Easy For Keeps: A Boudreaux Novella (The Boudreaux Series)

by Kristen Proby

  “That’s okay, I’m parked this way too,” I reply, enjoying the sun on my face and the feel of his warm, strong hand on my back. I have to concentrate not to stumble, but God, I don’t want him to stop touching me.

  “You look beautiful today,” he says and I whip my head up to stare into his eyes, surprised.

  “Um, thanks.”

  I tug my shirt back up on my shoulder. Of course it wasn’t doing this before I got here.

  “It looks good down, too,” he says casually as he looks both ways at an intersection, then leads me across.

  I don’t have any idea what to say to that. My flirting skills are so rusty. So instead of saying anything at all, when the shirt falls again, I leave it.

  “So what’s so special about this bear?” Adam asks. He removes his hand from my back, and I immediately miss his touch.

  What the hell is up with my hormones today?

  “Her daddy gave it to her when she was little,” I reply simply, leaving out a whole chunk of information.

  “Are you and her dad still together?” he asks.

  “No.”

  He nods twice, and to my relief, doesn’t press me further for information. I think the whole “my husband was brutally murdered” thing would really kill the flirty mood.

  Suddenly, Adam takes my arm and jerks me against him.

  “Watch your step,” he says, pointing to a pile of disgusting vomit.

  Talk about a mood killer.

  “Ugh,” I say and turn my face into his arm. “I can handle blood, but vomit turns my stomach.”

  “Seen a lot of blood, have you?”

  You have no idea.

  “I’ve cut my fair share of fingers on pairing knives,” I reply and smile up at him. He’s watching me with those kind green eyes, and he’s not quick to let go of me, which doesn’t hurt my ego or my feelings in the least.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Adam has turned the flirt up full blast.

  Maybe Ashley is right. Why shouldn’t I ask Adam out? Now that Becca arrived yesterday to help me out with Hailey, I don’t have to worry about a sitter. And it’s not like I have to have a relationship with the man.

  A one-night fling would do. I could be a one-night fling kind of girl. Adam’s sexy smile and flirty touches scream one-night stand.

  Adam leads me to his car and opens the back door.

  “Yep, there he is.”

  “Who?”

  He turns and smiles down at me. “Hailey’s bear.”

  “Oh. Right.” I’m staring at his mouth, and finally, without overthinking it, I rise up on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his firmly, then pull away and gasp. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Sorry?” Adam stops my hand from tugging my shirt up over my shoulder and drags his fingertip down my skin, right next to my bra strap, and every nerve ending in my body stands up on high alert. “Sweetheart, if you’re going to kiss a man, you don’t apologize after the fact.”

  Before I can reply, he turns me so my back is against the car, his hands on my hips, and presses in, his face so close I can feel the heat coming off of him and smell the mint from his toothpaste. His nose nudges mine, and then his lips are working their magic. I grip his arms and revel at the hard muscles there, and everywhere, as he presses his firm body against me and devours me whole. He bites my lower lip, then moves in for more. His hands skim up my sides and cup my jaw as his tongue tangles with mine. He’s all lips and hands and hard body, and oh my God, I want him.

  Right here.

  Right now.

  But he suddenly stops, panting hard, his forehead leaning on mine.

  “Let me take you out,” he whispers. “Let me see you again.”

  I can’t speak, so I nod weakly, making him smile. Without looking down, I pull my card out of my back pocket and slip it into his, silently high-fiving myself for touching his very fine ass.

  “My number’s on that.”

  “Okay,” he says, still whispering. Even his whisper is sexy.

  I nod again, swallow hard, and when he pulls away, I clear my throat and begin walking away, toward my own car.

  “Sarah?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You forgot something.” He’s holding the bear and sporting a very satisfied grin.

  “Right.” I walk back and take the bear, but before I can turn away, he drags his knuckles down my cheek.

  “I’ll see you very soon.”

  “Okay.”

