A Good Time

by Shannyn Schroeder

  “Are you crazy? I want this baby. Assuming I decide to have it, what do you think is going to happen?” She waited a beat. She saw nothing in his eyes except desire. “What do you expect to happen between us?”

  “I don’t have any expectations. I want you. You want me. I care about you. Why muddle something so simple by having expectations?”

  He closed in on her again. His left palm cupped her jaw and he leaned down. His argument was simple and effective. Why couldn’t they stay the way they were? This felt good.

  But something bothered him. She saw shadows in his eyes. “Why did you come into the bar tonight?”

  “I wanted company.”

  She tilted her head to get a better look at his face and waited.

  “I was upset. One of my kids got arrested.”

  “For what?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s out now, but I’m failing them. We lost the use of school property and they’re back to their usual lives. . . . ”

  His muscles were taut with tension. She hadn’t been the only one looking for escape tonight. No wonder he’d let her take what she needed from him. She brushed hair away from his forehead. Grim lines creased at his eyes.

  No, he wouldn’t be a smiling man who would laugh with her, but she could return the favor and give him the escape he needed.

  She laced her fingers through his and led him to the bedroom.

  The dark night blanketed Griffin as Indy pulled him toward her bed. It looked like the time for talking ended. She slowly undid the buttons on his shirt and slid it from his body. She draped it neatly over a chair as if he’d be worried about wrinkles.

  He kicked off his shoes before reaching for the belt on her robe. A hint of light filtered through the open door, enough to allow him to see her milky skin as the robe opened. She shook it from her shoulders until it dropped to the floor and then stood for him to look.

  Griffin pulled her body to his, wanting to hold her and touch her. She said nothing, but as his hands found all her tender spots, she sighed and her breath hitched. He didn’t need any more urging. He laid her on the bed and covered her body with his.

  Moments later, when he buried himself inside her, he found comfort in being surrounded by her scent, her body, her.

  They made love, slow and quiet, and then she cuddled close. It didn’t bother him or make him feel claustrophobic. He toyed with her braid and the locks that had escaped.

  “You know, I’m gonna get fat.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m going to get huge.”

  “You’re pregnant. You’re supposed to.”

  “But I might never look like this again. I’m thirty-five. My body probably won’t bounce back.”

  “So?” What was she getting at? She didn’t even look pregnant yet.

  She pushed up on an elbow. “Are you still going to want to sleep with me if I have a belly out to here?” Her hand moved from her torso and smacked into his side.

  He shrugged. He hadn’t thought about having sex with a pregnant woman. Strange. His only thought had been that he wasn’t ready for Indy to leave his life.

  Indy pulled away. “That’s what I figured.”

  Words fumbled through his head. He knew the wrong words would do damage. “It’s not that. I hadn’t thought about it. I know you’ll grow, but I haven’t actually pictured it.”

  “Yeah, no expectations.”

  “Are you okay with this? Playing it by ear?” Deep down he prayed for a yes. He didn’t know how to offer more.

  “Sure. It’s what I do best. Quinn’s the planner, not me.”

  She didn’t sound any more convinced than he was. She settled back against him. Her breath skimmed his chest. “What happened with the house in Oak Park?”

  “I guess I forgot to tell you. I was a little preoccupied.” He stroked his fingers on her back. “I got it. We close at the end of the week.”

  “Good. It’s a perfect house, but it’s too much for one guy.”

  “I like big.” So different from how I grew up, he thought. “Besides, I’ll have the kids in my program there.” A chance to get them back on track.

  Silence cradled the room and he thought she’d fallen asleep. His own eyes drifted closed.

  “It seems like a waste.”

  “Hmm?”

  “The house. It needs a family. With kids. And a tire swing on the willow in the side yard.”

  Sleep pulled at him. “It will,” he mumbled.

  When the early morning sun squeezed through the gangway to peek into the bedroom window, Griffin eased away from Indy. She needed sleep, but he had furniture to move. After a quick cup of coffee, he saw movement next door. He left Indy’s apartment door open and propped the exterior door by bunching up the hall carpet.

  He rang what he hoped was Eddie’s bell. Eddie answered the door in boxers and a white tank top.

  “Hey,” Eddie said, scratching his stomach.

  “Would you be interested in a white leather couch?”

  “What?”

  “Indy needs to get rid of her living room furniture. It’s yours if you help me move it now.”

  Eddie’s dark brows rose. “She’s getting rid of that sweet setup?” Bingo. Griffin nodded. “But it needs to go right now.”

  Eddie opened his arms. “Let’s go.”

  Griffin looked down at the boxers.

  “Oh. I’ll get some pants.” Eddie disappeared into the apartment. Griffin went back to Indy’s, closed the bedroom door, and hauled one of the end tables over to Eddie’s. He banged it a couple of times on the journey. It weighed a ton.

  The couch would be a bitch.

  Eddie met him at the door and held the screen open for him. They went back to Indy’s for the other tables. In Eddie’s living room, furniture crowded the space.

  “What are you going to do with your couch?” Griffin asked.

  “I have a cousin who’ll take it. I’ll keep it in the extra bedroom until he comes to get it.”

