by J. Kenner
“Not a thing. I’ll have the same.”
“Gotcha covered,” Elena said, then knelt in front of the bar as she poured their drinks, then poured a glass of wine for herself.
They chatted about their itinerary for a bit, with both Elena and Eva breathing a surreptitious sigh of relief when Tyree told them that the Nimitz Museum was fabulous, but that he’d been there several times.
“Are we going that 1431 route?” Eva said. “Because it looks like there’s a winery right before we get to Marble Falls.”
“I’m not sure what he’s doing,” Tyree said, bending to look out the window. “Unless he knows about a wreck that’s not showing on your map, I would have thought he’d be on the highway by now. Not over here in Crestview where—”
“What?” Eva said, looking up from her phone to find Tyree giving the stinkeye to their daughter. “Oh, dear.”
“Why are we in the Crestview neighborhood, Elena?”
“What’s in Crestview?” Eva asked.
“Some darling little houses. Including Brent’s.” At her blank look, he continued, “The man who showed you back to my office. One of my partners at The Fix.”
“And a single dad,” Elena hurried to say. “He asked if I could babysit today. And Marianne had already booked the limo, and I was afraid if I told you guys then one of you would bail, and honestly, don’t you want to catch up? If nothing else, Tyree needs to hear about every single adorable thing I did growing up. And, honestly, I was pretty adorable. That’s bound to take all day.”
She paused for a breath, and Eva tried very hard not to laugh. Based on Tyree’s expression, he was trying as well.
“You know,” Tyree said, “I would have been happy to simply take your mother out tonight—even tonight and tomorrow if that’s what it took to convey your awesomeness,” he added, with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “No wild scheme necessary.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to make sure you guys talked now. And, you know, had a nice time. I mean, since she’s leaving tomorrow.”
Tyree turned from Elena to Eva. “You’re leaving?”
She thought she heard disappointment in his voice, but she pushed it away. She’d decided to leave. She needed to leave. It was best if she left. “I don’t live here, remember? And I have a business back home, and I’m heading to Vancouver on Sunday. A very long-awaited vacation.”
She turned toward Elena with her best stern-mom expression. “I’d intended to leave today, but my daughter convinced me to spend the extra time with her.”
Elena waved the words away. “You’ve spent time with me for twenty-three years. Honestly, you must be sick to death of me. But guess who you haven’t seen for twenty-three years…” She trailed off with a significant look at Tyree who, being a ham, spread his arms at his sides and flashed a crazy grin.
“You’re really okay with this?” she asked him.
“With spending time with the one person who can tell me what my daughter’s first word was? Yeah. I’m okay with that.”
“All right, then. And it was no. Go figure.”
They pulled up in front of a charming wood and stone house, and the driver started around to Elena’s door.
“One thing,” Tyree said. “I thought you said I should talk to your mom about doing the—”
“Pictures?” Elena cut in. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. Hard to do that if she leaves.”
Tyree’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t say anything else. So Eva asked. “What pictures?”
“No big deal,” Elena assured her. “Go on. Have fun.” She leaned over and kissed Eva, then gave Tyree’s cheek a kiss, too. “Have fun, you two. Have as much fun as you want to.”
Then she hopped out of the car and hurried up the sidewalk where the man Eva had met on Wednesday was opening the door and waving at the limo. Eva caught a glimpse of a dark-haired little cutie before the door shut, and her daughter disappeared, and she was left alone in the back of a limo with a man she was wildly attracted to … but who was also absolutely, one-hundred percent off-limits for at least a dozen reasons.
None of which she could actually call to mind at the moment.
Chapter Eleven
They were already tipsy by the time they reached Fredericksburg, and not because of the whiskey in the limo—well, not entirely. No, they’d stopped at three vineyards along the way, enjoyed the tastings and the cheese plates, and Tyree had even taken the card of one of the vintners, promising to call him on Monday to discuss using his red blend as the featured local wine at The Fix.
“There’s a winery right on Main Street,” Tyree told her. “Want me to have the driver stop there?”
“No way,” she said, the shaking motion of her head feeling far too exaggerated. “But I do need food. And I think we should go to a German restaurant. That’s what the town’s mostly known for, right?”
“Used to be. I think a lot of fine dining and locally-sourced restaurants have moved in. But if you want German, we’ll have German.” He checked his watch. “We’ll hit Der Lindenbaum. Touristy, but good. And then I know just the place for dessert.”
She grinned. “I didn’t realize I had a tour guide.”
“Your wish, my command,” he said, apparently relishing the idea of taking care of her. Honestly, she didn’t mind. She used to be able to drink like a fish, but she’d cut out alcohol entirely when she was pregnant and breastfeeding, and then David only drank wine. She still had the occasional drink, but she’d pretty much consumed a year’s supply just in the drive to this adorable little town.
Tyree, who probably remembered the days when she could out drink a football team, was watching her with amusement.
“What?”
“You’re adorable when you’re wasted.”
