by Shayla Black
The man blanked his irritation with a carefully impassive expression, but she knew that he didn’t like being lumped in as a relative. And truthfully, she didn’t see him as one—at all—despite months of trying. Yes, he looked like Hunter. Her son-in-law treated Kata very well and made her daughter one happy woman. Caleb…he just looked like a hugely capable, sexual man.
She swallowed against a little dizzying wave of desire as she stared at him and pretended disinterest.
Pretending became nearly impossible when he wrapped his hand around her elbow and brought her just a bit closer. Across the parking lot, she saw Kata and Hunter drive away. And there went her security blanket.
“Let’s step into this little coffee shop.”
He did not ask or wait for an answer, just started leading her in that direction. Carlotta weighed giving in to his demand against protesting. In the end, it wasn’t worth the fight. They were going to be in public…and she liked his hands on her more than she should.
A moment later, Caleb led her up the curb, somehow mysteriously placing himself right where he could help her in case her ankle decided to freeze up, as it occasionally did. Then they were inside, surrounded by people of all ages with their laptops, mellow music, low lighting, and the smell of exotic coffee rife in the air.
He led her to a table in the corner, near the back, then seated her like a gentleman, pushing her chair close.
“Coffee? Dessert?”
“No, thank you. I am pleasantly stuffed after that lovely meal. Thank you for dinner.”
“My pleasure. I’m getting coffee for myself. Do you want a smoothie? Water?”
So, he wanted her to have something to make her comfortable during a potentially long discussion. Carlotta sighed. What exactly did he want to talk about? Hopefully not to revisit their last date and that kiss that still made her feel hot all over whenever she thought of it. And made her fantasize about him touching her.
“Water, then. Please.” She settled into the chair, studying the black, faux-wood table.
Caleb made his way to the counter, and she stared under her lashes at the sturdy width of his shoulders, the tapering of his lean waist to his narrow hips. He stood ramrod straight, like a military man, and kept his gaze trained forward while ordering from the twenty-something barista. He returned a few minutes later with his hands full. Once he settled into the chair across from her, she realized how small the table seemed, how quiet the corner was, how little air she had to breathe when he sat so near.
Goodness, if he asked her out again, would she have the fortitude to say no? Of course, she really, really wanted to say yes—to nearly anything he might ask. But if she couldn’t handle a putz like Gordon, Caleb Edgington would run over her entirely. Keeping her guard up was critical.
After setting his steaming coffee aside, he palmed a big bottle of water. He’d thoughtfully asked for a cup, then poured some of the cool liquid for her. “Here you go. I’ll get to the point. The kids need our help.”
That disarmed her immediately. “Of course. Is everything all right? Kata said nothing to me about trouble.”
“Not trouble.” Caleb paused. “Hunter just told me about the miscarriage.”
Surprise and irritation flashed through her. Her son-in-law knew well that Kata wished to keep this secret. She understood that he had likely found that difficult, but… Hadn’t he and Kata not grown past Hunter unapologetically taking control of their lives?
Carlotta frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but Caleb held up a hand. It would have been a bossy gesture if his expression hadn’t been so contrite. “I know Kata didn’t want anyone else to know, and their secret is safe with me. Logan and Tara would be hurt, but…the kids have made a choice and I respect that. The information goes no farther.”
“Mija can sometimes be very close-mouthed with things personal.”
He leveled a glance at her that said “pot meet kettle,” but didn’t voice it. “Understood. Because of that incident and some discussions they’ve had about having kids, Hunter told me he’s cooked up a surprise for Kata for Christmas. He’s bought her a house in Lafayette.”
Irritation dropped away, and a smile broke out across Carlotta’s face. Her eyes teared up. Carlotta had loved Hunter from almost the first moment Kata had introduced them. Her son-in-law had rescued her from a terrible marriage. The young man just kept proving over and over how much he loved her daughter. A house represented a commitment to family and future.
“She will be thrilled.”
