by J. H. Croix
“I know. I wish…”
“Wish what?”
“I just wish Chris wasn’t the way he was. Vivi deserves better and Julianna deserves a father who can bother to be around. Has Chris done anything to help since Julianna was born?” Heath thought he knew the answer to this, but he had to know.
Sophia shook her head quickly. “Nothing. He visited a few times for the first couple of years, but that’s it. He’s never helped take care of her. No child support. Nothing.”
A flash of anger rose inside Heath. Every time he thought about Chris, he wanted to pound him in the face and make him pay for what he’d done. This information made him want to use a sledgehammer. “Damn asshole.”
Sophia nodded. “Oh yeah. You’ll get no argument on that from me. Vivi tries not to dwell, but it’s hard with Julianna getting old enough to ask questions.”
Tommy stepped to the counter and slid Heath’s coffee across. “Here you go. Light on the mocha, just how you like it.”
Heath took a taste. “Perfect. Here you go.” He tugged his wallet out and a few bills from it before stuffing them in the tip jar.
Tommy grinned, while Sophia rolled her eyes. After Tommy stepped to the back, Sophia caught Heath’s eyes again. She appeared to be considering something. Just when Heath was about to ask her what she was thinking, she spoke. “How’s it going with Vivi?”
Heath considered last night—another experience with Vivi that nearly brought him to his knees and held her so tight and fast in his heart that he didn’t know where to go from here. There were a lot of details he didn’t feel comfortable sharing with his sister, but he could use her perspective. “Good, I think. I’m a little worried about what’s going on with Chris. For all the obvious reasons, but also because I’m worried she’s just gonna get more skittish than she already is.”
Sophia picked up a pen on the counter and flipped it back and forth between her fingers. “Probably,” she finally said.
“Probably? What does that mean?” Tension coiled within him. He wanted to wipe away the past that marred Vivi’s trust, but changing the past was out of his hands.
Sophia grinned. “Exactly that.”
“What’s so funny?” A slight thread of irritation rose within him. He knew Sophia was only teasing, but Vivi meant too much to him to take anything lightly when it came to her.
Sophia angled her head to the side. “You know, it doesn’t surprise me at all to see you fall for Vivi. I guess I didn’t realize how impatient you might be.”
Heath shook his head and took a gulp of coffee, buying himself a moment to tamp down his annoyance. “I’m not impatient. I just know what I want. Plus, I’d think you’d want me to care how she felt.”
“Of course I care!” Her grin faded, and she stopped flipping the pen back and forth. “Julianna is her number one priority. Vivi is going to be skittish about any man because of that. Casual dating isn’t exactly easy for single parents. You know and I know you’re not going anywhere, but give Vivi a little time to see that for herself.”
Heath took another swallow of coffee, savoring the bittersweet flavor, and sighed. “Right. I’ll try to be patient. With Chris showing up in the mix around the investigation, I’m just worried, that’s all.”
***
A while later, Heath walked up the porch steps at Vivi’s house. She’d texted and invited him to stop by for dinner. He took that as a remarkably good sign for now. When he reached the door, it flew open and Julianna dashed through it, flinging herself against him in a hug around his legs.
“Heath! Mom said you were coming for dinner again, so I asked her to make crunchy mac and cheese again.” Julianna’s head was to the side of his hip as she looked up, her brown eyes wide. Her dark hair hung in two long braids down her back. He rested a hand on her back. Her shoulder blades felt like tiny wings when he stroked up and down quickly and leaned over to drop a kiss on her head.
“Really? Well, you know how much I liked it last time. Can’t go wrong with that. How are you today?” he asked, giving one of her braids a quick flip as she released his legs and scampered to the porch railing to swing Jax into her arms. Jax wiggled around and settled against her shoulder, instantly starting up his purr.
Julianna spoke over her shoulder as she headed back into the kitchen. “I’m good. I have to finish my homework before dinner though.”