  I grin, and with my libido still on overdrive, walk away, acutely aware of his eyes on my ass as I leave.

  Chapter Four

  ~Sarah~

  “Mommy, you look so pretty!” Hailey says when I hurry into the bedroom a few days later. I’m scurrying around, getting ready for my date with Adam. I’m nervous.

  So, so nervous.

  “Stop being nervous,” Becca, my sister-in-law, says with a laugh as she sits on my bed and watches me fidget with my hair. “You look hot. He’s going to want to”—she glances at Hailey—“do things to you.”

  “Okay seriously,” I say and turn to Becca. She’s been in my life since she was just a little girl. “Is this too weird? You’re my sister-in-law and you’re helping me get ready for a date with someone who isn’t your brother.”

  “No,” she says and shakes her head. “Kurt loved you, but he’d want you to be happy, Sarah. He’d want you to live your life. You can’t be a nun forever.”

  “I’m not a nun,” I counter, but she keeps going.

  “Besides, I set you up with someone last year. Granted, it was horrible, and I apologize, but I wouldn’t set you up if I had issues with you dating.”

  “It was terrible,” I reply with a laugh, remembering the date she set me up with last year in Miami. I couldn’t get home fast enough. “But, to be fair, I wasn’t ready to date yet either.”

  “You’re so ready,” Becca says. “And I’ve got things covered here if you decide to, you know, sleep over.”

  “I will not be sleeping over,” I say emphatically, but she just grins.

  “I’m just saying.”

  The doorbell rings and Hailey runs out of the bedroom but knows better than to open the door.

  “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

  Becca takes in my black flowy blouse and dark blue jeans and nods. “You’re a hottie. And those red heels are to die for.”

  “And you’re my favorite sister-in-law,” I reply with a laugh as we walk to the small living room.

  “He’s here!” Hailey says with a loud whisper. “Hurry! Open the door!”

  I comply and have a millisecond of losing my words. What the man does to a blue button down shirt and a pair of jeans should be illegal in the state of Louisiana.

  Or the whole country.

  “You look amazing,” he murmurs and leans in to kiss my cheek.

  “Adam!” Hailey squeals, excited to see her new friend. “You’re here! Are you taking us on a date?”

  “No, baby,” I reply quickly. “Remember, I told you that I’m going out with Adam tonight and you are going to watch Belle with Aunt Becca.”

  “Okay,” Hailey says, the wind completely gone from her sails. But she walks to Adam and wraps her arms around his legs and hugs him tight. “I like Belle.”

  “I know you do,” Adam says and pats Hailey on her head. “You’re still wearing her dress.”

  “I told you, we can’t get her to wear anything else. I have to wash it after she goes to sleep at night.” I gesture to Becca, who is staring at Adam with wide eyes. “This is Becca, my sister-in-law.”

  “Hi,” she says and wiggles her fingers in a wave. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” he replies with a smile. Adam squats beside Hailey to talk to her and Becca leans in to whisper to me.

  “Do not come home tonight. I’m serious. If you come home, I will be so disappointed in you. This dude is hot.”

  I nudge her with my elbow just as Adam stands and holds his hand out for mine. �
��Ready?”

  “I’m ready.” I kiss Hailey good-bye, hug Becca, and follow Adam out of my building.

  “I’m taking you to dinner,” Adam says after he gets us settled in the car.

  “Great. I’m starving.” It’s a complete lie. I haven’t been able to eat all day. My stomach has had a serious case of the butterflies.

  But I’ll never admit that to him.

  “I hope you’re not a vegetarian, because I was thinking barbecue.”

  “Nope, that sounds great.”

  And to my surprise, it’s not far from my place. Before I know it, Adam has parked and escorts me inside a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that doesn’t look like much, but smells amazing.

  And just like that, I’m suddenly hungry.

  When we’re seated and sweet teas have been delivered, Adam leans across the table to take my hand in his and smiles.

