Perfect Fling

by Carly Phillips

  Macy’s scowl let Erin know her friend didn’t buy the lie. “For a man who’s just your bodyguard, he’s pretty concerned about you.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s just a sense of obligation.” She frowned. “As soon as I can get this sling off and move my arm a little, he won’t need to hover.”

  “We’ll see. Meanwhile, any word on the shooter? Word around town is that it was a stupid kid who shouldn’t have been playing with guns.”

  Erin cocked an eyebrow. “Really? As far as I know, they have no idea, so until the police find something, the overprotective men in my life are calling the shots.”

  She laughed at her bad pun and Macy rolled her eyes. “He’s unbelievably sexy. You know that, right?” Macy said of Cole, lowering her voice as she spoke.

  “And brooding, and moody . . .” And occasionally charming and caring, but she wasn’t giving Macy any ammunition. “And he’s also a complete enigma who doesn’t seem to want to let anybody in.”

  “Well, you’re his baby mama. He’s living here. If anyone can get through that gruff exterior, I’m sure it’s my sweet, gentle, caring best friend.” Macy waggled her eyebrows.

  “You aren’t warning me away?” Erin asked, surprised. She, too, kept her voice to a whisper. “Because my brothers are livid, my parents will freak, and nobody in town will socialize with him except his cousins.”

  “And you,” Macy helpfully reminded her. “Besides, you weren’t focused on that when you slept with him,” she said with a grin. “I trust your judgment completely. I always have. So unless you’ve changed your mind about him—”

  “No!” She wouldn’t share with Macy what she’d learned about his past, but her friend was right. Erin had good instincts. She’d always thought Cole was a decent guy, and what she’d learned about him yesterday and his actions toward her proved it—no matter what he’d seen or done.

  She drummed her fingertips on the chair. “Look, I know he’ll be responsible for the baby, but I want more from life, from a relationship. You know that.”

  Macy nodded, her expression sober, as she met Erin’s gaze. “Then I suggest you find a way to get it from the man who fathered your child.”

  Erin opened her mouth to reply, but Cole’s voice calling from the kitchen stopped her. “Food’s ready.”

  “He cooks,” Macy said with an already devoted sigh. “He might just be a keeper.”

  Not wanting to argue with her friend, Erin pushed herself up from the chair with care. Cole Sanders wasn’t a keeper. He wanted nothing to do with hearth, home, family, and most of all, love.

  Five

  Macy stayed with Erin through breakfast, then to help her shower without getting her bandage wet, as well as to wash and dry her hair.

  Afterward, Erin collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Macy grinned. “My pleasure. Mr. Bodyguard might have his uses”—she wagged her eyebrows to emphasize the point—“but only a girlfriend can help with things like this. Unless . . . you wanted him to see you naked again?”

  Erin peered up at her friend from her prone position. “Are you crazy? That’s what got me pregnant,” she muttered.

  “Clearly his sperm is as potent as he is.” Macy chuckled. “Need anything else before I go?”

  “Between the food and the help, you’ve gone above and beyond.” And Erin appreciated the bond between them more than she could express at the moment.

  “Hey, I know you’d do the same for me. I’ll check in on you later.” Macy blew a kiss and started for the door, turning before she walked out. “If you’re interested in more from Cole than him keeping you safe, you’ve got the man exactly where you want him. Do something about it,” she said, then bounded out of the room before Erin could reply.

  Not that Erin had a ready response anyway. She needed to think, not act spontaneously. Again. She placed her hand over her still-flat belly, unable to believe there was life growing inside her. Whatever happened between her and Cole, it wouldn’t be because Erin pushed him beyond what he was capable of giving—or worse, more than what he wanted to give. No matter what Macy wanted to whip up in her fairy-tale-oriented brain.

  As she thought about Macy, Erin bolted up in bed, groaning in pain as she did. “Shit!” She just realized Macy had gone downstairs alone, which meant she was free to corner and grill Cole.

