Page 8 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

HAVE MY WORD

T alia flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You think I’m a smoke show?”

“You’re fully aware that you are. Even down to the red lipstick.”

She picked up her glass of wine and took a seductive sip of it, her blue eyes sparkling over the rim as they assessed his face.

He hadn’t shaved today and didn’t normally when he had a few days off. Mainly it was laziness.

“If I’m going out, I might as well look good,” she said.

“You look more than good.”

“Thank you. I do try.”

“The question is why you’re trying with me?”

Two types of women came after him.

Those out for a relationship hoping he was ready to settle down because of his age or those wanting someone to call when they had an itch.

He was usually willing to scratch it if he was around and it was someone he’d been with before. Long gone were those one-night stands or bar pickups.

And those that wanted a commitment.

He wasn’t willing to give in to that.

Nope.

Did he have deep-rooted feelings of betrayal from the first woman in his life?

He sure the hell did and wasn’t afraid to admit it.

He also wasn’t going to put himself out there.

If his mother, who was the most important person in his life, could lie to him for seventeen years, what was to stop any other woman he barely knew from also doing that?

“I could ask the same of you,” she said. “I told you why most men do. But you haven’t said why you’re asking me that question.”

She’d been honest, he’d be the same.

“I’m not looking for any type of long-term commitment. I don’t think it’s in my DNA. I’m not a cheater, don’t get me wrong. If I’m with someone, I’m only with them.”

“Agreed,” she said.

“So you have to decide if you want that. We could have a lot of fun together, no doubt there.”

She laughed. “Never in question. I’m assuming that’s all it’s going to be for you though?”

He thought he was clear. “Yes.”

She nodded her head. “I figured. Do I have to decide today?”

“No.” As long as she knew where he stood. “Do you believe I’m not after you to get to your family?”

“I have no choice but to believe you since you’re not playing the long game. You’re not making a secret of it.”

“I’m not keen on lying. You have my word. I’ll always be upfront and honest. It might hurt to hear at the time, but it’s better in the long run.”

“You’re right,” she said. “It is. You mentioned you worked construction and that you wanted something of your own. Can you explain that more?”

“My father owns a construction company. I went to college for two years and it didn’t interest me.”

“You had a place to land too,” she said. “And here you made that comment about me and my brother. I cry no fair.”

He snorted over the way she was wiggling her eyebrows. “Not nearly the same. I didn’t know my father until I was seventeen. My mother died and I had to live with him.”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s horrible. I mean, horrible about your mother and I’m so sorry. If anyone understands being raised by a single parent, it’s me.”

Which was why he volunteered that information when he didn’t normally.

“I figured as much. We were strangers, but I couldn’t fault him. He didn’t know about me either.”

She picked her wine up and almost downed it. “Wow. This is a crazy story.”

“Don’t expect me to say much more. You’re getting more than most ever do.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea.” He was going with his gut and something told him that she wouldn’t judge and he could trust her.

“Okay,” she said. “Did you want to continue or should we change the topic again?”

“You wouldn’t be bothered if we changed it?”

“I’m not forcing you to give me your life’s story. We are having dinner and a drink and I’ll decide if we are going to do it again. You have the right to make that decision too.”

He liked she was being fair about it. “I’m not giving my life’s story. No one knows that.”

“The same.”

“I went to college because I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue to live with this guy who was a stranger to me. He wanted to get to know me. He gave me the space I needed and we worked it out. I dropped out of college and went to work for him.”

“But you wanted to be able to say you could have a career on your own,” she said. “Boy, do I understand that.”

He wasn’t so sure she did, but he didn’t expect her to say it all to him either.

“Yes. I still help him on my days off, but right now I’m rehabbing my own house so it’s hard to do it all.”

“Let’s talk about that,” she said, putting her chin in her hands. “What are you doing there?”

She was looking at his hands. He flexed them involuntarily and her grin grew. “The house was a total gut job. Like an idiot, that is exactly what I did and now I’m living in a construction zone.”

Her jaw dropped again like it had when she realized he was riding a motorcycle. “You tore the whole house apart at once rather than room by room?”

“Yep. I had an apartment so I wasn’t living in the mess just yet.

Then I realized how stupid it was to be paying rent and a mortgage, so I finished the primary bedroom and bath, then tackled the kitchen.

That is about all that is done besides the floors.

I’m living in those two rooms when I’m home.

Most of the other work was things like roof and windows.

They take time but aren’t as pretty as the other things. ”

“That’s exciting,” she said. “I’ve never lived or been in a place like that.”

“A place like that?”

“That sounds na?ve and bougie on my part. Growing up, we lived in this tiny ranch. We ended up in this area because my father was stationed at Fort Bragg. Picture this: eight kids in a three bedroom, one and a half bath house. It was nuts.”

“How did that work out?”

He couldn’t even fathom that. Most would look at what the Carlisles have now and not what they went through.

