Well, of course he knew it was her. He had those damned monitors mounted up on the wall with a clear view of every inch of his pub. He’d probably tracked her every step from the parking lot.
She opened the door and pasted a smile on her face. He was already on his feet before she’d fully stepped across the threshold, a tall, blond Adonis with sky-blue eyes and a mouth made for sin. “Hey, Trevor. You got a second?”
“Got whatever time you need, darlin’.” He rounded the desk, headed for the same leather chair he’d interviewed her from, and motioned her toward the sofa. “Take a load off, and tell me what’s on your mind.”
Moving away from the door took every ounce of courage she hadn’t yet spent. If it was up to her, she’d stay standing for a quick retreat, but no way would Trevor sit if she kept her feet. She perched on the edge the couch, knees squeezed tight together and hands folded in her lap the same as when she’d interviewed. She was tempted to focus on his chin the way she had those first few days at work so she wouldn’t stammer like an idiot, but what kind of person asked another for a favor without eye contact? “Well, first I wanted to thank you again for the other night.”
“You already gave your thanks Wednesday night. No need for you to keep giving it when I was happy to step in.” He cocked his head in that playful way that always set people at ease. “Now tell me what’s got you so uptight I could bounce a quarter off you.”
She swallowed hard and the pulse at her throat pounded hard enough to rival the bass reverberating from the sound system outside.
Trevor frowned. “Your ex come back?”
“No!” The word came out so hard, she nearly stood with the force of it. “Nothing like that. I mean, if anything, Wyatt was nice yesterday. He actually called and asked to chat with Levi on the phone. Which was kind of weird because he never wants to talk to Levi one-on-one like that, but since he was being nice I let him.”
Anchoring one elbow on the heavily padded chair, Trevor rubbed his knuckles along his jawline. “How’d that go?”
“Good at first.”
Trevor got tense. “And then?”
And then her boy had gone from light and breezy to twitchy and uncomfortable. “And then Wyatt started asking him things about my new boyfriend.”
Trevor dropped his hand and his face got scary.
“I didn’t know what was going on at first,” she added quickly. “The conversation was light enough, Levi got into it and was his usual happy self. I left the room for a few minutes to put up the laundry and when I came back everything had changed.”
“Levi tell you what Wyatt asked?”
“How long we’d been seeing each other. Why Levi hadn’t mentioned you before. What your name was, and what you did for a living.”
“But Levi didn’t know anything except my name and that you work for me.”
“Exactly.” She let out a relieved sigh, so grateful Trevor had cottoned on to the problem she was halfway tempted to cry.
“So how do we fix that?”
She smoothed her hands over her knees, the well-worn denim both soft and rough beneath her palms. “He goes back to Wyatt’s house Sunday morning. I thought, if you’re not too busy and wouldn’t mind, I could have you over for dinner tomorrow night?”
Trevor nodded, a quick decisive dip that made her head snap back. “Done.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy,” she said. “Just a little time so Levi could have some answers if his dad prods him anymore.”
“Nat—”
“Plus, it’d give us a chance to give you a proper thank-you for what you did.”
“Natalie, I—”
“And Levi hasn’t stopped asking questions about you since he woke up Thursday morning. He’s said please, ma’am, and thank you so many times in the last few days, my mom’s on top of the world. If you came, it would really make his week. Heck, his whole month.”
Trevor sat forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped loosely between them. He smiled the same easy grin that left most of the women who strolled into The Den dim-witted and goofy. “I said yes, Nat.”
“Oh.”
His grin got bigger. “Oh.”
She ducked her chin and threaded her fingers together in her lap. “Thank you.”
“I keep telling you, thanks aren’t necessary. If anyone’s a winner in this deal, it’s me. Only home-cooked meals I get are when my moms get me out to Haven on the weekends.”
She snapped her head up. “You have more than one mom?”
His face softened. “Had two mothers before I was ten, one blood and one adopted. Earned two more when I found my brothers ten years ago. So yeah, I’ve got more than one.”
That was nice. Though with the mother God had given her, she had more than enough. Even in the face of her stupid decisions, Maureen Dubois had stood beside her and fought to bring her back to the light. “I’m glad.”
Silence settled between them, a comfortable pause that settled her nerves more than words ever could.
His gaze dropped to her mouth and for a second she half expected him to lean forward and put those wicked lips of his against hers. “What time do you want me there?” he said instead.
She swallowed hard, her mind scrambling up from the mental roadblock the mere idea of his kiss had created. Saturday nights at The Den were always the busiest, so he’d likely want to be back here before things got into full swing. Which was fine considering how early they always sat down for dinner. “Would six o’clock be too early for you?”
“Six o’clock’s fine.”
“Great. That’s perfect.” She stood, suddenly eager to get someplace private so she could suck in a steady breath. God knew she’d need a little time to rebuild her defenses before now and tomorrow night. “Thank—”
He cut her off with an upheld hand and moved in close enough his woodsy scent and body heat robbed the rest of her words. “Don’t say it again. Already told you I’m looking forward to it.” He lifted his chin toward the door, the look on his face saying if she didn’t skedaddle quick she might get that kiss after all. “Now get home to Levi, and tell him I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll do that.”
