“I don’t know. This isn’t another one of Mom’s attempts to fix me up with one of her friends’ sons is it?”
His silence spoke volumes.
“Uhh, Dad, I thought you agreed with me that the men she picks are about as lively as a brick wall. Half of them are as thick as one too. Please mesmerize her and make her think I came, it was great and we all went home happy.”
“I do not mesmerize anyone. I ‘push’ with my voice, Lindsay. And I would never do it to you or your mother.”
“There’s a difference?” I put my hand up again. “Don’t answer that. Just please get me out of this, Dad. Do the daddy-mind-trick. And you’re wrong. I remember you using it on mom when you broke her favorite, one of a kind, little angel statue thingie. You so made her think the wind knocked it off the table. So, don’t tell me you don’t use it on Mom. Please help me get out of this.”
“Non. Not this time, Lindsay. I think you will be most pleased when you arrive.”
“Most pleased? Ugg. Get a cape. Run around town telling people you want to suck their blood. Do it, Dad. Skip to the chase. Bela Lugosi them. Do it.”
The sound of him laughing made me laugh too. “À demain—see you tomorrow. And, Lindsay, it is a formal dinner.”
“Ooo, formal? Am I dining with the President? Does this mean I have to shower? I bet I can’t wear shorts. Damn.”
“Lindsay.”
“Allez, salut!” Hanging up, I found Exavier giving me a lopsided grin that he somehow managed to make look sexy. “What?” I popped a fry into my mouth.
“Nothing. I just forgot how funny the two of you are together.”
“Huh?”
“So, you do know that you’re hired? Can you leave with me tomorrow night? After you’re finished having dinner with your parents, of course. I can make sure you have the manpower at the center to keep it running smoothly if I can have your undivided attention. I want you all to myself. I’ll even see to it that every birthday for the little ones at the center is covered, Lindsay.”
Choking on the fry, I just stared at him.
He took a bite of his burger and wagged his brows. The tiniest bit of ketchup oozed out and onto the corner of his mouth. My first instinct was to lick it off. It would assure my tongue was close to his mouth. I held back and motioned to it with my hand.
Exavier’s tongue darted out and over his bottom lip. He slid it over and cleaned the ketchup away with such erotic ease that I whimpered. He looked as though he were trying not to laugh. “Are you going to yell at me for not using a napkin?”
“No, I’m going to fantasize about what else you can do with that…oh…yeah, you should use a napkin.” I dropped my gaze, mortified by what had come out of my mouth. The fact I was embarrassed spoke volumes. I normally didn’t care what I said around anyone.
Harly came back with a refill for Exavier and nodded towards the parking lot. “Let the drama begin.”
I glanced out the window and instantly felt as though I’d been kicked in the gut. The first thing I spotted was the black motorcycle pulling in. The second was the man riding it—Detective Jay Gonzalez. His jean shirt was unbuttoned a bit, leaving his caramel-colored chest showing. The way he’d rolled his sleeves to just under his elbow left his muscular arms in plain view. His stubble-covered jaw line never ceased to make me want to kiss it. The color matched his close cut hair. I already knew how brown his eyes were even though they were obstructed by sunglasses.
Harly began fanning himself with his hand. “Oh, honey, he doesn’t look too happy. What did you do this time?”
“Me? Why do you assume I did something to piss him off?”
Charles laughed so loud from behind the counter that I wanted to crawl under the table and hide. Harly shrugged. “Gee, Lindsay, let me think. You’re the one who got mad at him for insisting you lock your doors at night so you locked him out while he was in nothing but a pair of,” he winked, “banana huggers. Whew, that was quite a banana they were hugging too. The ordeal started because you did something stupid and upset Jay.”
Charles leaned over the counter. “Then there was the time Lindsay brought home that homeless guy and he turned out to be some vagrant wanted on attempted murder charges. Jay was so mad he actually spent the night teaching her to cross the street at the corner, stop, drop and roll and anything else he could think of. I thought it was cute since he was trying to prove a point. If she hadn’t figured out that bringing home strangers wasn’t a good idea, she might not have gotten other fundamentals that children in kindergarten do.”
