Addicted to Love

by Deborah Cooke

They sat, eyes wide that he had finally lost his temper. He glared at them, knowing he’d never survive this evening alone.

  He needed help. Otherwise, he’d murder them both within the hour and have no remorse at all.

  There was only one person he could ask.

  Okay, it was an excuse to talk to her a week early, but he was going to take it.

  He punched in Lauren’s number before he could second-guess his choice, praying that she’d answer.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” Lauren said, her low voice soothing him as little else could.

  “I know. I need to throw myself at your mercy and beg a favor.”

  “Interesting,” she said, pretending to be cool but he heard that she was intrigued. “What’s in it for me?”

  “Anything you want.”

  He heard the smile in her voice when she replied. “This must be a big favor you want.”

  “The thing is that I’ve made the strategic error of trying to be nice.” The boys were watching him in silence, and Kyle hoped they didn’t guess how much he was enjoying just talking to Lauren.

  “Nice? You?” Lauren chuckled. “I have it on good authority that you aren’t nice. You told me so.”

  “Yeah, well, I slipped up and decided to try it.”

  “And?”

  “Very bad idea. Which made me think of you for an intervention, given that you’re someone who understands nice and its repercussions.”

  Lauren laughed. “Define nice. Maybe the word means something different than I think it does.”

  “Very funny. Do you remember the first time we met?”

  Her voice became quieter. “Of course.”

  “Have you ever paid forward that vacation save?”

  “No. Why?” Lauren sounded suitably wary.

  “Because tonight is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.”

  “I wouldn’t say I was waiting, exactly...”

  “Just hear me out. My brother and his wife are in town with their kids, and I offered to mind the monsters so they could have a date night.”

  “We’re not monsters,” Noah protested. “We’re sprouts!”

  “Wow. That is nice.”

  “He even paid for Mom and Dave’s dinner,” Jason declared beside the phone, then named the restaurant.

  “Very nice,” Lauren said.

  “Did someone invite you to this conversation?” Kyle demanded of Jason, even as Lauren laughed. “Is there a reason why you think anyone is interested in what you have to say?”

  “It’s a girl,” Jason replied. “I can hear her voice. Obviously, you want to impress her. I just helped.”

  “I think I can manage to impress women without your help, thanks just the same.” Kyle turned his back on the two boys.

  “We’re having a sleepover!” Noah crowed and a pillow fight began.

  “Hey! I said silence!”

  Both boys dropped their weapons and Kyle resisted the urge to straighten the cushions on his club chairs.

  “Next, they’ll be getting you dates.” If nothing else, Lauren was having a good laugh at his expense.

  “Don’t even think that, much less say it aloud.”

  “How old are they?”

  “The ringleader here is eleven going on thirty. Sprout Two is six.”

  “I’ll bet that grilled halibut of yours was a big hit.”

  “I’ve ordered burgers. I thought that would be healthier than pizza.” Kyle took a deep breath, feeling better just for talking to an adult. “There was no way I could cook with the chaos that’s erupted here.”

  “You cook?” Jason asked, something like interest in his eye.

  “Not a bad choice,” Lauren said as Kyle nodded to his nephew. “Delivery?”

  “Yes, and they’ve obviously taken a detour to Maine because they know I’m desperate.”

  “The kids are hungry.”

  “Food will distract them for seven or eight seconds.” The door buzzer sounded. “Wait, they’re here.” He answered, let them in, then returned to his conversation with Lauren as he got out his credit card.

  “It’s the cavalry!” she said and made a trumpet sound.

  Kyle laughed. “Pretty much.”

  “Next you’ll say that I’m your lucky charm.”

  Something warm began to glow inside Kyle. “Maybe you are.”

  “So, the bottom line here is that you want me to come and help, right?”

  “I’d love it, but maybe you should save yourself now and make a run for Burma.”

  She laughed lightly. “They’re kids. It can’t be that bad. What’s your big plan for the evening?”