She’d barely got the door opened when he added, “Think you’d better drop the sir going forward. Only one scenario where a woman of mine would use that word, and since we’re just pretending, I don’t expect I’ll get to hear it from your lips.”
Her eyes popped wide, and her cheeks flamed blowtorch hot in an instant. She couldn’t be 100 percent sure he’d meant the comment the way she’d processed it, but Lord, did it conjure up a whole feast of visuals for her already taxed brain.
He winked, clearly tickled with the fact that he’d knocked her for a loop and not the least bit repentant. “See you tomorrow, darlin’.”
Chapter Six
Fifty-dollar bottle of merlot in hand, Trevor marched up the steps outside Natalie’s house at six o’clock sharp. The gesture was probably overkill, and frankly, he’d rather have brought a stout single malt, but Bonnie would have leapt out of her grave and rained fire and damnation on him if he showed without something in hand. Even more surprising was the fact that he’d wanted to make a good impression. The last time he’d had an honest-to-God date with parents even remotely involved, he’d been seventeen and had barely done more than a grab and carry bundle of flowers at the local grocery store. For Natalie, he’d spent the better part of forty-five minutes wandering the aisles of a high-priced liquor store and still wasn’t sure going the moderate route was the right pick.
It was just dinner. A chance to perk up her kid and give him some fodder to use with his old man. Nothing else. Though, that didn’t mean his mind had failed to offer up a ton of wicked other ideas. Especially after sh
e’d blushed clear to her hairline after his totally inappropriate, but hot as fuck, innuendo.
He knocked on the door and tried to blank his dirty thoughts. Going there was definitely dangerous territory.
Levi’s excited little boy voice rang behind the thick door. “I’ll get it!”
“Levi.” The terse reprimand was all he caught of Natalie’s voice before it dropped to little more than muffled words.
A second later, the door swung open and Natalie stood in front of him, cheeks pink and eyes bright. “Hi!”
Maybe it was just him, but the simple phrase came out with a Marilyn Monroe huskiness that turned the crisp October night July-sultry. The way her soft pink sweater and jeans clung to her tits and hips only made it worse. He cleared his throat and wished like hell Levi and Maureen weren’t rooted less than ten feet away and watching his every move.
Then again, he had an image to portray. No man worth his salt would let a prime opportunity like this one slide. He stepped through the entry, slid his hand around the back of her neck and pulled Natalie tight against him. The top of her head barely reached his collarbone, but her face was tipped up to hold his gaze, her full, raspberry-pink lips parted on a near-silent gasp. Fuck if he wasn’t tempted to see if they tasted as good as they looked.
“Hey, darlin’.” He kissed her forehead instead, letting his fingers tangle in her hair just above her nape. The strands were as soft as they looked, the easy waves that made her look like she’d spent her day at the beach tickling his knuckles. He closed his eyes and let his mouth linger a second longer than he should have, soaking up her wildflower scent. Only when her palms gently pressed against his pecs did he ease back. He kept his hold on her nape. “Know you’re not a big drinker, but figured if you’re cooking, the least I could do is bring wine.”
“That’s lovely.” Maureen pressed her hands together above her heart and hustled forward. With the gleam in her eye, Trevor wasn’t sure if she was talking about the wine, or the way he’d barely avoided locking lips with her little girl. She took the bottle Trevor offered and hurried to the kitchen. “It’s been forever since I had a good wine. It’s so nice of you to make the gesture.”
“Happy to do it, ma’am,” he said as she disappeared around the corner.
Against his chest, Natalie’s hands fluttered as though she couldn’t quite figure out what to do with them. He had a few ideas he was tempted to share, but none of them fell into the appropriate-for-company category. She settled for loosely fisting one above his sternum and burying the other in her back pocket. “Levi, can you finish setting the table, please?”
“Sure!” He spun, stopped and looked back. “I mean, yes, ma’am.” And then he was off again, scooping up the big stack of utensils laid out on the table with both hands and working his way around the place settings.
Natalie twisted, cocked one eyebrow and lowered her voice. “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you?”
He tried to stave off a grin, but she was just too damned cute to hold it all back. “When a woman asks a man to do a job, the least he can do is aim to knock it out of the park.”
Behind them, Levi fumbled a fork that clattered against the wood dinette. Not surprising since he was having a heck of a time doing his job and ogling Trevor and his mom at the same time.
“How about I go help your boy, and you make sure your mom’s not ordering our wedding invitations on the sly?” he said.
“You caught the enthusiasm, huh?”
“I can spot an eager momma at twenty paces.” He slid his hand down her spine, more than a little tempted to palm her pert ass. “I don’t mind. Havin’ you next to me is worth whatever ideas she comes up with. Plus, she’s sweet. I like knowin’ you’ve got someone looking out for you.”
Natalie bit her lip, her dark brown eyes filling with so much gratitude he decided then and there, Maureen Dubois wouldn’t be the only one looking out for her going forward. “Thank you.”
“We covered the need for thanks already.” This time he gave in and playfully swatted her butt, wishing like hell he could follow it up with a good squeeze. “Now go help your mom. Levi’s only got one place setting done, and I’m hungry.”
