Unwrapping the Playboy

by Marie Ferrarella

  After greeting Lilli with the small, fierce hug she’d come to need more than the very air she breathed, Jonathan had run off to the family room to play his new video game. Maybe she could get something down if she took her dinner to the family room and watched him play.

  About to spoon out a small serving of the pot pie, Lilli heard the doorbell ring. Her first thought was that her mother had forgotten something. But then she realized in the next moment that her mother wouldn’t ring the doorbell. She had a key to the front door.

  Who—

  “I’ll get it!” Jonathan called out.

  Lilli’s heart froze, then dropped like lead into the pit of her already knotted stomach.

  “No!” she cried.

  Her sudden onset of fear didn’t arise from the general rule that every mother tried to impress upon her children not to open the door to strangers. There was a far greater danger to deal with than that. What if for some reason the person on the other side of the door was Elizabeth? Or one of myriad people who worked for her? What if they were here for Jonathan? How long did it take to whisk a small boy away? One, two seconds? Three, tops?

  Dropping the silverware she’d just taken from the drawer, Lilli didn’t even hear it clatter to the tile floor as she ran out of the kitchen.

  “Don’t open the door, Jonathan!” she shouted to her son.

  But it was too late. Jonathan had already pulled it open.

  “Hi,” he guilelessly greeted the person standing on his doorstep.

  With hair like golden wheat and bright blue eyes, the boy looked like a miniature version of Lilli, Kullen thought. He smiled like his mother, too.

  “Hi,” Kullen said, grinning down at the boy. “You must be Jonathan.”

  “I am,” the boy confirmed solemnly.

  “Is your mother home?” The words were barely out of his mouth when the door was pulled open all the way. A breathless, frightened looking Lilli filled the newly created space. “I guess you are,” he quipped.

  When she saw that it was Kullen and not anyone associated with Mrs. Dalton, Lilli breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  “Oh, thank God, it’s you.”

  Kullen laughed. “I’ve definitely had worse greetings.” And then he sobered just a little. “Is something wrong?”

  Her attention shifted to her son. “Yes, something’s wrong.” They’d talked about this more than once. “What did I tell you about opening the door?”

  “Don’t,” the boy parroted solemnly.

  It was impossible to be angry with him. He was the light of her life. But still, she needed him to understand that he couldn’t yank open the door whenever he heard someone knocking. There could be serious consequences. She could only keep him safe as long as he was within her reach.

  “So why did you?” she wanted to know.

  His expression was innocence personified. And genuine. “I just wanted to help you, Mom. You were busy in the kitchen.”

  “Can’t argue with altruism like that,” Kullen told her. He nodded at the interior of her home, so much smaller than Elizabeth Dalton’s. So much warmer. “Can I come in?”

  Coming to, Lilli stepped back. “Of course. And as for arguing with altruism, I most certainly can.” She looked at Kullen. “What if it hadn’t been you ringing the bell? What if it was one of Mrs. Dalton’s people?” She lowered her voice so that her son couldn’t hear. “They could have kidnapped him in the time it took me to reach the door.”

  Following her in, Kullen stopped short. “Is that really a concern?” he asked seriously.

  The look on Lilli’s face told him far better than any words that it was.

  Because this was someone new, Jonathan was hanging around instead of running back to his game. She turned away so that her son couldn’t hear.

  “I don’t know what she’s capable of or what her limits are,” Lilli told him in a whisper. “Or even if she has any.”

  “Well, one thing I can tell you is that her limits don’t exclude bribery,” Kullen said.

  It was her turn to stop dead in her tracks. He thought he saw her pale. “What do you mean?”

  Removing it from a brown paper bag, he held up the six-pack of beer he’d brought over. “I’ll tell you over a can of beer.”

  The boy looked excited. “Can I have a beer, too?” Jonathan asked.

  “No,” Lilli said automatically. Her voice blended with Kullen’s, except that to her surprise he’d said yes. She stared at him, dumbfounded. “Yes?” she questioned. Was he out of his mind? You didn’t give beer to a child. Ever.