Harly laughed. “If memory serves, didn’t Jay end up spending weeks begging for her forgiveness? He finally showed up on her front lawn with the children from the center and flowers. He knew she’d open the door for them. Well, that or he planned on using them as a buffer. With Jay, one never really knows.” He nudged me. “So, what did you do this time, Lindsay?”
Staring at Jay as he pulled his bike to a stop in the center of the parking lot and dismounted, I shook my head. “Honestly, it wasn’t my fault this time. I don’t remember anything past one of them leaping at me and me letting my power out. I can’t stop them from coming after me.”
“Can’t stop who from what?” Harly asked. “What power, honey?”
Realizing my slip, I forced a smile to my face and glanced at Exavier. “Excuse me for a minute.”
He looked less than pleased. I touched Harly’s shoulder on my way out of the booth. “If I’m not back in here in like five minutes, call Gina to come calm Jay down.”
“You mean kick his ass back around the corner to the center?”
“That too.”
Harly nodded and I headed towards the exit. The minute I walked out, the afternoon began to burn my sensitive eyes. Jay stared down at me from his six-foot-three-inch height and chewed his gum. It was something he did when he was annoyed. Since he’d given up smoking it seemed to be a constant. Come to think of it, once he and I began dating, it was even worse. Thankfully, we weren’t an item anymore and hadn’t been for a while.
Hmm, me cause someone stress? No..
Reaching into his front breast pocket, he pulled an extra pair of my sunglasses out and slid them on me. “You forgot these this morning.” His voice sounded strained.
“Before you yell, I’m sorry I didn’t call you the second Gina told me about you finding me.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “I knew you’d yell and I—”
Jay had me up and off the ground before I could even blink. He held me tight to him and rocked me in his arms. My feet dangled. “You’re okay.”
“Other than the fact you’re cutting off my ability to draw in air,” I teased, hugging him back.
He set me back down and kissed my forehead. “I just had to see for myself.”
“Do you want to come in and eat?”
He let out a soft laugh. “No thanks. Gina made sure to tell me that you left with a guy. I’m not here to cause problems for you, Lindsay. I just needed to know you were really okay.”
“I’m fine, thanks to you.” I tossed my arms around his neck and gave him a good squeeze. “Mmm, what would I do without you?”
“Probably bring home serial killers and try to feed them dinner.”
Laughing, I let go of him. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in and meet Exavier?”
“Nice name,” he said, sarcastically.
“Jay.”
He put his hands in the air in an “I’m innocent” pose. “I was just saying. I bet he’s a great guy. A real pretty one. I’m sure.”
“Are you done?”
“Done with what?”
Snorting, I put my hand on my hip. “Being an ass. I know you’re mad about what happened. I swear to you it wasn’t my fault, Jay. Like I’d purposely go and—”
He yanked me to him so fast that I yelped. “I never in a million years thought it was your fault that some sick bastards have targeted you! Never! I’m sorry I’m in a shitty mood, Lindsay. I had a hel
l of a night. I got back from a case that had me out of town for three weeks to find one of my closest friends, my ex, a woman I still care very much for, laying in a fucking parking lot, barely breathing and mangled!”
“Lindsay?”
The sound of Exavier’s voice made me gasp. Putting my palm against Jay’s chest, I patted it several times. “You better be nice. I mean it.”
“I’m the nicest guy I know, darling.” He slapped a rather fake smile onto his face and looked at Exavier. “Nice to meet you. Love the name. It’s very pretty.”
“Jay,” I said in a warning tone.
“Lindsay, are you okay?”
Turning as much as I could considering Jay had a hold of me, I found Exavier standing there looking deadly. His stare was cold and directed at Jay.
I elbowed Jay and he let go of me. “I’m fine. Exavier, this is Jay. You’ll have to excuse him. He’s a little cranky today.”
