“No, she’s in Vancouver taking care of my brother, Ben.”
Her hands finally stilled. Even in this mansion, she could still find solace in the fact that she didn’t have to put on airs in front of anyone else. “Which one is he?”
“Come here and I’ll show you.”
He led her into a room off to the side. Tiffany glass inserts framed the massive windows overlooking the bright blooms of the garden and immaculate green lawn beyond it. A pair of well-cushioned Queen Anne wing chairs stood on either side of a fireplace big enough for her to crawl into. A square table made of dark, heavy wood with a brown leather insert stood off to the side with two decks of cards inviting someone to play with them. All and all, the décor reminded her of Adam’s place—expensive and elegant, but comfortable and inviting.
Picture frames lined the mantle, all dwarfed by the family portrait that presided over the wall above. A man who looked very much like Adam sat next to a 1980s version of Maureen, surrounded by seven boys. The youngest son appeared to have been only a few months old when the picture was taken. She swallowed a giggle when she noticed the two lines of silver tracks running along Adam’s teeth.
He caught her looking at the picture and gave a half-cough. “Yeah, I keep telling Mom it’s time to update the family photo—perhaps something where I’m not wearing braces—but she won’t listen to me.” He held up one the smaller frames. “This was taken last Christmas.”
A line of seven men grinned back at her, their arms all thrown around each other’s shoulders. Their hair color varied from black to bright red, and their height varied within six inches of each other. Their eyes were all blue, even though two of them had eyes that were more of a slate blue rather than the bright, piercing blue of Adam’s eyes. But they all had the same smiles, the same chin, the same crinkles around their eyes. In other words, there was no denying they were brothers.
Her heart squeezed a little tighter as she looked at the picture. She’d never had a brother or a sister growing up and had always wanted to be part of a large family. It was only when she moved to Italy and was taken in by her cousins that she got her wish.
Adam ran his finger along the line, starting with man next to him. “That’s Ben, Caleb, Dan, Ethan, Frank, and Gideon.”
Each of the Kelly brothers now had a name and a face for her, although a couple of the men she hadn’t met seemed vaguely familiar. “What do they all do?”
“Ben’s a goalie for Vancouver—or at least he was until he tore his knee up last week. It ended his season, but he seems to think it’s the end of his career.” His face grew serious, his lips pressing into a straight line. “I’m waiting for his pain meds to wear off before I try to talk some sense into him.” His mood lightened as he added, “That is, if Mom hasn’t already.
“Caleb, whom you met at the lake house, is a pilot in the Air Force. Dan’s finishing up his surgery residency. Ethan,” he said, pointing to the man with straight black hair that came down to his shoulders, with hints of tattoos peeking out from under his clothes, “is in a band.”
She took the frame and studied him closer. “Isn’t he the lead singer of Ravinia’s Rejects?”
Adam nodded as through it were some local garage band instead of the multi-platinum rock group known around the world. He continued down the photo, pointing to the man with red hair who seemed to be made of pure muscle. “Frank is a linebacker for Atlanta, and Gideon is an actor.”
She recognized the youngest brother as one of the hottest leading men right now, and it had almost as much to do with his acting abilities as it did with his status as of one the sexiest men in Hollywood.
Her fingers fell from the frame. Every single one of them had done something extraordinary, making her feel more insignificant with each passing second. “You have quite an accomplished family. Your mother must be very proud.”
He shrugged and placed the frame back on the mantle. “Our parents always encouraged us to do what we were passionate about. I suppose you of all people should know how powerful it can be to work day to day in what you love the most.”
“Yes, I do.” She’d been cautious not to bring up the lease over the last two weeks, but it was times like this when it weighed on her like a two-hundred-pound barbell. Part of her wanted to mention that she’d love to keep working with her passion, but it meant she’d have to ask him about his decision to let her keep the restaurant. As it was, she’d already started scouting out places that were in her price range, but none of them even came close to what she had now.
She turned back to the picture, staring at Ben. “Don’t be too hard on your brother when you talk to him. I can understand how disheartening it is to be faced with the prospect of not doing what you love.”
Adam met her gaze for a moment, then looked away. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”
“Is this an upstairs tour or a downstairs tour?”
He jerked to a stop, his hand on the doorframe leading to the hallway. “Excuse me?”
Her mother had always warned her to bite her tongue. This was one the times she’d wished she’d followed that advice. “I know how things get when we’re alone together, and since we’ve already checked off the ‘hurried sex in a place where someone might walk in on us’ fantasy, I was asking if you’d invited me here to check off the ‘having sex in your parents’ bed’ fantasy or whatever it was you had in mind.”
He approached her slowly, one brow raised. “No, it’s the exact opposite.”
She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until it whooshed out.
“Unlike most teenagers, having sex in any place where my parents could catch me was never a fantasy of mine. Even though I know my mom’s all the way in Vancouver, I still worry she may walk in on me, so sex is the last thing on my mind at the moment.” He stopped and threaded his fingers through hers. “I invited you here for the very reason I gave you last night. The two of us, fully clothed, enjoying a meal together.”
The warmth of his hand flowed up her arm and settled into her chest, chasing away her doubts. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too. I even packed a picnic lunch.” He led her into the cavernous white kitchen that perfectly suited the Victorian feel of the home. “It’s such a nice day out, I thought we could enjoy the sunshine”
“That sounds wonderful.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been able to stretch out under the sun and let it beat down on her skin. The spring day was warm enough to be comfortable, but the light breeze kept things from getting too hot.
Adam grabbed the basket and blanket sitting on one of the counters and motioned for her follow him outside. They wove along the winding path that cut through the garden. The air was full of the sweet scent of roses and gardenias, their fragrant blooms nodding as they passed. It was an ideal place to have a picnic, but Adam continued on to the soft grass ahead, finally stopping under the branches of an oak tree that must have been planted when the house was built.
“This look good to you?” he asked, spreading out the blanket.
She nodded and sat down beside the basket. “What’s on the menu?”
“I bet you enjoy asking that for a change,” he said with a laugh. “We have a gourmet selection of sandwiches.” He pulled them out one by one. “Turkey and Gouda. Ham and Swiss. Roast beef and cheddar. And last, but not least, the classic PB and J.”
It was times like this when she forgot that he was a successful businessman who was probably worth millions. Adam may have been born to money, but he also acted like a common Joe when he was out of the suit. “What? No caviar and champagne?”
“Nope, but I have potato chips, dill pickles, and the ever-refreshing Coca-Cola.” He held out a bottle of pop like it was a bottle of Dom Pérignon.