Small-Town Cinderella (The Pirelli Brothers) (13 page)

“I’m going to be working with Drew Pirelli for now.”

“Really? He didn’t— I mean, I hadn’t heard that.”

“Well, it’s not official since a remodeling job hasn’t come up yet, but I have some appointments lined up next week for job estimates.”

They spoke for a few more minutes about the remodeling jobs he would handle while Drew concentrated on the custom building when Ryder glanced over her shoulder. “There’s my boss man now.”

Startled, Debbie followed his gaze to the doorway leading to another area of the bar where patrons could play darts or a game of pool. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Drew and then plummeted toward the floor as she noticed the brunette at his side.

The woman was overdressed for the small-town bar scene in a burgundy wrap dress that highlighted her slender curves. With her curly hair caught up in a messy twist and a pair of dark-framed glasses perched on her upturned nose, she had the sexy professor look down to a science. Wearing faded jeans and a navy T-shirt stretched across his wide shoulders, Drew looked that much more masculine, that much more ruggedly handsome in contrast to the beautiful woman laughing in response to his teasing smile.

“I take it that’s Olivia,” Debbie said, barely able to push the words past the lump in her throat.

“Yeah. Seems we’re not the only setup tonight.”

Catching the last bit of their conversation, Sophia leaned across the table. “I think Olivia is just perfect for Drew.”

As they neared the table, Drew’s gaze locked on Debbie. But while shock was still flooding her veins like ice water, he didn’t appear the least bit surprised to see her seated with Ryder.

“I think they’re really hitting it off. Isn’t that great?” her friend gushed.

“Oh, sure. Great.”

“So.” Sam shot a knowing grin at his older brother. “Did Olivia kick your, um, butt in pool?”

Drew clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Ran the table on me.”

As Sam hooted with laughter, the brunette held up her hands. “I’m telling you guys—it’s all about geometry and physics.”

Debbie picked up her glass and stabbed at the ice with her straw.
More like chemistry.
She could just imagine Drew watching the slender brunette’s every move as she bent over the pool table. Any guilt she felt for agreeing to go out—even as part of a group—with Ryder was quickly burned away by jealousy that Drew was there with Olivia.

“Debbie, this is my friend, Olivia Roberts. She’s one of the professors at the college where I used to teach and my best friend.” Kara made the introduction as Drew pulled out a chair for the other woman and then claimed the seat right next to Debbie for himself.

Leaning around Drew, the brunette greeted Debbie with a warm smile. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you and stopping by your bakery. Drew says you’re the best.”

Debbie’s gaze shot to the man next to her. He’d talked to Olivia about her?

His dark eyes captured hers, and she couldn’t look away. Couldn’t do anything but recall the look in those same eyes as he’d watched her come apart in his arms. “Totally addicting,” he murmured now. “One taste, and I was hooked.”

Hoping the sudden rush of heat to her face didn’t give her away, she tore her attention away from Drew and forced herself to return Olivia’s smile. “Nice to meet you.”

She wasn’t sure how long she sat at the table, pretending to enjoy the appetizers being passed around as she sipped at her soda. A cheer went up from the raucous crowd, but the noise, like the various games on the large-screen televisions, hardly penetrated. She could barely focus on what she and Ryder were talking about, uncertain and yet unconcerned if her responses even made sense.

All she could do was watch Drew out of the corner of her eye and wait. Wait for him to realize how pretty Olivia was. How much smarter and funnier and more interesting than Debbie was.

But as the night went on, she realized Drew had maneuvered his chair closer to hers. Close enough where his knee brushed against the outside of her thigh, robbing her of her breath while he casually participated in the conversations around them.

The first time, Debbie thought it might have been an accident. With eight people crowded around the two small tables they’d pushed together, the seating was cramped. By the fourth or fifth time, she knew he’d purposely made each move. Even through two layers of denim, she could feel the heat from his body, and it was impossible not to remember their legs tangling together with nothing in between....

Reaching for her glass, she gulped down a large swallow of diet soda, but it did little to cool last night’s memories or the desire burning through her veins right then. And when Drew pressed his leg closer and
left
it there, she couldn’t take it another second. After setting the glass aside, she slid her hand beneath the table and immediately realized her mistake. Because the second she touched his thigh, she was the one who couldn’t pull away.