Heath followed her inside, a swirl of cool autumn air coming in with them. He closed the door, but not before a leaf skittered across the floor. Jax immediately leapt from Julianna’s arms and batted at the leaf. Julianna giggled as Jax subdued the leaf. Vivi caught Heath’s eyes with a grin from where she stood by the counter. His heart clenched and heat rolled through him. His lion nearly purred at the sight of her. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail with wisps curling around her face. She wore a pair of cotton pants that hugged her hips and flared to swing around her ankles. As usual, she wore a fitted t-shirt that outlined her breasts. All he had to do was look at her and he was hard. Lust simmered inside. Yet, now was not the time and place to do what he wanted, which was turn her around, bend her over the counter and yank those pants down to plunge inside of her. Definitely not the time and place, dude. Julianna is about to start her homework. You cannot be thinking like this around her.
Heath almost laughed aloud when he considered that perhaps he could manage his thoughts, but his body had a mind of its own. When Vivi’s eyes met his, it was as if a flame lit the air between them and his body was instantly taut with anticipation. He batted back against those urges and slipped out of his jacket to hang it up on the coatrack by the door before walking over to the kitchen table where Julianna was pulling out a folder. When Vivi’s voice reached him, he realized he was so entranced with her, he hadn’t even bothered to say hello.
“Hey there, glad you could make it for dinner.”
He sat down in the chair facing Vivi and glanced up, feeling foolish. “Wouldn’t have missed it. Thanks for having me. How was your day?”
Vivi lifted one shoulder in a soft shrug. “Busy with work. How about you?”
“Daniel and I finished up the window replacements at the farmhouse today. Nothing else new.”
Vivi nodded and turned away to fill a pot with water. When she moved to set it one the stove, he noticed her favoring one side. Julianna distracted him at that moment when she slipped into the chair beside him. “Heath, can you help me with this?”
He glanced over to see a math worksheet. He looked back to Vivi, uncertain if she’d want him to help Julianna with her homework. Vivi glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “Help all you want.” She turned back and pulled out the baking tray and started grating cheese.
Heath pulled his chair over beside Julianna and looked down at her worksheet. Not much later, after Julianna agonized over several division problems, she carefully returned her homework to its folder and put her backpack away on the bench by the door. Heath leaned back in his chair and looked up to find Vivi’s eyes on him. She was standing by the stove. Her eyes reached in and grabbed ahold of his heart. This is what he wanted every night—to feel like their lives were entwined together.
When Julianna raced out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, Heath stood from the table and walked to Vivi’s side. He quickly dipped his head and dropped a kiss in the curve of her neck. Her breath drew in sharply, and his cock hardened instantly. “Nice to see you,” he mumbled into her neck.
He lifted his head and stepped back, knowing he couldn’t trust himself if he stayed that close. The mere scent of her pulled on the leash of his control. Her eyes were on his the moment he lifted his head. “Nice to see you too,” she said softly. The oven beeped, breaking through the moment. Vivi lifted the tray of macaroni and cheese. “Can you get the oven for me?” she asked, glancing to him.
He quickly reached over to open it. She slid the tray in, and he closed the oven door. The sound of Julianna’s footsteps reached them. She came s
kidding back into the kitchen, dragging a loose string of yarn behind her on the floor. Jax was at her heels, pouncing and batting at the yarn.
***
Vivi closed the dishwasher and snagged a towel to wipe down the counter. Heath had helped Julianna put the dishes in the dishwasher and tidy the table. Julianna had picked up Jax’s favorite piece of yarn again and was seated on the floor, dragging it in slow circles while he chased it.
“Time to get ready for bed,” Vivi called out to Julianna.
Julianna glanced up, her mouth tightening. “But Mom, Heath’s here! Can’t I stay up a little late?”
Vivi shook her head firmly. “It’s a school night, and we already talked about this. The deal was Heath could come to dinner as long as you still went to bed on time. We started dinner late as it is, so you need to hop to it. Bed by eight-fifteen.”
