Sheltering His Desire (17 page)

He shrugged. “This is your dream, and it’s a
good one. You won’t take the money from me.”

She hadn’t wanted to approach things this
way. Especially not with Tate’s confession—wonderful, amazing,
infuriating as it may be—hanging between them. But she was laying
it all on the line. “I will now.” Wow, that was harder to say than
she’d expected.

“What?”

She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep
them from shaking. “I need a loan, Tate. Enough to move forward and
make this shelter grow.” Now that the words were tumbling out, it
was easier. “But I need more than that.”

“Of course.” His shoulders relaxed, and the
lines faded from his forehead. “Whatever you need.”

She shook her head. “It’s not about me. You
need to make this idea take off. What you can do for companies like
mine? It’s important. These sites of yours can make a big
difference and you’re doing it right. So we’re going to make sure
your idea takes off. You, me, Mikki, and whomever else we have to
pull in. We keep failing miserably when it comes down to what I
need, or what you want to do. This is about us.” She hadn’t meant
it that way. But she liked the way it sounded.

“Slow down. I think I missed a few
steps.”

“Right. Sorry.” She paused, dragging her
thoughts together. “Everything that you’ve struggled with since you
tried to launch these crowd funding sites—or at least a lot of
it—goes away if you have your own hardware. You’ve said you don’t
have the manpower, but you have technical knowledge, and I found
you someone who will work for free. You do that, you keep my
donation site online, and I’ll make sure my expansion happens.”

“You’ve thought this out. Thank you for
that.”

She felt better than she had in weeks, but
she wasn’t done yet. “And Tate?”

He met her gaze, eyes widened in
question.

She stepped in. “I love you, too.”

He grinned, and rested his hands at the small
of her back.

She pushed him back playfully. “And if you
ever pull this ‘
I know what’s best for you’
bullshit on me
again, we’re going to have problems.”

He grabbed her wrists, and pulled her in.
“Yes ma’am.” He cupped the back of her head, and crushed his lips
to hers. Hunger, need, and security surged through her and she
pressed back. She wasn’t sure if their new plan was any better than
any of the old ones, but this—what she had with Tate—was the one
thing she wasn’t worried about.

Tate drew Lys into him, and trailed his
fingers through her hair. God, he loved having her in his arms. Her
warmth, weight, and lilac scent. And right now, he was almost as
grateful she wasn’t as stubborn has he was. Relief still flowed
through him at her acceptance of his financial help. She’d just
gotten off the phone with her contractor, letting them know she was
ready to move forward with the building expansion.

Tate moved his lips against the top of her
head. “When do we start work on this plan?”

“Tonight, when Mikki’s done with work and
before my shift starts.” Her breath was hot against his skin,
teasing and comforting at the same time. “Because she’ll do it for
the challenge instead of trying to talk me out of it for whatever
reason.”

Tate didn’t have an argument for that. “If I
might make a suggestion until then.”

“What’s that?”

“You should probably get some sleep.”

She pulled back enough to look him in the
eye, and her gaze traveled over his face. “When was the last time
you slept an entire night?”

God, he wasn’t even sure he remembered. “Not
a clue.”

“In that case, only if you join me.” She
pulled him toward the bedroom.

****

Tate shook the sleep off at the sound of his
doorbell chiming. After five. He hadn’t meant to sleep that long,
but he felt good.

Lys watched him through lidded eyes as he
climbed from bed. “What’s up?” she asked.

He kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t know.
I’ll be back.” He fastened his jeans and pulled on his shirt as he
crossed the house to the front door. The remaining haze of sleep
evaporated when he saw Jared on his front porch. “Hey, man.”

Jared was dressed as if he’d just come from
the office, which made sense given the time of day. He held out a
USB drive. “I wouldn’t bother you at home on a sick day, but you
weren’t answering your phone. I need your okay on some documents by
tomorrow morning.”

Sick day? Right. What other reason would he
have for vanishing without notice in the middle of the week? Tate
grabbed the thumb drive. “No worries. Do you want input, or just an
okay?”

