Page 21 of Taking the Pitch
“Probably the nicest one you’ve ever seen,” I shoot back, liking this game we’re playing.
She shrugs and looks at me over her shoulder, giving me a playful smirk while she waits for the elevator to arrive. “I’ve seen better.”
Oh, I highly doubt that.
“Unlikely.”
The elevator doors open, and she steps in, turning around to face me. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you, Davis?” she says, before pressing a button on the panel.
“You know it, Sweet Cheeks,” I tell her and she wrinkles her nose again and shakes her head before the door closes, telling me that one’s off the table too.
I laugh and head to my Jeep. Climbing in, I realize one thing Iamsure about is that I’m one hundred percent committed to seeing if this playful banter between us is the start of something more.
I walk into Kessler and Lucy’s about twenty minutes later with a smile still on my face from the run in with Millie.
“Hey Judd,” Lucy greets me from the massive island in the kitchen. When Kessler had this house remodeled, he kept it a secret from Lucy and asked Lucy’s best friend, Kara, for help. Kara sent Kessler a link to Lucy’s Pinterest board that she had made over the years of what her dream house would look like, and even during their ‘break’, made sure every dream off of her board came true.
“Hey Luce, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Judd. I wish everyone would stop asking me that damn question,” she snaps.
My eyebrows shoot up and I involuntarily take a step back, slipping my foot back into my shoe. I’ve never heard Lucy snap, ever, at anyone, in the six months that I’ve known her.
Sighing, she throws the dish towel she’s holding onto the counter and rests her elbows on the counter, propping her chin up with one hand. “I’m sorry, Judd, I didn’t mean to snap. These pregnancy hormones are no joke, and I havetwiceas many coursing through me. But I swear if your brother doesn’t back off a little bit, I’m going to be a widower before I can even say ‘I do’.”
I snort and finish taking my shoes off, setting them onto the rack. No need to have Lucy pissed off at me for not putting my shoes away. “Just say the word Luce, and I’ll marry you right now,” I joke.
“Quit trying to steal my fiancée,” Kessler grumbles, coming into the kitchen, dressed similar to me, sans the parrot andpartially unbuttoned shirt. He rounds the island and places a kiss on Lucy’s temple. “Feeling–” he starts, and I stop him before he can finish.
“I wouldn’t finish that question if I were you!” I yell, startling him.
“Jesus Judd, why are you yelling at me?” he says, looking between me and Lucy, who’s laughing. “What did I miss?”
“I was just telling Judd that I might take him up on his offer,” Lucy says, smashing her lips together, trying to keep a straight face.
Never missing a chance to fuck with my brother, I join in on the fun. “Sorry brotato, I think I’ve finally convinced Lucy who the better looking, funnier, smarter brother is,” I say, walking into the kitchen and throwing my arm around Lucy’s shoulders, who to my surprise, snuggles into me and turns her face into my chest. I can feel her shoulders shake and I do my best not to break character by placing a kiss on the top of her head. I look up at Kessler, who is giving us a shocked look. Deciding to dig in a little further, I add, “Not to mention who has the bigger–”
“Ooookay, no,” Lucy says, moving out of my embrace and back into Kessler’s. “I don’t want to hear about my future brother-in-law’s dick.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. “Fair enough. I just wanted to see how far I could get before Kessler lost his shit.”
“Always the instigator, aren’t you?” she says, lightly backhanding my arm.
“Yeah, he’s always been a little shit,” Kessler says, pulling Lucy into him more.
“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch, we were just messing with you. Actually, you should be thanking me,” I tell him, moving to the fridge and grabbing a bottled water.
Kessler snorts and turns both him and Lucy towards me, leaning his back against the counter. “For trying to steal my fiancée…again?”
“No, forsaving your marriage.Lucy told me if you don’t stop asking her every five minutes about how she’s feeling, she’s going to be a widower before she can even say I do,” I tell him and give him a pointed look. “Back off the little mama.”
Kessler looks over Lucy’s shoulder. “Is that true?”
Lucy sighs and leans back against him. “I know you mean well, but how would you have felt if I had known you when you first injured your shoulder and I asked you day in and day out,multipletimes a day, how you were doing?”
“Annoyed,” Kessler mumbles.
“Exactly. Now, I know you’re doing it because you love me and these babies, but can we limit the amount of times you get to ask me that question to like three times a day? Is that acceptable to you?”
