by Suzanne Ruby
Adam studied this frail man, who also happened to be the strongest person he knew. A man who spent what should have been his golden years of retirement raising Adam in Houston, putting up with an endless amount of bullshit. Florida was Adam’s chance to make it up to the man who had sacrificed so much. Didn’t get much better than white sand beaches and emerald-tinted waters.
“So, what is it you need me to do?” Adam asked.
“I want you to promise you’ll make me a great-grandfather before I die. I always wanted the word great in front of my name.”
“How do you know you don’t already have great-grandkids running around somewhere?”
Even joking about such a thing made Adam’s conscience quiver. Condoms were nonnegotiable until a committed relationship was established. He could be certain of his fatherhood status, or lack thereof, at this point.
“At least promise me you’ll find a nice girl. Liv wasn’t nice. I may not be much, but I’m a flawless judge of character.”
Yet, if Henry really knew what Adam had made of himself—disgraced trainer turned cut-rate escort—it might turn the man’s whole flawless-judge assumption on its ear. Considering he could lose his grandfather at any time, it was more important than ever that he straighten out his own life.
Beginning with his career.
4
KIRBY STAYED IN bed and stared at her open palm, willing her mind to reconstruct the smudge of what used to be Easy Ride’s cell phone number. It had survived the first night and one full day, but last night’s bubble bath proved to be its undoing.
She’d committed the sequence to memory, but now the order of the numbers proved to be a moving target. A mental shell game.
When she couldn’t find any definition within the hopeless blur, she balled her hand into a fist and knocked herself on the forehead. Hard.
Maybe it was a good thing she didn’t write his number down somewhere. She didn’t need to become addicted to a man like him. Which meant she’d need to check her emotions and insecurities at the door, along with her newly reawakened carnal desire.
Once halfheartedly upright, she finagled out from under the goose-down comforter, swung her legs over the side of the bed and eased into her fuzzy leopard-print slippers. Onward to the kitchen, where the Keurig sat ready and waiting for its morning abuse.
Designer caffeine. Yet another addiction she couldn’t afford. Today could easily be a four-mug day.
She sensed Lady’s inquisitive green feline eyes watching her every move from the top of the refrigerator. Kirby retrieved a tin of moist cat food from the pantry. Lady’s warm purr couldn’t compete with a modified version of the song playing in Kirby’s head.
Baby Blue...
She wished she could get another look at those blue eyes this morning. Blue skies were out there, as well, but she couldn’t see them, either. Nothing but overcast skies.
What her loft lacked in square footage, it more than made up for in windows. Mainly, windows that overlooked a covered parking garage, the adjacent office building and the street directly below.
If only her windows opened, she wouldn’t feel so claustrophobic.
Open windows would help in other ways. The smell of shrimp in aspic this early in the morning triggered Kirby’s gag reflex. Peeling back the lid of the cat food was like unzipping a body bag containing a swamp-logged corpse. But Lady was worth the inevitable assault on the senses.
She set the plate on the floor and reached into the cabinet for the box of much-needed caffeine. “My turn now.”
Or not. The K-cups box was empty.
Crap. She’d meant to stop by the grocery store last night, but her thoughts had been consumed by something else entirely.
A caffeine deficit constituted an emergency, so she trudged the mercifully short distance to the bathroom as best she could unfueled.
She pulled her hair back into a slick ponytail, brushed her teeth and washed her face, then slipped out of her satin pajamas and into some black yoga pants and an oversized burnt-orange University of Texas jersey. Good enough for grocery shopping, especially at this early hour. The only people tooling around were...
Oh, my God. She had seen Fabian before. At one of the nearby grocery stores, although not the one she usually frequented. Who could miss the hottie in his workout attire? He always seemed too consumed with his task to realize most of the women there were ogling him. Herself included.
Chances were slim that he’d be there this morning, but it couldn’t hurt to try. Running into him outside the club might make him more comfortable to eventually open up.
“I’ll be right back,” she explained to Lady as she rushed around in search of her purse and keys.
Sure, the kitty wouldn’t understand the words, but she wanted to communicate as sweetly as possible to this particular rescue animal because she knew Lady’s history. Why people tortured black cats on Halloween was unimaginable. That’s why she’d decided to officially adopt her.
Two abused souls helping each other heal, Kirby concluded.
Another creature possessed the power to make her forget why she’d ever been sad. Fabian had been right. Easy Ride was an animal. Lion-strong and equally undomesticated, yet so enticing to touch. The mere thought of his warm hands, tender, hot mouth and scorching hardness made every inch of her flesh ache.
As soon as Lady finished licking the remainder of aspic from her plate, Kirby scooped her up for an official good-morning hug and retrieved her cell phone from the kitchen counter.
Yikes! She’d missed three calls and four texts from Reese. But an alert from her credit card company piqued her immediate interest. The Deep had issued a refund, which thrilled her in one way. Maybe Easy Ride really had wanted to make out with her after all, and didn’t see it as a job duty. In fact, the whole session was free.
