by Isabel North
Gargoyle shuffled closer and panted in Burke’s face proudly.
His knees protesting the crouched position, Burke settled with his ass on the floor and his back to the cabinets, laughing when Gargoyle huffed and threw himself down, almost on Burke’s lap, presenting his underparts for inspection.
“You want something?” Burke asked.
Gargoyle squirmed.
“You do? What is it you want, huh? Want a belly rub?” He stroked Gargoyle firmly. The dog squirmed again. His upside-down face as he rolled his eyes at Burke was truly fearsome. Burke gave him a full rubdown.
He was so busy petting the dog he didn’t hear the door open again, or notice he was no longer alone, until he heard a familiar voice.
“That looks fun,” Lila said. “Me next.”
Burke leaned back and spread out his hands. “Have at it.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of me getting a rubdown. Not giving one.”
Burke blushed. Hard and fast and furious.
Why did she have to say that? She was joking, he knew by the wink and the finger guns that for some reason she glared at once she’d fired them in his direction, but of course Burke’s mind went right there.
To giving Lila a rubdown.
Except she wasn’t on the floor. She was in his bed.
And she wasn’t wearing the pretty fifties-style blue sundress and strappy sandals she had on now, she was naked.
And so was Burke.
And she was moaning as he touched her.
And so was Burke.
“You okay?” Lila asked.
“Yeah,” Burke rumbled.
“You’re a little flushed.”
He waved at the stove. “Hot.”
“You get hot pretty easily, huh?”
When she was standing so close to him he could smell her light perfume, yes.
“Is that why you’re hiding in the kitchen?” she asked.
Burke didn’t reply, just looked at her.
“I get you. It’s crowded out there.” Without ceremony, she sat on the floor next to him. “I don’t blame you for sneaking away to take a break.”
Gargoyle, disgruntled that the attention was off him, huffed. Burke gave him a soothing stroke.
“This is amazing,” Lila said. While Burke was petting Gargoyle’s deep chest, Lila busied herself gently pulling the dog’s ears.
“What is?” Burke asked.
“This.” She squished Gargoyles cheeks. “How did you get him to come to you?” She looked up into Burke’s eyes.
“I said, ‘come here’.”
“That was it?”
“That was it.”
“Then you must have some kind of magic. In all the time I’ve known this dog, I have never seen him willingly be near any guy except Alex. I’m not exaggerating. He doesn’t even like Derek. Who doesn’t like Derek? And Gabe? Forget about getting to pet him, if Gabe so much as talks in his direction, Gargoyle loses control of his bladder.”
Burke bit back a laugh.
“Do you like dogs?” Lila asked. Lila continued to stroke Gargoyle’s thick ears, gracefully avoiding each stealthy swipe of the dog’s long, bright pink tongue.
“Yeah.”
“Me too. Got any?”
He shook his head. He’d love one, but it wasn’t fair to keep a dog while he was living in an RV. Although he should start thinking about it, since he would soon be upgrading to a house.
“I haven’t, either. I’d like one, though. A cutie like you, hey, Gargoyle?” He caught her wrist with a slap of his tongue. “Ew.”
Burke closed his fingers around Lila’s slender arm and held her steady while he used the hem of his shirt to dry her wrist.
“Thanks,” Lila said, blinking at him. Her gaze fixed on his and for a long moment they stared at each other. Burke’s heart began to pound. Lila pursed her lips. “I know you,” she said.
Oh. “Yeah. Coffee shop.”
Lila laughed and nudged him with her shoulder. She was so much smaller than him that she got him in the bicep. “I know that, Burke. Hold on.” She twisted toward him and reached up. Taking his chin between her thumb and forefinger, she turned his hot face first to one side, then the other. “Checking for frosting,” she told him with an impish grin. “I’m assuming you ate the cake?”
“I ate a piece of the cake. And I managed to get it all in my mouth this time. But thanks.”
“I’ve got your back, buddy.”
“You’re not going to let me forget about that, are you?”
“Sure. When you find it as adorable as I do.”
