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“No, I can’t – and you aren’t listening to me.”
“Nope, because you keep saying ‘no,’ but your beautiful smile says differently… and I really adore your smile.”
“I’m not smiling!”
And Elana paused, before cursing under her breath in awareness and sudden comprehension that the infuriating man was right.
She was smiling.
CHAPTER 5
INFERNO
Wednesday
“Reese? Eileen? I need your help…” Max began the next morning, pouring three cups of coffee as they walked into the kitchen. Reese was dressed in his uniform and had explained he was going to be working, unfortunately, during a few days of Max’s visit – same with Eileen – but he would have the run of the house, and the truck was available for his use while in town.
“What’s up?” Reese began and then paused. “Elana dumped you and pressed charges?”
“Reese?” Eileen gasped, laughing.
“Dude, yo, that’s not funny,” Max retorted glumly, looking at his brother. “So I’ve gotten in trouble a few times in the past – but I really like the woman and want to see where this goes.”
“What’s the problem then?” Eileen asked kindly and put a hand over Reese’s mouth as he opened it. “Shhh. You just stay sexy and silent for me, and I’ll handle this one, okay?”
Reese chuckled and pulled her hand away, moving to kiss her temple.
“Go ahead,” Max’s brother whispered to his wife. “I’m always wanting to learn more about how you think.”
Eileen beamed at Reese and then looked at Max.
“And that is how you start,” she told him openly. “Learn how she thinks and what makes her feel happy or relaxed around you. You want her to open up and let you in because she’s a cool cucumber on the outside and probably has to be for work.”
“Elana?”
“You want to get to know her heart and soul – and that requires getting past the Frost Queen.”
Now he was confused because she was laughing and seemed like she was opening up already toward him; before he was a knucklehead and ruined things. He’d had no idea she would get that upset at his playful stunt, and it kept him up for several hours trying to think of ways to fix it between them.
“What do girls like?”
“Flowers…”
“Did that,” he interrupted bluntly.
“You can give her flowers more than once, dork…” and heard Reese chuckle, looking at his brother as he tried to stifle it.
“We used to leave each other presents that we could use at work,” Eileen admitted. “I really loved seeing a little something special unexpectedly in my workplace with no note, because I knew it was from Reese.”
“It always brightened my day,” Reese admitted.
“Okay. Gifts. I can do that.”
“A special coffee mug,” Eileen suggested, holding up her mug. “Your brother got me a gold cuff for my stethoscope, and girls like sparkly things given with meaning behind it. Um, chocolate is always good. Let’s see, what else…?”
“So coffee mugs, bling, chocolate, and flowers?”
“If it comes from the heart and has meaning – then yes.”