“Oh, no. This is not about me being adorable. The only adorable we’re allowed to talk about is Elena. And believe me, she qualifies.”
“All right, then. Tell me another.”
She’d already told him the story of Elena’s birth, which had been ridiculously easy for her, but hard on David, who’d passed out from the sight of blood. She might have been imagining it, but she thought she’d seen a smug glint in Tyree’s eyes when she told him that. After all, as a combat veteran, surely he’d had no trouble with his own son’s birth.
She wished she’d been able to see him with Elena. At only six pounds at birth, she’d been healthy but tiny, and Eva could imagine Tyree holding her in the palm of his big hand. Or patting her tiny back as he held her against his broad shoulder after a feeding.
Blinking, she turned away, suddenly acutely aware of all they’d missed.
“You okay?”
“Sure.” She gathered herself and turned back. “Just feeling the alcohol.”
“We’ll get food in you soon.” He reached for the intercom, then told the driver to pull over when he could. A short time later, the limo drew to a stop on a side street and the driver let them out. Tyree told him to do whatever he wanted for the next few hours; that they were going to eat and explore, and he’d text when they were ready to get back in the limo.
“Nice way to travel,” she said as they walked toward the restaurant. “I still can’t believe Marianne did this.”
“Are you sure she did?”
Eva shot him a sideways glance. “Do you know something I don’t, or do you just think kids are inherently sneaky?”
“There’s some definite sneakiness potential,” he said. “Knowing Elena a bit now, I think she got more than her share of the gene.”
“Hmm.”
They walked past shops and restaurants until finally Tyree paused, then pulled open a door to reveal a homey restaurant that smelled amazing. She stepped in and sighed with pleasure. “I’m pretty much going to gorge myself on wurst. Be prepared.”
He laughed, but she wasn’t joking. And after she’d ordered, she pulled out her phone and opened her credit card app. Then she burst out laughing.
“What
?”
“You, sir, are a fine judge of character. An authorization for a limo charge.” She rolled her eyes. “I told her she could stay on my credit card until she’s out of grad school, but starting this year, she has to get a job to cover her charges.”
“She knew you’d figure it out,” he said. “If nothing else, your friend would have been clueless when you thanked her.” He reached across the table and took her hand, the connection sending a flurry of sparks skittering along her skin. “I guess the real question is whether you’re going to thank our daughter.”
She looked down at their joined hands, drew in a breath, then lifted her eyes to meet his. “Yeah, I definitely am.”
“Good,” he said. “Me, too.”
She was relieved when the waitress arrived with their food. There was too much emotion—and way too many cravings—swirling around inside of her. And mixed with the alcohol that was a bad combination.
She considered the food a temporary reset button, and dug in, eating more than she should to soak up some of the wine and whiskey. They talked while they ate, and she asked if his son was as sneaky as his daughter. “Not yet,” Tyree said. “But he’s only sixteen. Give him time.”
On the whole, though, they didn’t talk about Eli or Teiko. Just enough for Tyree to give the basic overview to catch her up with his life. The point of this day, after all, was for the two of them to reconnect—to reconnect as parents—and to talk about Elena.
And, yeah, to eat and drink and shop.
They continued on with that part of the itinerary after they’d devoured some truly delicious wurst. “Dessert?” Tyree asked as soon as they were back on the street.
“What are you? A bottomless pit? Let’s window shop a bit.”
They did, strolling along Main Street and looking in the windows of the charming shops. Once or twice they popped in, and in one adorable store, Eva found the perfect T-shirt for Elena. I’m only bossy because I was born that way. She reached over and grabbed Tyree’s hand, tugging him over to take a look, too.
At first, she didn’t even realize they were touching. Then she felt his warmth and the slow burn of awareness curling through her to pool in her lower belly before settling even lower, making her aware of places that had been sadly ignored for some very, very long months.
Casually, she started to tug her hand away, because it felt a little too nice and way too confusing to stay like that. But he tightened his grip, and she was left with the choice of either yanking her hand free or staying connected.
Swallowing, she looked up, only to find him smiling down at her, obviously understanding her dilemma perfectly.
Well, fine.
She kept her hand where it was, feeling smug. Like she’d won that round.
But then he lifted their joint hands and lightly brushed a kiss over the base of her thumb, as if that was the most normal thing to do. As if the sensation didn’t send her entire being, body and soul, into a tailspin.
“It really is the perfect shirt for her,” he said casually, apparently clueless that her body had gone on high alert. “Should we get it?”
She nodded, because speaking was out of the question. He grabbed the shirt, then led her to the register where he managed to pay with one hand—proving to her that he was deliberately messing with her. But she was okay with that. Because now that she’d gotten over the shock, she had to admit that being messed with felt pretty nice.
So nice, in fact, that when they finally had their fill of shopping and ended up at the Clear River Ice Cream & Bakery shop, she was actually disappointed. Because there was no way to eat a cup of ice cream with a spoon and not use both hands. Not and do it gracefully, anyway.
“We need to get back soon,” he said. “It’s almost eight.”
