Page 15 of Meant for You

“I’m making popcorn, obviously,” I said, my hackles rising, and walked across the kitchen to the microwave. I reached up to grab a bowl, and when my towel inched higher, I heard Dane growl behind me.

Really?

I inwardly bristled. Yes, getting us on even ground had to be priority one if we were going to be friends again.

I dumped my snack into the bowl, and Dane appeared at my side.

“What the fuck?” he repeated.

I had to bite back a grin when I looked up at him. He was frazzled, and I found I was enjoying it way too much. He always had the upper hand. It was nice to be the one in control for a change. “Hmm?”

“Why the fuck are you like…that? What’s going on?” He stared down at me kind of wild. “Where’s Cal and Cassy?”

“Not here.”

“Do you have someone else here with you?” His gaze searched the kitchen like the Invisible Man was going to suddenly appear.

Really. Really?

Okay, I wasn’t enjoying this anymore. Now I was back to annoyed. So instead of explaining right away, I offered up a sheepish expression. “He’s upstairs, asleep in bed.”

Yeah, it was mean, but nothing Dane didn’t deserve after what he’d done.

His eyes hardened and his jaw tightened to what looked like painful proportions, then his gaze went to the ceiling like he could see through it to the room above. “What the fuck?” he said with more force and a lot more growl.

His phrase of the day apparently.

“I think I wore him out,” I added, because apparently I was a lot more sadistic than I realized.

Dane stormed out of the kitchen and through the living room. I grabbed my bowl of popcorn and followed him upstairs, watching as he started throwing doors open.

“Where is he?” he said.

I leaned against the wall, crossing one foot over the other. “What do you mean?” I put some popcorn in my mouth and chewed. “Jack’s where he always is.”

Dane was in the process of opening another door and stopped suddenly, turning to me slowly, his shoulders somehow looking twice the size.

“He was exhausted after his bath,” I said. “It’s nice of you to come and visit with your nephew, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t wake him. Cal won’t be back until after midnight and Cassy’s at her committee meeting. I have big plans with this bowl of popcorn and your brother’s big-screen TV.”

“You were fucking with me?” he said, and there was no missing his surprise.

I guess this side of my personality was kind of new as well.

“Didn’t you see your brother at the shop?”

Dane shook his head and started toward me. “I haven’t come from the shop.”

When he reached me, I thrust the bowl in his hands. “It’s a good thing you’re here. I didn’t have time to get clean clothes before Cassy had to rush off. I was about to go looking in the room I stayed in when I first came here, but now I have you to listen out for Jack while I go get something out of my room.”

I put the baby monitor in his other hand. “Go pick a movie while I get dressed. Nothing scary.”

Dane was still standing there looking a little stunned as I spun and jogged down the stairs, out the front door, and across the yard to my room.

It was still hot, so after I put on my underwear, I pulled on some shorts, soft ones that were nice and comfy, one of my sports bras—there was no way I could tolerate underwire just then—and a loose-ish T-shirt. Nothing was ever loose over my boobs, though.

I stared at myself in the mirror.

My aunt had forbidden shorts or short skirts, and tank tops. She hadn’t liked me wearing my hair down either. She liked it tied back tidy off my face.