Worth the Wait Read online

  “I’m glad to hear it. Honor and I love having you and Colt next door. It would break her heart if you moved too far away. You know she never had real family until us, so she takes it very seriously now.”

  Us. Yes, Honor definitely considered him and Colt a part of her family. “I know.” Meaning every word, he said, “Honor is special, not just to you, but to Colt and me, too.” He stood to slather more sauce on the ribs, then reseated himself, his legs stretched out in front of him, the sun hot on his back. “Violet is also unlike any of the ladies I’ve been with recently.”

  “Amen to that.”

  Hogan had to grin. “Your disapproval is showing through.”

  “Not disapproval,” Jason protested. “It’s just that none of those ladies made you happy. Like you’ve said, you knew what you wanted and a string of meaningless hookups wasn’t it.”

  “I liked it.”

  Jason laughed. “I’m sure you did. Hell, you’re alive, and a lot of guys envied you the variety.”

  “Not you.”

  “No.” Still being honest, Jason said, “I was worried about you, and I was especially worried about Colt. At the time, though, I think the attention was what your ego needed.”

  Damn, that made him sound pathetic. He laughed. “Meg definitely shredded the old ego, that’s for sure.”

  “No. She just dented it a little. You’re okay now.”

  Was he? As a grown man, Hogan figured he had a right to do as he pleased. But he detested the idea of being weak, and yet that’s what he’d been. Weak, hurt and stupidly using sex to bury the pain. “Needing something—” Someone. “It’s not a good thing.”

  Jason tipped his head back to stare at the sky. “I need Honor.” He straightened and frowned at Hogan. “Hell, I need you and Colt, too. That doesn’t make me weak.”

  Leave it to Jason to cut right through his bullshit. “Maybe.” He’d have to think about it, but for now he’d get back on track. “The thing is, I can’t look at Violet as a casual one-nighter. Like you said, she’s light-years away from those other women. But I won’t look at her as a possible wife, either.”

  “Does it have to be one extreme or the other?”

  Again, he said, “I don’t know.” He was starting to think he didn’t know much at all. “It’s like this power struggle thing between us. Violet is...independent.”

  “No kidding.”

  Hogan glanced at his brother, younger by three years. “And that’s another thing.” Talking about it was even more uncomfortable than thinking about it. “You know Violet better than most.”

  Jason didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “I do. But I swear to you, Hogan, it didn’t mean anything. Not to either of us.” He sat forward, his forearms on his knees. “Violet gets lonely, you know? She works around the clock, so I’m sure it’s tough for her to date. I think I was convenient. Maybe trustworthy, too. She knew me well enough to know I wasn’t psycho, or a stalker.”

  “So what was your motivation?”

  “That’s a joke, right?”

  The plain speaking put Hogan more on edge.

  “Violet’s not only nice, smart and sweet, she’s also hot. At the time, I didn’t need more motivation than that.”

  Hogan slanted him a disgruntled look. “So she was convenient for you, too?”

  “That sounds awful, doesn’t it? Just goes to show you that you aren’t the only guy to make a knuckleheaded mistake.” Jason clapped him on the shoulder. “Luckily, our temporary stupidity didn’t mess up the friendship. That’s all there ever was between us.”

  “Honor knows?”

  “Knows, accepts it and doesn’t worry about it.” Jason stood. “If she can handle it, Hogan, then you should be able to, right?”

  Sure. Maybe. But that still didn’t solve his problem: what to do with his boss, that redheaded hottie who turned him inside out, when the two main choices were both impossible.

  6

  FOR A THURSDAY, they’d been positively packed. Realistically, she knew it was the newness of the ribs being available. She couldn’t expect every weeknight to bring in the same crowds. But for now, for this day, she felt positively jubilant.

  Colt had left hours earlier, after chatting with his dad. She wanted to tell Hogan what an amazing young man he’d raised, but she was afraid that might also dredge up conversation about his wife, and she didn’t want to go there. Not tonight.

