Not a Chance in Hell, (Navarro Triplets Book 3), page 22
Her pink-tinted lips quirked before she said, “Timing means nothing. My father always claimed he fell in love with my mother the day they met.” We watched the guys paying for the drinks, and she quickened her words. “We’ve never seen him like this. It only takes one person to come along and disrupt everything you thought you knew, flip everything that you believe upside down. You did that to him.”
He did that to me. Again, I kept that to myself. What I did offer was, “It’s been so great, and so confusing. Besides dealing with deep-rooted emotions toward my father, adding what’s happened between Brad and me to the mix…” I looked at her, a bit lost. “Well, you can imagine.”
“I can, actually. It wasn’t much different for me with Nate. I purposely shoved him into a box, labeling what we shared in a way I was comfortable with.” She released a sarcastic huff and mumbled, “Yeah, that didn’t last very long,” just before plastering on a smile as they stepped up.
“What didn’t last very long?” Nate asked, with Brad in tow.
“Nothing.” When he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, she added, “The activity we engaged in this morning on our balcony.”
Like magic, Nate’s skeptical expression morphed into a cocky smirk as Amy took the fruity daiquiri from his hand. “Told you I’d get you there quick,” he bragged.
“Thank Christ our balcony is not near yours,” Brad griped before passing me my mojito. He then slipped himself behind me on the chaise and whispered, “We’re having sex on our balcony tonight.”
The last twenty-four hours of our trip went by quickly. Most of the time Brad needed to prove we were a hotter couple than Nate and Amy. He even made a second attempt at trying to convince me to have sex on the plane. But beneath that playfulness, attentiveness, and affection, Brad seemed preoccupied.
It was only when he thought I wasn’t paying attention that I’d catch him staring into space while appearing as though he had a million things on his mind.
On the drive home from the airport, I had asked if he was okay, and he claimed he was anxious to get to the bar after being gone these past four days. I didn’t think that was the reason. Since he had professed love, he’d been acting more like me… holding things in. Each time I tried to call him out on it, I chickened out.
But when we finally got to bed last night, and he merely pulled me against him without initiating sex, I knew this time I needed to be the one to push him into opening up.
The next morning, as he ate his eggs, I pulled a page from his playbook. “Okay, what’s wrong?”
His eyes lifted to meet mine. “Nothing.” Like he’d done to me, I raised my brows and folded my arms in wait. “What?”
“You’re acting like me.”
“Like you how?” he asked, amused.
“Like me as in I clam up if something is bothering me. Usually you don’t let me.” Mimicking another one of his methods, I stood and came over, forcing myself onto his lap. “Usually you force me to open up… in a very specific way.” I placed my lips on his ear and whispered, “I’ve been paying attention and have a few tricks up my own sleeves.” I then tugged on his lobe with my teeth, and he released a tiny moan.
“You have been paying attention.”
When he gripped my face to kiss me long and hard, I allowed the distraction for a few minutes. But once we broke apart, I pushed harder. “I need you to be honest with me.” His green eyes darted away, and I waited him out for the second time.
“It’s about what I said in Miami.” I had seconds to decide how to respond to that… torn between pretending ignorance or admitting that I had heard him. He made the decision for me by adding, “That I love you.” It was seeing the vulnerability in his eyes that had me nodding. “You heard me.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ve been struggling with that.” He regretted it.
Ignoring the pinch in my chest, I plastered on a smile. “It’s fine. I understand why things are said when a person is distracted. Don’t worry about it.”
He tilted his head a bit and narrowed his eyes. “You think I didn’t mean it?”
Back to my norm, I clammed up and looked away.
“Sheena,” he said, taking hold of my chin to return my gaze to his. “Do you think I didn’t mean it?” I remained silent, forcing him to say, “Talk to me.”
And just like that, he flipped the situation so he again had the upper hand in this discussion. “Brad, I know you care about me. It’s fine. I don’t expect you to be professing your love.”
“Sheena, I’m not struggling because I said it… I’m struggling because of how I said it… and because I knew this was exactly how you’d react. If I could take it back I would, only to have the chance to properly admit that I have fallen in love with you.” The corners of his lips lifted at my stunned silence.
“You have?”
“I have. I love you. And it doesn’t matter if you’re here, or in California, or in Timbuktu… I want us to be together.” I went to say something, and he placed a finger over my lips. “I don’t want you saying anything because you feel pressured to. It’s more important that you know how I feel, and that I hadn’t said those words in the heat of the moment.” He kissed me softly and searched my eyes. “Now that you know what it was that had me stressed, and what I want for us, I want you to take your time and decide if you want the same.”
I didn’t need time… but knowing how his brain worked, I wasn’t sure he’d believe me. So I nodded and kept to myself what I would eventually say out loud once the opportunity presented itself.
I loved him too.