Jared shrugged, his expression neutral. “If
anything needs to be corrected, use track changes. Meeting’s at
eleven, so as long as I have it first thing, I’ll be set.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow.”

Jared didn’t move, and his jaw tightened.

“Something else I can do for you?” Uneasiness
flitted through Tate.

“I just wanted to say hi to your guest. Where
is she?”

Tate’s gut sank. “Who?”

“Alyssia. Her car’s in your driveway.”

It was going to come out eventually, and Tate
wanted to shout about their relationship to anyone who would
listen, but he’d rather have this conversation with Lys’s consent,
and definitely not while she was half-naked in his bedroom. “Oh,
she’s…you know.” He waved his hand vaguely toward everything behind
him.

Jared crossed his arms. “I don’t, actually. I
can make a lot of assumptions, but my sister accuses me of jumping
to conclusions, so I’m hoping I’m wrong. You’re not good for
her.”

Was that what Tate had sounded like? No
wonder she’d been pissed. “It’s not your call.”

Jared made a noise that landed somewhere
between a growl and a bark. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“It’s okay.” Lys’s voice greeted him from
behind. Tate glanced over his shoulder to see her leaning against
the far wall, hair mussed. At least she was dressed, though. “I’d
rather tell him now than later.”

“What are you doing, Alyssia?” Jared stepped
into the house.

Tate blocked his path, and prayed he wasn’t
about to get socked. Not that he’d ever seen Jared hit anything,
but there was a first time for everything. It’s what he would do if
he were in Jared’s shoes. He took a deep breath. “Hear me out.”

“I’m listening.”

Great. So what was he supposed to say? ‘But I
love her’ was a good start, but it didn’t feel very solid. Not
given his history. The words flowed into Tate’s head, and he spoke
without filtering them. “I know you and I have had each other’s
backs since we were kids,” he said to Jared. “But she’s my best
friend. Honestly, that’s the best way to put it. I can’t imagine
not having her there to celebrate with when things go well.” He
turned to Lys. It was more important she hear this than Jared. That
she know how he felt when they weren’t in the middle of a heated
argument. “I can’t imagine you not being there when I have news of
any kind. It wrecks me to think I might have to share you with
another man. Let alone your—”

“I get it.” Jared interrupted. “Please don’t
give me any details.”

Tate turned back to him with a shrug. “I know
she’s your sister. I get that you’re looking out for her. Thing is,
I’ve thought for a long time about this. Probably longer than I
should’ve. I know what I’m doing, and what I’m saying when I tell
you I love her.”

Jared’s expression was cold, and unyielding.
“Can we do this outside?”

“Go,” Lys said, before Tate could answer.
“Get this out of your system, Jared.”

Tate stepped onto the porch. The moment he
shut the door, Jared’s mask shifted, lines marring his face, brows
knitted together.

The almost-calm disappeared from Jared’s
voice. “You’ve got a really pretty speech rehearsed. It’s almost
believable. But out of all that, you only said one thing I agree
with. We have known each other since we were kids. You’ve never
been with a woman longer than twenty-four hours. And now what? I’m
supposed to just step back and tell you, knowing what I do about
you, that I’m fine with you hooking up with my sister?”

A part of Tate expected this conversation to
be difficult, but he hadn’t lingered on the details or logistics of
it. Maybe he should have thought about the repercussions a little
longer. Not that it would have changed how he felt about Lys, but
it may have changed his approach to the rest of it. “I’m being
sincere. I don’t know what else to say.”

Jared clenched his jaw. “Honestly, I
shouldn’t make you convince me. God, it hurts to admit that. But I
know you’re right. You and she… I know you’re close. I’m not blind.
I was just hoping you wouldn’t ever figure it out.”

Tate ground his teeth together, measuring his
response. “Because I’m not good enough for your baby sister?”

“Because she is my baby sister, and this
means admitting she’s grown up.”

Tate almost smiled at that. He swallowed back
a jab about her having grown up a long time ago. “You have to let
her make her own decisions sometime.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

This could have gone better, but it also
could have gone a lot worse. He looked at Jared. “It’s not like I
have a choice but to show you I mean it. I’m not going anywhere
without her.”