  “Okay. Let’s go.” Griffin moved to grab an end.

  Eddie looked startled at the offer. “Oh, okay. Thanks for the help, man.”

  After they had the old couch settled in the equally crowded bedroom alongside a shrine to the Madonna, Eddie gave him a long look. “You’re not like the old dude.”

  “Who?”

  “The old guy Indy was going with. He looked at me like I was a cockroach. You look at me like competition.”

  Griffin didn’t respond. The reason he offered the couch to Eddie, besides expediency, was to ensure that Indy wouldn’t want to hang out at Eddie’s house. It made him feel a little juvenile, but he didn’t care.

  The leather couch required a lot of grunting and swearing, but they got it moved without waking Indy. Sweat coated his skin by the time they were done. He checked on Indy and went to shower.

  Indy woke to the smell of fresh coffee. She stretched and smiled, knowing Griffin had spent the night.

  What am I doing?

  She spread her fingers on her flat abdomen. This won’t last, but I can enjoy time with Griffin until he bolts. And he would. After that, she’d be alone. In her gut she knew this would be her last fling or relationship for a good, long while.

  For now, she’d take what she could. If all she got was good sex and quality sleep, she’d survive. Griffin had already given her more than she’d gotten from Richard.

  In the kitchen, Griffin drank coffee, looking crisp and clean. “Where’d the clothes come from?”

  He turned away from the window. “I brought a bag.”

  “So you expected to spend the night.”

  “No, I prepared for the possibility.”

  She poured a cup of coffee, took a sip, and stopped.

  “Something wrong with the coffee?”

  “No.” She set the cup down. “I don’t know if it’s okay to drink it.”

  “Too bad.” His evil little grin told her the coffee was good. He took a gulp from his cup, and she wanted to
hit him. She needed caffeine to function in the morning.

  “I don’t think one cup will hurt.” She picked up her cup again and sat at the table. She pointed to the small, white box in front of her. “What’s this?”

  “A present I picked up while I was out of town.”

  Her fingers twitched to open it. She loved presents, but she wanted to avoid the slippery slope. It had been one way Richard had drawn her in. She slid the box toward him. “Thanks, but I don’t want you buying me presents.”

  “You’ll like this.” He nudged the box back.

  “I’m sure I would, but I don’t want any presents.” She’d loved everything Richard had given her. The presents never made up for him not being there in the morning.

  He sighed as if somehow she was being intolerable. He opened the box himself and withdrew a ceramic cow. The gorgeous cow wore a business suit and heels. “It’s a business card holder. It reminded me of you.”

  “A cow?” She tried not to be offended.

  “The first time you showed me a house, you wore a business suit and stopped on the side of the road to strip off your pantyhose. She’s bare-legged. I thought she’d go well with your collection.”

  He bought me a cow. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek. God, do not cry over a cow.

  “Well, do you like it?”

  Indy forced a smile to push back the tears. “She’s beautiful.”

  Griffin handed her the cow. A ceramic cow couldn’t cost much. An inexpensive gift would be okay. She let him buy her dinner, right?

  He’d thought of her while he traveled. But that was before.

  “Thank you.” She rose and put the cow on her desk. Maybe she’d take it into the office for her desk there.

  “What are your plans for the day?” he called from the kitchen.

  “I’m going back to Quinn’s to finish painting.”

  “What painting?”

  “I’m painting their house for them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I needed time to think. I started with the nursery, but I’ve had a lot to think about, so I branched into other rooms.”

  He rinsed his coffee cup, and she knew he was getting ready to leave. “What if they hate the colors?”

  “They won’t, but if they do, it’s just a couple of coats of paint. We’ll redo it.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “I’d go crazy if you let yourself into my house and started changing things.”

  Her stomach dropped. She hadn’t thought about Ryan. Quinn wouldn’t mind, but Ryan . . . “Shit. Will Ryan be pissed? I didn’t even think about it being his house too.”

  “Ryan will probably be very grateful. His hands are full with the apartments above the bar.”

  The knot in her stomach eased. “What’s his favorite color?” “How should I know? Men don’t discuss those things.”

  “How about a color he hates? It’d be my luck to paint the bedroom a color he despises.”

  “I don’t know, orange?”

  “You’re a big help. I’ll stop by O’Leary’s. Colin should know.”

  He stepped closer so they were nearly touching. “Not likely. Colin will be more focused on hitting on you than answering paint questions.”

  She tapped his cheek. “I know Colin. He’s never hit on me.”

  “How about at the wedding?” He moved closer still, backing her into the wall.

  Her mind scrambled back over memories of the wedding. The day had been a blur.

  “Every time I tried to get you alone, Colin was hanging all over you. It being Ryan’s wedding was the only thing that saved him from being pummeled.”

  She remembered dancing with Colin, at a respectable distance. They talked quite a bit, but she didn’t remember flirting. Certainly no direct come-on.

  Griffin lowered his head, and his whisper brushed her lips. “The wedding’s over and I’ll kick his ass if he doesn’t keep his hands off.”

