Harlequin E Contemporary Romance Box Set Volume 2: Maid to CraveAll I HaveThe Last First DateLight My Fire

by Rebecca M. Avery

  Chapter Three

  It was really hard to ignore a man who looked like he’d stepped out of a really inappropriate dream, especially when he was actually helping her child.

  She was shocked at the improvement in Zach’s reading just from listening to a silly song. Why hadn’t she thought of that? She used the internet every day. She understood technology—technology was her life—but never had she even thought about looking up a song to help with Zach’s reading. Along with a really, really nice body, Seth had also been blessed with some form of creative genius, as well.

  No way was Seth going to dump and run now. She’d had so many conferences with Zach’s teachers about his struggles with reading—both in his old school and in this new school—that she’d lost count. A really expensive phonics book and CD set, an even more expensive tutoring program, followed by a special plan to help him in the classroom and Zach still was in serious danger of repeating first grade. Comparing Zach’s reading to the other kids in his class was distressing, but not being able to help her own child was even worse.

  In the time she’d spent making dinner, Zach had finished reading a whole book! Thanks to Seth. The other kids in his class could read two or three in that time, but for Zach, finishing one book was incredible. So she would do anything short of begging to get Seth to stay for more reading. The idea of reading two books in one night would normally have brought her and Zach both to tears. So for Zach to be willing to do it was…simply amazing. Somehow she knew that if Seth left, Zach’s interest in reading another book would dwindle significantly.

  So far she’d offered dinner, but would he really stay and work with Zach or would he cut out after they ate? He probably had some hot date, but it was worth trying to get him to stay, even if it meant tricking him. They ate dinner together and she listened to Zach talk about another little boy in his class that she felt pretty sure was bullying him.

  “You know most people who say or do mean things to other people are doing it because they are jealous,” Seth said to Zach after listening to a story about how Cody had been mean to Zach at lunch time. “You’re pretty ripped for a first grader. I’m guessing Cody doesn’t have as many muscles as you do.”

  “That’s very possible. Cody might also be acting mean because he doesn’t think very well of himself. Maybe he wants to be taller or skinnier or have more friends. That is not an excuse to be mean to other people, but it might explain why he acts like that,” she said, eyeing Seth thoughtfully.

  Seth looked at her with exasperation blazing in his eyes. She really hadn’t been aiming that comment at him, not this time anyways…but if the shoe fit.

  “You know, maybe you and Cody just got off on the wrong foot. Maybe you should invite him to work out with us tomorrow. It’s nice to give people a second chance, right?” Seth asked Zach. Then Seth looked at her as if to bring home his point.

  “What if he’s mean to me while we are working out?” Zach asked.

  “Then we take him home and he won’t get to come anymore, but at least you will know that you made every effort to become friends with him,” Seth replied to Zach. Then he looked at her and said, “So how about it? Would you like to go to the gym with us tomorrow?”

  The man was so handsome it was hard to look at him for very long at a time. He was also apparently strong as an ox, what with the way he had hefted the headboard around, and he was smart enough to give her a dose of her own medicine when it came to entrapment. She couldn’t even give him a dirty look because Zach was watching her expectantly. Parent by example…yada, yada, yada.

  “Sure, sounds like fun,” she ground out.

  “See, you can be friends with Cody Manson, but first you have to try, even when all the person does is spit venom at you like a poisonous snake,” Seth said. “Just keep on until you win them over.”

  Ha! Win her over, that was doubtful…but for Zach’s sake she wouldn’t argue the point right now. There would be time to correct Seth’s misinterpretation of the situation later. She met his gaze across the table and had to force herself to stare him down when one of his flirty grins, the kind that made the backs of her thighs burn, slid into place like it belonged there. Don’t look away. Don’t look away. Damn!

  She could feel her cheeks heat up and was relieved when Seth said to Zach, “How about that book then, if you’re all done eating? I’ll help your mom clean off the table while you run up to your room and pick one. Then we’ll all meet up in the living room for another story.”

