by Marie Harte
“Braids.”
“Whatever. You always do some funky thing with your hair, and every day I want to see what it looks like. I like it down though too. Especially when it’s over my chest.” He played with her hair, running his thick fingers through it. “Or over my thighs like it was earlier.”
She blushed. “Stop.”
“You turning red? Lemme see.” He looked down and grinned. “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed, Delilah.”
“Jackass.”
“Ah, the love words. How I bask in your affection.”
She pulled his chest hair, and he flinched. “You’re a funny guy.”
“I try.” He stroked her hair, then her back, and she started falling asleep. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered.
“Me too,” she admitted before dozing off.
***
The slap on her ass didn’t amuse her.
“Wake up.”
“Dad. I don’t have socks,” Colin bellowed from outside the room.
“Yeah, you do. Look in the laundry basket in the laundry room.”
“Okay.” The pounding of little feet sounded overly loud.
She pulled a pillow over her head.
Another slap on her bare ass.
“Much as I’d like nothing more than to fuck you senseless, you really need to move that fine ass. I don’t think Colin’s ready for sex ed in first grade.”
That got her moving.
She dressed and met the pair at the kitchen table. Colin talked and talked and talked, while Mike grunted occasionally and sipped coffee while he scrambled some eggs. He nodded to the cup sitting next to the coffeepot.
She poured herself some then sat down, uncomfortably aware of the domestic vibe around her. But Mike didn’t make it weird, and Colin acted as if she’d always been there, including her in his ramblings.
“Did you like the bed, Del? It’s big, isn’t it?” he asked.
Mike turned to raise a brow. “Isn’t it?”
She choked on her coffee and laughter. “Yeah, it’s okay.” Then to Colin, she whispered, “But your dad is a bed hog. Next time, I’m moving in with you.”
“Okay.” He grinned, looking so happy she didn’t have the nerve to tell him she was teasing.
“No way. Get your own girl, Colin.” Mike set some eggs down in front of Del and a glass of milk for the boy. “She’s mine.”
“Whatever, Dad.” He gave Mike the McCauley trademark sneer, then guzzled his milk. “Ah. Faster than Ubie can drink a Coke.”
“Nice.” Del nodded. “I like to sip at mine. Slowly.”
Behind her, Mike swore and dropped a pan. She grinned.
Mike left her to bundle Colin off to the school bus, and he returned seeming satisfied. He wore his stained jeans, a scruffy T-shirt, and those nasty boots she envied. Well-worn and stinky, they were the perfect blend of comfort and function.
Seeing where her gaze had landed, he looked down at hers. “I like yours too. You got a thing for black, eh, Delilah?”
“I have a thing for what works. Black works.” She stood from the table and dragged him by the shirt to her. “You work.”
“You better believe it.” He kissed her, and those freaky little butterflies still swirled low in her belly. “Damn. How do you keep doing this to me?” He ground into her belly…hard. “It should have worn off by now.”
“What’s that?”
“Whatever magic is in that pussy,” he said bluntly.
“Real nice.” She frowned. “You don’t see me equating your big dick to how I feel about you.”
He froze. “Yeah? How do you feel about me?”
“Well, I don’t hate you…anymore.”
He grinned. “And?”
“And I like fucking you.”
He put her hand between them and closed it over him. “You see it’s mutual.”
“But I almost, no, I think…” She gave him her best innocent, confused, longing face and saw his expression sober.
“Del, honey? Tell me.” So tender and soft. So gentle and caring.
“Yes. I…like you. Whew. That was tough to say.” She sneered. “Dumbass.”
“Witch.” Yet the humor—and relief—was telling. He wasn’t ready to hear what she wasn’t ready to say. That she loved the giant jerk and had no idea what to do about it.
“Time to get to work. Let’s go.” She clapped her hands.
“Fine.”
“Oh, and you need to bring your truck to the shop later today. I’ll work on it tonight and tomorrow, so have another ride through Friday.”