“So, never.” Burke didn’t mind. He’d been embarrassed. Now it was their private joke, and god, could he be more of a loser?
“We met before the coffee shop,” she said, resting her head against the cabinet. “You’re my hero.”
He raised his brows.
“You caught me,” she continued. “In Kurt’s bar? You probably don’t remember.”
What, the sensation of her firm torso draped over his arm as he’d hauled her upright, the slide of her blouse over all that heat, that dizzying moment when he’d wrapped his hand over her hip and had been the one thing steadying her while she regained her balance?
Nope.
Didn’t remember it at all.
“I’m the woman who almost face-planted at your feet,” she said. “Remember me now?”
“Vaguely.”
She pulled a face at him. “I’m sure women fall at your feet all the time.”
“Yes. It gets tedious. I can’t be blamed for not being able to pick one woman out of thousands.”
She grinned. “I’ll bet. Anyway, I’m glad I worked it out. It’s been bugging me since that day at the coffee shop. The moment I saw you, I was sure I knew you.” She held his gaze. “Can I call you Griffin?”
He shook his head.
“Why not? It’s a cool name.”
“It doesn’t fit.”
“It fits. Don’t you like it? Or is Griffin really a fake name? Now is the time to confess. Do not let our friendship be built on lies.”
Burke got his wallet out of his back pocket, planning to open it and show her his driver’s license. Lila took it off him and he watched with a half-smile as she flipped through in a business-like manner and slid out his driver’s license.
“Yow.” Lila held the license up between them and leaned in so they could both marvel at it.
Her hair tickled his cheek. “Yeah.”
“I’m not being cruel here, but… Dude. Were you drunk? High? Sick? Did you have the flu?”
Burke could understand why she’d think that. The photo was something else.
Where it wasn’t blotchy, his skin was pasty. Harsh lighting had leached all color out of his hair, turning it to a flat dishwater brown, and it stuck up at odd angles. His brows were low, a deep frown carving a line between them. His eyes were narrowed down to small dark holes in that pasty face. He looked mean as hell.
Burke went to take it off her but Lila made an ah-ah noise and twitched it out of reach. He sighed. “None of the above. I am just extremely photogenic.”
She held it out at arm’s length, tipping her head to one side, as if distance and changing the angle would help. “Nope. This does not even look like you. You are so much cuter.”
Burke snorted.
“You know you are,” she told him, tucking his driver’s license into his wallet. Her matter-of-fact tone suggested she was being sincere, which threw Burke for a second. Then she tried to stuff his wallet back in his pocket.
He jumped at the brush of her fingers over his ass. “Oh.”
“Oops. My bad. Didn’t mean to grope you.”
Burke took the wallet off her. “That’s okay.”
Gargoyle, fed up with being ignored, flipped to his paws and shoved between them, wedging them apart with his broad chest.
“Goddammit,” Lila said. The large dog knocked her off balance and she lurched sideways, palm slappi
ng on the tiled floor as she braced herself. “Ew. Ewww, I landed in drool.”
“C’mon now, boy.” With a firm hand Burke pushed Gargoyle back, despite the dog’s effort to lean in and reach Burke’s face with his tongue. Gargoyle slunk down and rested his nose on his paws, gazing at Burke with adoration.
“You all right?” Burke asked Lila.
She had righted herself and was sitting back on her heels, her knees pressed against Burke’s thigh. “Yup.” She laid a hand on his shoulder and pushed to standing. “I suppose I’d better— Goddammit, Gargoyle, what is wrong with you?”
Gargoyle had jumped up and tried to get between them again. This time Lila staggered.
Burke caught her hips. He angled his head to one side. “Down,” he growled.
Lila started to bend her knees.
Burke looked up at her in surprise. “I was talking to the dog.”
“I know that,” she said, her voice higher than usual, and straightened.
Her hips fit his hands perfectly, Burke registered. The elegant rounded curve of them conformed to his grip as if made to be there.
Slowly, Burke’s fingers spread wide over her butt, almost covering the soft expanse.
Gargoyle whined.