  Unwilling to let that happen, Erin rushed downstairs in time to hear her friend say, “Not that I’m one to meddle, but that’s my best friend up there and if you hurt her, I’ll come after you with a shotgun.”

  “Get in line behind her brothers,” Cole said, arms folded across his chest, an amused half-grin on his sexy mouth.

  Erin didn’t know what he found funny, but she was plain embarrassed.

  “This isn’t high school revisited,” Erin said to her best friend.

  “What are you doing out of bed? You said you were exhausted.” Macy shooed her away with the back of her hand.

  Instead of taking the hint, Erin continued down the stairs. “I was trying to stop you from making an ass of yourself—and of me—but I see I was too late.”

  “Nothing wrong with someone having your back,” Cole said to Erin, taking her by surprise.

  “And I believe he’s got yours.” Macy nodded toward Cole.

  “Message received,” he assured her.

  Erin rolled her eyes. “Go home, Macy.”

  Her friend blew a kiss. “Check in on you later!” With a wave, she let herself out the front door.

  “You want to watch TV and rest?” Cole asked.

  She nodded.

  A few minutes later, they were in the family room, where they watched a half hour of television before her heavy eyelids drifted closed. Cole insisted she go back up to sleep, and instead of being annoyed by his bossy tone, she bolted to do his bidding, needing space from her ever-present awareness of him as a man. A sexy, potent, desirable man.

  She was just about to head upstairs when her doorbell rang. Erin stood, but Cole held up a hand to stop her.

  “I’ve got it. Stay here.”

  She scowled, but again let him take charge. Her arm throbbed and burned, she was exhausted, and appeasing him seemed easiest, at least for now.

  Once at the door, Cole looked out the glass on the side and opened the door a crack, his hand on his holstered weapon.

  Jeez, she thought. Overkill much?

  He spoke to someone through the small crack in the door, then opened it wider and returned with a vase full of yellow roses. Her favorite.

  “I wonder who they’re from,” she said, excitement in her voice, since what woman didn’t like receiving roses?

  Cole’s expression darkened as he placed them on the table. She reached for the card, reading the short inscription:

  Take care of yourself and don’t rush back till you’re up to it. Evan.

  “Well?” Annoyance threaded through Cole’s tone.

  “No one important.”

  He reached out and snatched the card from her hand.

  “Hey! That’s private!”

  “What if it’s from the shooter?”

  He read the words and his scowl deepened. “Who the hell is Evan?”

  “Evan Carmichael. My boss.”

  Cole muttered something under his breath.

  “What did you say?” she asked, attempting for civility. At this rate they were going to kill each other.

  “Nothing.” He sat back down in front of the television and didn’t say another word.

  Erin rolled her eyes. If she didn’t know better she’d think he was jealous. But Cole’s past actions taught her he wouldn’t get jealous of anyone or anything in Erin’s life. And he never would.

  • • •

  A couple of days into their new living arrangement, Erin’s head cleared enough for her to remember she had someplace to be on Thursday night.

  She knocked on the guest room door. “Come in.”

>   She stepped inside to find him doing push-ups on the floor. He was wearing black gym shorts and no shirt, his muscles flexing and bulging with every move he made.

  She swallowed hard. “I forgot, but I need to go out.”

  He easily maneuvered to his feet. “I see that.” His gaze took in her jeans, black silk top, and ballet flats. “Where are we going?”

  The we reverberated through her. “I meet clients on Thursday nights at an office downtown.”

  “You’re not supposed to work for a week,” he reminded her.

  “It’s just tonight, and I don’t want to argue about it.”

  He raised an eyebrow and asked, “How far downtown?”

  “All the way. Next door to Lynette’s Diner.”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “Not a neighborhood I want you in at night.”

  “Too bad. I’m going. Which, as you so eloquently told me, means you’re going. It’s bad enough to bail on my day job, but these people count on me in a whole different way.” Without explaining further, she started to leave, but turned back for a minute. “Meet me downstairs when you’re ready.” She paused. “Please.”