  “Movies?” Kyle heard his own uncertainty.

  “You don’t even have a plan, do you?” Her tone was amused, not judgmental.

  “My mom was supposed to help. Instead, she went on a date. There’s a rumor that she’ll turn up by midnight...”

  “But you’re not going to bet on it.”

  Kyle sighed. “She’s in love, again, and she’ll be having fun.”

  “So, you have no plan and you don’t want to call any of them and ruin their evening in the Big Apple.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Sounds like you are nice, Kyle, even though you try to hide it.”

  “Don’t let word get around.”

  She laughed again. “What made you assume I’d know more about kids than you?”

  “It’s a statistical probability. I don’t think anyone on the planet knows less about kids than me.”

  “You were one, once.”

  “I’ve blocked the memory. Now I remember why. Hang on.” Kyle put his hand over the phone at the repeated sound of rushing water. “Quit flushing the toilet! Wait. Why are you flushing the toilet?”

  Lauren was laughing harder when he got back to her, although he was feeling very flustered. “All we have to negotiate are my terms, then.”

  “Do you have any idea what you’re getting into?”

  “Pretty much, yes.”

  He sighed. “Then this must be pity.”

  “Pretty much, yes. What do you think?”

  “That it would be completely awesome and I would be in your debt forever,” Kyle said and meant it.

  “I like the sound of that,” Lauren purred. “I’ll let you know my price once I know how bad it is.”

  “Sounds fair.”

  “I’ll see you in half an hour.” She ended the call and Kyle smiled at the phone for a minute before putting it away.

  “Is that your girlfriend?” Noah asked, then made a face.

  “It’s my friend, and if either of you are mean to her, make her cry, hurt her, or spill anything on her, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. Got it?”

  “Yes, Uncle Kyle,” they said in unison.

  “She is your girlfriend,” Jason said, looking so wise that Kyle wanted to smack him. He faked a kiss and the pair of them were so busy making smooch noises that Kyle couldn’t hear himself think.

  “Okay, Jason, help me clean up this juice and don’t step in the broken glass. Better yet, both of you sit right there and watch. Do not start eating until I say you can.”

  “He’s bossy,” Noah complained.

  “You’d better believe it,” Kyle muttered, convinced that nothing could induce him to ever willingly reproduce.

  Ten

  It was funny to hear Kyle when he wasn’t completely confident and in control, even though Lauren could sympathize. The first time she’d watched her nephew, Ethan, she’d been terrified that something would go wrong—and he’d only been two months old. Those nephews of his sounded like a bit of trouble, maybe the same kind of trouble that Kyle had been when he was younger.

  Still, she admired that he’d offered to take the boys so that his brother and wife could have a night to themselves. It was a sweet gesture and she wanted to help.

  It didn’t hurt that Kyle had called her, either. She was more than glad to see him again, regardless of the terms, and it gave
her a sweet twinge of pleasure that he’d thought of her when he needed help.

  She wasn’t going to let him down.

  Lauren also wasn’t going to be predictable. She knew very well that he expected her to want sex in exchange for helping him out, because that would have been his price. It would have been easy to go for those terms, but this was too good of an opportunity to lose.

  She was going to demand that he answer a question instead.

  And it would be a good one.

  Lauren went through her cupboards at lightning speed, assembling the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. Kyle probably didn’t have any baking equipment—she would bet that he didn’t eat sugar—so she packed a tote bag with everything she’d need to make the cookies. She added a bag of popping corn, packed a few essentials in case she stayed overnight, then headed out.

  Mr. Bernard swept open the door for her and offered to get her a cab, but Lauren needed to stop at the bodega at the corner. She couldn’t remember if there was one close to Kyle’s place. She needed butter, eggs, and milk, then thought of the boys staying overnight. She added bagels, cream cheese and a bunch of bananas. They had some little bags of freshly ground coffee and she grabbed one on impulse. If she was there until morning, she would need her morning cup of java, but she couldn’t count on Kyle to have caffeine, either.