Jared stared back, jaw set. “If this goes
bad, that’s the point where you’d better lose my number. But I have
a feeling I don’t need to worry.”

“Not that she needs your blessing, but I’d
kind of hate to lose your friendship. So, thanks.”

They exchanged a few more jabs, the tension
lessening between them, and Jared left. Tate headed back
inside.

Lys sat on the couch, fingers intertwined,
elbows resting on her legs. “You look like that maybe went
well?”

“He didn’t even hit me.” Tate pulled her to
her feet. “Really, though, I’m glad he’s not too pissed, because
I’d hate to choose sides, but I wouldn’t have chosen his.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and
rested her cheek on his chest. Her voice was soft. “I’m glad you
don’t have to. I’d hate to make you regret us.”

“I don’t, and I wouldn’t. Not ever.” He
hugged her back, holding on tight. “I still meant everything I
said. This doesn’t change how I feel.” He kissed her. “As long as
you know I mean it, when I say I love you, that’s what
matters.”

“I do.” She squeezed his hand. “And I’d stay
here all night and let you show me, but we have an
appointment.”

Right. Time to put their plan into action.
“I’ll meet you at the shelter?”

She nodded, and stepped away. He grasped her
fingers, pulled her to him, and rested a hand on the small of her
back. He kissed her, pouring everything he felt into the gesture.
Memorizing each curve of her body, and the way her frame molded to
his. This was what mattered. Making sure Lys had whatever it took
to make her happy. He finally let her go, and the absence of her
touch lingered on his skin. “See you soon.”

Mikki sat on the couch in Alyssia’s office,
legs crossed, and laptop balanced on her knees. Alyssia scrolled
through lists of supplies—purchases she needed to grow the shelter.
Tate was working his contacts to find a storage facility for his
hardware. So many servers had to be on and online all the time, and
they needed a secure location to live in.

It was the same scene as it had been for
almost two weeks, and Alyssia found it comforting. That, and—now
that she was back on daytime shifts—she loved waking up next to
Tate, regardless of whose place they stayed at.

Tate reached around Alyssia for a pen. He
brushed his lips over her cheek before scooting away again, and
going back to his pacing and whatever he was looking up on the
tablet he held. Heat flooded Alyssia’s face when she realized Mikki
was watching, mouth twisted in amusement.

Mikki shook her head and turned back to her
work. “You two are cute.” She glanced at Alyssia again. “I don’t
know why Jared’s still grumpy about it.”

Alyssia tucked away the sliver of hurt at the
reminder. He’d told Tate he was okay, but he still snarled when he
saw the two of them together. She knew it would take time, but
Jared still meant the world to her. She couldn’t ask for a better
older brother. “It’s probably hard to get if you don’t have
siblings.”

Mikki shrugged. “I guess. Personally, I think
he’s just jealous. When Holly and Robert find out, he’s going to
have to share the ‘when are we getting grandkids’ conversations
with you.”

A nervous pit sank into Alyssia’s gut. It had
been there a lot lately. A hint of nausea that surged at certain
times of the day, then ebbed again as she lost herself in work.

Sweet, heartfelt confessions of love were one
thing, but it wasn’t like they were even living together yet, let
alone having a children conversation. It was true; Tate said he
wanted to be her future, but they hadn’t talked about things like
that. And as much as she wanted kids, she wasn’t sure that fell in
line with his vision. She risked a glance at Tate. He stared at his
tablet, his face a flat mask, and his finger tapping on the
screen.

“I’m pretty sure he’s not jealous.” Tate
finally looked up. “Really? You get the grandkids question already?
You’re not even married yet.”

Mikki held up her left hand and wiggled her
fingers. The overhead lights sparkled off diamonds. “I’m just
saying, join us for Sunday dinner holding hands, instead of sitting
at opposite ends of the room pretending you don’t see each other,
and things will change. It’s not like it’s a big deal, we’re just
running out of polite excuses.”

“Kids aren’t in your future?”

Alyssia tried not to pick apart Tate’s
question. There was no reason to analyze the words, examine them
for inflection. That wasn’t uncertainty or disgust she heard in her
voice.