“Let’s go upstairs.” Did I just say that?
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I promised I’d have dinner with Will and Meg tonight, and I want you to go with me. That’s what I came over here for.”
“Oh,” I reply with a frown. “Are you sure you want me to go? It’s okay if you want to go and I’ll see you another time…”
“Stop.”
My eyes find his in surprise.
“Why wouldn’t I want you to come have dinner with me and my brother?”
I frown and fidget. “Well, I guess I’m confused.”
“About?”
I swallow and look down, but he tips my chin back with his finger. “What are you confused about?”
“What are we doing, Matt? Is this just a sex thing? Because taking me to spend time with your family kind of pushes whatever we have going on into a different area.”
“This is not a just a sex thing.” He frowns deeply, watching my face. “I’m sorry if that’s what you thought. The sex is amazing, but I want to pursue a relationship with you, Nic. Wherever that takes us. I thought that’s what you wanted, too.”
I nod, feeling foolish. “I do.”
“So, are we on the same page here?” He looks sincerely concerned, and it softens me even more. I lean in and kiss his chest before smiling up at him.
“Same page.” I pull away and stack my boxes of cupcakes. “You carry these out to the car while I wipe down the countertop and run up and change.”
“Where are we taking them?” Matt asks with a laugh. “Meg and Will can’t eat all these. Well, yeah, Will probably could.”
“We will take one box to them and the rest to the homeless shelter down the street. That’s where I take all the leftovers every day.”
His jaw drops as I pass him the last box.
“What?”
“You continue to surprise me, that’s all.”
“Giving cake to the homeless is surprising?”
“Most people wouldn’t think of it. They’d just toss them out.”
I shake my head adamantly. “I don’t waste food. It’s too expensive. Besides, I worked hard on those. Someone should enjoy them.”
“Okay, let’s go make someone’s day and then go to dinner.”
“It’s a date.”
Chapter Seven
~Matt~
“Why are you nervous?” I ask as we pull up to Will’s house.
“I thought we were going out to eat.” She fidgets in her seat, looking out at the big, stone house.
“Meg likes to cook,” I reply and take her hand in mine, holding it firmly. “Look at me.”
She turns those wide green eyes on mine, and my heart stutters. How can she have this effect on me after just a few weeks of knowing her?
“You’ve already met these people.”
She nods and bites her lip. “I’m being stupid. I’m just not great with people.”
I laugh loudly and shake my head. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“You’re awesome with people. You talk to every customer who walks into your shop without hesitation.”
“That’s different,” she whispers. “That’s work. I’m kind of shy.”
My eyes narrow on her. I never would have guessed that she’s shy, based on how outgoing and talkative she is when she’s in work mode.
“You’ll be great. Meg and Will are fun, and you’ll be Will’s newest favorite person, thanks to the cupcakes.” I wink at her and step out of the car, open her door and take her hand, pulling her up next to me. “Trust me.”
“I do,” she replies softly and gazes up to me. “And that surprises me, too.”
“We’re going to talk about this later,” I whisper to her, my stomach still in knots from hearing her say that she trusts me.
This relationship won’t work unless we trust each other implicitly.
“You brought me cupcakes!” Will exclaims when he opens the door for us.
My brother is a cocky pain in the ass much of the time, but I can’t help but love the douche bag.
“Cupcakes?!” Samantha squeals from inside.
“Sam and Leo are here?” I ask as I lead Nic inside Will’s house.
“Yeah, Meg figured we’d have them over, too, since they’re in town.” He eyes me over the white cupcake box in his hands before leaning in and whispering in my ear, “You and I will talk about this later.”
I shrug and grin and take Nic’s hand in my own, lacing our fingers.
“You know Nic,” I gesture to the small dark-haired woman at my side.
Will nods and grins. “Thanks for bringing these.”
“My pleasure. It was either bring them here or take them to the homeless.”
“We still dropped three more boxes that size at the shelter,” I add with a laugh.
“Thank God,” Sam exclaims as she runs into the room, her blue eyes shining.
“Uh, we already had some today, sunshine,” Leo reminds her as he joins us. “Hi, Nic.”
“Hey.” She smiles and grips my hand in a death grip.
It seems Nic has a crush on Leo.
As long as that’s all it is, we’ll be fine.
“Where did everyone go?” Meg exclaims from the kitchen.
“In here!” Will calls back. “Matt’s here with Nic, and she brought me cupcakes!”
“What?” Meg exclaims and comes running from the kitchen. Her eyes widen when she sees that I’m holding Nic’s hand, and then she grins widely. “Hey! Welcome!”
“Hi again.” Nic grins and reaches out to shake Meg’s hand but is scooped up in a big hug, much to her surprise.
“I’m so glad Matt brought you,” Meg assures her.
“Me, too. Gimme the cupcakes, Montgomery,” Sam demands, her hands outstretched.
“Kiss my ass,” Will replies and holds the box close to him.
“There are a dozen in there,” Nic assures them all. “Plenty for everyone.”
“Are you kidding?” Will laughs. “That’s one serving for me.”
“Seriously, you have to share, babe.” Meg laughs and loops her arm through Sam’s.
