by Tonya Brooks
“What?” she asked wide eyed.
“Well, you were the one seducing me earlier,” he pointed out, that bad boy grin firmly in place.
“I did no such thing!” she gasped and then had the presence of mind to ask warily, “Did I?”
“Damn straight,” he cheerfully agreed. “And I enjoyed every minute of it. So you'd have to promise not to get drunk and jump my bones again. I mean, a man can only withstand so much temptation, Desiree.”
Desi wasn't sure if he was teasing her or not, but she had a sinking feeling that Mark was telling the truth, dammit. “That's one promise I'll have no problem keeping,” she assured him. “Alcohol is not something I intend to indulge in again.”
Mark swirled a french fry in ketchup and raised velvety brown eyes to meet hers. “I notice you didn't mention the other part of the promise,” he said silkily and bit the potato wedge.
Desi stared into the heat from his gaze and admitted in all honesty, “That part could be more difficult.”
His smile was one of satisfaction when Mark replied, “We can give it a try, but you and I both know it’s a wasted effort. Sooner or later, we'll be lovers, Desiree. It's just a matter of time until one of us gives in and says the hell with it. Is that a risk you're willing to take?”
“I don't think so,” she denied and knew he was right.
“I won't lie and say I can just stop wanting you, but I can promise not to do anything you don't want me to,” Mark assured her. “And I won't pressure you for more than you're willing to give. That's not how I operate. Besides, Harley would kick my ass if I hurt you.”
Having never witnessed her best friends temper, Desi found that idea amusing. “You think so?”
“Damn straight,” he nodded seriously. “She's got a hell of a temper.”
“Harley?” she laughed.
“I kid you not. She used to fight at the drop of a hat,” Mark assured her. “She even kicked Charlie's ass when we were teenagers.”
“Charlie? The drunk guy from the bar?” Desi asked in disbelief because the man had been terrifying to say the least. She couldn't imagine Harley fighting, much less with a brute like him.
“That's how Matt met her,” Mark said and began to explain how the couple had met, the way they'd been drawn to each other against their better judgment, how he came to be involved in the mess and the game they had played, as well as the fact that Matt had intended to marry Harley before their relationship fell apart over stupid misunderstandings.
Desi was fascinated and couldn't believe everything her dearest friend had been through and was equally impressed with the way Mark had tried to protect her from being hurt again. His actions had been gallant and chivalrous in spite of the fact that he had originally wanted Harley for himself. “So the two of you managed to have a completely platonic relationship,” she deduced and then challenged, “You were able to do it once with no problem, what makes you think you can't do it again?”
Mark pushed the plate aside, folded his arms atop the table and leaned forward to say silkily, “Kissing Harley and giving you your first and only climax are two entirely different things.” When her mouth dropped open and she blushed profusely, he added “I've tasted your passion, Desiree, and I'd love nothing better than to do it again. And again.”
Heat filled her entire body and Desi wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She couldn't believe Mark had just said that, but at least now she had her answer. There was no way in hell she could maintain a professional relationship with him. She wanted him just as much as he seemed to want her.
Chapter Four
Monday, August 5, 2013
The next morning, Jed came running around to the front of the house when he heard Desi calling her daughter. “She won't come down out of the tree house, Aunt Desi. Ky doesn't wanna leave me.”
“Here we go,” Desi sighed in resignation as she followed the boy to the backyard and looked at her daughter up in the tree house. She had known this was going to be difficult, she just hadn’t anticipated how much. “Come on, Kylie. We have to go.”
“I don't want to,” she refused.
“I'm sorry, honey, but you don't have a choice.”
“I'm not leaving Trey,” she informed her mother stubbornly.
“Kylie, you come down right now and I mean it,” she warned in her stern mom voice.
“Please don't make me go, Mom,” the girl begged as tears rolled down her face. “If I leave I'll never see Trey again.”
“Of course you will,” Desi assured her. “Aunt Harley said Jed could spend a couple of weeks with us next summer.”
“That's a whole year!” the child wailed miserably.
“Maybe we can come back and visit him before then,” Desi offered.
Kylie didn't answer. She couldn't. She was crying too hard to talk because her heart was breaking. She was going to lose Trey forever, she just knew it.
“Honey, please come down,” Desi cajoled and when that didn't work, she demanded in exasperation, “Kylie Renee Anderson, you come down here this instant!”
“Problems?” Mark asked as he joined them under the tree.
“Kylie won't come down, Uncle Mark,” Jed informed him, his own eyes damp with tears that he refused to shed. “She doesn't wanna leave me.”
Poor kid. She probably felt like she was losing her best friend. Mark sympathized with her because he'd experienced the same thing when Harley and Matt had gotten married the first time. “Kylie, will you come down and talk to me?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” she sobbed brokenly.
“Can I come up and talk to you?”
“No.”
“Not even if I have a way that you and Jed can spend more time together?” he offered.
“How?” she asked suspiciously.
“Jed's parents won't be back for a week and I'm sure he'd love for you to stay here and keep him company while they're gone. Wouldn't you Jed?” he asked his nephew.