“I’m glad you think so. This is where we come in. According to Hunter, the house needs work. I’m going to drive out there tomorrow and take a look at it, make a list of what needs to be done. I can fix just about anything, install new plumbing or electrical or whatever. I can even paint.” He pressed his lips together, as if reluctant to admit there was something he couldn’t do. “But I can’t decorate.”
Carlotta suppressed a grin. Kata was particular about that sort of thing. Caleb had done right to come to her for help. She alone knew her daughter well enough to pull together a style that would please both Kata’s need for flourish and a touch of feminine, but still preserving the function and masculinity for Hunter.
“Thank you for asking me to help. Of course I will.” She frowned. “We have very little time. Christmas is just a few weeks away.”
“Exactly. While I’m there tomorrow, I’ll text you a few pictures. Maybe you can start sketching some ideas. I’m going to look at the flooring Hunter picked out.”
Carlotta tried not to, but she winced. Caleb laughed.
“Sorry. But in my experience, most men who try to decorate should not.”
He grinned at her. “Myself included. I admit it.”
Which surprised her, but nicely so.
With so little time before the holidays, they couldn’t spare even an hour. Pulling together a single room could take weeks, let alone a whole house. “Actually, I am not scheduled to work for the next three days. If you would not mind the company, I could come out there with you and list out my ideas and what must be done.”
It would be a nice respite from her own too-quiet condo. And if it made her daughter happy…then she could overcome her own discomfort at being in the company of a man who made her remember that she was still a woman.
Caleb smiled, and it transformed his stern face into something warm and mesmerizing. Carlotta found herself leaning closer, smiling back. A flush crawled up her cheeks, and she looked away, unbearably aware of his gaze on her. He was a smart man, so he must know that he affected her. Of course he did—but that knowledge did not make his pull any less potent.
“It’s a long drive. Do you mind if we get an early start?” he murmured.
His tone felt almost like an intimate caress. How else could words that innocuous have the same impact as him saying, “Take off your clothes for me.”
She blushed harder and tried to brush her reaction aside. Maybe wine with dinner had been a bad idea and was impairing her judgment.
“Early is fine. Did you have a time in mind?”
“Seven?” He sipped his coffee and sat back in his chair, giving her a bit of space.
The extra air should have been welcome. Oddly, she worried that he was no longer interested in her, and that she’d imagined his voice turning its seductive power on her.
Carlotta risked a glance up at him. No, she hadn’t imagined anything. He might have given her more space, but his gaze drilled her with a blistering heat that made her catch her breath.
She swallowed back excitement. “Seven would be great.”
Chapter 2
They rolled up to Hunter and Kata’s new house early in the afternoon. The cab of his truck smelled like her. Something spicy and musky, but mysterious. And so damn feminine. It wasn’t perfume or lotion or anything manufactured that he’d smelled on a million other women. He’d noticed it before…but cooped up in a small space with her when the weather was too damn cold to roll down the w
indows just magnified the scent. How the hell was he going to stand up now that they’d arrived without embarrassing himself or scaring her? Caleb rubbed at his eyes. He didn’t think that telling her he’d been sporting the same erection since well before hitting the Louisiana state line would put her at ease.
“It is so charming!”
Carlotta’s smile and glowing eyes didn’t make him any less hard. Dragging in a deep breath, he forced himself to compartmentalize and focus on the house. On the corner in an established neighborhood with mature trees, it had a cottage feel. White with shutters in a pumpkin color. A wide porch held up by four slender columns shielded a host of flowering plants and a hanging bench swing. Big windows along the front, a white door with a leaded glass inset, and decorative silvery house numbers along the front all added to the cozy feel. It wasn’t big, but Caleb could see why Hunter would want to call it home and maybe raise a baby or two.
“I’m sure they’ll be happy here. Let’s go see how much work the interior needs. The exterior looks good.”
