danced across them. I didn’t want to look away.
I startled when Jessie yelled, “Dinner!”
Thomas stood and held his arm out. “Shall we, Dr. Brooks?”
“Please call me Alex,” I said as I stood and walked past him, deliberately ignoring his outstretched arm. I needed a second to build a wall of indifference, so he didn’t realize how attractive I found him. We were in a working relationship. There was no way I’d jeopardize that with misplaced flirtation.
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled, and heat raced up and down my body. He and Declan had impeccable manners every time we met, yet I had to wonder what it would take to make them lose that control.A ghost of a grin twitched at the corner of my mouth. So much for being professional. At least my wayward thoughts were just that. I had no plan to act on them.
I inhaled a sharp breath when Thomas’ hand went to my lower back to guide me toward the dining room. It seemed he wasn’t deterred by my inclination to ignore his arm. I couldn’t help but wish for a second he did it because he thought about me the same way I thought of him.
Declan was already seated, along with Stefan and Mikel. They stood when we entered, and Declan pulled out the chair next to him for me to sit. Thomas took the chair on my other side. Between the brushes of hands and arms as we sat, and then the touch of their thighs against mine under the table, I felt like I was going to overheat in my seat.
I grabbed the water glass and took a swallow of the cool liquid with no reprieve. When Jessie entered the room with a large platter, the guys all stood again, and Stefan took the dish from her.
“Is there more to bring in or anything I can help with?” I asked.
“Only one more dish. Mikel will get it. You just relax.” She smiled and sat down while Mikel went to the kitchen. He returned with a large salad bowl and placed in next to the covered dish.
The mouthwatering scents wafted around us.
“This smells delicious, Jessie,” I said. “Thank you for cooking.”
She sat across from me between Mikel and Stefan. She turned and looked affectionately at each of them, and I had to wonder if I wasn’t alone in being attracted to more than one of these cowboys.My gaze narrowed. Now that I thought about it, I’d often seen the three of them together when I was here on business.
Thomas stood and lifted the lid, revealing a creamy fettuccine Alfredo with peas and carrots under lightly breaded chicken breasts. He grabbed the tongs and picked up a piece of meat before looking at me.
“Alex first.” He placed the chicken on my plate, followed by the pasta before I was able to say anything.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” I smiled at him as he served himself.
“First thing to learn, Alex. Just sit back and let them do it.” Jessie laughed. “These guys were brought up right. They know how to be a gentleman and treat a lady.” She winked at me before Stefan got up and took over for Thomas and served her. We passed around the salad bowl while everyone finished filling their plates, then dug in. The dinner was to die for. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had something so good.
I moaned around my fork as the creamy goodness hit my tongue. A laugh flitted through my ears, and I followed Jessie’s gaze to Declan. His eyes focused hard on his plate as if his food was about to leap off of it while Thomas twirled a noodle around his fork more times than necessary.
“I take it you like the food?” Jessie asked behind a grin. Heat flashed through my cheeks.
“Oh… um, sorry. I usually keep my moans to myself.”