  Kullen took out one of the cans of soda he’d thought to buy. “I brought him some root beer,” he said, explaining. “I didn’t want him to feel left out.”

  She felt her heart melting. She’d forgotten how sweet Kullen could be. For a second, she fervently wished that she could go back, do things over. But there were no “do-overs” in life. It was what it was and she’d plotted her course a long time ago.

  Smiling at him, she said, “That was very thoughtful of you.”

  Kullen shrugged off the compliment and handed the soda to Jonathan, who puffed up his chest as if he thought he’d officially become one of the big boys. “I’ll get the glasses,” he volunteered, dashing into the kitchen ahead of them.

  The clinking of glasses was heard. Lilli refrained from taking over and bringing the glasses to the table. She knew she needed to encourage every spark of independence, no matter how hard it was on her. Or, in this case, the glasses.

  “Mrs. Dalton sent for me,” Kullen told her as they sat down at the table.

  “Sent?” she asked as Jonathan handed out the glasses and then climbed up on a chair.

  “Actually,” Kullen reflected, “summoned would be a better word.” Popping a top, he slowly poured beer into a tall glass the boy had placed before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jonathan mimicking his actions. “She summoned you?” Lilli echoed in disbelief. “Why?”

  Leaning over, Kullen opened her beer for her and then poured it. “I believe she thought the bribe would sound more impressive if I saw the size of her estate first.”

  “Mrs. Dalton tried to bribe you?” she asked gently. “With what, money?”

  “With my future, actually.” He took a sip, letting it slide down before he continued. “She said that she knew a great many influential people who could do a lot for me.” He laughed shortly, shaking his head at what a small world it could be at times. “Turns out she knew my father, too.”

  Every sound around her—the hum of the refrigerator, Jonathan sipping his soda—was magnified. Lilli could hardly draw a breath. She knew the allure of what the other woman was offering, knew she had no right to ask him to turn his back on something so beneficial to his career.

  But if Kullen withdrew from her case, she wouldn’t have time to find anyone else. And who was to say that anyone else would be immune to what the woman could offer.

  “What did you say to her?” she asked in a small, still voice.

  He grinned and suddenly she felt as if there was hope. “Not in front of the boy.”

  “You turned her down?” Lilli cried hopefully.

  He looked at her for a moment, stunned that she would be so surprised. “Of course I turned her down. You really don’t know me at all, do you?”

  A feeling of weariness came over her. “I don’t really even know myself anymore,” she confessed.

  He made it easy for her. “Okay, you’re a work in progress. I’m not.” Placing the glass back on the table, he spread out his hands for her benefit. “What you see, Lilli, is what you get.”

  I should have trusted you back then, Kullen. I should have.

  Out loud, she told him, “Then I’m getting quite a lot.”

  Chapter Nine

  Not quite sure how to respond to the comment Lilli had just made, Kullen turned toward the boy on his left. “How’s your ‘beer,’ champ?” he asked Jonathan.

  Obviously pleased to be included and no
ticed by his mother’s friend, the boy grinned broadly. “Great!” To prove it, he took another long sip from his glass.

  Kullen struggled not to laugh at Jonathan’s enthusiasm. He didn’t want to hurt the boy’s pride. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Jonathan shifted about in his seat, unable to sit still. Lilli couldn’t remember ever seeing him like this. Normally, he was a sedate, quiet boy. But then, there were only women in his world. Her mother, his teacher. Her. He was far more alive around Kullen. He needed male influence, and she was grateful to Kullen for treating her son like a person who mattered.

  “Do you like video games?” Jonathan asked Kullen suddenly, his eyes bright with hope. “I’ve got a good one I’ve been playing. Do you wanna see it?”

  She didn’t want Kullen to feel obligated to spend time with the boy. He’d already done enough. “Jonathan, Mr. Manetti doesn’t have time for a video game.”

  Kullen winked conspiratorially at the boy, then said, “I don’t mean to contradict your mom, but it just so hap pens that I do.” He rose to his feet. “Lead the way,” he told Jonathan, then looked over his shoulder at Lilli. “You can come, too, ‘Mom.’ Unless you brought homework to do.”

