Come To Me (Dare With Me #3) - J.H. Croix Page 0,39

with a lightweight down quilt and tons of fluffy pillows. Gemma was nowhere in sight.

Rolling over, I reached for my phone on the table by the bed to discover it was only six in the morning. I had plenty of time to get back to the resort if I chose, or to shower here. I decided to play it by ear.

After I got dressed, I walked down the hall when I heard Gemma say, “Neal, I’m not sure I want to be involved in the case. I need time to decide.”

There was a pause, and I kept on walking because I didn’t know how else to play this off. When I stepped into the kitchen, she replied to whatever Neal said with, “I promise I’ll think about it and let you know. I love you.”

“Good morning,” I called when she set the phone down on the counter.

She turned back, her brow puckered and tight lines around her eyes. “Oh, hey. That was my brother.” She paused, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly. When she opened her eyes again, her brow smoothed, and she smiled slightly. “I’m making breakfast. Pancakes and bacon. Would you like some?”

“I’ll never say no to that.” Because I couldn’t resist, I crossed the living room into the kitchen where she stood by the stove and dipped my head to drop a kiss in the curve where her shoulder met her neck. Her hair was pulled up in a haphazard twist, and she wore an apron over her T-shirt and leggings. She looked adorable and absolutely delectable.

She flipped the bacon in the pan and angled her head up. Before I knew what I was doing, I was kissing her and she tasted delicious. By the time I lifted my head, I felt as if I’d tripped and fallen inside. My heart gave a tricky twist as I looked into her eyes. “Good morning,” I repeated.

“Good morning. There’s some coffee ready,” she said, pointing to a coffee maker with an almost full pot and an empty mug sitting beside it.

I helped myself to coffee, and she told me where the creamer was. I watched her finish making pancakes, and we sat together at the table to eat breakfast. It occurred to me that this was the most domestic morning I’d ever had, at least since I’d been a kid in my parents’ house.

“What does your brother do?” I asked conversationally while we ate.

“He’s an attorney in Portland.” She regarded me as she took a sip of coffee. Setting her mug down, she added, “I’m not really the black sheep, but maybe the gray sheep of my family.”

“The gray sheep?” I prompted.

“I don’t really fit in, but I’m not a bad kid. My parents are brilliant attorneys and my brother’s also a brilliant attorney. I was supposed to be brilliant, but my dyslexia got in the way. It made for some difficult times in school before we figured out what the problem was. My family is great, so I only complain a little bit.”

I nodded slowly as I absorbed that detail. “Families can be challenging, even when you love them. You met Harley, and she’s not even the most outspoken of my sisters. I love all of my sisters, but sometimes they drive me nuts. I hope she didn’t say anything out of turn when I wasn’t paying attention last night.”

Gemma laughed softly before taking another sip of her coffee. “Harley was great, and she didn’t say anything out of turn. It’s clear she wants to see you settled and happy, and I’m sure you’d like the same for her.”

I considered that observation. “Maybe so, but my sisters tend to be bossier about what they think I should do with my life.”

Gemma smiled, her eyes sympathetic. “Family is a good thing, even if they drive us crazy sometimes. It’s hard enough not to feel alone in the world.”

She stood from the table, glancing down toward my completely empty plate. I grinned and pushed it toward her and stood. “I’ll help you clean up.”

“You don’t—” she began, quieting when I shook my head.

“You cooked me breakfast, and it was delicious. I’m going to help you clean up, so don’t even try to stop me.”

She cast me a wry smile. “Putting dishes in the dishwasher is tough work. Have at it,” she teased.

I did put everything in the dishwasher and then followed her out to help her deal with the horses that morning. The second I stepped into that