  He hadn’t expected to go out tonight, but one look at her determined expression and he decided not to fight this particular battle. A little while later, Cole parked Erin’s jeep in a dimly lit parking spot and walked with her into a small office next door to Lynette’s.

  When he reached the entrance and looked up at the writing above the door, the name explained everything. “Pro bono, huh?”

  Erin shot him a proud grin and grabbed the door handle before he could do it for her.

  Inside, the waiting room was full of people, mostly women, many of whom had young children with them. Although some didn’t look up when they walked in, and others glanced warily at Cole, the kids all perked up when they saw Erin.

  “Erin!” A little girl with two missing front teeth ran up to her with a huge grin.

  “Hi, Merry!” Erin knelt down so she was eye level with the child. “How are you?”

  “Good. Mommy said if you can get money from my dad, then maybe we can leave the shelter soon and find a real ’partment of our own.”

  “I’ll do my best,” she promised the child.

  Cole’s heart clenched at the seriousness of the girl’s words. Such huge hope and such a sad situation. Yet she looked up at Erin with such faith, even Cole wanted to believe she could perform miracles.

  He accepted her request that he sit outside her door, client confidentiality being of paramount importance, especially to this kind of client. And he waited for the next four hours as she worked with as many people as walked through her office, never turning anyone away. Not even when her eyes were closing from exhaustion and he caught her mid-yawn when she walked her second-to-last client out.

  He knew it was her second-to-last client, because he’d turned the lock on the front door. She was pregnant, had been shot, and needed rest. She’d have to forgive him, assuming she even realized. But thankfully she didn’t.

  “Arm hurt?” he asked, as he helped her get settled in the car after the final client of the night.

  “Badly.”

  He managed not to growl at her for overdoing it, and climbed into the driver’s seat and got them on the road. “Those women rely on you.”

  “They do.” She leaned her head against the window.

  “Makes me wonder what my mom would have done if she’d had a place like this to come to,” he said, staring into the dark night as he drove.

  “What?” Erin lifted her head.

  “Never mind.” He didn’t like to talk about those years.

  She studied him through wise eyes. “The one thing I always knew was that I had it good growing up. And my mom? She had it good because Simon stepped up when Mike’s real father wouldn’t. But what would have happened to her if there had been no Simon? If she had been pregnant, alone, with nowhere to turn? I want to make sure these women know they have somewhere. Someone.”

  Oh, man, she was too good to be true. His mother would love her. “They’re lucky to have you.”

  She shot him a grateful smile. “That’s nice of you to say,” she said through a yawn.

  “I’m not nice.”

  She rolled her head to the side. “You have your moments,” she countered.

  Thankfully he pulled into the driveway of her condo before he had to reply.

  • • •

  Somehow Erin survived the first week of living with Cole. They made little progress in any kind of breakthrough in their relationship, which made her uneasy, as she’d have a future of dealing with him. Neither of them discussed her pregnancy, though she sensed he was taking the time to process his new reality. And since she, too, had needed time after she’d found out, she couldn’t deny him the same.

  For now, Erin had enough to deal with, including the immobility of one arm and the pain from the bullet, which was getting slightly better day by day. For the baby’s sake, she took as little medication as possible, which meant she hadn’t slept much.

  Still, she returned to work, grateful to be getting out of the house and even more grateful to be back in the office.

  Trina greeted her with a welcome-back cake, which nearly brought Erin to tears. She blamed it on hormones. Her first two days back were harder than she’d anticipated. She tired easily, a combination of lingering pain and the drag on her body from the injury combined with the pregnancy.

  Always observant, Evan noticed and stepped in, assuring her that he’d spread out her workload until she could handle everything again. She appreciated it and stopped insisting she could do more when she knew better. This unexpected pregnancy had certainly shown her limitations, and accepting them was better than thinking she was Superwoman.