After taking our discussion to his bed, and then showering, we each set out to start our days. Besides running to the grocery store to fill Brad’s empty fridge, when I left the building to head to the parking garage, I saw a short, stocky man in a suit, taking pictures.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
His gaze raked over me before he put out his hand. “Simon Roth. I’m an old friend of John Porelli.” As I shook his hand, I couldn’t help but feel something seemed off. Maybe it was the icky leer in his eyes, or his smug expression. Picking up on my hesitancy, he plastered on a fake smile and added, “Are you his daughter, Sheena?”
“I am.”
“Do you have some time to chat a bit?”
“Regarding?”
“This run-down building. For years, I tried to take it off John’s hands, and I would love to make you an offer. You’re from California, correct?” I remained silent, and he took that as an opportunity to add, “I’m sure you’d much prefer to take a very generous offer and go back to your life than stick around nursing this eyesore.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Roth, but you have no idea what I would prefer.”
My snarky response did little to deter him as he pulled out his wallet and then a business card. “Here’s how you can reach me.” He then retrieved a folded piece of paper from inside his suit jacket. “Here’s my proposal… double market value.” His eyes drilled into mine as he added, “Think about it. I’d be happy to sit down with you and Caldwell to discuss details.” A chill ran up my spine over how much this man knew, yet he assumed I owned the building, which meant he wasn’t privy to Brad being co-owner.
His snake-oil salesman smile spread when I shoved the card and paper into my bag. Knowing I had no intentions of meeting with him, I suspected he wouldn’t just slip back into the hole he’d crawled out of.
Once in the car, I called Mr. Caldwell to get his advice on how to handle Roth. I then got on the road, turning on music while pushing Mr. Roth out of my mind.
The drive to Jersey was quick, and when I pulled up in front of the house, I was surprised to see so much headway had been made. The contractor explained the weather had been in their favor. He walked me through small details that needed to be done on the outside, but for the most part the remaining work was all inside.
A flash of disappointment came from their progress, and I knew it was because the day I no longer needed to be on the East Coast was quickly approaching. Despite knowing where Brad stood regarding us, or that I felt the same, I still worried about the logistics.
Long-distance relationships were trying even for veteran couples. We were so new… would we survive that kind of stress? I forced the negativity out of my mind, and instead focused on my reason for being there.
A few hours later, I had chosen paint colors for the bedroom, as well as flooring, and had met with the real estate agent to discuss a plan for putting the house on the market. I even visited with Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, filling them in on the house as well as my relationship with Brad. They were thrilled for us and made me promise we’d come have dinner with them soon.
By the time I made my way back to the city, a ridiculous smile remained plastered on my face. I cranked up the radio and made the quick drive back while in a great mood… mainly because I couldn’t wait to see Brad.
The clock on the wall advertising my most popular beer read just past noon. It was the calm before the storm. Somewhere around three was when Manhattanites sauntered in, wanting to get their weekends started.
Although it was nice to lie on a beach with a sexy blonde, it felt good to be back in my environment, back in my element. Concerns about leaving the bar had been unwarranted. My staff did a great job holding down the fort. Of course, they made sure I knew it. Not because they thought I wouldn’t appreciate all they did, more so because they wanted to prove I could indeed have a life.
As Bobby filled in the bar stock, I whistled while wiping down the shelves.
“Wow… I can’t wait to see your reaction after I complete my next project.” He assumed I’d been grinning like a fool because he just showed me how he had reorganized the stockroom. Yes, that was something I’d been meaning to get to since forever… and I was grateful to scratch that off my to-do list… but he was way off the mark.
My hot little she-devil was who had me walking on clouds. She’d been gone only a few hours, and I missed her. Christ, I couldn’t get enough of her. Physically, we were extremely compatible. She responded well to my domineering ways in the bedroom. I responded well to the naivety that came from lack of experience. We were a perfect fit.
Even our personalities were well matched. When I went hot, she cooled me down. When she went silent, I urged her to talk. When I thought about my future, I saw Sheena in it.
Before Miami, my growing feelings had confused me. And after, having had such a great time with my family, and an even better time alone with her, those feelings only intensified. In fact, it felt like I’d been through an emotionally charged awakening of sorts. That should’ve weighed heavily on me. Yet I felt lighter.
Besides to my parents, maybe to my grandparents when they were alive, and to my first girlfriend when I was seven, I had never professed love. As a thirty-three-year-old man doing so for the first time, it seemed I should’ve been second-guessing that revelation. Yet I wasn’t.
Again, was that how it worked? Love? Once it hit, it calmed the soul? Were all the things that freaked you out before no longer an issue? Was my acceptance of love without hesitation proof that my feelings for Sheena were undeniably real?
My answer to all those questions was a resounding yes.
But where I’d been all in, she’d been more cautious. I understood her reasons. It was a lot to digest and until recently hard for even me to wrap my brain around. I’d never considered a future dependent on someone else.
More proof I knew it was real… seeing a life with Sheena exhilarated me. So many clear-as-day scenarios often popped into my thoughts. A game plan had even begun to formulate—maybe I could open a second Brad’s Tavern in San Diego. Hell, if Max could do it with MAXimum Fitness in Miami, why couldn’t I?