The shape and size and strength of the muscle beneath the warm, faded-to-soft denim fascinated her. Her intention to push him away evaporated as her fingertips found the inside seam of his jeans. Her nails scraped along the raised stitching as she inched higher. Drew tensed, and she thought she might have heard him mutter a curse beneath his breath before he reached down and stopped her upward progress. But instead of removing her hand, he held her palm pressed against the rock-hard muscle, teasing and tormenting them both.

Desire heated her veins, almost hot enough to burn away the reminder that Drew’s “date” was sitting on his other side.
Almost.

Some of that heat turned to anger as she pulled her hand from his grasp. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute.”

Her chair leg caught on Drew’s as she tried to push away from the table, locking her in place. She had to wait for him to slide back before she could try to escape. She’d barely made it to her feet before he stopped her. A simple touch on her arm and
everything
stopped—her breath, her heart, the entire world around her.

She jerked back, stumbling against the stupid chair that seemed out to get her—and might have fallen if not for Drew. He caught her by the shoulders, pulling her close, just as he had in the hotel room the night before. She sucked in a quick breath, his familiar scent only adding fuel to her memories, and she could see the desire reflected in his dark eyes....

“Sorry.” She forced a shaky laugh, hoping anyone watching too closely would mistake the color rushing to her face for embarrassment. “I’ll be right back.”

She hurried from the table, Drew’s watchful gaze dogging her every step.

* * *

“Is it just me or is something up with Debbie?” Sophia asked Kara, almost shouting over the noise in the bar. Once Debbie had rushed off, Sam had challenged Jake to a game of pool, Ryder had gone for drinks and Drew had slipped way to make a phone call, leaving Sophia, Kara and Olivia alone at the table. “She hasn’t been herself all evening.”

“I haven’t really seen her since Darcy’s wedding.” The blonde pulled a guilty face. “Sam and I have been busy with plans for our own wedding, and then the past few days, I’ve been spending time with Olivia,” she added with a smile at her best friend.

Only then did Sophia notice how the brunette was eyeing them both with eyebrows raised above the frame of her glasses. “You all really don’t see it?” she asked.

“See what, Liv?” Kara asked.

“It’s Drew.”

“Sorry...what’s Drew?” Sophia asked.

Olivia gave a quiet laugh. “The
something
that’s up with your friend—it’s Drew.”

“You mean like there’s something going on between the two of them?” Sophia gave an incredulous laugh. “As much as I like the idea of my best friend getting together with my brother, I’m afraid you’re wrong, Olivia. Debbie and Drew are friends—just like she’s friends with Jake and Sam.”

The brunette shook her head. “Debbie wasn’t avoiding looking at Jake and Sam all evening. And didn’t you notice the way she practically jumped out of her skin when Drew touched her? Plus, he talked about her the whole time we were playing pool. I’m telling you, something’s going on.”

“But if that’s true,” Kara asked with a frown, “why would they keep it a secret? They’d have to know how happy everyone would be to find out they’re a couple.”

“It’s hard for you to picture the two of them as a couple because you’re so used to seeing them as friends. Maybe Debbie and Drew are still getting adjusted to the idea, as well.”

“I don’t know,” Sophia murmured doubtfully. “Debbie’s been pretty adamant about not going out with Clearville guys.”

Olivia lifted a slender shoulder. “Another reason why she might be keeping quiet about their relationship.”

“If you’re right—” Sophia couldn’t stop the huge grin from spreading over her face. “My best friend and my brother... I’ve always felt that Debbie was like a big sister to me, and now we could be sisters-in-law!”

“Whoa! Moving a little fast here, don’t you think?” Kara asked. “We’re not even sure they’re together yet.”

“You’re right. So what should we do?”

“Well,” Olivia said wryly, “for starters, you should probably stop setting them up with other people.”

Sophia threw her hands up in exasperation. “How was I supposed to know?”

