Better to make a grocery list and run to the store so they could have dinner tonight. Brendan seemed the kind of man who would enjoy a thick, grilled steak covered with her homemade Montreal Seasoning. And her banana dessert.

  Energy renewed, she went inside to pour another cup of coffee and make a list.

  Chapter Seven

  Brendan slapped a hand on the shower wall and lowered his head beneath the jet spray. He’d never run from anything in his life. Yet, a slender woman with a teenage son spooked him like never before. The sooner he took care of Mia’s ex and got out of here, the better.

  A knock on the door brought up his head.

  “Brendan? I’m going to run to the grocery store and pick up a few things for dinner.”

  Turning off the water he pushed the curtain back and reached for a towel. “Give me five minutes and I’ll go with you.”

  A pause. “All right. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  He dried off, toweled his hair and slicked it back out of his eyes before putting on the clothes he’d brought in with him. Cargo shorts and t-shirt. After tossing his towel in the hamper he met Mia in the kitchen. His steps faltered briefly when he saw her. A red sundress with white flowers flattered her curves, falling just above her knees. There wasn’t anything overtly sexy about the dress, but damn if it didn’t make his blood race.

  “There’s coffee if you’d like a cup to go.” She motioned toward the coffee maker.

  “I’m good, thanks.” He rarely drank coffee or caffeine. Didn’t need it. He had enough energy zinging through his veins most days, he didn’t need the boost. Today, Mia served as an entire pot of coffee, the way she got his engine going.

  “I told Jason we’d be right back.”

  They walked out the door into the bright sunlight. Mia reached into her purse for a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on.

  “I’ll drive,” he offered. Without hesitation she rounded the car and got in the passenger seat.

  Dreading getting back into the compact car, he made sure the seat was pushed back before sliding behind the wheel. When he glanced at Mia he saw her fighting a smile.

  “What?” He brought the quiet engine to life.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  Amused, he said, “Nothing, my ass. You think I look hot and sexy in this thing, don’t you? Especially how my head nearly touches the roof.”

  Her laughter escaped, filling his senses with the musical sound. Open and free, like the person he suspected lay beneath the persona. He backed out of the drive, grinning, knowing exactly how he looked in the toy car.

  “I don’t know about that, but you are certainly drawing attention,” she said on another chuckle.

  He glanced out the side window to see people staring and pointing as they drove past. “What, they’ve never seen a man drive a golf cart before?”

  Her laughter bubbled over. “I guess the car is a bit small.”

  He chuckled. “You think?”

  Mood light, they parked in front of the grocery store and walked in. Mia pulled a list out of her purse while he grabbed a cart. While he pushed she gathered the items she needed. When she stopped at the meat section to peruse steaks, he stepped in.

  “Let me,” he said, scanning the packages. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Grilled steaks. As long as you run the grill?”

  He grinned. “Grills are man’s domain. I got this.”

  “I need two pounds.”

  “You got it.” He picked up a New York Strip.

  “I’m going to go grab a couple more things. Be right back.”

  Not liking her wandering off by herself, even though they were in a public place, he did a quick scan of the customers before nodding. He doubted her ex would be hiding behind the cereal display.

  Mia walked away, his gaze tracking her. More like watching the sway of her hips, the way her dark hair fell loosely down her back in soft waves. When she turned down one of the aisles he lost sight of her and went back to choosing steaks. Without knowing it, the woman had spoken to his heart. Grilled steak was his favorite dinner.

  Finding suitable cuts, he put them in the cart and went to find Mia. He didn’t miss the appreciative smiles he received from the women as he passed. Grocery stores were known to be meat markets—literally. And he was guilty of picking up a woman or two along with his groceries.

  Sending them a nod and a smile he turned down the aisle Mia had taken. He found her standing in front of a row of spices, talking on her phone. As he approached he saw a big smile on her face. She disconnected and dropped her cell in her purse, then turned to him, eyes dancing with joy. Before he could ask what had made her so happy she ran into him, hugging him tight. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, inhaled the scent of her coconut shampoo. Damn, she felt good in his arms. Almost like she belonged.