  “Thanks for saying yes.”

  “Thanks for asking.”

  “I might have a few more questions tonight.”

  “Well, I think that’s part of getting to know someone better. Asking questions.” I sip my tea. “So I might have questions too.”

  “Sounds fair.” He nods and watches me carefully as he raises my hand to his lips and plants a kiss on the base of my thumb.

  I had absolutely no idea that my thumb was an erogenous zone.

  “Your hair is beautiful,” he says with a smile. “You have a lot of it.”

  “I do.” I nod and push my fingers through it. “And thank you.”

  I glance up to find his eyes narrowed, just a bit, on the fingers in my hair, then they find mine. I may be out of practice, but I know what sexual chemistry is, and we have it.

  In spades.

  The electricity is palpable.

  But the kicker for me is, not only do I want him to strip me naked and take me on the ride of a lifetime, but I like him. He’s a nice guy.

  He kind of has the package, which is good because I don’t want to have a one-night stand with an asshole.

  I have standards.

  “Tell me about Becca.” Adam sips his tea. “Is she the nanny you mentioned the morning I met you?”

  “She is,” I reply with a nod. “She was living in Miami, where I’m from, and decided she wanted to come out here to go to school. She offered to help take care of Hailey for me because she knows that my job can be demanding. I can get called out in the middle of the night at times, and I don’t want to have to find a sitter for Hailey at all hours of the day. This was really a win-win for both of us. She gets a place to live, with family, and I have a live-in nanny.”

  “That’s great,” Adam says with a grin. “She seems sweet. Your ex doesn’t mind that you’re still close to his sister?”

  I frown, realizing that I haven’t told him about Kurt. So, I take a deep breath and smile.

  “This is an interesting subject,” I reply.

  “You’re not divorced yet,” he says grimly and I immediately shake my head no.

  “It’s not that at all. Kurt, my former husband, was killed. He was a police officer in Miami, and he was murdered in the line of duty.”

  Adam sits stunned for a moment, then slowly shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

  “Fuck, Sarah, I’m so sorry.”

  “Me too.” I reply the way I always do when I tell the story, but the pain of the words has faded and now it’s just a retelling of a story that happened long ago. “He was a good man. A great father and husband, and a dedicated policeman.” I shrug and take a sip of the tea, surprised that the tears don’t threaten the way they have in the past when I have to talk about Kurt. I’m not numb, I don’t think I ever will be, but it’s not a knife stabbing me in the heart anymore. “It’s been about three and a half years, so Hailey doesn’t really remember him.”

  “But you do.”

  “You don’t forget your first love, no matter how the relationship ends,” I reply. “I was with him from when we were in high school until the day he died. So that’s why Becca and I are so close. I’ve been a part of her life since she was a little kid, and I love her like a sister.”

  “I’m glad you have her,” he says quietly, watching me. “Are you sure you want to be here tonight?”

  “Yes.” I nod, and when he starts to let go of my hand, I reach for his. “I wasn’t for a long time. This is the first date—aside from one bad one that doesn’t count—that I’ve been on. Frankly, life goes on, Adam. Kurt would tell me the same thing. Life goes on, and we have to live it. I’m so glad you asked me out.”

  “Me too.”

  “Okay, all of the other questions won’t be as difficult to answer as that one. So what else do you have?”

  “Hmm…” He sips his tea and narrows his eyes like he’s thinking very hard. “What kind of underwear do you have on?”

  I choke over my laughter, completely taken off guard, but happy that he’s lightened the mood again. “I guess that’s for me to know and you to find out.”

  His eyes flare.

  “What about you?” I ask. “Boxers or briefs?”

  “Commando,” he replies with a wink. “Why did you choose to be in protective services?”

  “Because I was saved by them when I was young,” I answer truthfully. “I’ve lived in a house like the one you saw the other day.”

  He’s frowning now, but he just lets me talk.

