after the way she’d kissed him then made it perfectly clear she was marrying another man. Bri finally gave up trying to talk to him. She spent the next thirty minutes shuffling the food around on her plate and contemplating throwing herself under the next bus she encountered when something her father said made her head snap.
“What did you say?”
Phillip smiled indulgently. “I was talking about the house you’ll be staying in while you’re in Jackson. Your mother liked it so much we decided to buy it so we can vacation here whenever we want. You and Jake will love it.”
That’s the part she was hoping she had heard wrong. “What do you mean?”
“It seems silly to rent a second place for Jake when we just purchased this big, beautiful house,” her mother said with an innocent smile. “Believe me, darling, there is plenty of room for both of you and it would make it so much more convenient working together if you didn’t have to travel from one place to another to meet. Besides, I will feel much better if you had a nice, strong man in the house to watch out for you.”
Bri stared at her in disbelief. “I don’t need someone watching over me and I’m sure Jake would much rather have a place of his own.” She turned to Jake, feeling certain he would agree, especially after the way he had ignored her all evening.
“Actually,” he drawled, “I think it’s a great idea.”
Chapter 7
“You can’t be serious,” Bri croaked.
“Why not? We’re both adults, and like your mother said, it’s a big house and will be a lot more convenient than moving all our paperwork and things back and forth.”
“Convenient , yes, but I hardly think Chad will appreciate me shacking up with another man for a month regardless of the reason.”
“I already discussed it Chad,” her father said. “He didn’t have a problem with it. As a matter of fact, he said he trusts you implicitly and thought it would be nice to stay there with you when he comes to visit instead of having to get a hotel.”
Bri’s eyes darted from one to the other as the color slowly drained from her face. “He doesn’t expect to…I mean, we agreed to wait until after the wedding to…to share a room.”
“Of course not,” Phillip assured her. “Chad was perfectly amenable to having his own room while he is there.”
Thank God , she thought with an audible sigh. It would be awkward enough for all three of them to live together during Chad’s visit without him thinking she would have sex with him while Jake was there. She had no choice but to go along with her parent’s arrangements. If she put up any more of a fuss, they might suspect something was going on between her and Jake, so she mumbled something about how thoughtful they’d been in discussing it with Chad first.
Jake pushed his chair back and stood up. “Now that we have that settled, I’m sure you won’t mind if I steal your daughter for a dance or two.”
“Not at all,” Juliette said before Brianne could decline.
Bri took the hand he offered and let him lead her out onto the dance floor, wondering how things could have gone from bad to worse so quickly. So much for her plans to keep him at a safe distance, she thought despondently as Jake took her in his arms. How was she going to make it through the next month when she would be living with him? And how was she going to survive a visit from Chad with Jake right there to witness the demeaning way he treated her? There was a small chance Chad would refrain from chastising her in front of Jake, but it was more likely he would swing in the other direction and be doubly hard on her just to prove he was the dominate one in their relationship. It would be miserable for her, but Bri could see no way out of it.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Jake commented.
She managed a thin smile. “I’m just tired.”
“Are you upset about the living arrangements?”
“I
“What did you say?”
Phillip smiled indulgently. “I was talking about the house you’ll be staying in while you’re in Jackson. Your mother liked it so much we decided to buy it so we can vacation here whenever we want. You and Jake will love it.”
That’s the part she was hoping she had heard wrong. “What do you mean?”
“It seems silly to rent a second place for Jake when we just purchased this big, beautiful house,” her mother said with an innocent smile. “Believe me, darling, there is plenty of room for both of you and it would make it so much more convenient working together if you didn’t have to travel from one place to another to meet. Besides, I will feel much better if you had a nice, strong man in the house to watch out for you.”
Bri stared at her in disbelief. “I don’t need someone watching over me and I’m sure Jake would much rather have a place of his own.” She turned to Jake, feeling certain he would agree, especially after the way he had ignored her all evening.
“Actually,” he drawled, “I think it’s a great idea.”
Chapter 7
“You can’t be serious,” Bri croaked.
“Why not? We’re both adults, and like your mother said, it’s a big house and will be a lot more convenient than moving all our paperwork and things back and forth.”
“Convenient , yes, but I hardly think Chad will appreciate me shacking up with another man for a month regardless of the reason.”
“I already discussed it Chad,” her father said. “He didn’t have a problem with it. As a matter of fact, he said he trusts you implicitly and thought it would be nice to stay there with you when he comes to visit instead of having to get a hotel.”
Bri’s eyes darted from one to the other as the color slowly drained from her face. “He doesn’t expect to…I mean, we agreed to wait until after the wedding to…to share a room.”
“Of course not,” Phillip assured her. “Chad was perfectly amenable to having his own room while he is there.”
Thank God , she thought with an audible sigh. It would be awkward enough for all three of them to live together during Chad’s visit without him thinking she would have sex with him while Jake was there. She had no choice but to go along with her parent’s arrangements. If she put up any more of a fuss, they might suspect something was going on between her and Jake, so she mumbled something about how thoughtful they’d been in discussing it with Chad first.
Jake pushed his chair back and stood up. “Now that we have that settled, I’m sure you won’t mind if I steal your daughter for a dance or two.”
“Not at all,” Juliette said before Brianne could decline.
Bri took the hand he offered and let him lead her out onto the dance floor, wondering how things could have gone from bad to worse so quickly. So much for her plans to keep him at a safe distance, she thought despondently as Jake took her in his arms. How was she going to make it through the next month when she would be living with him? And how was she going to survive a visit from Chad with Jake right there to witness the demeaning way he treated her? There was a small chance Chad would refrain from chastising her in front of Jake, but it was more likely he would swing in the other direction and be doubly hard on her just to prove he was the dominate one in their relationship. It would be miserable for her, but Bri could see no way out of it.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Jake commented.
She managed a thin smile. “I’m just tired.”
“Are you upset about the living arrangements?”
“I
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