  Whoa. He took a mental step backward because she still hugged him. This woman came with strings. A sixteen-year-old and an ex-husband.

  “Guess what?” She leaned her head back to look up at him.

  “What?” He stared into her brown eyes.

  “The inheritance was transferred to my bank this morning.”

  “That’s great.”

  “It is, isn’t it? Now, I can make my dreams come true.”

  Should he tell her he lived in a rustic log cabin in the mountains of Montana? Exactly where she dreamed of being.

  What the hell was he thinking? Asking her to move in with him? Or worse, marry him?

  Stunned by his thoughts, he forced a smile. “I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks. As long as Ray doesn’t find out, everything should be fine.” She glanced around them and stepped out of his arms. “Sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”

  He wanted her back in his arms. Instead he grabbed the cart. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “I do.”

  Those words hit him in the gut with the force of a punch. He liked the way she said them. Even if they did remind him of vows.

  Thunderstruck by his thoughts, Brendan started unloading items onto the belt. What the hell happened to his vacation? He’d come here to clear his mind, try and erase some of the guilt that still nagged him over what happened to his sister. Attie had never blamed him. He did that himself. How could he not? He’d almost gotten his sister killed because of his weakness for women.

  Falling for this woman wasn’t an option.

  The cashier gave him the total and he paid it, sending Mia a look when she protested. She raised her hands in surrender and started putting paper sacks in the cart. He accepted the receipt and took over putting the bags in the cart.

  Together they walked out of the store and unloaded them in the back of the car. The drive home took only minutes. A smile lurked on Mia’s lips when she looked at him scrunched behind the wheel.

  When he pulled into the drive, Jason came out to meet them. By the anxious look on his face something was wrong.

  “What’s wrong?” Mia asked him, already out of the car.

  Jason shifted from one foot to the other. “Dad’s here.”

  Mia went rigid. “Where is he?”

  “Inside. I swear I didn’t call him, Mom.”

  “I know, honey. It’s okay. Help Brendan unload the car, will you, please?”

  Brendan motioned toward the back of the car and followed Mia inside. They found Ray sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. He didn’t look happy to see him walking in with Mia.

  “What are you doing here, Ray?” Mia asked.

  “I came to visit my son. I see you’ve still got your boy toy around.”

  Brendan let that one go. He’d been called much worse and it never bothered him.

  “You can’t keep showing up here. It’s confusing to Jason.”

  Ray rose to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving.”

  He left without confrontation. Brendan followed him outside, passing Jason with his arms full of bags. “Are you leaving?” he asked his dad.

  “Yep. Got what I came for. I’ll be in touch.”

  What the hell? Ray had been nothing but confrontational every time they saw him. Why the change? Not trusting the man, Brendan escorted him off the property, not liking the fact Ray never parked in the driveway, but on the side of the road.

  Returning back inside, he joined Mia and Jason in the kitchen, keeping his unease to himself.

  “Why don’t you guys go make sure the grill works while I prepare the steaks,” Mia suggested.

  Jason glanced at him. “You know anything about grills?”

  Brendan grinned. “Man’s domain. Come on, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about grilling meat.”

  ****

  Mia watched the two disappear outside, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Jason really responded to Brendan and seemed to like him. What if he got too attached? He was at an impressionable age. Brendan would leave the same as Ray had. How would that affect her son?

  How would it affect her?

  Unwilling to think about it, she got to work mixing her homemade seasoning blend. Then she mixed it with olive oil and coated the steaks in a baking dish, setting them aside to marinate. She wrapped baked potatoes in foil after sprinkling them with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. She added a slice of onion to each packet and a few sprinkles of water, then sealed them up tight. A trick she’d learned from her dad, who had made the best baked potatoes in the world.