  With new eyes and optimism, she looked around the restaurant. She needed to redecorate. Never fancy, but maybe new paint, new curtains and light fixtures. She felt renewed, so why shouldn’t the restaurant, too?

  She was standing there staring at a stain on a ceiling tile when she literally felt Hogan behind her. Nerve endings went on alert, her senses popping to attention.

  Striving for a placid look of mere curiosity, she glanced over her shoulder. “All done?” He’d removed his apron, and from the looks of the damp hair around his forehead, he’d also washed away the sweat from being outside so long.

  “Yes.”

  That led to yet another thought. “I’m going to talk to Jason about building some sort of overhang for you. You know, for shade. Or maybe I could just buy a big umbrella table for you—”

  “Shh.” Hogan’s finger pressed over her lips. “You’re getting ahead of yourself.”

  His finger, firm on her lips, had her stomach doing flip-flops. Insane. She wanted to bite that finger, maybe lick it.

  When he lifted his hand, she smiled. Or tried to. She wasn’t sure of her own success. This meant too much to her for her to take it lightly. “We haven’t even discussed things yet. You have to allow me to make a pitch before you reject me.”

  “Let’s get the place locked up. Then we can talk in your office.”

  Kristy, the only employee left besides her and Hogan, laughed. “I promise to hurry.”

  Violet frowned. “We’re talking business.”

  “Uh-huh.” Kristy winked. “Don’t mind me.” Less than five minutes later, she was gone.

  Hogan hadn’t teased back, hadn’t denied Kristy’s assumptions, hadn’t really done anything other than look thoughtful, and maybe determined, as he helped to secure the doors.

  Alone with Hogan, Violet nervously led the way to her office, rehearsing her pitch in her mind before saying, “Before you say no, let me explain all the reasons why this could be a very good thing for both of us. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I think we’d both benefit—”

  She was barely inside the door before Hogan caught her arm, turned her to the wall and smothered her gasp of surprise with a kiss that curled her toes in her sneakers.

  Violet meant to protest—she really did. But his mouth was hot and, damn him, skilled. The man knew how to kiss. While his tongue stole her thoughts, he leaned into her, his hard body all along the front of hers, his hands holding her face so gently, the kiss devouring.

  Thoughts of business fled, replaced by indescribable hunger. She wound an arm around his neck, her hand in the hair at his nape. Her other hand busily stroked the sleek, lean muscles along his shoulders and back, then down the furrow of his spine.

  Tensing, Hogan groaned and leaned his hips in against her.

  He was hard, and God, she loved it, especially when he caught her hips in his large hands and slowly rocked her against him. The friction... He was pressing rhythmically against her in just the right way, in just the right place, and—

  Suddenly leaving her, Hogan stepped back, his breath labored as he stared down at her.

  Wilted against the wall, Violet didn’t know what had happened. She wanted to pull him close again, to pick up where they’d left off. Every part of her felt alive, too sensitive and needy. “Hogan...”

  “This,” he said, his voice a growl, “is a problem.”


  Finally, she saw the look in his eyes and her stomach cramped. For some insane reason, she wanted to slap him. But that would be grossly unfair considering she’d encouraged him.

  And she wanted him to continue.

  She drew a breath, but with the vise of humiliation around her throat, it wasn’t easy. Hogan’s expression softened. He even reached out for her cheek—but she quickly ducked away.

  Going to the other side of her desk, which she hoped was a safe enough distance, she met his gaze. She tried to sound cold instead of hurt. “So. I presume that was a lesson for me?”

  “A lesson? No.” He leaned against the closed door, his expression cautious. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

  She laughed. It was a nasty, mean sound. “Well, it doesn’t need explanation, does it?”

  “I think it does.”

  “No, I—”

  “Violet, stop. Let me talk for a minute, okay?”