“Okay. Just tell me how much I owe you and I’ll—”
“Fuck that. You fixed my window boxes.”
He stepped back from her and glared. “That was nothing.”
“What about the bookcase and the cabinets? And the trim work you promised? You reneging?”
“Hell no. Fine. Fix my damn truck.” He grabbed a travel mug and poured coffee into it, adding sugar and creamer. Then he handed it to her. “I want it to purr. Oh, and the door squeaks. Fix that too.”
Feeling better that he’d acquiesced, so she could show him just what she could do with a vehicle, she nodded and took the mug. “I will. So tonight I can’t sleep over.”
“Fine. But tomorrow night, your ass is here.”
“But—”
“No buts, unless we’re talking about your ass. And my hand. And some spankings for talking back.” He wiggled his brows, their tiny argument gone before it could start.
“Quit distracting me. I have to go. If I’m late, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He looked at the microwave clock and groaned. “Oh yeah. My father is a huge pain in the ass. Gotta go.” He walked with her to the front door, then gave her a quick kiss. “Oh, and I put a key on your key ring, so you can come and go whenever. Lock up, will you, sweetness?”
With that, he left. She watched him leave with a wave, stunned at how fast they seemed to be moving. Family picnics? Sleepovers? His key? She stared down at it, seeing the dirty metal, and seeing the possibility of so much more as well. She gripped it tight, then locked the door behind her.
Chapter 20
Mike hated to admit it, but his truck drove like a dream. No more clinks and clanks, the brakes were solid, and the door no longer squeaked. Friday night he sat on the couch with Del while Colin and Brian goofed off with Hyde in Colin’s bedroom. Colin’s turn to host the sleepover, and the little guys were planning something, because he kept hearing his name mentioned in whispers between soft woofs from the dog. That and they gave him odd looks when he checked on them.
“So.” Del waited with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed at him.
“So you did a good job. You happy now?”
“Excuse me?”
She really didn’t tolerate his crap. Or his crappy attitude. He’d growled at her earlier after dealing with yet another budget change with the homeowners on his project. Not to mention his father had been a huge distraction during the process, because he agreed with the changes Mike had begged the wife not to make. Sure it extended MCC’s work and gave them added income, but Mike thought the tile detracted from the clean look she’d been trying to achieve. Artist and expert James McCauley had disagreed.
So Mike hadn’t been in the best mood when he’d nearly stepped in the dog crap Colin hadn’t cleaned up outside before slaving over the stove to make dinner. He’d barely chewed out Colin for it before Del snapped at him to get his head out of his ass and chill the F—not fuck, but F—out. All said in front of Colin, who’d stared open-mouthed at them.
Like that, Del had stolen his mood, and Mike had laughingly apologized.
“Still waiting, Michael.”
He winced. “Okay, sorry. The truck is amazing. You’re a goddess. I worship humbly at your feet.”
“Better.” She sniffed.
They sat watching some stupid mystery, when he wanted to take her into the back and have his wicked way with he
r. Aside from Lea, he’d never been so into a woman as he was with Del, and he wanted to take advantage of it. This kind of lust and affection couldn’t be duplicated.
What it meant that Del gave him the same rush, lack of appetite, and need to please as his wife once had, he didn’t want to think about.
After a while of holding hands and watching in silence, Del spoke again. “Your mom left you another message.”
Mike had a landline for Colin, and with it, an answering machine. He would have scrapped it, but sometimes he needed to use it to find his cell phone. “Okay.”
“Mike, what’s up with you and your mom? Sounds like you haven’t talked since the picnic. And before you tell me it’s none of my business, I just blew you last night, and that’s about as intimate as it gets for me, so don’t even try telling me to butt out. Spill.”
He sighed. “I’m not ducking her calls.”
She snorted.
“Not exactly. I was busy when I got home.”
“You were playing with the dog.”
“He needed me.”
“Your mother needs you.”
“I thought you didn’t like her.” There, answer that.
“She’s okay. I like her.”
“Really?”