  It was a good thing they weren’t dating. His hard line on nutrition would have been too much for her. She needed her chocolate, caffeine, and wine like she needed air to breathe.

  Maybe he could be led astray.

  The idea made Lauren smile as she was trying to hail a cab, and that smile might have been the reason a cab cut across four lanes of traffic to stop in front of her.

  She was at Kyle’s building within twenty-five minutes of his cry for help. The cabbie carried the groceries to the lobby for her and she gave him a good tip before buzzing Kyle’s apartment. “Search and rescue service,” she said when he replied and heard him laugh.

  “Just in time! Come on up.”

  He met her at the elevator and he scrutinized her with an intensity that made her blush. The door to his apartment was open down the hall and Lauren glanced that way to see that two boys were standing there. She was surprised that they looked so unlike Kyle. One was a lanky ginger—or more of a carrot—with glasses and the shorter stockier one had dark hair.

  “You are an angel of mercy,” he said and seized her bags. “I owe you big.”

  “I know,” she teased. “I intend to collect.”

  Their gazes locked and held for an electric moment, long enough for Lauren to realize her guess had been right—and to wonder if she was making a mistake by taking a pass on more sex with Kyle.

  “You look great,” he said, his voice low and husky. His gaze roved over her as if he was hungry for the sight of her. “You cut your hair.”

  “Part of the fresh start plan.” Lauren pushed her fingers through it. “It still surprises me that it’s short, after so many years of having it long.”

  “I like it,” he said, and she could tell by the glow in his eyes that he meant it. “It suits you.”

  “I thought you liked it long.”

  “I did, but I like this better.” He smiled. “Maybe I’d think you were sexy as hell no matter how your hair was cut.”

  “You’re probably thinking that flattery will get you everywhere.”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  “A new haircut doesn’t make me a different woman to seduce.”

  He grinned. “We should make sure.”

  Lauren laughed and shook her head at him. She would have stepped past him toward his apartment, but he caught her arm. His grip was gentle but firm, and his touch made her mouth go dry. Could she get through this night without letting him seduce her?

  Without seducing him?

  Kyle cleared his throat. Lauren realized he was awkward, which was unusual. “So, um, did you and Mark work things out?”

  “Do you think I would be here if we did?”

  His smile was quick and filled with relief. “Not really, but you have a way of challenging my expectations.”

  Lauren leaned close, as much to whisper to him as to get a good whiff of his skin. Mmm. He smelled as delicious as ever and she stifled a shiver. “The blonde was only the tip of the iceberg,” she confessed. “He was having an affair with the woman who works in my salon, Marie.”

  Kyle looked astonished. “You’re kidding me.”

  “No. Also, she got pregnant and she thought I would talk him into doing the right thing.”

  Kyle appeared to be speechless. He looked down the hall for a moment, then back at her. “That’s incredible.”

  “Yup. So we had this huge fight at the bodega on the corner, where I told him exactly what I thought of him in front of a couple of dozen people, and he suddenly found a job in Chicago.”

  Kyle’s eyes lit. “Is that why you look so happy?”

  Lauren laughed. “I think it might be. It’s a whole new world.”

  “Good for you.” His gaze locked with hers again and Lauren found herself imagining a thousand possibilities—most of which were impossible with Kyle.

  She really did know how to pick them.

  Then a door slammed down the hall. Lauren was surprised to see that the boys had shut the door against Kyle.

  “I’m learning fast,” he said grimly. “My keys are in my back pocket.” He turned and gave her a look, inviting her to get them.

  And maybe take a little more.

  Lauren reached in and gave his butt a caress as she retrieved the keys, just because it was fun. Kyle pivoted and captured her lips in a sweet hot kiss, one that caught her by surprise and made her heart race. She was breathless when he lifted his head and she liked how he smiled in satisfaction. His voice was low enough to make her blood thrum. “Seriously, I’m really glad to see you.”