From there the dinner prep went from comical to off-the-charts cute, mostly because Levi chattered Trevor’s ear off. In the space of five minutes, the kid had covered every event of consequence at school for the last two days and what he and his buddy had planned for the week ahead.
Just as Natalie and Maureen made for the table with both hands full of platters and bowls, Levi placed the last of the napkins and slid into his chair. “Bobby’s mom wanted us to go trick-or-treating at the mall on Monday ’cause she said it was safer and we’d get more candy, but Mr. Randolph said anything but door-to-door was just wrong. So, he’s gonna drop us off at one of the big neighborhoods and follow us in his truck.”
Trevor stayed standing beside his own chair while the women loaded up the table with food. “Hey, bud.” He dipped his chin toward where Levi was sitting. “How about you hop up and wait till the ladies are done with their table before you settle in?”
Maureen and Natalie both froze for a second, their mouths open and eyes wide.
Levi’s gaze darted back and forth between the women and Trevor. “How come?”
“‘Cause they made you a nice dinner and you can show ’em how much you appreciate it by not sitting down before they do.”
Maureen folded her lips inward as though fighting back a chuckle, and that awestruck gratitude Natalie had given him at the front door blasted back to life.
Levi scrambled to his feet faster than a girl with a June bug stuck in her shorts. “Sorry, Mom. Want me to get anything else?”
“No, Levi. You’re good.”
“So nice having a man set a good example for Levi,” Maureen crooned. “What can I get you to drink, Trevor? Wine, water, or tea?”
“If it’s sweet, I’ll take tea. Otherwise, water’s fine.”
“Tea it is then.” She bustled back to the kitchen counter and the two glass tumblers filled to the rim with ice. “In our family, there’s no such thing as tea without sugar.”
“Anything without sugar is wrong in Mom’s book,” Natalie added. “The first thing she taught me to make were cookies.” She motioned Trevor and Levi into their seats and eased into her own.
Following Trevor’s lead, Levi slid back into his chair. “Mom made chocolate and peanut butter cookies for dessert. They’re my favorite.”
“You only get them if you eat your meatloaf and all of your veggies,” Natalie said.
Levi wrinkled his nose and lowered his voice just for Trevor. “The meatloaf’s awesome, but I have to hold my nose for the Brussels sprouts. They’re gross.”
Well, he wasn’t gonna fight the kid on that one. He’d probably have to do the same, but if it helped Nat get decent food down her kid’s gullet, he’d suck it up.
Maureen took her seat and handed Trevor a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. From there, everything settled into an easy rhythm. Not at all the awkward yet polite conversation he’d expected, but a light, welcome banter more on par with his meals at Haven. What’s more, Natalie and her mom could cook. Outside of Bonnie’s kitchen, he didn’t know many people who could do meatloaf justice, but these two women knew how to do it up right, complete with some kind of sauce that packed a serious kick.
“Levi,” Natalie said, “Mr. Raines owns the pub I work at, but he flies airplanes for a living, too.”
“Nuh-uh.” Levi stuffed a whole sprout in his mouth and talked around it. “That’s so cool! Like little planes or great big ones?”
Trevor wiped his mouth and set his napkin back in his lap. “Depends on where I’m going and who I’m taking. But if it’s got wings, I’ll fly it.”
“And they’re yours?”
“Yep. My dad took me flying when I was eighteen, and I started learning to fly right after. First one I flew solo in was a single-prop Cessna 152. Now I’ve got four turboprops, two Citations, a Falcon, and two Gulfstreams.”
“I have no idea what that means, but it sounds impressive.” Maureen slid her plate back an inch or two and reached for her tea. “Are they for cargo? Or do you charter for people?”
“What’s charter mean?” Levi asked.
“It means he flies people where they need to go,” Natalie answered before Trevor could.
Levi’s head whipped to Trevor. “So you’re like a commercial pilot.”
“Just like that,” Trevor said. “Only I don’t have to wear a stuffy outfit, and I’m my own boss.”
Levi crossed his arms on the table, his sole focus on Trevor. “Where do you take ‘em?”
“Anywhere they want to go.”
“New York?”
“Yep.”
“France?”
“There too, in one of my bigger jets.”
“India?”
“Levi,” Natalie cut in. “When he said anywhere, that means any place you can think of.” She stood, taking her plate with her. “Everybody stay put. I’m just going to get us some more tea. Levi, why don’t you get the cookies?”
“Cool!” He spun and darted to the far end of the kitchen where a foil-covered plate sat on the plain gray countertop.
“You’re a very busy man, Trevor,” Maureen said. “Two businesses can’t leave you much time to relax.”
Trevor shrugged. Since he’d met Axel and Jace and got his head screwed back on right, it’d seemed he had more than enough time to tackle whatever he wanted and still had some left over. Only in the last six months had he really itched for something different. “Hard to call either of my jobs work. I love flying, and The Den made for challenge and diversity. Plus, Ivan’s nearly trained up to handle the bar solo.”
Natalie sidled up beside him with a pitcher of tea. “Mom’s right though. Don’t you ever want to just unwind?”
Claim & Protect Page 6