But she felt the potential story slip from her fingers as easily as the valet ticket had slipped away on the dance floor.
The visit had hinted at a possible story, even though she and her friend-for-hire didn’t violate any laws. At least, not any she was aware of. She could still focus on the unsavory aspect of the business. The public gobbled up “unsavory” as easily as Lady gobbled up shrimp in aspic.
Besides, if she and Easy Ride went as far as they did within an hour, it could easily go all the way the next time. Maybe he’d even take her money. Maybe she could get in and out and wrap up the story before anything awful happened.
Awful, like being rejected. Except rejection hadn’t seemed possible the other night.
As she began to entertain how “all the way” would feel with that particular animal, someone pounded on her front door.
Lady ripped out of Kirby’s embrace, leaving a streak of scratches in her wake. No blood, thankfully, but the cat’s claws left some impressive welts.
Kirby looked out the peephole, then swung the door open.
Reese wasn’t alone. A very familiar and adorable rescue puppy stood next to her. Either the puppy had belonged to a decent owner at some point, or she was unusually self-disciplined.
Her best friend, by contrast, didn’t look quite as calm.
“I’ve been calling and texting you all night,” Reese practically screamed.
The poor thing slumped as if she hadn’t slept in ages. Her already pale skin looked totally bleached out, along with her naturally blond eyebrows and hair. If it wasn’t for her chocolate-brown eyes, she could pass for a ghost.
“I’m so sorry. Come in.”
“You won’t freakin’ believe this, Kirby. My rescue Doberman got way too excited over having a foster sibling. He just wants to play, but he doesn’t realize his strength. I tried putting the puppy in another room, but he knew she was there and wouldn’t stop whimpering. All night long.”
“Were the kennels full?”<
br />
“The ones I could reach, as were our usual foster families. Which is why I’m here.”
“Reese—”
“I know I promised not to ask again. But please help me this time. I’ll do the work in finding a suitable home. She needs food, shelter and a little tender loving care in the meantime. Nothing more.”
Kirby exhaled a deep sigh and mustered the courage to say the two-letter word that always eluded her: no.
The crazy little puppy tilted her mop of a head and looked up, and the letters voluntarily transposed and expanded into a longer word and conditional commitment.
“Only if Lady approves.”
Reese’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Let her loose,” Kirby said.
The puppy raced to the ottoman, straight into the black cat’s domain.
Lady stared at this odd creature, with its open-mouth breathing and inebriated gait and slap-happy tail. She glared for a long time before taking a decisive swat, claws safely sheathed.
The puppy heeded the warning and wisely retreated.
“Okay. Lady can hold her own. Looks like the pup knows who’s alpha,” Kirby said.
Reese gave her a good long hug. That made two hugs in less than forty-eight hours. Three, if she counted Lady. And she definitely counted Lady.
“I don’t suppose you brought any puppy food with you,” Kirby said.
“Oh, no! In all the excitement, I forgot. I’ll go get—”
“No worries. I’m headed to the store. You go home and get some sleep.”
Reese nodded. “By the way, what should we name her?”
Naming the creature. A dangerous tactic because it became personal for them. It also became more personal for potential adopters.
“Baby,” Kirby blurted out.
Reese seemed to consider it.
“Cute. Sounds like you’ve already given it some thought.” Reese raised one eyebrow as if requesting confirmation.
“It’s a nod to you. During the rescue, you said ‘baby needs a bath.’ I guess it stuck,” Kirby said.
“Uh-huh.”
Why didn’t Reese believe her? Was she somehow giving away the real reason for the name? How “Baby Blue” had become a serious earworm, and how Easy Ride had moaned “Oh, baby,” which sent her straight over the edge?
That had to stay a secret. She’d told Reese more than she should have about the undercover assignment, but only because Reese had provided the lead through a friend of a friend.
As soon as Reese left, Kirby finished pulling herself together. Only, when she glanced at herself in the mirror, something really did seem different.
She looked satisfied. Glowing. Even without a touch of makeup.
Furthermore, she knew exactly why.
* * *
KIRBY MUTTERED AN oath as she wrestled the shopping cart into semiforward motion.
Why did she always grab the one with a mutant wheel?
Usually, it was luck. This time, it was the worst kind of luck. All the other carts were scattered about the far end of the parking lot like so many cattle grazing in an open field. She couldn’t summon the energy to corral a healthier one. Not without her morning jolt of caffeine.
Coffee. Puppy food. She could do this.
She pushed the oversized contraption forward, even though it argued loudly the entire way. All the while, she kept an eye out for the now-familiar hottie.
Coffee. Puppy food. Fabian.
Oh, and some tampons. Almost forgot about the near-empty box. Talk about averting a crisis.
Since the feminine hygiene aisle was the closest, she ambled down that one first, grabbing the appropriate product amid the sea of pastels.