  “I can tell.”

  Kyle glanced between the door to his apartment and the elevator. His tone turned wistful. “Maybe we should make a run for it, and just leave them here.”

  “That would be irresponsible, and you know it.” Lauren continued down the hall and fitted his key into the door.

  “I don’t know. There’s not much they can get into,” Kyle said, then Lauren opened the door just as he was proven wrong.

  “Balloons!” the younger boy cried from the bedroom. “Uncle Kyle has balloons. Look!” The sound of running feet echoed through the apartment as the older boy obviously ran to see.

  “Balloons?” Kyle looked puzzled. Lauren shrugged. They took the groceries into the kitchen. She was putting the milk into the fridge when the boys reappeared.

  “They’re hard to blow up,” the older boy complained. “I don’t think they’re very good balloons.”

  She turned to see that they had found Kyle’s supply of condoms.

  “You blow it up, Uncle Kyle,” the boy said, shoving it at him.

  “They have funny packages,” the younger boy said, opening a few.

  “They’re not balloons,” Kyle said with increasing impatience. “You’re not supposed to be able to blow them up. And you don’t need to take them all out of their packages!”

  “Then what are they?” The older boy snapped one, as if it might be a kind of sling shot. This inspired the younger one, who did the same, and they started a battle. Lauren pretended to be absorbed in putting things in the fridge so Kyle couldn’t see her smile.

  “They’re not balloons!” Kyle insisted, gathering them all up and retreating to the bedroom. When he returned, he closed the door, then visibly took a deep breath.

  Seeing him out of control in person was even more interesting than hearing it on the phone. His eyes were snapping and his hair was disheveled. He looked a lot more unpredictable, and Lauren found that a little too interesting.

  “You’re obviously in your element with kids,” she said and he made a little growl of exasperation.

  “I thought calling you might sa
ve their lives.” He glowered at the boys, who weren’t daunted in the least. “Now I’m not convinced.”

  “You’ll be completely different when you have your own.”

  “Never,” he said with vehemence. “This interval will be the sum of my living with kids.”

  “He said you’re not his girlfriend,” the older boy said. “Is that why?”

  “No, it’s not why. We’re just friends,” she said lightly, not missing Kyle’s relief. “I’m Lauren,” she said to him, then offered her hand. “I thought we could make chocolate chip cookies.”

  The younger boy forgot the balloons and came running to her. He hugged her knees. “Yes, please,” he said against her legs.

  “I’m Jason,” the older one said, shaking her hands solemnly. “That’s Noah.”

  “Well, hello. I hope you both like to help in the kitchen.”

  “If you’re not his girlfriend, how come you’re here?”

  “Because friends do things for each other.” Lauren lifted her gaze to Kyle’s. “We hang out together and watch movies sometimes.”

  “Disney movies?” There was a sneer in that question.

  “Movies like these.” Lauren reached into her bag and offered a pair of DVD’s. They were action movies from Mark’s collection that she thought were suitable for kids. She’d pulled them out of the box of stuff-destined-to-depart. “I know Kyle doesn’t have Netflix so I thought we’d go old school.”

  Jason studied them and put one on top, apparently having the power of veto over movie choices. “Where are the cookies?” he asked, eyeing her bag of supplies.

  “We’re going to make them together.”

  “But we just get them from the store.”

  “They’re much better when you make them fresh.” Lauren had put the dairy in the fridge and was organizing her baking equipment on the counter. Noah hung on to the lip of the counter, watching. “My grandmother and I always made them together, and they are the best. Now I’ll teach you.” She gave Jason the recipe, guessing that he’d want to read the plan first.

  They calmed down a lot, especially once she gave them jobs like measuring the flour. Kyle was in the kitchen, too, and maintained some kind of order. He also made an excellent save when one measuring cup was knocked off the counter. It wasn’t long until there were cookies cooling on the counter.