“Just today, huh?” Gina asked, running up from the back side of the diner glancing at Exavier and then me. I gave her a questioning look. She smiled. “I was, umm, hungry?”
“Bullshit, Harly called you the second he saw me pull in,” Jay said, shaking his head. “Have I ever hurt Lindsay?”
“Nope, but you do tend to get loud and make scenes. I’m here to cut those down to a minimum.” Gina came and stood next to me. “Wait, does that time you got caught out on a date with that blonde chick, while you and Lindsay were still a couple, count as hurting her?”
I tried not to laugh but failed miserably. “Or the redhead?”
Exavier snickered.
“Or that one who we were sure was really a guy?” Gina ducked behind me as Jay made a move to grab her. She peeked out from under my arm. “Ooo, how about the bimbo who kept trying to answer your door every time your pager beeped? God, she was stupid. Who thinks that’s a doorbell? What did she do when it went off in the car, think God was trying to communicate with her?”
“Or, how about the chick who was more into you than him?” I winked at Gina. She laughed so hard that she squealed.
Jay made another move for her and I caught his hands. I began to move to music only I heard, making him my personal dance toy. Gina joined in, dancing around him and tickling his ribs. Jay snickered as he shook his head. “You two never stop. You’re missing your third partner in crime.”
I laughed at his mention of Myra. Gina gyrated down his side and Jay stared up at the sky. I’d seen that look before. He was horny. “Careful, Gina, or you’ll be the next one we’re teasing him about.”
She leapt back and shuddered. “Oh that’s just not right. It’s Jay. Eww.”
“Hey, I’m a great catch, if I do say so myself.” His gaze raked over Gina slowly.
She bit her lower lip. “Is that why so many women have caught you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Jay didn’t seem to find it as funny. In fact, he looked hurt by Gina’s comments. He rubbed his jaw, doing his best to appear unaffected but he was too late. I’d already seen it. Gina had always been able to strike a nerve with Jay. He seemed to value her opinion of him.
“He is a great catch, Gina,” I said, coming to Jay’s rescue.
“Uh-huh,” she licked her lips, “is that why you tossed him back?”
Jay stiffened.
“I didn’t toss him back. He was never mine to begin with. We had a mutual understanding.”
She grinned. “Fuck buddies? Got it.”
“Lindsay, can you tell me how it is you have never had a problem with me dating other women?” Jay asked, staring over the tops of his sunglasses at me. “Any other girl would claim they don’t want any commitments but they’d be livid the second they realized other women were in the mix. I try to make you jealous and it backfires. You poke fun at the girls and go out drinking with them. Why is that?”
Grinning, I swayed my hips. “Easy. Myra says I think like a man.”
“Oh, it makes sense now..” He pointed at me. “You watch your ass. I do not want to have to tell you again that you cannot be out after dark without one of us, Lindsay. Hell, anymore, you should think of having at least two of us with you at all times. Day or night.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
“Lindsay, joke about anything other than your life.”
Gina thumped her hip into Jay’s upper thigh. “I’m with Playboy.”
I arched a brow as Jay slid his arm around her waist. I could have sworn he inhaled deeply. His eyelids fluttered and for a moment I honestly thought he'd lift her up and kiss her.
She cringed and ducked out of his grasp. “Aww, I meant I’m with, uhh…never mind.”
“Hey,” Jay said, glancing around. “I like to think I’m an all-right looking guy. Lindsay liked me well enough. I must be okay boyfriend material.”
I laughed so hard that I clutched my stomach and bent forward.
“It’s that funny?”
I nodded. “Jay, your problem is you know you’re hot and you suck at being a boyfriend. The very idea of being with one woman only makes you cringe. Why do you think I even started dating you?”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave me a hard look. “I take it the reason was not my award-winning personality?”
“Nope.”
Gina raised her hand. “I got this one. It’s because Jay isn’t ready to settle down so you had no fear of being in a real relationship.” She glanced at something over my shoulder and stopped laughing instantly. “Umm, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s water under the bridge. Let’s go, Jay. I want to ride you…err…your bike with you.”