  “My father was a violent son of a bitch, and my mom kept going back to him because she didn’t think she had a choice. He ended up killing her.”

  They’re just words now. I am numb to this.

  “I’d already started dating Kurt, and he and his family pretty much made me part of their family. I didn’t live there, but I was there a lot. After high school, he went to college and then to the police academy, and I knew that I wanted to help women and kids get out of horrible situations like the one I’d been raised in.” I shrug and smile reassuringly. “I’m great, Adam. I don’t carry a bunch of baggage from it. I had excellent counselors and a good support system. I just think that everyone should have access to that.”

  “I agree,” he says.

  “Have you ever been married?” I ask, immediately changing the subject.

  “Hell no,” he replies, shaking his head quickly. “I don’t think I’m the marriage type.”

  Totally called the one-night stand thing. Right on.

  “No? How come?”

  “That doesn’t make you want to run away?” he asks with surprise.

  “No. Why would I judge you for that? It’s your life.”

  “Huh. Well, I guess I just haven’t met a woman that made settling down sound like a good deal. And, I love women.”

  “As simple as that.”

  “As simple as that,” he agrees.

  “But what about being with one person forever? Someone you trust and admire and respect?”

  “I’m not convinced that forever exists, Sarah. Not because I couldn’t be monogamous, but because people fall out of love, they get angry, they move on.”

  “Wow,” I reply, a little sad for him. “Maybe you’ll meet someone someday that grabs your attention.”

  “Time will tell,” he says with a half shrug. “You intrigue me more than most.”

  “Me?” I ask, taken off guard. “Why?”

  “You’re just…different.”

  “You’re not the first to tell me that,” I reply with a laugh.

  “You’re so damn strong. I knew that before you told me your story. Watching you with your kiddo and with that woman the other morning was just inspiring. You love what you do.”

  “I do.”

  “But you have soft moments too. You have a gorgeous body, but you’re not 100% comfortable in your own skin.”

  “How do you know?” I lean forward, intrigued by his assessment. I had no idea he was paying such close attention to every little move I make.

  “You fidget a bit. Pulling your shirt over your shoulder the other day
, even though you have beautiful shoulders. You tug your hemline down.” He shrugs. “But you have no reason to be self-conscious. You’re beautiful.”

  “I guess it’s just a habit,” I reply, stunned that he’s paid this much attention.

  “And when you get kissed, you melt. You are a puzzle of contradictions that have me very enamored, Sarah.” He picks up his drink and takes a sip, and all I can do is stare at his lips.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls.” I chuckle and try to brush the compliment off, but he holds my gaze with his.

  “No. I don’t.”

  Thankfully our meal is delivered and we dig in. I moan in happiness when I taste my baby back ribs. “These are amazing.”

  “Keep making noises like that,” he says as if he’s talking about the weather, “and I’ll take you home right now and give you a reason to make them.”

  I blink at him and then feel my face flush bright red. Holy shit! I had no idea that people actually talked like that.

  They certainly never have to me.

  I cock an eyebrow and take another bite, close my eyes and sigh in happiness, then open them and grin when I see Adam’s fork is stopped halfway to his mouth and he’s glaring at me.

  “Are you testing me?”

  “No, I’m playing with you,” I reply with a laugh. “Loosen up. It’s just food.”

  “And the sexiest woman I’ve seen in a long time eating it like she’s getting fucked,” he murmurs, just so I can hear him, and I gasp.

  “I am not.”

  He simply stares back at me with humor-filled eyes and continues to eat, and I follow suit.

  Noises and all.

  If I’m going to flirt, I’m going all in. No half-assed flirting from this girl.

  When the meal is over and Adam has paid the check, he escorts me out into the warm Louisiana night, holding my hand.

  “What now?” he asks gently.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” I reply, not answering him. I don’t know how to answer him. I don’t think I can just say, take me home and fuck me.

  “It’s a nice night,” he agrees. “I don’t want to take you home.”