“Yeah,” the boy agreed hopefully.
“But it would only be for a week because he's going away with his parents when they get back,” Mark pointed out reasonably. “Would that be a good compromise?” She nodded her head in response. “Come on down while I talk to your mom about it and we'll see what we can arrange, okay?”
“Okay,” the girl agreed as she began to descend the rope ladder as agile as a cat.
“Mark, it was a thoughtful suggestion, but it won't work,” Desi denied in relief that her daughter had at least left the tree house. Actually getting her in the car would be the hard part now.
“Sure it will,” he said confidently. “The two little scamps will keep each other entertained instead of driving us crazy.”
“Us?” she questioned in amusement because he had included himself in the equation.
“If you take her home, Kylie's gonna raise hell for days and Jed's just gonna mope around the house because he's bored,” he pointed out, because Mark knew for damn sure that he'd be the one who wound up entertaining his nephew for the duration since his brothers worked during the day. As much as he enjoyed hanging out with Jed, he wasn't looking forward to doing it for the entire week if there was another option. He had discovered the hard way, that the boy could get into trouble in the blink of an eye and he'd wind up running Mark ragged if left to his own devices. “It's the perfect solution.”
“Be that as it may, I can't stay for a week.”
“Then leave Kylie with me and I'll bring her home next weekend,” he offered. The two kids would entertain each other and all he'd have to do was make sure they stayed out of trouble. That in itself could be a full time job, he was sure.
Desi was shocked at the suggestion. “I can't possibly impose on you like that.” Her daughter could be quite a handful and Mark wasn't used to tending to a child, much less a rambunctious girl.
“It's no imposition,” he assured her. “And while I'm there, we can discuss our plans for the restaurant in depth.”
“I haven't agreed yet,” she reminded him in amusement at his persistence.
“Yet,” he reiterated with a grin. “Come on, Desiree. Let the kids have some fun. You know I'll take good care of her and Pop will be here to help if I get in over my head.”
That was a distinct possibility with those two scamps, she knew from experience. One of them alone was bad enough, but when Jed and Kylie were together, there was no telling what kind of mischief they'd get into. “I don't know,” Desi hedged, torn between pleasing her daughter and her maternal instinct to keep Kylie with her.
“Please, Aunt Desi,” Jed said hopefully as he held Kylie protectively by his side. “We'll be good. I promise I won't let anything happen to Ky.”
“Please, Mom,” her daughter implored as she held onto Jed with both arms locked around his waist. “Please, please, please.”
“You don't have enough clothes for the week,” she protested and knew her resolve was weakening.
“Not a problem.” Mark denied. “I know how to do laundry and we can get anything else that she might need in town.”
There were a million good reasons why she shouldn't do it, but the only one that really mattered was her daughter’s happiness. Desi knew how hard the separation was going to be for the child and if this would help her, then it was the least she could do. “Alright,” she agreed in resignation and the children whooped with glee before launching themselves at her for hugs and kisses.
After promising that Kylie would call her every day among a dozen other last minute thoughts, the trio waved goodbye as Desi and Josie finally drove away. “Alright, you two,” Mark said firmly. “I want to know where you are and what you're doing at all times.”
“Okay, Uncle Mark,” they both smiled up at him happily, their arms around each other again in their normal pose.
Jed usually had his arm draped over Kylie's shoulders and it seemed hers was always around his waist. The two kids really were inseparable, Mark realized in amusement. The pair reminded him of the friendship that he and Harley had shared as teenagers. “And don't ever go near the river,” he warned as that had been one of Desi's fears.
“We won't.”
“Promise.”
“Go put Kylie's things back in her room and meet me down here in ten minutes. We're going shopping.”
“Can we go to the mall?” Jed asked hopefully. There was a really cool arcade at the mall.
“You bet. Now scoot,” he grinned.
~~~~
Four hours later they returned home with their arms laden down with packages and Mark sank wearily into the recliner while the kids carried everything upstairs to their rooms. He was exhausted. Who would have thought two kids could have so much energy?
“Did ya get the lil' gal somethin' to wear?” Jedidiah asked as he joined him in the living room.
“Among other things,” Mark nodded. “I think we bought half the toy store, too.”
“You're a soft touch,” his father grinned. “You've gotta have a firm hand with those two or they'll walk all over ya.”
“Really?” he asked facetiously. “If today was any indication, being a parent has to be exhausting.”
“It’s good practice for when you finally settle down and have your own,” his father assured him. “Any idea when that might be?” Jedidiah could only think of one reason why his son would offer to keep Kylie for a week, and it had to be to ingratiate himself with her mother. He hoped that meant Mark was looking at the woman seriously. Desi was a fine woman and he'd be a fool to let her get away. Jedidiah Baker had not raised a fool.
Ah, hell, the old man was meddling. Mark refused to take the bait. “No time soon and that's for damn sure,” he sighed and kicked the chair into a reclining position. “I need a nap.”
“Did the kids have lunch yet?”
“They ate everything in the food court.”