  His mouth covered hers, and words of protest disintegrated. His anger seared her tongue as he invaded her mouth. She tried to muster her own anger at his assumption that she’d be drawn in by Colin. The anger didn’t mount.

  Griffin cared enough to be jealous. That’s what this was, right? He pulled back and stared into her eyes.

  A smile tugged at her lips. Yes, he was jealous, and she enjoyed it. “I’m capable of having a conversation with a man without falling into bed with him. I’ll talk to Colin.”

  He stepped away, easing his expression. “Eileen would know more. Moms notice that kind of stuff. Go visit her.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “I have to go to the office. How about dinner?”

  “Sure. I’ll be at Quinn’s all day, so call me when you’re done with work.” She turned to go to the bathroom for a shower and froze.

  Her living room was empty.

  She felt Griffin standing behind her. He kissed the top of her head and tried to squeeze past. “I’ll call you.”

  “Where’s the furniture?”

  He dropped the black bag he carried. “You said you wanted it gone. Did you change your mind?”

  “No, but how?”

  “I got rid of it.”

  “Where? How?”

  He held her arms. “Do you really want to know?”

  She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her cheek rested on his chest.

  The empty room filled her with contentment. Freedom. It held so much possibility.

  “Thank you. I owe you one.”

  He stepped out of her embrace so she would look up at him. “Stay away from Colin and we’ll call it even.”

  “Done.”

  He walked through the house, his footsteps echoing his departure.

  She needed new furniture. Too bad she couldn’t afford it.

  Griffin’s day had sucked. He’d spent at least half his time fielding questions from his PR people about the rabid parents trying to block production of the Night Beasts video game. He finally gave up the idea of accomplishing anything and left the office early. He went home to change clothes and called Indy. She didn’t answer.

  A quiet night with her sounded perfect. He hoped she didn’t want to go out.

  After his shower he called her again. Still no answer. He drove out to Ryan and Quinn’s house on the assumption she’d still be there. Sure enough, her car sat in the driveway.

  He knocked on the front door but got no answer. He dialed her phone again. Nothing.

  He walked around the back of the house. He knocked and waited. When Indy still didn’t answer, he peered through the glass in the door.

  No movement inside, but he heard loud music. Then he saw her bare feet in the living room. The kitchen wall obscured the view of the rest of her, but her body obviously lay on the floor.

  His fist pounded on the door and he called her name. Panic crawled up his throat. He looked around for something to break the glass and kicked a decorative patio brick free.

  As he lifted the brick and turned to swing it, the door opened. Indy stood staring at him, all sleepy softness. He dropped the brick and grabbed her shoulders.

  “Are you okay? What happened? I’ve been calling and knocking.” He could barely hear his voice over the sound of the radio blasting in the house.

  Her eyebrows drew together. “I was tired so I lay down. I must’ve fallen asleep.” She turned, walked back into the house, and flicked off the radio.

  “You didn’t hear your phone or me pounding on the door?”

  She shrugged. “I guess not. What time is it anyway?”

  He resisted the urge to scream at her when he saw the shades of purple under her eyes. He stepped through the doorway and drew her close. Her lips were warm and soft with sleep. He barely repressed the shudder of relief her gentle mouth released in him. “Almost six.”

  When she stepped back, her eyes were wide. “Well, maybe I should let you wake me from a nap more often.”r />
  He followed her through the kitchen. “Not like that. I looked through the window and saw your feet sticking through the doorway. I thought you fell or . . .”

  The thought dropped off as he entered the living room and saw the freshly painted walls. A warm gold color glowed in the evening light. Even without furniture, the room had a homey feel. “Wow.”

  “What?”

  “This room looks great.” He turned and saw the blush rise on her cheeks.

  “Thanks.”

  Griffin went upstairs. Two of the three bedrooms were finished. The job looked professional. He came back to the kitchen to find Indy chugging a bottle of water and tapping her foot nervously. “Well?” she asked.

  “Well, what?”

  “Is he going to hate it?”

  Where had her confidence gone? Her cavalier attitude about paint color had disappeared. “They’ll love it. It looks good.”

  She smiled easily. “I’ll have to tell my dad I finally put the interior design classes to use.”

  “Interior design?”

  “One of many majors I toyed with during my stint in college.”

  “What else?”

  “Architecture, philosophy, art.” She looked up at the ceiling. “I think that’s it. I bore easily.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Ready for dinner?”

  She looked down at her paint-smudged pants and T-shirt. “Where do you want to go?”

  “I’d like to eat in if it’s okay with you. I feel as beat as you look.”

  “Okay. Your place or mine?”

  “Mine. The restaurants are better in my neighborhood.” She needed to get more comfortable in his space. She had no reason not to spend the night at his house.

  She quickly ran through the house closing and locking windows and turning off lights.

  He waited in the kitchen and found notes scribbled on a pad next to her cell phone. When she came into the room, he held up the pad. “What’s this?”

  “Moving companies. Quinn comes back on Sunday so I wanted to get their stuff moved on Saturday.” She took the pad and shoved it into her purse. “I have a few more calls to make. I hope I can find someone cheaper, but I waited until the last minute.”