“I didn’t suffer through it like my older siblings did.

Or as much. They rub that fact in my face all the time.

My mother, Laken, and I had the primary room with the half bath.

The other two rooms were split with the boys.

The three oldest, then youngest. Elias, Foster, Rowan, Nelson and I got to live in the house we are in now.

Me the longest. West had wings put in so we could have space. ”

“Something he didn’t have?”

“Exactly. The oldest got the apartment in the basement to have freedom. We’ve all had it at some point and now it’s mine. I work remotely, except when I’m traveling.”

“Like the day of the fire?”

“Yes. I’d had a bad flight back from Colorado. I’m not a huge fan of traveling, but I know it’s part of the job. At least right now. I enjoy what I do, or am doing.”

“Handing out big cardboard checks and getting your picture taken?” he asked, laughing.

“That’s the fun part and what I wish I only got to do, but nope.

I had to present a plan to West, and I have to say my plan was lacking, but he was touched enough by what I wanted.

He had a department that handled those things, but creating the foundation was better.

It’s mine now, but I’m watched carefully and will be for years.

I know that. It’s fine. I’m still learning. ”

“We all have to start somewhere.”

“That is what I’m telling myself. West has been more a father than a brother to me. I hope one of these days he’ll be a brother, but we don’t always get what we wish for.”

Jace knew that.

“How often do you travel?”

She shrugged. “There is no set schedule. I’m still working things out.

I’d like to focus on some scholarships which wouldn’t require me to travel, but that’s going to take some work.

West has businesses all over the US and some internationally.

He’s always been one to help out and donate, but this will be more structured. ”

“It’s a big responsibility.”

“It is,” she said. “I’m up for it. Or are you going to say I’m too young for it too?”

“I don’t know your age to make that assessment, or know you much more than from our few conversations.”

“I’m twenty-four,” she said. “I’m considered the flighty one of the family because when I graduated college two years ago I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted to do and was making jewelry to sell online.”

He was still trying to get over how young she was.

Shit!

“Why did you stop?”

“It wasn’t sustainable and it was more a hobby.

I knew I had to buckle down and started to work at a temp agency.

I thought maybe I’d find my calling and I did.

I spent a few months working with Elias when I didn’t like the jobs being offered.

I had to do something and he encouraged me to pursue this. ”

“Did you make beer?”

“No,” she said. “You think that’s funny, don’t you?”

“You’d be nice to have around if you could make that for me.”

Talia laughed. At least she took that as the joke he intended. “I’d like to think I’m good to have around for a number of reasons.”

“I bet you are,” he said, lifting his eyebrows. “Does that mean you want me to come around again?”

“I’m still working it out in my head. I have to admit I’m having fun tonight even though I’m spilling a lot of my guts on the floor. Kind of messy, don’t you think?”

“I do,” he said. “It might get messier when you find out how old I am.”

“What?” she asked. “What does that have to do with anything? I’m not good with guys’ ages. Are you like thirty?”

He snorted. “Thirty-seven.”

There her jaw went lowering. “You’re only a year younger than West.”

“Yep. The guy you said has been a stand-in father for you. Now what are you thinking?”

“I need to process this. Hang on.”

She picked her wine up and finished it.

The server came over and delivered their food and she got another drink. He still had half his beer left.

“Are you going to fill me in on what’s going through your mind?” he asked after a minute of them eating.

“Age is just a number. I had no clue of your age. You don’t look it.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“I mean it. My mother did tell me you were older, but that didn’t mean anything to me.”

Because anything over twenty-four was older than her.

He had to admit he hadn’t dated anyone thirteen years younger than him before and wasn’t so sure how this would go. Or how they’d be.

But then he reminded himself that she seemed a lot more mature than he thought when they were talking. Her career put her there too.

“What did your mother say about me?”

“First, I told her that you were sexy and she got nosy and had to see for herself. That’s why you got cookies.”

He laughed. “I can’t believe you told your mother that.”

“We are close. Though she doesn’t know I’m here with you. I said I was having a drink with a friend.”

“Am I a friend?”

“Right now, sure. I’m still deciding if you’ll be more. Do you need an answer before the end of the night?”

“Nope,” he said. “We can just talk and see where it leads us.”

“Good, because I like where it has so far and I don’t do well when I’m given a timeline to come up with a decision.”

It was probably meant to relate to the two years she was trying to figure out her career after college.

“Don’t be hard on yourself. Do you know how many people change their careers in their thirties? You’re doing a good thing for people. Who cares if it took you time to figure out it’s what you wanted? Maybe you’ll change your mind in a year or two. No one knows the future.”

She nodded. “That’s right. No one does. Thank you, Jace. I appreciate the encouraging words. You have no idea how much they mean to me.”

There was a sincerity in her words that made his heart flutter and stirred a quiet worry in the back of his mind. No other woman had ever gotten to him like this, and that realization hit harder than he expected.

Maybe it’d be best if she did take her time deciding.