Thorn's Challenge - Brenda Jackson [70]
Two T ara heard the doorbell ring the minute she opened the oven to take out another batch of cookies. “Stone, can you get that for me, please?” she called out to one of the men busy setting up the card table in her dining room. “Sure thing,” Stone said, making his way to Tara’s front door. Opening the door, Stone lifted a brow when he saw Thorn standing on the other side. “I thought you told Tara that you’d changed your mind about tonight,” he said, stepping aside to let his brother enter. “And I changed it back,” Thorn said curtly, meeting Stone’s curious gaze. “Why are you the one opening the door instead of Tara?” Stone smiled. It was hard getting used to Thorn’s jealous streak; especially since it was a streak Thorn wasn’t even aware he had. “Because she’s busy in the kitchen. Come on. You can help get the card table set up in the dining room.” “And didn’t you tell me the card game started at seventy-thirty instead of nine?” Thorn asked meeting his brother’s gaze. Keeping a straig
Three T ara’s heart, beating twice as fast as it should have, slammed against her rib cage when, after the card game was over, it became obvious that, unlike his brothers, Thorn had no intentions of leaving. She closed the door and turned to him. The air in the room suddenly seemed charged. “Aren’t you leaving?” she asked, as she leaned against the closed door. “No. I think we need to talk.” Tara inhaled deeply, wondering what he thought they needed to discuss. While upstairs in her bedroom she had managed to get her thoughts and her aroused senses under control after convincing herself that her earlier reaction to Thorn had been expected. After all, from the first she had been physically attracted to him and memories of the kiss they had shared a few months back hadn’t helped matters. Then there was the way he always looked at her with that penetrating gaze of his. After thinking things through logically, she felt confident that the next time he looked at her as if he would love to go
Four “T here’s only one word to describe your brother, Laney, and that’s stubborn.” The two women were sitting at a table on the terrace of the restaurant. They had enjoyed lunch and were now enjoying a glass of wine. A smile tilted the corners of Delaney’s lips and her eyes sparkled as she glanced over at her friend. “Let me guess. You must be referring to brother number two, none other than Thorn Westmoreland.” Tara couldn’t help but return Delaney’s smile. “Yes. Who else? Your other brothers are simply adorable and don’t have a grumpy bone in their bodies. But that Thorn…” Delaney chuckled. “I don’t know why you continue to let him get next to you, Tara,” she said, taking another sip of her wine, although she had a pretty good idea. She had been keeping a close eye on Thorn and Tara since they’d met and knew better than anyone that the spark of annoyance flying between two individuals was a sure sign of attraction. She and her husband Jamal could certainly attest to that. When they’
Five “S o what did you want to talk to me about?” Tara nervously nibbled on her bottom lip. She and Thorn had just finished the best chili she had ever eaten. The building that housed the restaurant was rustic, made of logs with tall, moss-covered oak trees surrounding it. The place resembled a roadside café more than a restaurant and was positioned almost in seclusion off the two-lane highway. Due to its lack of visibility, Tara could only assume that those who frequented the restaurant were regular customers since the place was taking in a high degree of business. It also appeared that a lot of those customers were bikers. She found the atmosphere comfortable and had almost forgotten the discussion she needed to have with Thorn.