At one point when Sheena was playing with all the kids on Mother’s Day, I could clearly see myself visiting her while she taught her class. That led to another possibility—maybe we could be in California during the school year and then in New York City for summers.
Of course, this was all dependent on Sheena wanting what I did… and yes, she still hadn’t professed her love, but I knew she loved me.
I could tell.
No one could’ve predicted we would’ve ended up here. I, for one, never saw it coming. When you broke it down, we’d both been through quite a transformation.
Gone was her resentment toward John… and me. I loved how well she’d adjusted to this new chapter of her life… with me. Even the way she slowly began to open up was amazing to watch… because of me.
After Sheena announced she had arrived at John’s place, throughout the day I received random pictures with excited emoji revealing the progress. Each adorable text brought a smile to my face. As I completed wiping down the last of the glass shelves behind the register, I caught sight of my latest grin in the mirror.
Shit, I had it bad.
“Excuse me.” I turned to see a short stocky man at the other end of the bar.
“Oh hey.” I slung the dishrag under the counter and made my way toward him. He seemed out of place, being there in a suit so early in the afternoon, but still I asked, “What can I get you?”
His eyes cut to the liquor bottles behind my head, and he shook his. “Nothing to drink. I’m looking for Brad Navarro.”
“I’m Brad.”
“Simon Roth,” he said, offering me his hand. I leaned closer to shake it while thinking that name sounded familiar. At my silence, he released me and added, “I’m an old friend of John Porelli.”
And then it hit me. This dude was the bloodsucking developer who had set his sights on the building a few years ago. A conversation I’d had with John back then smacked into my mind. “An old friend?” I challenged the liar. I clearly remember John using the word cocksucker when referring to Roth.
“More like old acquaintances,” he amended as his sleazy gaze glanced around my bar. “I’m so sorry about John. That was quite a shock.”
“Can I help you?” I asked, cutting right to the chase.
An amused smirk lifted his thin lips before he reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He slid it across the bar and held my eyes. “I have a very generous proposition for you.”
Leaving it where it rested, I folded my arms. “I’m not interested.”
The smirk morphed into a grin. “You haven’t even looked at it.”
“I don’t need to look at it. I’m not interested in selling.”
“Not even if I’m offering double the value… as is,” he countered. “With all its old lead paint and rusted pipes, we both know with each year that goes by, a dinosaur like this building will require more and more repairs.”
“The answer is still no.”
“But you co-own it with a Miss Sheena Devlin… John’s daughter, correct?”
Instantly, my hackles rose. “She’s not interested either.”
“Interesting… she took my card and my proposal earlier today.” Every muscle in my body clenched. “Lovely girl… pretty too. It must be so tough for a schoolteacher to make ends meet in such an expensive state like California.” His beady little eyes focused on the clench in my jaw before he added, “The money she could make off this building is life altering.”
“Get the fuck out of my bar,” I seethed… and combined with the glare on my face, my words had him raising his hands.
“There’s no need for hostility. Just think about it.” He plastered on a gross smile and threw out, “She is,” before sauntering out the door. Through the window I watched him get into a black sports car that clearly screamed small-dick syndrome before driving off.
Just like that, my euphoria vanished. Roth had to be lying. No way would Sheena give that fucker the time of day. I debated calling her, but knowing she was probably driving, I decided to wait until she got here. Together, we’d call Caldwell and figure out a way to keep that prick from sniffing around here ever again.
I couldn’t believe that fucker had tried to pretend he and John were friends. Most of what he knew was public record; the rest he could’ve guessed. It was the specifics to Sheena’s life in California that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Selling would be life altering for her… but so would selling John’s house, along with all the other financial gains she’d received from her father.
That asshole had me right back to feeling like I had the day I discovered Sheena owned most of my building. That same level of panic had returned over being dependent on someone else… and combined with not knowing exactly what had transpired between them, it caused my blood to simmer for the better part of the last hour.
Bobby smartly refrained from mentioning the complete about-face I’d made with my mood. I could feel his eyes on me when I stormed off toward the stockroom without a word.
As I reached for napkins on the shelf, a slender arm snaked around my waist. A few weeks ago, it could’ve been any female I had encountered in my life, but the smell of rosemary and mint tipped me off.
When I turned, there she was in her go-to outfit of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Today’s pale-green color enhanced her eyes. But it was her electric smile that settled my ire just a touch. “Hey.”
“Hi!” She tossed her bag on a nearby box before kissing me long and hard. Once she pulled away, she asked, “So… guess what?”
Assuming she was about to tell me about her run-in with Roth, I replied, “I know.”
Her brows rose in question. “Elise called you?”
Equally confused, I countered, “Who’s Elise?”
Sheena’s puzzled expression held as she explained, “The real estate agent you put me in touch with. She and I met today to discuss listing the house.”
“Oh… and?”
“We had decided on a price based on comps in the area. But then she called me on my way home and thinks she may already have a buyer. Newlyweds who want to live on that street because her parents aren’t too far. They also want a fixer-upper. How perfect is that?” A renewed smile spread, and her eyes danced excitedly. Everything in her demeanor didn’t jibe with my mood.