Jay wagged his dark brows. “Oh, you are more than welcome to ride me, fiery one.”
“Fiery one?” Gina rolled her eyes.
I looked over my shoulder at Exavier and shrugged. “Gina, have no fear. He’s a nice guy but we just met and he’s leaving after today. We’ll never see him again so I hardly think we need to tiptoe around feelings he doesn’t even have for me. Though, he does have an uncanny ability to just blend in and make me feel so comfortable I tend to forget he’s there. Besides, he’s a musician. All they do is groupies. I bet his list of conquests could wallpaper my office.”
Gina’s eyes widened. “Lindsay!”
“What? It’s true.”
“Exavier,” Jay said, tilting his head a bit. “You want to go grab a beer or something? They can talk about us all the way through their next class. If one isn’t dancing on a pole, the other is beating the shit out of someone under the guise of self-defense classes. I need that kind of life.”
I beamed. “Aww, thank you. Even if he says no, thank you, Jay.”
He growled. “Don’t give me that ‘what a good job’ look because I fall for it every time and then you have me running around being a better person. I hate that. So, Exavier, what do you say?”
Exavier took so long to answer that I thought for sure he’d say no. “Yeah, I could go for a beer. My truck is at the center. I’ll walk Lindsay back and meet up with you there. Gina could catch a ride with you then.”
A knowing look passed between Gina and Exavier. She nodded. “That is a great idea. Come on, stud, I want a ride.”
Chapter Five
“So, wanna tell me about your relationship with Jay?”
Putting my hands in my front pockets, I walked along next to him and shrugged. “There’s nothing really to tell. He’s a close friend.”
“That’s all?” he asked, tipping his head just enough that the sun caught the highlights in his hair, making them look almost purple.
Puzzled, I stared at him. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you come to me for help with something I don’t even do anymore? Or was I mistaken? Did you come to ask me non-stop questions about my personal life?”
“I’m sorry. I was under the impression that we were bonding.”
I snickered and rolled my eyes. “That would mean that you’ve shared things about yourself too. You’ve shared nothing. Who are you currently fuc
king?”
He came to a grinding halt. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, I could have sworn you were trying to find out if I was sleeping with Jay so I thought turnabout was fair play.”
His brows drew together as he cleared his throat. “I’ve been in and out of situations with women that can’t possibly qualify as a relationship. Currently, I’m not seeing anyone—yet,” he added, locking gazes with me. “I’m pushing thirty-one, have been into music since I was kid. My closest friends are my band mates. Growing up, I had the biggest crush on this girl who had such a lust for life it was infectious. That’s about it for me.” He pointed at me. “Your turn.”
“I’m not sleeping with Jay. Technically, I am if you count him staying over but he only does that on rare occasions and he’s normally in the guest room. But as far as actual intercourse goes, we’ve not been using one another for sex for quite some time now.” His eyes widened. I was on a roll so I went with it. “I have had a relationship that certainly counts as one. Any other males who have entered my life have been ‘just browsing’ without the option to buy. There, now we’ve bonded.” I winked.
For a second he looked so serious, so deep in thought that I found myself instinctively going to him. I put my hand out to him. “Xavs, how much do you really want to bond?”
“You have no idea.”
“Want to see my grown up version of dolls, or kind of see them, anyways?”
He laced his hand in mine and heat flared between us. “Yes, Linds. I’d like that very much.”
* * * * *
Exavier shifted awkwardly in the rocking chair and swallowed hard. “Linds,” he whispered. “I’ve never held one before.”
Smiling, I placed the newborn baby on his chest. The yellow gown they’d given him should have made him look ridiculous, but it didn’t. His large hand came up and engulfed the premature baby’s entire body. Exavier stiffened. I nodded. “You’re doing great.”
“It’s so tiny.”
“She is one month old today and she’s doing really well now.” I slid around to his side and bent down. Our faces almost touched. It didn’t feel out of place to be that close to him. It should have. “Do you want me to take her?”
Loup Garou Page 7