  She had, but it wasn’t nearly as appealing as watching Kullen interact with her son. The inventory sheets could be postponed until later tonight. This was one of those moments you were supposed to stop and enjoy. And she fully intended to.

  “It’ll keep,” Lilli said dismissively. Suddenly feeling her appetite coming to life, she glanced back at the stove. “I was just about to have some pot pie my mother made. Would you like some?”

  He hadn’t had any dinner yet. Without missing a beat, he told her with boyish enthusiasm, “I’d love some.” Not wanting to leave out Jonathan, he looked at him and asked, “How about you, champ? You hungry, too?”

  Jonathan shook his head, his flaxen hair moving back and forth about his ears. “I ate dinner with Grandma,” Jonathan told him.

  Grinning, Kullen ruffled his hair. “Nice of you to keep your grandmother company. I’m sure she appreciated it.”

  Jonathan beamed at the approval. “Yeah, she’s nice,” the boy said with feeling. Rushing into the family room ahead of his new friend, Jonathan grabbed the box the video game had come in and held it up for Kullen’s perusal. “I’m playing this one. But it’d be more fun if you played, too.”

  Lilli looked from the box to Kullen. Her expression was skeptical. “Do you know how to play video games?” she asked. She herself hadn’t a clue, although she’d been meaning to learn for Jonathan’s sake. But she knew right off the top that she just wasn’t coordinated that way.

  “Do I know how to play video games?” Kullen repeated with a laugh. The truth of it was, video games were his guilty pleasure. It was a way for him to unwind—when he wasn’t spending time with his “flavor of the month,” as Kate referred to the women who wove in and then out of his dating life. “Prepare to be dazzled,” he promised Lilli as he sank down on the sofa next to her son.

  For almost two hours, Kullen played with the aplomb and skill of someone who hadn’t been a novice in a very long time. Lilli noticed that he held back just enough to allow her son to win the final round.

  It warmed her heart to see Jonathan so enthralled and happy.

  “Looks like you beat me, champ,” Kullen marveled, putting down his controller on the coffee table. “But I’ll get you next time,” he promised with a wink.

  “How about now?” the boy asked excitedly, picking up the controller and holding it out to him. He seemed ready to go at least another two hours.

  Watching the so-called competition from the adjacent love seat, Lilli stepped in. “It’s past your bedtime, Jonathan,” she pointed out.

  “Aw, Mom.” He surprised her by whining in the sullen voice of little boys everywhere. “Just a few more minutes.”

  “It’s going to take more than a few minutes to play this, champ,” Kullen reminded him prudently. “Besides,” he added, “I’m kind of beat. It’s past my bedtime, too.”

  “You have a bedtime?” Jonathan marveled, half wide-eyed, half suspicious.

  “All great video gamers have bedtimes,” Kullen told him seriously. “Didn’t you know that? We’ve got to get our rest so we can stay sharp. You never know when the next matchup is coming.”

  Suspicion faded. “Oh.” Convinced, Jonathan bobbed his head. “Okay.”

  “You go on upstairs and get ready, sweetheart,” Lilli instructed affectionately. “I’ll be up in a few minutes to tuck you in.”

  “And to read me a story?” Jonathan added, eyeing her hopefully.

  A story would take time. She didn’t want to rush Kullen out and it wouldn’t be polite to leave him standing around down here while she was upstairs, reading to her son.

  “We’ll see,” she replied evasively.

  Guessing at the source of her ambivalence, Kullen came to the rescue. “How about I read you a story?” Kullen proposed, looking at the boy.

  Jonathan lit up like a Roman candle. “That’d be awesome!” he declared happily.

  “Okay, you go upstairs and get ready for bed like your mom said and I’ll be up there in a few minutes.” Jonathan was already flying to the staircase. “Leave the door open so I can find your room,” he called, cementing the bond he’d just forged with the boy.

  “Yes, sir,” the small boy all but crowed. He rushed up the stairs in record time.