  That almost enraged her. “Now you want to talk?” She put a trembling hand over her chest. “Now that I’m turned on and having trouble breathing and I can barely form a thought? Is that a joke?”

  “I won’t apologize for kissing you.” His eyes narrowed. “I’ve been dying to do it for days.”

  “You hid it well!”

  Surprise showed in his face, then was carefully masked. He watched her like a big cat watches a mouse. “You’ve been hoping I would—?”

  “No!”

  His eyes glittered at her. “Fibber,” he said softly, making it sound like a come-on. “You know, the way you’ve been all week, I thought you were giving me payback.”

  “Payback?”

  “Because I’ve chased you? So you chased me back, knowing I couldn’t do anything about it.”

  Like a life raft, she grabbed it. “That’s exactly what I was doing.” His indulgent smile told Violet that he didn’t believe her. So she wasn’t a convincing liar? She wouldn’t be further embarrassed about that.

  “Violet.” He said her name like a damned caress. “We’ve been busy, too busy to talk much, definitely too busy for me to get you alone the way I wanted to.”

  “Yes, incredibly busy,” she agreed, hoping to change the subject. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. The increased business—”

  “But even if I could,” Hogan said, refusing to be sidetracked, “I knew a kiss or two wasn’t going to do it, not for me.”

  Her gaze got caught in his. “No?”

  “Not even close.” Pushing away from the door, he moved a few steps toward her. “I don’t think it’d do it for you, either, Violet.”

  No, definitely not. She stared him in the eyes and said, “Maybe I’m stronger than you.”

  He rubbed his chin. “I have no idea what it is about you, but I want you so damned much I can’t think straight. You insult me and I want you.” He took another step closer. “You tease me and it makes me hot.” Closer still. “You boss me around, and it’s all I can do to keep my hands off you.”

  Well, that was a bit of a balm to her pride. So maybe he hadn’t been trying to prove anything to her. And he wanted her? Couldn’t be as much as she wanted him, but at least she knew it wasn’t all one-sided on her part.

  Hogan now stood on the other side of her desk, very near, and yet with a desk between them.

  She sighed. “Today, you didn’t. Keep your hands off me, I mean. You kissed me in front of several people.” Rumors would spread like wildfire. Such was life in Clearbrook.

  “You let me. Pretty sure you even participated.”

  Probably. “What will everyone think?”

  “Nothing new.”

  She frowned in confusion.

  “It’s not a secret to anyone that we’re attracted. The confusing part is why we haven’t done anything about it yet.”

  Violet squared her shoulders. “You are—were—so busy chasing everything in a skirt that I—”

  “You think I’ve reformed?”

  With no idea what to say to that, she frowned down at a paper on her desk. It was easier than meeting his gaze. “I guess you’re probably too busy now, having two jobs I mean, to fit in...extracurricular activities.” She hoped that was true.

  “Honey, no man is ever too busy for that.”

  His appalled tone brought her attention up again.

  He was smiling.

  “I didn’t realize you were back on the prowl,” she almost snarled.

  Watching her, he circled the desk and stopped right in front of her. “Since I was prowling you, it’s a wonder you didn’t notice.”

  Violet’s heart tried to punch its way out of her chest and she had to fight the urge to grab him. Maybe she just needed to get laid. It didn’t have to be Hogan, right? She could—No, she knew she couldn’t.

  Damn it.

  “You see,” he said in a rough whisper. “Even now, it’s hard to resist. You need to think about this, Violet. Think about having me around so often.”

  “I have.” She’d thought about it far too much and loved the idea.

  “We’ll end up in bed. You know that.”

  She hoped so. “Yes.”

  For a brief moment, Hogan closed his eyes. “Shush a minute and let me finish, okay?”

  Wanting him every bit as much as he claimed to want her, Violet nodded.

  “I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about you. I think it’s that you’re a mix of sweet and sexy, all wrapped up in a gorgeous package.”