“The grass needs cutting.” She pulled out a little notebook from her purse, along with a pen, and started making notes. “The little detached garage out back probably needs a coat of paint.”
Caleb cocked his head to look down the line of the house. She was right. “I’ll take care of that.”
“They are lucky to have you.” She smiled. “Helping, I mean.”
Yeah, because Carlotta could have him any way she wanted if she’d just say the word.
That wasn’t happening anytime soon. Sighing, he stepped out of the truck and jogged around the front. Carlotta had opened her door and was trying to hop to the ground in not-quite-practical heels and another one of those skirts that hugged her ass and drove him insane.
What he really wanted to do was put his arms around her waist and lift her against him. But she shot him another one of those skittish stares, so he merely offered her a hand. She took it, and her soft heat was a jolt through his system. Jesus, as if he could get much harder. The moment her feet steadied on the ground, Caleb forced himself to turn away and headed for the house.
Heading up the little walkway, he fished out the keys Hunter had given him and pushed open the front door. That’s where the charm ended. He passed through a little foyer. Dark and cramped, with a strange little half wall that supported spindles up to the ceiling, it cut the opening off from the rest of the house. Maybe if there’d been a coat closet or something functional, he could see the purpose. But at six foot three, all he felt was cramped.
The parquet floors had seen better decades. Someone had broken into the house at some point and spray painted an interesting collection of obscenities low on the half wall.
“Oh, dear.” Carlotta’s voice shook.
That was one way of putting it. “I vote we rip out this pointless wall. It’s not load bearing.”
“It makes the house feel smaller.”
“Right.” Caleb wandered further inside. “The fireplace needs a good scrub.”
She nodded. “Everything needs new paint.”
True enough. The work of the graffiti artists continued. Their vocabulary belonged in the gutter. Carlotta winced.
“I’ll definitely take care of that, too. I’m guessing…kitchen off to the left?” He put a hand to the small of her back and led her away from the insults in red-spray paint.
But the kitchen wasn’t any better. Several of the cabinets hung crooked, dangling by a single nail. Some of the doors had been torn off, the shelves ripped out. The sink was filthy. The refrigerator had been rolled to the middle of the floor. Caleb was almost afraid to open it. He filed that project in the later category, then opened a mystery door, expecting a pantry. Instead, he peeked down, flipped on the switch just inside.
“What is it?”
“Attic.”
Caleb took a couple of steps up and surveyed the room. “Partially. Someone left a bunch of junk here, but it wouldn’t take much to toss it out and finish the room off.”
It wasn’t a huge space, but he could think of a use or two that would make Hunter and Kata happy.
Stomping back down, he turned off the light, then guided Carlotta into the dining room. Other than thrashed carpet and another multi-colored paint job, there was nothing wrong with the room. Down a little hall, and he ran into one bedroom with a cracked window, another one with a large closet that needed a little drywall repair, and the master bathroom, which had some water damage around the shower. This was more than a weekend project…but he liked the challenge.
Caleb glanced over to find Carlotta hesitant, then furiously writing on her notepad. “You okay?”
She blinked at him as if coming out of her own world. “Fine, yes. All is well. Ideas flying in my head. This bedroom and bathroom should be spa colors. The bedroom just across the hall would make a lovely nursery. Kata has a love of white kitchens. White cabinets with a white, solid surface countertop. Something with streaks of gray or earth tones. Once we have that in place, I’ll have a better idea what color to paint the walls and what backsplash to choose. Something glass would be nice because she likes sparkle, but we will see what is available. What flooring did Hunter choose for the room? Did he leave us a budget?”
“Hardwoods. Yes, I’ve got it. How about we discuss more over lunch? I’m starving. You can tell me your ideas.”
“You go ahead. I have too much to write out to leave now. I will be fine here.” Subject dismissed in her mind, Carlotta turned with pen in hand and headed out the bedroom door.
Caleb frowned and gripped her elbow. His hand was gentle, but she wasn’t getting away. “Did you eat breakfast?”