  Oh, he was good. She’d spent the past few days avoiding him like the plague only for him to effortlessly ensure a few minutes of her undivided attention right now and an entire evening in her company tomorrow. She could no more get out of either of them than she could cheat death.

  Zach hopped down out of his chair and headed upstairs. He’d just gotten to the top of the stairs when Seth trapped her hand against the plate she had tried to pick up. Sparks raced up her arm from where his fingers touched hers.

  “I’ll clear the table while you put up the leftovers. If we work together, it will give us more time to spend…with Zach,” he said, grinning at her. Ok, fine, he was more than handsome…he was like a pinup poster boy for sexuality.

  “Fine,” she said, pulling her fingers out from under his and moving away from him.

  Too late, she realized how quickly she’d made it out of the dining room and into the kitchen. She could hear Seth’s snickers coming from the other room. That’s all she needed. If he realized he affected her in any way it would be game over. Much like Lucas, Zach’s father, Seth wouldn’t let up if he caught a whiff of potential victory. Then a single moment of weakness and…

  Oh, God no! Absolutely not! She didn’t need that unless it came with a side order of cyanide. What she needed was safety…security…simplicity. She needed someone like Tim, a man who wasn’t nearly as attractive as Seth, a man who was slightly boring, but harmless, sweet. Her outdated wardrobe, pulled up hair, glasses and lack of makeup were her way of dressing for dating success. She had thought her look was working to keep men like Seth away, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  “You okay?” he whispered from directly behind her. Damn it! She jumped at his nearness and again she heard him snicker. She’d been standing near the stove, lost in thought, moving at a snail’s pace, while he’d quickly cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.

  “I picked a book!” Zach said loudly from the doorway.

  “Your mom is being a slacker. Let me help her with her chores and we’ll be right there,” Seth said, ruffling Zach’s hair.

  Zach marched back out of the kitchen, into the living room and out of view. Tori watched as two well-muscled arms wrapped around her body, allowing Seth to take the container she held. He was so close behind her that the nearness of his body was like an invisible magnet pulling her back into his embrace. She could only watch helplessly as he slowly spooned food out of the pans and made a complete meal in the container.

  He was so much bigger than she was. He could rest his chin on her head with ease…perfectly. Most people were bigger than her, though, and while he wasn’t as big as Kayla’s husband Ronnie or their other friend Ian, somehow Seth was more intense…harder to ignore.

  Leaning down even closer to her, he said quietly, “Hand me the lid, please.”

  She could only obey. She found herself grabbing the lid and quickly handing it to him. Then she watched as he held the container with one hand and put the lid on with the other, closing it in one smooth movement. For her, closing it usually entailed setting the container down and fighting the lid to get it to seal. Every nerve ending in her body was aware of where Seth stood and each movement he made. She felt like a caged animal just waiting for his next move.

  Then, just as quickly, he stepped away from her and walked over to the refrigerator. She took advantage of her newfound freedom to grab up the pans and head over to the sink to rinse them and load them in the dishwasher. Don’t look at him. Don’t look….Dam
n!

  He should stuff a sock in that sexy mouth of his to stop his ridiculous grin. It was almost constant! Did he really think that would work on her? It kind of was working, but he couldn’t know that…could he? The combination of his shocking good looks and his sexy grins just made her mad, but if she told him to knock it off, that would be like admitting that he had an effect on her.

  “I must say, I’m surprised at how well you know your way around a kitchen. I apologize for misjudging you solely because you are a man. I know how much I hate when people assume things about me, based on my size,” she said. “Next time, though, just ask me to move. I don’t mind handing over the reins. After all, that is what I pay you for.”

  “Are you guys coming? I’ve been waiting forever,” Zach said from the doorway.

  “On our way,” Seth said, frowning at her.

  Good. Frowning was good. Sensual grins? Not so much.