Julianna gave a drawn out sigh, but she climbed to her feet and slowly walked to the bathroom. Heath glanced over from where he was sitting at the table and grinned. “I always hated bedtime.”
Vivi laughed softly. “Didn’t we all? Most of the time, she’s pretty good about it. She’s never thrilled, but she goes along. If anyone’s over though, she tends to whine a bit. I’ve gotten better about reminding her beforehand. Honestly, I can’t complain.” She gestured toward the bathroom door where they could hear water running. “She’s already in there brushing her teeth. She’ll probably look pretty pathetic when she comes out to say goodnight though, so be prepared.”
He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “You’re a damn good mother.”
She flushed. Ever since the day she’d held Julianna in her arms, she felt like she was flying blind half the time. She worried she was too easygoing some days and too strict on others. When Julianna butted heads with her teacher last year, she’d felt so small when she went in to talk to the school. Her tendency to bluster her way through things didn’t seem like the smart approach to dealing with the school, so she’d had to find a way to make it work. Now that Julianna was getting older, Vivi felt like she must’ve done some things right because Julianna was a pretty good kid for the most part. When she glanced over at Heath, she felt like she could see the wheels turning in his head.
“What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious.
He was quiet for a few beats and drummed his fingertips on the table. “Seems like this probably hasn’t been the easiest thing for you. Raising Julianna on your own, I mean.”
Vivi hung the towel over the oven door handle and leaned against the counter. “Well…no. I wouldn’t trade it for a second, but I had no idea how hard it could be.”
He nodded slowly and the tapping of his fingertips stopped. “I’m sorry you had to do it alone.”
His words were gruff. She wasn’t sure how to respond, but she felt she should say something. “It is what it is.” She started to push away from the counter, moving a little too quickly, and flinched at the soreness from the deep scratch on her shoulder.
Heath’s eyes narrowed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she replied quickly.
Just then, the bathroom door opened and Julianna came out. “All done!” She hurried through the living room into the kitchen and ran to Vivi’s side. “Can I please stay up a little bit longer?” She tugged on Vivi’s arm, causing another shot of pain to zip through Vivi’s shoulder.
Before Vivi had a chance to answer, Heath spoke. “Remember what your mom said?”
Julianna loosened her hold on Vivi’s arm. Vivi breathed a sigh of relief. The scratch from her fight with Chris was deep and happened to land on the curve of her shoulder, so the wrong motion sent pain shooting through the torn skin.
Julianna took a few steps to the center of the kitchen, idly twisting the edge of her t-shirt in her fingers. She chewed her lip. “She said we had a deal,” Julianna said in her singsong voice.
Vivi could see Heath was fighting a smile. He kept his expression carefully controlled. “What was the deal?”
“That if you came to dinner, I’d go to bed on time,” Julianna answered softly.
Heath nodded slowly. “So?”
Julianna sighed and dropped the edge of her t-shirt. “Okay. I’ll go to bed.”
Vivi bit her lip to keep from laughing at Julianna’s dejected face. She stepped away from the counter and knelt down at Julianna’s side, sliding her hands down her arms. “G’night, sweetie. Don’t forget to put your clothes in your hamper.”
Julianna leaned forward and plopped a noisy kiss on Vivi’s cheek before hurrying to the table to throw her arms around Heath’s waist. He hugged her to his side.
Julianna tilted her face up to him. “Can you come for dinner again soon?”
“All you have to do is tell your mom to ask me and I’ll be here. Now off to bed. Night, night.”
Julianna giggled and scampered off. Once her bedroom door closed, Heath stood from the table.
“Okay, what happened?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” Vivi hedged. She sensed he noticed she was favoring her shoulder, but she’d prefer not to explain.
“You’re moving like you got hurt. Did you overdue it at work, or something?” He lifted a hand to curl over her shoulder. She managed not to flinch, but she tensed.
His eyes canted down, and he hooked his thumb over the edge of her shirt and pushed it back, slowly revealing her shoulder. He stopped when the ragged edge of the deep scratch came into view. His eyes bounced back up to hers. He repeated his question. “Vivi, what happened?”