“I usually skip it.”
He knew his frown became a glower, but he found her skipping meals unacceptable. “Not with me, you don’t. And you won’t be skipping lunch, either.”
“I am a grown woman. I do not need you to tell me when to eat.”
Wincing, Caleb let go of her arm. Since divorcing the ex-douche bag, Carlotta had guarded her independence zealously. Ordering her trampled on that. But he couldn’t let her simply have her way.
“We have hours of very hard work ahead of us. You need to fuel your body or you’ll be exhausted in an hour or two.”
Her eyes sharpened, large brown pools that seemed to have no end. He could fall in there if it meant staring at her gorgeous face for the next hundred years. Time had been kind to her. The small lines around her eyes were faint. Her lips were still a plump, red bow. The curves of her breasts and hips were voluptuous. In the past two years, she’d grown her hair out so that it brushed over her shoulder caps in fat curls he wanted to bury his hands in as he guided her to his lips, his cock…
“I often eat but one meal a day. With hips such as these, I can afford to skip meals.”
She spoke the words wryly and meant them as a joke, but they just pissed Caleb off.
“Not when you’re with me.” He brought her closer. “I still remember that fragile woman Hunter took from Gordon’s house. He brought you to me and put you in my care. It’s my duty to watch over and protect you. My son and your daughter would not be happy with me if I allowed you to run yourself down. I’ll let you pick out whatever food you’d like, but we’re eating now.”
Carlotta dug in her very sexy heels. “I do not appreciate your bossiness.”
“It’s not the first time, and I doubt it will be the last.”
Caleb ushered her out the door. She stomped and huffed, and in truth, he had to work not to laugh…and be a little proud. When Hunter had first brought her to his house, she’d been meek and willing to accept anything in order not to create waves. And to look at her asserting herself now? It made his cock hard. Then again, everything about her did.
Herding her out to the truck, he helped her up, then hopped into the driver’s side. “Where’s a good place to eat? I figure you used to live here, so you’d probably know. Have a favorite?”
She still seemed put out with him, bu
t did answer. “One of my favorite places is very near here. At the end of the street, take a right. In two stoplights, head left. I will tell you when to stop.”
Fair enough. He followed directions and found himself parallel parking in the middle of a little downtown district that had been revitalized with unique shops, antique stores, a cupcake bakery, and… “Primrose and Saxby’s?”
Despite the rundown brick building, the lacy curtains screamed feminine and delicate. Carlotta sent him a coy smile as she approached the stained glass door.
Caleb pulled it open for her and a blast of sweet-smelling air hit him immediately. Flowers—and lots of them. Scented candles added another cloying note to the pungent, barfworthy fragrance. And lots of estrogen. Old-fashioned jewelry filled glass cases, framed by overflowing antiques that looked a hell of a lot like junk to him. And goddamn dolls everywhere in frilly dresses and dainty shoes with unblinking glass eyes. Oh, hell. What did women see in places like this?
A woman in a Victorian dress showed them to their table. A man in a tuxedo serenaded the crowd, singing sappy love songs and doing his best Barry White imitation. The menu consisted of items like chicken chutney salad, afternoon tea finger sandwiches, basil cheese tarts, and cream of leek soup. Carlotta pressed her lips together, looking exactly like the cat who swallowed the canary.
The waitress took their order, and he’d been thrilled to find a burger on the menu. Not his first choice, but the rest of this bird food would wear off in a couple of hours. Carlotta ordered a turkey swiss wrap and a lemon scone with clotted cream.
Caleb had no idea what that was precisely, but he had to admit that the food was actually pretty edible, even if the music made him want to vomit. She offered him half of the scone thing, which looked a bit like a hard turnover to him. He declined, and she bit into the scone. The look on her face as she did, the moan, the way she nibbled and licked her lips… Hell, did she have any idea how close he was to plucking her up from her chair, laying her across the table, and tearing her clothes off?
