Burn Out

by Cheryl Douglas

  The woman who’d been chatting him up frowned as she herded her dogs off in the opposite direction.

  “I wondered what was takin’ y’all so long.”

  “I see you managed to pass the time,” Erika said, glancing at the woman’s retreating figure.

  He laughed. “Yeah, those dogs were pretty cute, weren’t they?”

  “So was their owner.” She cursed herself for sounding jealous and petty, but sometimes she found it difficult to control her impulses where he was concerned.

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He grinned when she slapped him on the chest.

  “Liar.”

  “Okay, I’ll admit she was cute.”

  Biting her lip, Erika led Chloe to the bench where Evan had been sitting. Since it was an off-leash dog park, Erika set her little charge free to roam. A paper bag sat at the opposite end of the bench and she tried to ignore the heavenly scent wafting through the air.

  Evan set Skipper free to chase Chloe and held the bag out to Erika. “I made a pit stop at the sausage vendor down the street. I know you love these.”

  She loved them, but her waistline hated them. “Greasy take-out two nights in a row?” she asked, eyeing the bag. “I don’t know if I should.”

  “You look as gorgeous now as you did at twenty-three,” he said, opening the bag and extracting a juicy sausage with all the toppings wrapped in a toasty bun. “Besides, you can always jog a couple of extra miles on the weekend.”

  “Fine,” she said, her mouth watering as she accepted his offering. “But it’s back to chicken and salads for me tomorrow, so don’t even try to entice me.”

  His gaze traveled over her body before he said, “I told you, my days of tryin’ to entice you are over.”

  That shouldn’t disappoint her, but it did. “Glad to hear it,” she said, taking a bite of her dinner.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, eating, as they watched their dogs chase each other, before Evan said, “So listen, I wanted to pitch an idea to you.”

  “Sure,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin before throwing her garbage into the paper bag.

  “You know how we have those fundraisers a few times a year to raise money for local charities and get our artists involved in helping a cause they care about?”

  “Sure, I remember.” She’d attended more than her share of those events when they were a couple. “What about it?”

  “We’re plannin’ an event in a few weeks and things kind of fell apart today.” He deposited his garbage into the paper bag and tossed it into a nearby receptacle.

  “What happened?”

  “Believe it or not, one of the directors is bein’ investigated for embellizin’ money from the charity. Needless to say, we have no intention of donatin’ a few hundred thousand dollars to their organization only to have some dirt bag take off to parts unknown with it.”

  “Understandable,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the early evening chill. “So, what are you going to do now?”

  He slid closer, wrapping his arm around her. “I was hopin’ you could help me with that.”

  Thinking clearly with his thigh brushing against hers was difficult. She knew he was just trying to help her stay warm, but her core temperature rose the second he touched her. “Um, what can I do?”

  “You could step in and become our charity of choice.”

  Her mouth fell open as his offer began to filter through the lust clouding her brain. She had started the charitable organization Second Chance back in college. It helped fund foster care and veterinary care for sick and abandoned animals. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course I’m serious. Plenty of our artists are pet owners. They’d love to get involved with a cause like yours.”

  She’d worked so hard to try and get celebrity endorsements, knowing it could make the difference, but garnering celebrity support when so many worthy causes vied for their time and attention wasn’t easy.

  “Evan, that would be incredible.” Without thinking twice, she threw her arms around his neck. “Oh my God, thank you.” She pulled back to look him in the eye and his eyes fell to her lips. Without thinking about the consequences, she inched closer, inviting him to do the same.

  He framed her face with his hands and looked her in the eye.

  Erika didn’t know if he would kiss her or let her down gently, so she held her breath, waiting. She licked her lips, hoping to entice him. She knew it worked when she heard him groan and move in for the kiss she’d been craving.

  It seemed to go on and on before they finally had to come up for air. She didn’t know about him, but she felt breathless and a little disoriented.

  “I didn’t intend for that to happen,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “I didn’t make the offer because I expected you to show your gratitude. I did it because we’re lookin’ for a great cause and you happen to have one.”

  “I know,” she said, clenching the front of his coat in her hands. She wanted more than anything to haul him down for another kiss, but she didn’t have the nerve after his speech on the beach. “I didn’t kiss you because I’m grateful. I kissed you because I wanted to.”

  He set his hands on her shoulders and eased back on the bench. “Before you get too excited, there’s a catch.”

  She glanced at their dogs chasing each other several feet away. “I’m listening.”

  “We have the venue and everything in place, but making the required changes in such a short period of time is going to require a lot of work. I’m talkin’ invitations, an auction, speeches…”

  “So what do you need from me? I’ll do whatever it takes.” She knew an opportunity like this wouldn’t come along again and she didn’t intend to let it slip away.

  “We’re gonna need a few pretty intensive plannin’ meetings. I have event planners who usually take care of this, but they’re all over me, tellin’ me there’s no way we can pull this off. They want to cancel, but I told them to give me a week before we do that. I thought if I do most of the work, they’ll quit bitchin’ and moanin’ about it.” He grinned. “They’re the best in the city, but believe me, they’re little divas.”