“I’d like her more if she liked me.”
“Yeah, well. That’s kind of what we argued about.” She wanted to know, he’d tell her. “My mom and I finally had it out about Grace. I’m tired of her setting me up, and she tore into me about grieving for Lea. As if sorrow has a time limit. Like, Damn, son. It’s been ten minutes. Why aren’t you married again?”
Del turned to fully face him, her features unreadable. He hated when she pulled that face. “So you told her we aren’t getting married. Ever. And she backed off.”
“Yes. No.”
“Which is it?”
“Why the fuck are you so calm?” he asked in a low voice, annoyed by her lack of reaction and still aware they had small children in the house.
“Why wouldn’t I be? You and I said from the start we’re about having fun without drama. Hello? No drama.”
He frowned. “So you’re never getting married? Why not?”
“I consider it a personal choice.”
He didn’t think she realized that whenever she grew stressed, she rubbed her arm. An obvious tell and one he wanted to know more about. “Okay. You want the details between me and my mother?”
“Yeah.”
“Explain the scar.” He nodded to her tattoo.
She tensed, and he almost felt bad for prodding her. Almost.
“Del, you want to be open, right? Guess what, baby? Not only did I go down on you, I gave you a key to my house.” My heart. “So I’m thinking that entitles me to some answers too.”
He didn’t think she’d answer when she started talking in a soft voice, her gaze darting between him and the hallway. “I was five and my mom had come to visit.”
“Visit?”
Del sighed. “This is ugly. You sure you want to hear it?”
“Yes.” I want to know everything about you. He lowered the volume on the TV and waited.
“Fine. I told you my dad was married to J.T.’s mom, and they were happy. She died of cancer, and it was really sad. My dad totally loved her. Ends of the earth kind of love.” Like you had with Lea went unsaid.
“I get you.”
“I know.” She sighed again, but before he could say anything, she continued, “To hear J.T. tell it, Dad was lost. He kind of did his best, taking care of J.T. and the garage, which he’d just started. Then a few years after he lost Bridget, he met Penelope Light, my mom. And yeah, her last name really was Light.”
“Suits you,” he mused, stroking her hair.
“About the only thing that does when it comes to her. Penny was a shallow, spoiled, self-centered bitch. But she was pretty. And she liked Dad a lot. Until she had him and realized he wasn’t going to be rolling in money with the garage. Just because he worked on fancy cars didn’t mean he actually owned them.
“She came from a poor family, and she traded on her looks to move up in the world. Trust me when I say my dad was a huge step up.”
“Huh.” Mike held her hand, rubbing her fingers, which, like the rest of her, had gone tense.
“Anyway, not to bore you with details, but Dad fell for her looks, knocked her up, and before she realized he wasn’t a rich fat cat, they married. Needless to say, she didn’t like being locked down, and he knew he’d made a mistake as soon as they said ‘I do.’ So he agreed to stay married and financially support her if she wouldn’t abort me.”
“Shit.”
“He’d pay for her, care for her, but he’d keep custody of me. I’d stay with him and J.T. if she wanted to float around, which she usually did.”
“That sucks.”
“Yep. I was this little kid, thinking she was an angel or something. I mean, Mike, she was really pretty. I can totally see why Dad fell for her.” Del looked so earnest, trying to convince him why her dad had made his decision.
“If she looked anything like you, I can see why you’d think she’s beautiful.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, hating the shine in her eyes. She didn’t cry. She wouldn’t let herself cry, and he saw himself in her restraint. “You don’t have to tell me anymore if you—”
“It’s fine. I’m over her.”
Yeah, like I’m over Lea. “So that scar…?”
“Right. So she’s beautiful, I’m in love with her. Whenever she comes to visit, I’m gaga to see her. And she visits when she needs love. Penny is depressed, having a rough day, she comes back to a stupid kid who thinks she can do no wrong. Insta-love.”
“Kinda like Hyde,” Mike said to shock her out of her mood.
She blinked. “Did you just compare me to a dog?”
