Page 74 of Bean
I expected him to walk past me, but he framed my face between those big hands and kissed me. “I’m happy to see you.”
Such a simple statement, yet so profound. Joy bloomed inside me. “I’m glad to see you too.”
“Tell your boyfriend to get his ass inside. Dinner’s getting cold!” Tameron yelled, followed by the unmistakable sound of a slap against his head.
Jarek’s eyes met mine as we both chuckled. I slowly shook my head. “I apologize in advance for my brothers. They’re…a little rough around the edges.”
“Don’t worry. I know what brothers are like.”
He did, and somehow, that helped me relax. That, and the fact that within minutes, he seemed to fit right in, asking Creek about his job, complimenting Nash on the house, and firing back at Tameron’s teasing without missing a beat.
“Did you cook?” Jarek asked me.
“No, Nash did. It’s his grandmother’s recipe, and it’s my favorite.”
“It’s amazing,” Jarek said. “She must’ve been a great cook.”
There was no easier way to Nash’s heart than complimenting his grandparents, whom he’d been so close with. “She was, and an amazing human being to boot.”
Jarek’s expression softened. “Those are hard to come by. You’re lucky to have had her.”
“I was.” Nash getting emotional was rare, but his voice had definitely cracked a little.
“How was your day?” Jarek asked me, drawing the focus off Nash. Another point scored for him.
“Good. I think?” I did a quick check to see if I’d forgotten anything important, but nope. “I slept in, had a session with my new therapist, and did laundry. It’s my turn this week.”
“You take turns for laundry?” Jarek asked.
Tameron made a gesture that he couldn’t follow the conversation. Oh shoot, had I forgotten to tell Jarek about that? “Jarek, can you make sure to face Tameron when you’re speaking?” I asked. “Otherwise, he won’t be able to hear you.”
Jarek blinked, then immediately turned toward Tameron. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you’re hard of hearing.”
“Yeah, the blast that scrambled Bean’s brains—or what was left of it anyway—took out my hearing.”
“That sucks.” Jarek managed to hit the perfect tone, showing empathy without pity. “Anyway, I was asking if you guys took turns for laundry.”
“We take turns for all the chores.” I pointed at a schedule on the fridge. “Laundry, cooking, dishes, cleaning, all of it. Otherwise, it’ll become a pig sty, according to the boss here.” I nudged my head at Nash, who shrugged.
“Nothing wrong with order and structure. A little discipline never hurt anyone.”
“Spoken like a true top,” Tameron grumbled.
Jarek started coughing until his eyes watered, his cheeks turning red. I was ready to slap him on the back in case something had gone down the wrong way, but he gestured that he was fine. “Sorry,” he said when he was finally able to speak again. “I must’ve misheard.”
Nash laughed. “Nope, you heard right. He called me top.”
Jarek’s eyes widened, but then he held up his hands defensively. “I’m not gonna ask. Forget I even raised the subject.”
Finally, it registered with me what he must’ve been thinking, and my face heated until it was likely beet red. “Not that kind of top. He’s?—”
“You don’t know that,” Tameron interrupted me. “Though he probably is.”
Oh mylanta, he had not just suggested that…
Nash put his knife and fork down. “And you think this is appropriate to discuss with our guest, why?”
“Sorry, what was that?” Tameron asked.