  “I never saw him move that fast before to get ready for bed,” Lilli marveled. She turned toward Kullen, feeling her heart swell with warmth. “You know you didn’t have to do any of that.”

  He shrugged, dismissing her gratitude. “I like playing video games. This gives me an excuse.”

  The video game was only part of it. “And picking up the cans of root beer?”

  He shrugged again. “Just made sense at the time.”

  “All right, how about volunteering to read a story to him?”

  Kullen laughed. That was no big deal. “Haven’t you heard? Every lawyer likes to hear the sound of his or her own voice. Reading out loud fits right into that.”

  Lilli shook her head. The man was as unassuming as she remembered him. “Still can’t take a compliment, can you?”

  “When I deserve one,” he countered. “But there’s no reason to compliment me for doing something I enjoy.” Looking at her, his expression grew serious. An uneasy feeling undulated through her. It didn’t subside when she heard what he had to say. “Listen, we need to talk—”

  “I’m ready, Mr. Kullen!” Jonathan called out, his voice drifting down the stairs.

  “—but not now,” Kullen concluded, doing a verbal U-turn and tabling what he wanted to say to her for the time being.

  She hadn’t a clue what Kullen wanted to discuss with her and not knowing made her edgy. Exceedingly edgy. Her brain went into overdrive. Was Kullen being so incredibly nice to her son because he was trying to soften the blow?

  Was he going to make a pitch for Mrs. Dalton’s side after all? The very possibility numbed her.

  No, she argued silently, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. She knew him. She hadn’t thought so, but she did. She knew him and the Kullen Manetti she knew wouldn’t just set her up like this, wouldn’t circle around her as if searching for her weak spot in order to attack her underside.

  Dealing with Erik’s mother these past few weeks had jaded her, had made her suspicious of everyone, seeing threats where none existed.

  Damn, it isn’t fair, she thought as she began to clean up the family room. She’d just started getting her life in order, just started trusting people again. Granted, she hadn’t been out with a man on a date since before Jonathan was born—since she’d left Kullen, really—but that was because she wasn’t interested in dating. The only man who was important in her life was still years away from shaving.

  But she’d been able to relax a little more, had begun to feel at ease again. And then Mrs. Dalton had cornered her and
first cajoled, then demanded custody of Jonathan. It was obvious that Elizabeth Dalton had expected nothing less than her total capitulation.

  “Not used to anyone saying no to you, are you, you old viper?” Lilli muttered, wiping up the sweat ring Kullen’s beer can had left on the coffee table. “Well, I said no and I intend to keep on saying no until it sinks into that thick head of yours—or until I have to take Jonathan and go where you can never find either one of us.”

  Lilli stacked the two dishes she and Kullen had used, placed the glasses on top and carried them into the kitchen. She deposited everything in the sink.

  “But you are never, never getting your claws into him, never changing him from the sweet boy he is into a carbon copy of his late father.” Taking the cans next, she tossed them into a plastic garbage bag she used to stash recyclables. “For all I know, you did this to him,” she theorized, back in the family room again. “Maybe Erik was as nice as Jonathan once but you turned him into that self-absorbed monster he became. That’s not going to happen to my son.”

  “It won’t.”

  Gasping even as she stifled a scream, Lilli swung around. Her body collided with Kullen’s. He quickly grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling. “Hey,” he laughed, steadying her. “I’m not all that scary.”

  “You’re not scary at all,” she said once she caught her breath. “I just didn’t hear you come up behind me and you startled me.”

  “Sorry, next time I’ll call ahead,” he promised with a wink. “I came down because I thought I heard you talking to someone.”

  She hadn’t realized she’d been that loud. “Just to myself.”

  He appeared amused. “And did you agree with what you were saying?”

  Lilli could feel herself withdrawing. “You’re making fun of me.”

  “No,” he contradicted. “I’m enjoying you. To be honest, hearing you mutter like that takes me back.” She looked at him quizzically so he explained. “You used to talk to yourself when you were studying.” Back then, the whole world lay before them. He’d thought she would accomplish wonderful things. “Why didn’t you ever go back to school?”