“You didn't let 'em fill up on junk, did ya?”
“They ate food first,” Mark defended himself. “I'm not a complete idiot.”
“You are if you let that one get away,” his father informed him. “Women like Desi don't come along very often.”
“Don't start, Pop,” he warned.
“You started it. I'm just tryin' to make sure you have enough sense to finish it,” the older man said and left the room.
Mark sighed tiredly. It was gonna be a long week.
~~~~
That night he came in the house and wearily made his way up the stairs. The nap hadn't panned out and he'd wound up playing football with the kids all afternoon before going to work that evening. The bartender and two of the waitresses had called in sick with a virus and he'd run himself ragged trying to tend the bar and help the waitress out as much as he could. He hadn't been this tired since his first day of pro-football camp. Mark wanted a hot shower and his bed but the shower would have to wait till morning. He'd probably fall asleep standing up at this rate. Maybe he was just getting old.
A bolt of lightning flashed outside and seconds later the sound of thunder rumbled through the house. Looks like the storm that had been predicted had finally arrived. From the weather reports it was gonna be a bad one. When he reached the landing, a sound from the west wing drew his attention. It sounded like Kylie's voice calling for Jed. Those kids had better not be up this late, he thought as he made his way down the hall in the dark. The doors to their rooms were open and he looked inside the first one to see Kylie sitting up in bed and it sounded like she was crying.
Lightning flashed again and thunder shook the house. Kylie gasped in fear, her entire body trembling. “Trey,” she whimpered in a pitiful little voice.
“Kylie? You okay precious?” he asked in concern.
“Ky's afraid of storms,” his nephew said sleepily as he came out of his room dragging a blanket and walked past him into his friends room. “It’s okay, Uncle Mark. I got this.” The boy sat down on the bed and put his arms around the girl in a protective gesture. “S'okay, Kylie. I'm here.”
“So scared,” she said and even her voice was trembling as she clung to him.
“You know I won't let the storm get you,” Jed chided gently. “Go back to sleep.”
Mark was amazed when the girl did as his nephew had told her to and rolled over on her side. He was even more amazed when Jed lay down on top of the covers, pulled his blanket over him and curled up against her back, his arm firmly around her waist. Within seconds the crying stopped and she appeared to be completely calm. Because she believed that Jed would protect her, he realized. Obviously this wasn't the first time the boy had comforted his friend during a storm.
Mark shook his head and was dumbfounded at the realization of how close those two really were. He had already figured out that Kylie worshiped the dirt that Jed walked on, but it would seem that his nephew had some pretty strong feelings for the girl as well. With Jed it was hard to tell. He was so much like Matt and kept everything inside unless he wanted you to know it. The kid didn't reveal much, but his actions tonight proved just how attached he was to the little redhead. Separating them permanently would not be an easy thing to do. Mark smiled tiredly as he went back down the hall to his own room. That was just one more point in his favor when it came to convincing Desi to open the restaurant.
Chapter Five
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
It was the longest three days of Desi's life. She'd never been separated from her daughter for more than a few hours and she missed her terribly. The daily phone calls assured her that Kylie was having a wonderful time and didn't miss her at all, dammit. Kylie told her all the exciting things that she and Jed had done each day and it sounded like the pair was running Mark ragged. The trip to the mall on Monday should have warned him, but he'd taken them to the beach on Tuesday and the amusement park today. The man was obviously a glutton for punishment, but true to his word, he was keeping them entertained.
Desi had settled back into her normal routine as best she could but somehow she couldn't summon
up her usual enthusiasm for work. She knew it was because of Mark's offer to set her up with her own restaurant. Every time she stepped into the kitchen, she imagined herself working in her own restaurant and the idea held more appeal than she wanted it to. She had weighed the pros and cons repeatedly and kept coming up with the same answer every time.
Moving to a small town like Lakeside would be great for her daughter since she'd have more freedom to roam than she did in a metropolis like Miami, and she'd be with Jed which was all that mattered to Kylie. However, she wouldn't have all the museums and culture that a city could provide. Not that her daughter gave two hoots for either of those things. Kylie would much rather watch a football game than attend a play so that really wasn't a deterrent. The move would be beneficial for her daughter so that part of the equation was a no-brainer.
The only real consideration left was that Desi would finally be able to have her own restaurant and run it the way she wanted to. There wouldn't be anyone to hassle her about the cost of ordering only the freshest seafood and the finest cuts of meat. No one to drag her out into the dining room at a moment’s notice to hobnob with the VIP's when she should be in the kitchen preparing their dinner. No one to try and tell her what dishes she should add to the menu. She'd be her own boss and could do things the way they should be done.
Then again, she'd be in constant contact with Mark and that was what worried her. Desi knew she could make the restaurant a success, but it was her attraction to the man that she was afraid of. The real question was, could she maintain a professional relationship with him and nothing more? And since she was being honest with herself, she knew she couldn't. He was right. Sooner or later they'd wind up as lovers and that was the problem. Resisting a man like him for an extended period of time would be impossible and she knew if she took him up on his offer that she was asking for trouble.