  “Okay, I’ll help any way I can.”

  “Why don’t you come over to my place around seven tomorrow night? I’ll order a pizza and we can have an intense strategy session. If we can iron out most of the details, I can get Courtney started makin’ those changes.”

  “On one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “You let me cook dinner for us. I don’t think my stomach could handle another night of greasy take-out.”

  Evan laughed. “You’re on.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Pacing the house, waiting for Erika to arrive, Evan cursed himself for acting like a teenager awaiting his first date. But this night was important. He could tell she was softening, but she wasn’t convinced it was safe to put her heart on the line yet.

  His strategy was working beautifully. She was still interested in him. The kiss they’d shared on the park bench obliterated any reservations he may have had about that. Jeff was out of the way, so the only thing standing between them was memories he’d like to help her forget.

  He’d done everything in his power to prove to her he was a changed man. Trey had fit into the company seamlessly, making it possible for Evan to have a life again. He intended to tell her tonight that he’d done all of this for her, and if the evening ended the way he prayed it would, they’d enjoy breakfast in bed tomorrow morning.

  The doorbell rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. He’d texted her with his address and she offered to bring Skipper over with her. He gratefully accepted, knowing it would give him a chance to stop at the grocery store on the way home so he could stock the fridge and cupboards with all of her favorite staples.

  “Hey there,” he said, laughing when Skipper jumped around excitedly, awaiting his greeting. He
’d already bonded with the dog. Skip had helped to fill a void in the huge house, but he knew he wouldn’t be truly satisfied until Erika filled the empty space in his bed every night. “How was your day, buddy?” He scratched the dog behind the ears as Chloe ran past him to explore her new surroundings.

  “Sorry about that,” Erika said, frowning at her dog. “She’s usually so well-mannered.”

  Evan chuckled. “She’s welcome to make herself at home. Come on in. I just opened your favorite bottle of wine.”

  “Hmm, that sounds great.” She looked up at him and smiled, making his heart stutter. “I just have to grab something out of the car. Be right back.”

  He closed the door so the dogs couldn’t escape as he waited for her to return. He watched the dogs trailing each other and it made him smile. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d found his soul mate. He suspected old Skipper would be more than happy to share their home with little Miss Chloe when the time came.

  She tapped her knuckle on the door and he opened it, smiling when he saw the cake platter in her hands. “Tell me that’s not chocolate lava cake. Oh my God, I haven’t had one of these in ages.” It was her mother’s secret recipe and his favorite dessert of all time. He knew how long it took to prepare, so he certainly wasn’t expecting it. “When did you have time to do this? You’ve been workin’ all day.”

  “I made it last night when I went home,” she said, handing it to him. “Turns out I wasn’t as tired as I thought. I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I might as well do something productive.”

  Now that she mentioned it, she did look tired. He was glad he’d bought steaks and veggies he could grill on the barbeque. He wanted her to be able to relax.

  She stepped inside and gasped as her eyes traveled to the twenty eight foot cathedral ceilings trimmed with natural wood. The previous owners had painted just prior to putting the house on the market, a rich butterscotch color that Evan loved. It blended perfectly with the natural wood and stone accents.

  “This place is incredible.” She gazed out the floor to ceiling windows flanking the natural stone fireplace. “Oh wow, is that a deer I see in your backyard?”

  “Yeah, there’re a bunch of bushes they like to feast on, and since no one’s done anything to deter them, they keep comin’ back for more.”

  She followed him in to the kitchen, pausing in the doorway as her mouth fell open. “Talk about a gourmet kitchen.”

  “I’m told the lady of the house liked to cook.” Personally, Evan didn’t have much use for the state of the art appliances, since he usually used the outdoor grill, but his real estate agent insisted it was a great feature. Judging by Erika’s reaction, she agreed, which sealed the deal for him. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy. Hell, he’d tear the house down and start from scratch if that’s what she wanted.

  “I love it,” she said, wandering through the kitchen. “It’s big and open, but still warm and inviting.”

  “Yeah, I thought so, too.” He poured two glasses of wine, trying to decide whether he had the courage to voice the comment lingering on the tip of his tongue. “Now, I just need a bunch of rugrats to fill it.” He immediately regretted his words when he saw the warmth leave her eyes.

  “I guess we should get started on dinner,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do tonight.”

  “We have time,” he said, offering her a glass. Intent on undoing the damage he’d done, he decided to keep the toast light. “Here’s to a successful fundraiser.”

  She smiled as she tapped her glass against his. “I want to thank you again for offering to do this. I can’t tell you how much it means to our organization. All of our directors are volunteers who do it for the love of animals, but it would be so great to be able to hire someone full-time. Your fundraiser might allow us to do that.”