Might as well get some ice cream, too, she thought, because the craving for sweets always preceded the dreaded monthly event. Who needed a calendar when, three days earlier, nothing but mint chip would do?
She almost passed the pet food aisle on the way to the frozen foods, but was able to wield the metallic monster to the left, where she grabbed some Puppy Chow. Next stop: Häagen-Dazs.
Two quart selections later, she figured she should offset the imminent diet damage with a salad while she was there.
So much for the grocery list.
The cart rebelled all the way toward the packaged salad display. But before she could quiet the beast, she spotted the gorgeous backside of a man.
With her libido still in overdrive, and her thoughts still replaying the touch and feel and smell of Easy Ride, was it any wonder her mind redrew him, right in front of her?
She shook her head at the similarities and even blinked a couple of times to dislodge them, but she couldn’t look away. The view was amazing, which told her there were at least two men in the world who could raise her sexual desires from the dead.
The man’s thick, almost-black hair had the same sultry bed-head appeal. His sculpted arms filled out his short-sleeve T-shirt very nicely. And those sweatpants hanging from his slender hips and über-toned ass confirmed his gender beyond a doubt. The combination caused a flush of heat to spread through her nervous stomach and pool between her thighs.
Her eyes feasted upon the man’s form, tracing the outline of his hips, all the way up to those tanned, well-defined biceps.
If she wasn’t mistaken, some ink peeked out from below the bottom of the sleeve.
The most intense yearning crashed down in hot waves inside her lower belly. She gulped back the excitement, or perhaps dread, that this could be the same man she had made out with. The same man who positioned himself on top of her and literally thrust her into a physical state she thought she’d never again visit.
Even though she had been mentally ready to chat with Fabian, she wasn’t prepared for this. If she turned and ran as fast as she could, the noise from her cart would get everyone’s attention. Including his. Abandoning her groceries wasn’t an option. Maybe she could go a few more days without ice cream, but Baby needed food. Now.
Might as well say hello. Besides, perhaps it wasn’t him. Perhaps her mind was playing cruel-but-mouthwatering tricks on her.
She stopped the cart a couple of feet to his right. Close enough to erase all doubts.
He looked up from the package he was studying.
“Am I in your way?” he asked while taking a polite step aside.
It seemed to take him a moment to recognize the total mess standing beside him. He returned the package of hearts of Romaine to the rack, then stepped forward and embraced her fully.
“Hey, you,” he whispered.
As if the whole thing was out of her control, as if her arms insisted on returning the hug against her heart’s admonishment that this must be a trap, she wrapped herself around him and absorbed his warmth and strength.
He pulled away while visually taking her in.
The sudden pang of regret for not having properly showered and at least applied lipstick and mascara snapped at her gut like a thick rubber band.
“What a coincidence. I’ve been thinking about you,” he said.
Those baby blues of his concurred, and the subsequent smile produced the faintest crow’s feet at the far edges.
Again, her heart sparred with her mind over the possible interpretations. Apparently, her mouth had another idea entirely.
“I thought about you, too. Once.”
Once, but nonstop.
Now Easy Ride seemed to be trying to interpret her words.
“I hear you change tires. Could you take a look at this one?” she said, if only to distract him from her knee-jerk admission. She topped it off with her trademark smile as she pointed to the mutant wheel of her cart.
He shook his head.
“What? You do change tires, don’t you?” Why did it suddenly fe
el as if she were back in high school?
“Your smile should be registered as a lethal weapon.”
That confirmed it. She’d always known its power, even if she didn’t understand it.
“I’m Adam, by the way.”
“Kirby,” she said as she initiated a handshake.
He cupped her hand in both of his instead. His hands were large and strong, yet soft and gentle. The whole thing sent a flood of tingles to her core as she recalled the way those hands had grabbed her rear and moved her against his hardness.
He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it, then reached into her cart.
“Hey, get your own Puppy Chow,” she said.
He simply smiled and transferred her groceries, including the bright pink box. If he knew what he’d touched, he didn’t indicate having any issues about it.
Once the merge was complete, he turned his cart around, patted the handle bar as an invitation for her to join and together they pushed.
His hands and arms looked so strong and capable compared to hers, and his body radiated a yummy warmth—a curled-up-together-in-a-cashmere-blanket kind of warmth—as he pressed against her side.
It always amazed her how guys could wear short sleeves in cool weather and somehow retain so much body heat, whereas she remained bone-cold beneath long sleeves.
“What, exactly, are we doing?” she asked.
“Besides relieving the other customers of the noise? We’re shopping together.”
His mouth was so close, so soft-looking, so kissable, her mouth practically watered to taste him again.
Her whole morning oozed temptation. Speaking of which...
“We better shop fast. My ice cream is melting. Things could get messy,” she said.
I could get messy.
Silence accompanied their walk toward wherever he was headed, but for some odd reason the whole scenario felt comfortable instead of awkward. As if they’d been shopping together for aeons, and this was nothing more than another trip to the store, which begged a certain question.