  The second book and the math homework went better than she expected, and aside from Zach constantly looking at Seth for approval, she couldn’t have asked for a better evening. The little bit of jealousy she felt at how easily Seth had stepped in and gained Zach’s attention and how much better Seth was at helping Zach with reading than she was…she couldn’t fault the man for it. It was a talent he possessed that she couldn’t help but admire. After Seth left, she spent some time with Zach playing a board game and then he went upstairs to take his shower and get ready for bed.

  While she waited for Zach to finish, she kept thinking back to Seth’s grin. If she was so puny and flat chested, why was he bothering to flirt with her? It made no sense. Though she wasn’t the hottest woman alive, she had been hit on before. For whatever reason, the harder she tried to blow Seth off, the more he grinned and flirted. Wasn’t he aware of how she looked and dressed? He could get any number of hot women, of that she had no doubt. Why bother with her? Twisted jerk!

  The following afternoon she arrived at Zach’s school to pick him up and found him talking to another little boy. She almost hated to interrupt since it was rare that Zach socialized. He mostly hung out in the background trying not to be noticed. Another trait he had inherited from her. A woman standing next to the other little boy smiled as Tori approached.

  “You must be Zach’s mom. I’m Elizabeth Manson. Cody talks about Zach all the time. It’s nice to meet you. They’ve been talking about some trip to the gym to work out?” the woman asked, shaking Tori’s hand.

  Be nice. Seth is right. Everyone deserves a second chance, even Cody Manson.

  “Yes, my, um, my housekeeper has a gym membership and said that Zach could invite a friend if he wanted,” she finally managed to spit out.

  Somehow thinking of Seth in any possessive manner, even if it was just to claim him as an employee, made her flush.

  “Cody wants to go with us, Mommy, he’s my friend now,” Zach offered pleadingly. The look on her little boy’s face was why she would allow this…not because of anything Seth had said. Right. Who was she kidding?

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Elizabeth asked. “I could drop him off and even pick him up from the gym when they are done.”

  Tori gave Elizabeth information on when and where to drop off and pick up Cody and took down her phone number in case plans changed. As Tori and Zach headed home, he chattered non-stop about the upcoming trip to the gym and about making friends with Cody. Arriving back at the house, she entered the kitchen to see Seth pacing and talking on his cell phone.

  “No, man, that’s great! I just have to shuffle some things around and then I’ll be there to get you. I really didn’t think they would release you today, that’s all. Give me about a half an hour or so and I’ll be there,” he said and hung up the phone.

  A sick feeling told her that like most men, Seth was about to disappoint her son. He faced her and then looked down at Zach, who stood looking up at him in return. A mix of emotions crossed Seth’s handsome face, but he remained quiet as if he was thinking. Handsome or not, she could feel her anger toward him rising. She should have expected something like this. It’s what good-looking guys did. They broke hearts…including the heart of a six-year-old little boy.

  “My brother is being released from the rehab center this afternoon and I have to pick him up and drop him off at our apartment. Did you guys want to go with me? If not, I can give you the gym card in case this takes longer than I think it will and then meet you there,” he said, finally looking away from Zach to her.

  Was he serious? She wasn’t taking Zach to a rehab facility! Though she appreciated the hard work of anyone who was putting their life back together and fighting addiction, taking a six-year-old there to pick up a stranger wasn’t going to happen.

  “What’s a rehab center?” Zach asked.

  “Oh, well, actually it’s like a nursing home. My brother was in a bad car wreck a couple of months ago and he’s been at the nursing home for rehabilitation. He’s learning to walk again,” Seth said. “Apparently he passed his test today and they are letting him come home.”

  Thank God she hadn’t said her thoughts out loud or let her anger spill out! She would have felt so bad speaking out of turn about something she knew nothing about. Much like Seth had done at the wedding. He was even being nice enough to try and not break his promise to Zach when he obviously had a lot on his plate this evening. Guilt washed over her at her own misconceptions about him.

  “Maybe we should do the gym trip another day,” she offered. “I’m sure your brother will need you to stay with him this evening on his first night home.”

