“Tess –” he started but I talked over him.

“And, just to say, you were able to talk your brother back into the house and I know you have a full plate but, once some of this other stuff is sorted, you need to carve time out to have more words with him. Not about your Dad or about me, he needs to sort himself out about your Dad and I’ll win him over eventually so, if you’re worried about that too, then you need to stop doing it, but about Lenore. She’s in love with him, she’s a good person, she’s sweet and if he isn’t into her he needs to cut her loose and he also needs to get his head out of his ass because if he’s breaking hearts like that all through Denver, that isn’t cool.”

When I stopped talking, Brock remained silent and stared up at me.

When the silence stretched for awhile, he asked, “Are you done?”

“Well,” I started, “yeah.”

Then he asked, “You think Olivia is better looking than you?”

My brows drew together and I repeated, “Well… yeah.”

He was silent again while staring at me.

“Brock –” I started but he cut me off.

“Jesus, you haven’t, have you?”

“I haven’t what?”

“Ever played games.”

I thought about it. Then I answered, “No.”

He shook his head while his lips tipped up then his hands slid up my sides pulling me to him at the same time. I put my hands to his chest as I got closer then Brock wrapped his arms around me.

Then he spoke and when he did he did it softly and I noticed the sweet hum in the room just as it hit me his eyes were amused.

“Okay, sweetness, it shits me to do it but I’m gonna have to educate you.”

Uh-oh.

I tipped my head to the side as I felt my body tense and I asked cautiously, “About what?”

“About the games a woman like Olivia plays, specifically why she instigates a play.”

Oh, well. That didn’t sound too bad. It actually sounded interesting.

I relaxed against him and said, “Okay.”

His lips tipped up more and he began, “Now, a woman like Olivia walks into my place and sees a woman in my kitchen who isn’t better lookin’ than her, she does not throw a shit fit.

She does not make bitchy comments. She has no reaction at all. She’s content in the knowledge I’ve settled for somethin’ less and falls asleep smilin’, thinking I’m thinking I settled for second best.”

I nodded when he quit speaking so he continued.

“If she sees a woman who’s better lookin’ than her, her hackles rise and she gets pissed.

Right at that moment it’s game on. Then she throws a shit fit and makes bitchy comments and she drives home thinkin’ about nothin’ but how to stake her claim. And she instigates a play to remind me of the Olivia she played me with, and, by the way, that was who was on my Mom’s lawn today and it was the first time I saw her since the last time Olivia wanted somethin’ from me. And she did this not because she wants me back. She did it in order to best you so she can go back to fallin’ asleep smilin’, content in the knowledge that she’s top of the heap, she’s taken you down and she’s still got what it takes to manipulate me.”

I stared into his eyes.

Then I began, “I don’t –”

His arms gave me a squeeze and he talked over me. “Tess, no lie, Olivia is beautiful but she is not better looking than you. No f**kin’ way. You think, she was, Levi would take one look at you and put you to the test?”

Hmm. Interesting point.

“But –” I started and got another arm squeeze.

“Babe, seriously. I’m committed to my job and there were a lot of things about Darla that were foul most especially the shit she snorted, injected and inhaled into her body but she wasn’t tough to look at. There were a lot of ways to make my play with you as a possible asset or suspect. The minute I saw you, it took me a split second to decide what play I was gonna make and,” another arm squeeze, “when I say the minute I saw you, I’m talkin’ your pictures in a file. The minute I saw you in person, babe, cast your mind back. How long was I in your shop before you said yes to me askin’ you out for a beer?”

I cast my mind back but I didn’t have to. Meeting Brock slash Jake was burned in my brain. I was filling the display with fresh cupcakes, the bell over the door went, I looked up and his eyes were on me. Then he smiled as he walked straight to me, ignoring the two counter girls, asked for half a dozen snickerdoodles and if I’d meet him for a beer.

He was probably in my shop thirty seconds before he asked me out.

I thought it was the coolest move ever, no bullshit, cocky, confident and self-assured.

Not to mention he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

So it wasn’t but five seconds later when I said yes (to my counter girls’ disbelief and delight).

I stared at him.

Then it hit me and I blurted, “You think I’m more beautiful than Olivia?”

“Babe,” he muttered, grinned, gave me an arm squeeze but that was it.

Whoa. He thought I was more beautiful than Olivia.

“I think I need to spend some time perusing myself in the mirror,” I told him and his body started shaking with laughter as his arms separated, one went low, one went high so his hand could sift into my hair then pull my face closer to his.

“How ‘bout you peruse yourself in the mirror later,” he muttered, his eyes dropping to my lips.

“Later?” I whispered, knowing what his eyes dropping to my lips meant because that had happened before but also the hum in the room changed to warm and close and I knew what was on his mind.

“Yeah,” his eyes came to mine then his hand pushed my head closer to his but veered it to the side so at my ear, he whispered, “I had maple buttermilk pie at dinner and chocolate cake during football but I still have a taste for somethin’ sweet and the sweet I wanna eat right now is my Tess.”

I felt tingles at my scalp, along my skin and about three other places besides.

“Okay,” I whispered, sliding my hands out from between us to wrap my arms around him and press my torso close to his.

His lips slid down my neck then back up making me roll my h*ps in his lap involuntarily and, back at my ear, he growled, “Fuckin’ love goin’ down on you, baby.”