She shrugged, feeling annoyed and defensive. “I went out to look for Chris.” Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Having Heath this close sent her body into a tailspin. The air felt loaded—with desire, with the longing to lean into him and let him take care of her.
“I take it you found him,” Heath said softly, his voice low and taut.
She nodded and swallowed. “I did. I just had to know if it was him.”
“How the hell did you get this? Please don’t tell me he went after you. Because if he did, I’ll fucking kill him.”
“I chased after him. I was so pissed. I just… I don’t know. . Finding out Chris was involved just made me sick. I had to know for sure, so I went out there. I chased him and went after him. He fought back, but he bolted once he pinned me. I know he’s a total ass, but if he really wanted to hurt me, he could’ve. He had me pinned.”
She couldn’t quite believe she was defending Chris, but she believed what she was saying. Chris hadn’t set out to hurt her. He fought back. The minute he had a chance to do real damage, he bolted. She didn’t know what was going to come of everything, but Heath going after Chris to avenge an injury she sustained from a fight she started didn’t seem like it would do anything other than make things even messier. In hindsight, she wished she’d told the police she was going out there, so they could have followed her and brought Chris in.
Heath traced the edge of the scratch, his index finger drawing alongside it. He stopped before the fabric of her shirt pulled too much. His breath drew in sharply. She lifted her eyes again and collided with his. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go find him?”
“Because I knew you’d tell me not to go.” A thread of stubbornness rose within her. While one part of her wanted to lean into the protectiveness and shelter Heath offered, another part of her wanted to push against it. She’d been independent for so long, it was hard to let herself rely on anyone. She’d also needed to confront Chris, to try to allay her lingering anger.
He held her gaze, his eyes considering. “I might have wanted to tell you not to go, but I would’ve understood why you wanted to. I just wish you’d told me so I could’ve gone with you. That’s all.” He paused and took a deep breath. “And I’m fucking pissed he hurt you.”
Warmth curled around her heart. Even if it was unfamiliar and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it, part of her savored his protectiveness and willingness to fight for her.
He eased his hand off of her shoulder and carefully adjusted her t-shirt. The room was quiet. The fall wind blowing outside gusted against the windows. The air around them came to life. Vivi’s breath became shallow and hot need rolled through her. She scrambled to hold it at bay. Now was not the time to tackle Heath. Julianna was probably still awake, reading in her room, and Vivi had promised herself no matter what happened with Heath, she would keep it contained from Julianna.
Heath’s hand stroked down her back, sending prickles up her spine and over her skin. He dipped his head to rest against her shoulder. She couldn’t resist sliding a hand up his muscled back and into his curls. He lifted his head, his eyes locking onto hers. “Let me…” he said gruffly before his lips caught hers.
What started as a soft kiss exploded within seconds. His tongue swept inside, stroking against hers, before he drew back and traced her lips. He dove in for another fierce kiss, leaving her gasping for air when he tore his lips free of hers and trailed wet kisses down the column of her neck. Hot shivers chased in the wake of his touch. She felt the heat of his palm like a brand where it rested in the dip of her waist. His lips reached the juncture of her shoulder when he stilled and slowly lifted his head. She could feel his hard shaft in the cradle of her hips, which arched into him of their own accord. A hot flush raced up her cheeks when his hand slid down to cup her bottom and pulled her tight against him. A shock of pleasure jolted her when his knee slid between her thighs, exerting a subtle pressure against the very place she wanted him most. With not much more than a kiss, he’d sent need spinning through her and left her drenched with want.
She took a shuddering breath and lifted her eyes. “Um…maybe…”
“I should go,” he said softly, finishing what she was about to say.
She bit her lip. “I don’t want you to go,” she whispered. As soon as the words left her mouth, she couldn’t believe she’d said them. It was that bad. Heath was, well, he was Heath. With things unfolding with him, it was near impossible to hold back from what she wanted.