* * *

Drew didn’t know if anyone bought his excuse of needing to make a phone call seconds after Debbie disappeared toward the restrooms. Ryder had already headed to the bar, and Jake and Sam had gone off to play pool. Sophia and Kara were talking over each other in a conversation that skipped from baby names to bridesmaids’ dresses to nursery decorations and honeymoon locations so quickly, even trying his hardest not to listen made his head swim. But Olivia had given him a studied glance as he pushed away from the table—like he was some kind of equation she was trying to solve.

Good luck with that,
he thought with a snort. He couldn’t even figure out what he was thinking or feeling or doing from one second to the next. He still couldn’t believe he’d let Sophia set him up, even if he had his own reasons for showing up at the bar that night.

He had to admit, though, that Sophia had been right about Olivia. She really was pretty. Behind the dark-framed glasses, her eyes were a rich, warm brown, and she had a sprinkling of freckles like gold dust across her upturned nose and fair cheeks. “First Sam and now you,” she had commented after Sophia made the introduction. “I can see why a single woman would consider moving to your hometown.”

She was smart and funny and charming. But as cute as her upturned nose was, it didn’t crinkle when she smiled. And as much as he liked the freckles, somehow he’d missed the sight of a dimple in her cheek when she laughed, and her eyes couldn’t nail him to the spot with just a glance because they were brown. Brown and not blue.

Thankfully, Olivia was savvy enough to realize his head—not to mention his heart—wasn’t in the game. Hadn’t stopped her from wiping the floor with him in pool, but he figured he’d deserved that.

The music and laughter faded a little as he stepped into the narrow hallway leading to the restrooms and the door to the back parking lot. He felt like a stalker, lurking outside the women’s restroom. More so when Debbie stepped into the darkened hall and gave a startled gasp. “Drew!” Her blue eyes grew even wider when he took her hand and led the way out back. “What are you doing?”

The cool night air and silence was a relief from the crowded bar, and he pulled in a deep breath. A few lights along the back of the lot illuminated the cars, but moonlight provided most of the glow. Debbie’s eyes glittered like jewels and her hair looked more silver than gold, but still as soft as ever cascading over her shoulders. She hadn’t dressed up for the evening—something that pleased him probably more than it should—but she still looked amazing to him in faded jeans and a long-sleeved turquoise sweater.

“I wanted to talk to you. To see if you’re okay.”

He’d never had a one-night stand and wasn’t the type of guy to sleep with a woman and then walk away without a backward glance. Not that he had been the one to walk away.

Debbie had.

She reacted to his concern as if he’d accused her of some kind of weakness, drawing her shoulders back and lifting her head. “I’m fine. I just—didn’t expect to see you until—”

“Next week,” he finished, trying to ignore the annoyance still buzzing like a relentless mosquito inside him at the memory of the note she’d left behind.

She cleared her throat. “Right. Next week. But since you’re here, there are some things we didn’t have a chance to talk about after last night.”

“The way I remember it, we didn’t talk at all.”

Her gaze quickly cut away from his. Was she simply embarrassed, or could he hope that she regretted sneaking out the way she had? “Yes, well, I didn’t think this conversation would be necessary, but now—” She waved a hand in an all-encompassing gesture. “Obviously it is.”

Since Drew didn’t find anything obvious about the whole conversation, he asked, “What exactly is it that we need to talk about?”

Debbie took a deep breath. “Seeing other people.”

Her words his like a sucker punch to his gut. That was what Debbie wanted to discuss? She wanted to see other people? He’d convinced himself she wasn’t really interested in Ryder. That she couldn’t be—not after the night the two of them had shared. It was the only way he’d kept from decking the guy when he’d seen his newest employee sitting next to Debbie.

Had he just been fooling himself in thinking the date had been a harmless setup by his sister? Fooling himself in thinking that giving Debbie what she wanted—a no-strings affair—would eventually lead her to realize she wanted more?

“If this is going to work,” she continued, “we need to have some—ground rules.”

Rules. Probably something along the line of Drew
not
punching the other guy in the face. Uncurling the fists he’d unconsciously made, he said, “Go on.”

“As long as we’re—together, I expect us to be monogamous.” Finishing in a rush, she added, “I don’t see how this can work if that’s going to be a problem for you.”