“Why did we invite them?” Will pouts, then opens the box. “What kind are they?”
“There are some carrot cake, red velvet and strawberry shortcake.” Nic returns to my side and wraps her arm around my waist, as if we’ve been together for years.
I loop my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. She needs to be close to me right now to feel secure, and I’m happy to give that to her.
Fuck, I’ll give her anything she wants.
“We haven’t tried those.” Leo grins. “You’ll have to try something new, sunshine.”
“Happily,” Sam responds.
“Well, before you all get high on sugar, let’s have dinner.” Meg shoos us all into the dining room as she takes the pastry box from Will. “I’ll put these in the kitchen until later.”
“What’s for dinner?” I ask loudly. “I’m starving.”
“Chicken Parmesan with pasta,” Meg calls back as we all sit around the table, and Will sets one more plate.
“Lots of carbs,” I comment with a raised brow at Will.
“Fuck off, man, it’s summer.”
“Just saying. You don’t want to ruin your girlish football figure.”
Nic is watching Will move, his shoulders and arms. She appreciates men, and I can’t find any fault in that.
“Will has the hardest body in this family,” Sam mentions casually while sipping a glass of wine. “I don’t think one meal of pasta is going to ruin that.”
“Sam, do you want to run away with me?” Will asks sincerely. “You’re clearly now my favorite.”
“I’d have to kill you, and I can’t make records from prison,” Leo responds with a laugh.
“Sorry, football star,” Meg replies as she returns to the dining room with a big bowl of salad. “You’re stuck with me.”
“No one else I
’d want to be stuck with.” Will sweeps Meg into his arms and kisses her soundly. “You sit. I’ll go get the rest.”
Meg sighs and drops down into her chair, a happy smile on her lips. “He’s hot.”
Nic lays her hand on my knee and squeezes. I love that she likes to have her hands on me, always touching me. It makes tying her up that much more fun.
She’s smiling widely, enjoying the banter of my crazy family.
“They’re fun,” she whispers to me.
“Just wait until you’re with all of us. It’s never dull.” I kiss her temple and turn to Leo. “When do you head back out on the road?”
“Not for a few weeks. We’re taking some time off.”
“Did you bring your guitar?” Meg asks hopefully.
Meg and Leo grew up together in several foster homes and have maintained the sibling relationship throughout the years. They didn’t speak for a while, but they’ve recently been reunited and spend a lot of time together.
“Not tonight.” Leo shakes his head. “I want to go over some lyrics with you after dinner. We just need one guitar for that.”
“You write songs together?” Nic asks and passes me the pasta.
“We have for most of our lives,” Meg confirms. “I’m better at it than he is, though.”
“You wish,” Leo tosses back.
“That’s so cool.”
“Do you play any instruments?” I ask Nic.
She nods and chews on some salad. “I’m classically trained in piano.”
I lower my fork to my plate and stare at her in surprise. “Seriously.”
“Yeah.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “My aunt was a concert pianist, and she taught me and my sister.”
“Cool.” Sam grins. “I play, too.”
“I always feel so musically stupid when I’m around them,” Will mutters with a laugh.
“I bet we can’t throw a football sixty yards,” Nic replies.
“And I can’t bake cupcakes to save my life,” Meg adds. “I can cook all day, but ask me to bake, and I’ll end up poisoning everyone.”
“What can Matt do?” Sam asks with a tilt to the head.
“He can…” Nic begins, but I clamp my hand over her mouth and laugh.
“I can arrest you for harassment,” I reply drily.
Nic’s eyes are smiling above my hand.
“Yeah, you scare me, Montgomery.” Sam’s voice is dry as she eats her meal.
“Have you heard from Caleb and Bryn?” Meg asks.
“I got an e-mail from him,” Will responds. “But it was about a week ago. He said they’re having fun.”
“They head back on Friday,” I reply. “I got an e-mail the same day you did. Sounds like Dom’s place is nice.”
“I’d love to take Meg there sometime,” Will replies and grins at his fiancée.
“You won that silent auction for a trip to Italy, remember?” Meg reminds him.
“That’s right.” He nods.
“You could swing by and check out Dom’s place while you’re there,” I suggest.
“Good idea.” Meg grins and takes a sip of her wine. “So, what else has been going on?”
“Luke is throwing a birthday party for Natalie at their place next Saturday,” Sam announces.
“At the new house?” I ask.
Sam nods. “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”
“It’s not far from here.” Meg grins. “So I can love on those babies any time I want.”
“When is Natalie due?” Nic asks.
“Not until this fall,” Sam responds. “Her belly is so cute. Nat is beautiful pregnant.”
“Nat is just always beautiful,” Meg adds.
“So is it going to be a pool party?” Will asks. “We can set up the pool volleyball.”
“Yep, pool party,” Sam confirms. “The parents are keeping all the kids, so it’ll just be the siblings.”
“Can you get Saturday off from the shop?” I murmur down at Nic.
“Oh, you have to come!” Meg agrees.
Nic blushes and bites her lip. “I think I can get coverage for the day.”
“Excellent.” I kiss her cheek and glance up to find Will staring at me with raised eyebrows.