  “I hope it does.” There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make her smile like that. “Last time we raised 1.2 mil for the Rainbow Fund, Sierra’s charity. I’m confident we can pull off those numbers again. It’s a great opportunity for our artists to give back to important causes and music fans are more than happy to pay $2000 a table just to see their favorite artists up close and personal.”

  She peeked in to the living room to check on the dogs before climbing up on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Will any of your artists be performing?”

  “Ty for sure. You know how much he loves animals.”

  “That’s great. Do you think he’d be willing to speak about our cause?”

  Evan brought the glass to his lips. “I don’t see why not. He loves animals and adores you.”

  She turned the crystal stem between her fingers. “I’ve missed your family and friends, a lot. It was really nice catching up with everyone at the wedding.”

  “You’ll be able to catch up with them at the fundraiser as well. You know everyone will want to be there to support your cause.”

  “I have a feeling they’d be there to support any cause Titan backed, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  He knew he shouldn’t say it, but he couldn’t help himself. “I’ve missed spending time with you like this.”

  Instead of looking him in the eye, she peered into the bottom of her glass. “Hanging out with you has always been fun, Ev. That wasn’t the problem. It wasn’t that we stopped connecting…” She snuck a peek at him before turning her attention back to the glass. “It’s just that our chances to connect became fewer and further between. I missed what we used to have.”

  He covered her hand with his, gratified when she didn’t withdraw from his touch. “I missed it, too. It may have seemed as though I didn’t care that things were fallin’ apart, but trust me, I did.”

  Skipper sauntered into the room with Chloe close behind him. He propped his chin on Erika’s knee, begging for her attention.

  She smiled and patted his head. “I know you cared, but not enough to do anything about it.”

  Not trusting himself to remain so close without making a move that would cross the line, he stepped back and leaned against the counter behind him. “I didn’t know what to do about it at the time. That was the problem.”

  “It seems as though you’ve figured things out,” she said, sounding cautious. “You seem to be working less, finding a little more balance in your life.”

  “I’m tryin’.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not gonna lie. There’s still gonna be some travel involved. I’ll probably have to miss a few important events from time to time, but I don’t want my job to define me anymore. I want it to be what I do, not who I am.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “I just want you to know where my head’s at.” He sighed. “In the Bahamas, I told you I intended to make some changes…” His heart hammered in his chest. He had no idea how she would respond to the news he’d made all of these changes to impress her. If she told him it was all for nothing, he’d be crushed.

  “Because you’re ready to move on to the next phase of your life, I remember.”

  His cell phone rang and he glanced at the call display. His brother. He didn’t intend to answer, but he was grateful for the interruption. He wouldn’t lay his heart on the line again until she gave him some indication the feeling was mutual.

  ***

  Erika kept one eye on the dogs running around the huge backyard and the other on the sexy grill master. “You look right at home,” she said, reaching for the wine bottle in the middle of the table.

  “I love it here,” he said, setting a platter containing steaks and vegetables on the shelf next to the grill. “Makes me wish I’d bought a house a long time ago.”

  “Gee, I seem to recall someone suggesting that.” She pressed a fingertip to her lips. “Oh yeah, that was me, wasn’t it?”

  He looked over his shoulder and flashed a quick grin. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to admit you were right and I was wrong?”

  This vantage point allowed he
r to ogle his very fine backside and he was none the wiser. Topping up her glass, she said, “It’s enough to know I was right. I won’t embarrass you by demanding an apology.”

  Evan turned the grill off and reached for the platter. Setting it down on the intricately carved iron table beside her, he leaned over until their faces were a fraction of an inch apart. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  Her breath caught in her throat as she watched his eyes drift over her face. She wanted him to kiss her more than anything, but she wasn’t brave enough to ask. “Apology accepted.” If she had any hope of playing it cool, that evaporated when her voice cracked.

  “Really?” he asked, skimming his lips over her cheek. “Do you think you can forgive me for everything?”

  She knew what he was asking, but she didn’t know how to respond. She couldn’t deny she was intrigued by this new side of Evan, the responsible homeowner, dog rescuer, and philanthropist, but how could she be sure that wasn’t an act just to lure her in again? If she succumbed to his considerable charms, she may find herself miserable and alone inside of a month, when he returned to his regular routine at the office.

  “I don’t know yet,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t be deterred by her honesty. “I like this new side of you, Ev. But we have so much history. A lot of it good, but I’m not going to lie; it’s going to take some time to get past the bad.”

  “I can understand that,” he said, standing upright as he reached for the platter. “Let’s head inside. It’s gettin’ cool out here.” He whistled to call the dogs and smiled when they raced each other to the patio.

  Erika tried to quash the disappointment that he’d let it go without trying to convince her he’d changed, that he was willing to make her more of a priority. She knew actions spoke louder than words, but she wanted to hear him say that he still loved her and wanted her in his life.

  Skip and Chloe led the way into the house, where they stopped at Skip’s giant stainless steel water bowl before settling onto an oversized cushion under the window.

  “Awww, they look so cute curled up together like that,” Erika said, grinning.