Lila stared down into Burke’s eyes, her own wide. Before she had to push him away, Burke released her and stood.
“My hero,” Lila said into the charged silence. “Again. Seriously, I’m going to have to reconsider wearing heels if I can’t keep on my feet. I’m not a fan of the pratfall. But I really do not want to give up my stilettos.”
“Be a shame,” Burke agreed, looking at her pretty shoes. Like a creepy pervert. He coughed and glanced away. “I’m gonna…” He hitched a thumb behind him. “I should probably get going.”
“Sure. I only came in here to get Jenny another bottle of champagne, so… See you around? At the coffee shop?”
He dipped his chin in a nod, halfway to the door already, with Gargoyle stuffed up behind him.
“Burke, wait.”
He turned back to face her.
Lila frowned across the room. “Why are you here?”
“I was invited. I didn’t crash the party. I don’t like parties. I didn’t come here because I thought you… I was invited.” He took a breath. “Derek invited me.”
“But how do you know Derek?”
“I work for him.”
“At his garage? With Dani and Carlo?”
“Yeah.”
“Then how come we never met until the other day? Are you new in town?”
“Not new.”
Lila crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. He tried not to smile. “How long have you worked for Derek?”
“Couple of years.”
“You’ve lived in Emerson for a couple of years and you work for the husband of my best friend.” She threw her hands up. “How come we never met before the other day?”
“One of those things, I guess,” he said, and left with a smile. Gargoyle followed him, did a sharp turn when he saw all the people in the living room, and scurried back to the kitchen and Lila.
With effort, Burke managed not to do the same.
He’d done more socializing today than he had for a month. Or a year. Folk were exhausting. It was time to make his goodbyes.
Derek stood by the large living room window, his back to the room. Jenny was one of a group which included her little girl, Kate, who was clinging to Pastor Tate’s back like a monkey while she chattered down at a smiling Mrs. Tate.
Burke threaded through the crowded room, heading for Derek. “Hey,” he said.
Derek turned. “How’s it going?”
Burke took one look at Derek, and grinned. Derek’s expression was set to cautious, his shoulders were tight, and he was clutching a baby who had him fixed with a thousand-yard green-eyed stare.
“Who’s this?” Burke said.
The baby booted Derek in the chest, his scrunched and angry face saying he freaking meant it.
Derek shifted his grip gingerly. “This is Zach.”
“Gabe’s kid, huh?”
“Can’t you tell?” The baby kicked Derek again, and flailed a fist. “The hyperactive bugger will not settle.”
“Because you’re holding him wrong.”
“How the hell am I supposed to know how to hold him? Nora shoved him at me, said it was high time I started practicing, and ran for the cake.” Zach wriggled and Derek paled.
“Still holding him wrong,” Burke said.
“Thanks. Very helpful. How should I be holding him?”
“For starters, stop dangling him. He needs to feel secure.”
“I’m not dangling him.”
Burke rearranged Derek’s grip. “Pull him close and… Yes, that’s better, but tilt him to the side a bit. Gently, Derek.”
“Don’t shout at me.”
He hadn’t shouted. “This isn’t rocket science. Hold him close. Be firm. Once he knows he’s safe and you’re in charge, he’ll relax.”
The baby punched Derek in the throat.
“Ulk.” Derek hunched. “I’m terrible at this. Show me how to hold him properly, quick before I break him.”
“Fine.” Burke scooped Zach from Derek and tucked him into the crook of his arm, holding him firmly to his chest. “See?”
Zach glared up at Burke, considering a protest, then dismissed him with an arrogant snort.
“Sucker,” Derek said, and wandered off. “Be careful,” he added over his shoulder. “He jumps.”
“What do you mean, he jumps?”
“He’ll look like he’s asleep. Don’t fall for it. He’s not sleeping. He’s lulling you into a false sense of security, and then he’ll make a break for it.”
Burke looked down at Zach. The baby’s delicate eyelids were drooping and his tiny body had softened against Burke.
It had been a long time since Burke had held his own infant son. David had been a placid baby, the sort to snuggle and babble and coo. He’d never once tried to escape.