“But you’re much better-looking.” He nodded, and she slapped his chest. But at least the sadness in her eyes faded.
“You really are an ass, aren’t you?”
“Hey, I’m trying to reform. I’m with you, aren’t I?” He gave her a quick kiss, and she squeezed his hand.
“Lucky, is what you are,” she grumbled. “Anyway, to make a long, pathetic story short, she came back for some love and attention. I thought. I raced to hug her, expecting the needy hug back she normally gave me. But I was covered in grease and dirt, playing with Dad’s grease gun. I wasn’t kidding about that. He wasn’t the neat guy you are.”
“None of them are.”
She snorted. “Yeah, well, Penny was less than pleased. She’d been in the process of doing up her hair and wearing some designer gown from some dude she’d been sleeping with at the time. See, Penny slept with the highest bidder. It fed her drug and dress habit. In her defense, I was dirty and I think she was half high. She shoved me hard away from her, and I fell onto her curling iron. Problem was, she held me down on top of it for a while, not realizing I was burning.”
She held up her arm. “It fucking hurt. I was five, and I still remember the sting. J.T. rushed in and helped me get away from her, because she started raving and ranting, throwing shit, basically having a meltdown because of her ruined dress.”
“Sorry, but what a bitch.”
She gave him a sad smile. “Yeah. J.T. called Aunt Caroline to contain Penny, then got Dad home. Dad kicked Penny’s ass out and rushed me to the emergency room, because he was afraid of infection. I think it was a second-degree burn.” She rubbed her arm. “We don’t talk about it. Dad still blames himself for letting me be with her. He knew she was losing it, but it kept her happy and she’d been nice to me until that point.”
“Damn. That’s harsh.”
“Yeah. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it as I got older, but when I was in high school, I found some letters of hers she’d written to Dad. They were…ugly. Then J.T. filled in the blanks for me. Dad used to lie about her, said she was just sick and had to go away, and that she died in a car crash on the way to the hospital.
Truth was, she was higher than a kite and blowing some rich guy when they crashed into a semi going eighty miles an hour down I-5.”
Mike sat with her, not sure what to say.
“Ugly, I told you.”
She put her arm down, but he picked it up to study the scar. “You know, J.T. did some nice work covering it up. When did you get this?”
“My bitchin’ ass?” she said with a smirk, and he knew she’d be okay. “When I was sixteen. Dad was livid, but what could he say? It covered a mark none of us wanted to see.”
“I like it. The dragon. But the scar… I won’t lie. I like my women pretty and perfect. No scars, tats, piercings, or imperfections. I’m making huge allowances for you.”
She pinched his arm and leaned in to kiss him. “Thanks.”
“For making allowances?”
She pinched him again.
“Ow.”
“For listening.” She soothed the pinch by rubbing her fingers over him, and he squirmed, because he didn’t want to be getting aroused when he should be providing comfort. Her mother had been a total scumbag. Anyone who would hurt a child deserved death, in Mike’s opinion. A few months ago, when he’d learned what Brody had suffered as a kid, he’d wanted to find Brody’s dad and rearrange the guy’s body parts. Flynn had talked him down though. A good thing, because Mike really needed to stay out of jail for Colin’s sake.
“So your mom…?” Del prodded.
He groaned. “You did that on purpose. Sharing all that crap so I have no choice but to tell you what Mom said.”
“Yeah. I’m all about emotional scars and sharing.”
He frowned. “I’m sensing that.”
“Mike.”
“Okay, okay.” He didn’t want to delve into Lea and his mother and his confusing feelings about Del, but she’d asked. “I told Mom to quit throwing Grace at me. Told her she’s not my type.” This would be uncomfortable. “But Mom said she kind of is. I’ve always dated smaller chicks. Quiet, kind of shy, a lot like Lea.”
Del nodded. “And?”
“So Mom wanted to know why not Grace? She said maybe I’m into you because you’re different.”
“Maybe you are.”
He frowned. “Can you not agree with my mother please?”