  Her biggest problem at the office was Cole. His hulking presence outside her door had everyone talking, providing an endless source of gossip and speculation among the women. Erin, who’d always been a private person, told them he was her bodyguard because of the shooting and he’d stay until they figured out who’d shot at her and why. She could only imagine how her colleagues would react when her stomach ballooned and the truth about her and Cole came out.

  Especially Evan. He postured around Cole, and Cole returned the favor. And for what? Yes, Evan had asked her out in the past. Yes, they’d gone on one date when he moved back to town, before he’d been elected and become her boss. But no, she hadn’t found the chemistry needed to go out with him again. Not that he didn’t keep trying, but it had become a game between them. She was his challenge, and he enjoyed the chase. But Evan respected her legal abilities and she felt the same about his, and that was that. Harmless. Not that Cole understood.

  Since the flowers had arrived, Cole acted like Evan was both the enemy and direct competition who needed to be chased off. Unfortunately, Evan treated Cole the same way. In reality, neither man had a claim on her, and the endless stress of the two men’s reactions was slowly driving her insane.

  As for her shooting, the bullet had been found lodged in a nearby car, as well as the shell casing, near the woods. Only an amateur would leave evidence behind, but at least they had something to work with. Mike sent the evidence to the state police crime lab, which was backed up with more important cases, and that news sent her brother over the edge. To calm him while waiting on ballistics, Erin had given in and gone over her cases with her brothers, even though she believed the possibility was ridiculous. Still, the Serendipity police were questioning people she was prosecuting—and, as Erin had predicted—with no results.

  With Cole around, a reminder of his presence in Erin’s future, her brothers were in constant bad moods just as she was in a constant state of awareness. How could she not be? A sleepy, just-awake Cole was as sexy as a ready-for-bed, sleepy-eyed man. Knowing he was just a room away added to her tossing and turning.

  At least she was now allowed to remove the sling and use her arm as far as was comfortable, which helped
her feel better and improved her mood.

  She glanced at her watch, noting it was time to leave for her three P.M. appointment. She walked out of her office and nudged her bodyguard. “Time to go.”

  “Where are we off to?” he asked.

  “It’s a long story,” she said as they made their way out of the office and to the elevator.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he reminded her.

  She sighed. “I’m doing a favor for Macy’s aunt Lulu. You see, she had an argument with her sister, Macy’s grandmother, over the pies at the restaurant. So Aunt Lulu applied for a job at the new supermarket that just opened in town.”

  She glanced at Cole to see if he was really listening and was surprised to see his eyes on her, rapt and attentive. With a shrug, she followed him onto the elevator. Cole hit the ground-floor button, and while they took the short ride down, she continued her story.

  “So while Aunt Lulu was setting up the cake displays at the supermarket, a portion of the roof collapsed and she ended up with a concussion and some bruising. She sued, of course, and it should have been settled quickly, but instead the parent company sent in a high-powered law firm, who immediately slammed Lulu’s attorneys with paperwork and discovery documents in an effort to get her to drop the suit.” Erin frowned, hating how the older woman was being railroaded by a big corporation.

  “You’re a criminal prosecutor. What does this have to do with you?” Cole asked, pausing by the security desk in the lobby.

  Erin shrugged. “I promised her I’d look into why a small workers’ comp case has turned into some legal nightmare. Maybe throw my weight around and pull some strings. It makes no sense to hound an older woman.” Erin had already made some phone calls prior to being shot, but nobody at the supermarket’s main office had returned them.

  Cole nodded and turned to Edgar, the afternoon security guard stationed in the lobby. “Has it been quiet?”

  “Very few folks in and even fewer out,” Edgar said, patting the log-in book in front of him. “How are you feeling, Miss Erin?”

  She grinned. An older, grandfatherly type, Edgar had been at his post longer than Erin had been of legal age. “No worries. I’m better every day,” she assured him.