  A wonderful compliment. “Thank you.”

  “You’re also smart and motivated. Often funny, when you aren’t torturing me. You have great business sense—no, not as good as me, but good. And whatever you lack in business savvy you make up for with hard work.”

  Wow. That was an even better compliment since it was on her character, not her looks. She wanted to hug him, but he looked so serious, she held back and joked with him instead. “Are you planning to sleep with me, or saint me?”

  “Whether we sleep together or not is up to you. If I work here, for damn sure it’s going to happen.”

  She agreed. And since she wanted it to happen, she didn’t see the problem.

  “What I won’t do,” he whispered, “is marry you.”

  That statement hit like a bucket of ice water. She drew back, stung, startled, speechless.

  Hogan never blinked. “That was blunt, I know. The problem is that you’re the type of woman most men would beg to marry. I’m just not one of them. I’ve been down that road and, for me, it...didn’t end well.”

  Still, she stayed silent, caught between a terrible hurt and a spark of anger, between wanting him and being furious.

  They stared at each other until she couldn’t take it anymore. She had to be rational, had to think about the big picture.

  If that reasoning allowed her to indulge her lust, well, it didn’t detract from the good business sense.

  “I never asked you to marry me, Hogan. I asked you to pump up to forty hours. Oh, and to share the recipe for your ribs, especially the sauce.” She paced out from behind her desk, set on how to handle things. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, going over everything I want.”

  He crossed his arms. “Enlighten me.”

  “Okay, well, first, I want to remodel a bit. Nothing big and expensive, but the dining room could use some sprucing up. The picnic areas, too. We have plenty of warm weather left. I want to put in some flowers, maybe a fountain, you know, to make the area more pleasing now that it’s getting used so much more. Inside I want to paint and change the lights and curtains. Possibly re-cover the chairs and booth seats.”

  Hogan’s eyes narrowed. “The menus could use an overhaul.”

  She flashed him a smile. “See, you like the idea of change, too. It’s th
anks to you that I have so much new revenue coming in. I can hire at least one more person, maybe two, so taking breaks is easier.”

  “With more waiters, you can serve more guests. Cutting back on wait time should naturally help get more dessert orders.”

  “I was thinking that, too.”

  “Now that Colt has half the high school hanging around—”

  “The female half!”

  He gave one nod. “Which in turn, could be a reason for more of the boys to hang around, I think we need to consider some stylized promo for that age group. Maybe a discount for honors, celebration days when the sports teams win, that sort of thing.”

  “I was thinking the same things!” Never before had Violet had anyone to share her ideas with. It was fun. “We could play off some of the dances, too, by offering a special menu.”

  “Get the community and the kids involved,” Hogan said, his arms now down to his sides as he, too, paced while considering various angles. “Maybe we should do a printed poll asking different age groups what they like best for dessert, drinks, sides, main meals—”

  “Ha, ribs,” she said.

  “And given the popularity of that stupid little paper that circulates—”

  “The Clearbrook Trickle?”

  “—I was thinking it might be nice for you to honor whoever receives the citizenship award, or whatever it is the Trickle calls it, with a free meal or something.”

  “That’s genius!” Excitement all but made her forget about his ridiculous announcement and innate insult. “Even better, we could name something after the recipient and run it as a special. Like for Charlotte Gains, who was in the Trickle a few weeks ago for all her volunteer work at the animal shelter, we could do a Charlotte Burger...” Saying it aloud, it sounded silly.

  But Hogan agreed. “I like it. How about a Charlotte Sunshine Burger? We could make up some different combo for it, so it’s unique, like maybe add a fried egg, and use a different cheese, or something.”

  “The Charlotte Sunshine Burger.” So happy she wanted to shout, Violet said, “I love that! It’s perfect.”

  They smiled at each other, their combined enthusiasm ripe, until Hogan’s eyes darkened and his gaze slipped down to her mouth.