“Would you be willing to bring some cupcakes?” Sam asks excitedly.
“Sure.” Nic shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about coming up with some new flavors, too. Maybe I can do something brand new, just for her.”
“That would be awesome,” Meg exclaims. “She’s a photographer. Can you decorate them fun and stuff?”
“Absolutely.” Nic nods enthusiastically. “I already have some ideas.”
“Great, I’ll let Luke know that we have the cake covered.” Sam pulls her phone out of her bra and quickly taps out a text message.
“You don’t have to do that,” I assure Nic, frowning at Meg and Sam. “I want you to take the day off and enjoy yourself. You don’t have to work.”
“Oh! No, really,” Meg agrees. “I don’t want you to work either. I just know that they’ll be delicious.”
“It’s fine,” Nic assures Meg and looks up at me. “I don’t mind at all. It’s fun.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She nods happily and squeezes my knee again.
“Good, because I’ve already confirmed with Luke.” Sam smiles innocently.
“Okay, now I want cupcakes.” Will stands and walks into the kitchen to grab the box full of Nic’s cakes and returns to the table.
“Mmm…” Sam sighs as she bites into a strawberry cupcake. “Seriously so good. Can I have a bite of your carrot?” she asks Leo.
“Can I have a bite of yours?” Leo asks.
“Fuck no.”
“Then, no, I’m not sharing either.” He laughs and takes a big bite of the cake. Everyone but Nic is enjoying her efforts.
“You’re not having one?” Meg asks before I can.
Nic shakes her head and smiles. “Nah, not tonight.”
“You’re missing out.” Leo grins and winks at Nic. “They’re delicious.”
“Dear God, woman,” Will moans and reaches for a third. “Run away with me.”
“You say that to all the girls.” Nic laughs. “But I’m glad you like them.”
“You caught a good one.” Will winks at me. “She can stay.”
I smile and nod at my brother.
Fuck yes, she can stay.
***
“Talk,” Will commands as we sit at the bar of his playroom. He has a full wet bar with tall stools.
Sam and Nic are chatting animatedly on a nearby couch. Meg and Leo have their heads together across the room, Meg with her guitar and Leo with a notebook and pencil, talking music.
“Since when do you have a piano?” I ask, pointing to the upright in the corner near where Meg and Leo are working.
“Leo plays, and he and Meg use it when they’re writing,” Will replies with a smile. “It makes her happy.”
I smirk, but can’t help but envy my brother just a little. He found a woman who loves him deeply. Meg doesn’t give a shit about his celebrity. Hell, she almost loves him despite it, and that’s something that we all worried about when it came to Will finding a woman. With his celebrity status, finding a true-hearted woman could have been a challenge.
But Meg fits him. She doesn’t take his shit and supports him wholly. She also continues to pursue her own nursing career, even though she certainly could quit her job and be a housewife.
Just mentioning the idea to Meg might get you stabbed in the face.
And that just makes me love her more.
“Hey, Nic, can you come here, please?” Leo asks.
My eyes narrow as he crooks his finger at Nic, and she grins and walks over to join the rocker and Meg.
“What’s up?”
“Can you play this?” Meg asks, holding the paper out to her.
“Uh, this is a bunch of squiggles.” Nic laughs.
“Welcome to my world,” Sam
calls out and grins.
“Here, I’ll show you how it’s supposed to sound. We need to hear it with the guitar.” Leo sits at the piano and gestures for Nic to join him and begins to play.
“Why don’t you just play it?” Nic asks nervously.
“Because I need to write.” He grins and shows her how the melody should sound, then sits and listens as Nic picks it up, playing beautifully.
She never stops surprising me.
“She’s good,” Will murmurs.
“I had no idea,” I reply softly.
“So talk while she’s preoccupied.”
I glance at my brother, who’s watching me closely, and then turn my gaze back to the powerhouse of a woman on that piano bench.
“What?” I ask.
“I’ve never, never, seen you with a woman,” Will replies softly.
“That’s an exaggeration, drama queen.”
“High school doesn’t count.”
I shrug. I knew this was coming, and it’ll come again Saturday when I take her with me to Nat’s party.
“I like her.”
“Jesus, you’re stubborn,” Will growls and shoves his hand through his hair.
Nic continues to play the piano, surprising Leo when she changes some notes, telling him that it sounds better like this.
Leo scowls, listens, and then grins.
“You’re right.” Meg nods. “It’s smoother.”
“She’s amazing,” I whisper to Will. “She’s smart and kind. Sexy as fuck.”
“She is pretty hot,” Will agrees with a nod and then laughs when I glare at him. “Dude, I’m perfectly happy with my own hot woman.” His face sobers. “But does she know…”
“She knows,” I confirm. “And we’re good.”
Will nods. He and Isaac have never really understood my bedroom preferences, but they’re as supportive of me as I am of them, which means they’d have my back no matter what.
Caleb gets it. I can’t wait for him to get home so I can talk to him about all of this.
“I like her, man.” Will clamps his hand on my shoulder. “She’s sweet. I think she’ll get along well with the family, if that’s where you’re heading with this.”
“It’s where I’m heading.”