“I know. I’ve had a really nice day.”
He said nothing for a moment, just looked in her eyes. Then he nodded and held out a spoon of his Chocolate Hazelnut ice cream for her to try. She did, her mouth closing over the spoon as her eyes held his, and though she really wasn’t trying to flirt, there was something so damn sensual about the moment that she had to fight the urge to squirm in her chair just to release some of the sexual tension that was flooding through her, as delicious and sweet as warm chocolate sauce.
“I’ll call the driver,” he said, his voice tight.
She nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
At least, she thought it was a good idea until they climbed into the car. The sun was still up, but it was setting fast, and with the darkened windows, the car’s interior had a sultry, sensual feel. Or maybe that was just Eva.
Either way, she sat on the back seat feeling hyperaware of everything—especially the man sitting beside her.
“You don’t mind, do you? I rode sideways going in, but I think I’ve had enough to drink to make that unpleasant going back.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” she said. Then said nothing else for at least fifteen miles because she didn’t know what to say. So she just listened as he talked about the food and the leather goods store where he’d bought a wallet and the cute shirt they’d picked up for Elena.
“I’m babbling, aren’t I?”
“What?” she said. “Oh, no.”
“Then why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Oh. I. Well. This is going to sound odd, but I think I’m a little nervous.” She turned sideways enough to see his face, relieved to have confessed that much of it.
“Really? That’s funny.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just mean that’s why I’m babbling.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “You mean you’re nervous, too.”
“Pretty much.”
“What have you got to be nervous about?” She heard the breathiness in her voice and wondered if he did, too.
“Probably the same thing you do.” That time, it was a tease she heard.
“Oh. Right.” She nodded, her head bobbing foolishly as she tried to drum up some courage. Finally, she turned to him and blurted, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do.”
“Yeah? What—”
But she didn’t let him finish the question. Instead, she leaned into him, which was more awkward than she expected since they were sitting side by side, and she was still tipsy. She bumped his nose, gasped, then found her mouth pressed hard against his, exactly where she’d been aiming in the first place.
He opened to her, his mouth firm and demanding with just a hint of chocolate. And when his hand cupped her head and pulled her closer, she moaned and melted into the kiss. Their mouths locked into a battle, a war, a wild match that she was determined to win, knowing that no matter what, she’d come away satisfied.
Memory flooded over her. The taste of him. The scent. The feel of his fingers on her body, of his tongue teasing her breasts. Beneath her bra, her nipples peaked, and some small part of her brain shouted that this was too much, that she’d regret it in the morning, that she really needed to never drink again.
She told the voice to go to hell and shifted on the seat. And then, because she was feeling far too bold and way too foolish, she moved onto his lap and straddled him.
“Eva.” His voice was a low groan, swallowed by an even deeper kiss. She shifted her weight, then gasped as she realized how close they were and how hard he was. She could feel his erection through his jeans, and though she knew she was being completely wanton, she didn’t care. She ground against him, wanting even more, but knowing that she would have to stop. That they couldn’t take this much further.
But oh, it felt good to just go this far.
His hands stroked her body, the one at her neck sliding down as another crept under her shirt, teasing it up until, finally, his palm closed over her breast and she moaned against his mouth.
He tasted so good. Felt so good. Like the past and the future all rolled into one.
Except he couldn’t be…
Her future wasn’t here, it was at home, in California. She had a li
fe, and he had a life, and if they kept this up—if she let this lead all the way to sex in a limousine—they’d both regret it in the morning.
Which was a damn shame, really, because at the moment she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to strip naked and ride him all the way back to Austin.
No.
She broke the kiss, breathing hard as she leaned back, telling herself she was doing the right thing because they were grownups and they needed to pretend like they knew how to play the part.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have been so bold. And I definitely started that.” She climbed off him, then scrambled to the long seat where he’d spent the ride up.
“It’s okay,” he said. He sounded breathless, maybe even a little frustrated, but thankfully not angry. “I like bold women.”
She sighed, relieved that he was being so sweet. Another man might be angry that she’d put on the brakes. “It’s just that I wanted—”
She cut herself off, feeling ridiculous.
“What?” he asked.
She drew in a breath, then let it out slowly. Then she met his eyes and shrugged. “I wanted to see if it was like I remembered.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “And was it?”
“No,” she said honestly. “It was better.”
“Well, this is my stop.” Eva paused in front of her hotel room door, then gently tugged her hand free, and Tyree immediately mourned the loss of her warm touch. “Thanks for walking me in. You didn’t have to.”
“Sure I did. Had to make sure you got home safe, right?”
“I—” She swallowed, then took a deep breath, obviously trying to decide how to say whatever she had to say.
Honestly, he didn’t want to hear it.
“It’s just that—”
“Eva?”
“Yes?”
“Hush.”
Her mouth opened in surprise, and he leaned in, taking full advantage of the moment, relieved when she didn’t immediately pull away, but kissed him back, long and slow, until she finally cupped her palm against his cheek and drew back slowly, her eyes on his.