  Zach looked to be on the verge of tears, but there was nothing to be done about it. Tori understood that family had to come first. In that, she had a lot in common with Seth. Family was why she’d taken her new job, even though she’d put herself in the position of dating her boss. Spending time with Zach and being there for him when he needed her was what a good parent did for their child.

  Unlike her, Seth must have had good parents. The kind of parent she was trying to be for Zach. Seth was even now weighing his promise to Zach against the fact that his brother needed him. Tori’s family wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving her out to dry in an attempt to keep up appearances. Seth was making the right choice. Zach would just have to understand. Perhaps she could still take him and Cody out for a hamburger or something.

  “Well, if you two can help me get Caleb back to the apartment and settled in, then maybe Zach and I can hit the gym and you could sit with my brother until we get back?” Seth suggested. “Ian and Ronnie were going to help me, but we didn’t expect him to be released until this weekend. Ian is at a job and Ronnie’s got a baseball game tonight at the school. I’m not sure where Rusty is at the moment. I hate to even ask you, but…”

  “Sure. No, don’t bother them, really. We can help,” she said when she saw the desperation in his face.

  “I owe you one, Tori,” he said. His genuine smile was even better than his flirty one and she felt the effect of it low in her belly.

  She hadn’t paid much attention to Seth’s vehicle before, but stepping outside and seeing the compact economy car that was at least ten years old, she paused. If Seth’s brother had any substantial injuries, a car ride in that would be extremely uncomfortable.

  “Maybe we should take my car,” she offered.

  “It’s not much to look at, but it runs,” he said defensively.

  “Yes, but my car is bigger and it has Zach’s seat already in the back,” she explained.

  The ride to the rehab center was filled with the sounds of Zach and Seth singing the letter sounds song over and over again. She would have been thoroughly irritated by the time they arrived if Seth hadn’t grinned his devastating grin every time she even glanced at him. Besides, the song really seemed to be making a difference for Zach, so how could she not secretly smile back?

  After parking the car, she and Zach followed Seth inside and soon enough another man was wheeled out to where they stood. The man sitti
ng in the wheelchair was almost an exact replica of Seth, only skinnier and with two horribly injured legs that made her grimace. When she moved to shake his hand, she was almost afraid to touch the handsome man who now sported a scar above one eyebrow. It only seemed to add to his masculinity. He was all smiles, though, as she and Seth worked to get him loaded, as comfortably as possible, into her car. The nurse handed her a packet of paperwork and instructions.

  Giving Seth the keys to the car, she said, “You might want to drive. I’ll sit in the back. Sometimes being little comes in handy.”

  Seth rolled his eyes at her, though she hadn’t meant anything by the statement. Then he took the keys and headed to the driver’s seat. When they pulled up to Seth’s apartment building, she got out and ordered Zach to stand on the sidewalk and wait for them. She opened Caleb’s car door and he blessed her with the same grin that Seth constantly wore. Somehow she wasn’t forced to look away from Caleb like she was when Seth looked at her like that.

  Caleb moved slowly, but soon enough they had him situated comfortably in a wheelchair Seth had rented. They headed inside with Zach holding the door open, Seth wheeling Caleb and Tori carrying a duffle bag of Caleb’s belongings.

  Caleb must have had a high tolerance for pain. Just looking at him made her want to whine and cry. As they approached the lone elevator in the three-story apartment building, she noticed a sign attached to the doors. Stopping, they all stood there in shock.

  “Out…of…service,” Zach read slowly. Then, turning to Tori he said, “How will he walk up the stairs with his broken legs?” Her thoughts exactly.

  “Let me call the landlord,” Seth said, pulling out his cell phone, dialing a number and then walking a few feet away.

  She tried not to stare at Caleb’s injured legs and finally gave up. “That looks really painful.”

  “Everything about the accident has been painful in some way,” he replied. “Things will never be exactly like they were before, but I just want a little normalcy, you know?”