He’d been saving such moves for his teen years.
Burke backed up until he was sitting on the couch. Just in case.
Although, if he was faking, the kid was a hell of an actor. He’d started a faint snore.
“Want a job?” Gabe asked, throwing himself down beside Burke. “I guarantee I’ll pay better than Derek.”
“I’m not exactly nanny material.”
“Think about it. Travel. Great health plan. Insurance. Hazard pay.”
Burke smiled.
“Man, I am not even kidding,” Gabe said.
“Here.” Burke tried to pass Zach over.
“In a minute, okay? Babies are hard. I had no idea. They’re great, but they are damn hard. Someone should warn you.”
Zach grumbled and smushed his face on Burke’s shirt.
Gabe eyed his son. “Be careful. He bites.”
“He bites?”
“Yeah, he’s a biter. Like his daddy.” Gabe grinned and closed his eyes, taking a moment.
“How’s the car running?” Burke asked.
Whenever Gabe visited Emerson from San Francisco, he brought his Aston Martin to the garage for a tune-up. It never needed it. Gabe was indulging Derek, who loved to drive it.
The one person who hadn’t worked this out was Derek.
“Running great,” Gabe said. “I’ll buy you one of your very own, if you’ll be my nanny. What color d’you want?”
“Aston Martins aren’t really my style.”
“Muscle car guy?”
More like lives-in-an-RV guy, but whatever. “Sure.”
“Can I tempt you with a Mustang?”
“Gonna have to pass.” He’d be too busy looking after his own son once Michaela left for England next week. Otherwise—Burke looked down at the sleeping, or possibly plotting, baby—otherwise, he would indeed be tempted.
Nora, Gabe’s wife, dropped down on the other side of the couch, sandwiching Burke between them. �
�Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” Burke shifted his upper body, preparing to hand Zach over.
Nora leaned away. “Nooooo. You’re doing great.” Like Gabe, she rested her head back against the couch and closed her eyes.
Gabe murmured something and reached across Burke, settling his hand on Nora’s knee. He slid it up a couple of inches, putting his arm over Burke’s abs.
Low, low down.
Burke looked at Gabe’s arm, up at the slight smile on his face, back at his arm. Burke nudged him. “You’re touching me.”
“Sorry.” Gabe grinned and pulled back after giving Nora’s knee a quick squeeze.
Burke sat between the couple, holding their baby, telling himself it was time to go.
It had been time to go when he’d told Gargoyle to get down and Lila had started to obey him.
For a moment there, Burke had nearly let her do it, see what would have happened next.
Now he had the familiar weight of a baby in his arms, and coming hard on the heels of holding Lila, it was causing all sorts of confusing emotions. If he wasn’t careful, he’d start wanting things he knew he could never have.
Burke glanced from Gabe to Nora, wondering which one to hand the baby to. They were both asleep.
He looked down at Zach, and found a pair of wide-awake, beady green eyes watching him.
“Hey, little man.” Burke shifted Zach, and got a double kick to the chest for his trouble. Zach’s face began to darken and his mouth opened and shut a few times, but he didn’t make a sound. He directed all his energy into a full-body squirm.
Ah. The escape attempt.
Burke raised him upright and rubbed soothing circles on his back.
“Is he up again?” Gabe murmured. “Already?”
“Yeah, he’s—ohshit.” Burke flinched at the stealthy sucking nip at the base of his neck.
Nora and Gabe both snickered.
Gabe sat up and stretched, smiling fondly. “He gave you a hickey, didn’t he? My boy.”
Burke leaned Zach away from his jugular. “I believe your barracuda is hungry.”
Nora sighed. “He’s always hungry.” She didn’t open her eyes. “Want to give him a bottle, Burke?”
Yeah. “Can’t. I have to get going. Sorry.”
Still with her eyes closed, Nora held out a fist. “One. Two. Three. Did I win?”
Burke looked at her scissors, then Gabe’s rock. “Yep,” he said, and handed Zach to Gabe.