  She went to work on the banana dessert, making the shortbread/macadamia nut crust first. Try as she might she couldn’t get Ray out of her head. He’d been too nice. Too accommodating. She wasn’t fool enough to believe he’d come to terms with everything. That she’d moved on and wasn’t giving up her dreams. The money should be safely in her account by now.

  A smile touched her lips. Her inheritance. She’d already done a little browsing for the perfect house. Last night when she couldn’t sleep.

  Not going there.

  Maybe, just maybe, Ray had come to his senses and wouldn’t bother them anymore. She knew better than to believe he wanted a relationship with his son. In the ten years he’d been incarcerated he hadn’t contacted Jason once, except for the past year when he started emailing him. As much as it hurt to admit, she suspected he was using Jason as an excuse to get what he wanted from her. He didn’t have any real interest in being a father or getting to know his son. If he did he wouldn’t be threatening her.

  Putting the crust in the oven to bake, she prepared the pudding layer and sliced bananas. Then tossed together a salad.

  Jason came in. “Have those steaks ready?”

  She motioned toward the baking dish. “Yep, all set to go. Grab those potatoes, too.”

  “Do I smell banana?”

  She smiled. “You do.”

  Jason groaned. “Oh, man, you made your banana dessert, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “I’m gonna miss your home-cooked meals when I go off to college.” He picked up the dishes and carried them outside.

  Off to college. Less than two years away, but felt like tomorrow. Time moved much too fast for her liking. How did a mother come to terms with her child leaving her?

  Squelching the sadness that seeped into her soul, Mia gathered plates and glasses and set the table. Already the scent of grilled steaks drifted through the open windows. It had been awhile since she’d had a man-grilled steak. Her attempts to use the grill back home resulted in epic failures. Jason wasn’t too bad with it, but they’d decided to give up on it because char-burned meat wasn’t very appetizing.

  As she put silverware by each plate she allowed herself to dream for a second that the three plates belonged to her happy family. That she was happily married to Brendan and their house exploded with joy. She’d always wanted that. A man who loved her. A good man. One who loved her son as much as she did.

  Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she poured lemonade into the glasses and went to put the dessert together now that the crust had cooled.

  By time she had everything cleaned up the boys came in bearing meat and potatoes. Jason proudly set them on the table.

  “Those smell delicious,” she said. “And they aren’t burned.”

  Her teasing tone drew a smile from her son, making this day perfect.

  “Yeah, seems turning the heat all the way up on the grill is the wrong thing to do,” Jason said.

  She laughed. “I’ll remember that.”

  “Oh, no, you won’t,” Brendan cut in. “Grilling is a man’s domain. No women allowed.”

  “Yeah, Mom, no women allowed.”

  Instead of feeling like an outsider to their man club, she was filled with happiness. This was what she’d always wanted.

  “All right, all right, you win. I’ll stay away from any and all grilling. You guys sit down while I get the salad.”

  Her men sat down while she tossed the salad, grabbed two kinds of dressing and set them on the table. She took her seat and motioned for them to get started. “Dig in.”

  They chatted lightly as they ate, Jason asking Brendan questions about free climbing and sports. She didn’t like the sound of free climbing but kept it to herself. Jason had an interest and Brendan had the answers so she let it go.

  “Whatever you put on these steaks is incredible,” Brendan said, reaching for another.

  Mia preened. “Thank you. It’s a homemade seasoning blend.”

  “Well, it’s the best I’ve ever had. And I thought I knew everything about grilled steaks.”

  A man who could admit he was wrong. Yep, the inevitable had happened. She’d fallen for this man.

  “Thank you.” She took a drink of her lemonade to hide her epiphany. How had this happened? They hadn’t known each other long enough for her to fall for him. She didn’t even know that much about him except what he’d proven so far. That he was a standup guy. One who didn’t want to be a father, but would make an excellent one. A man who put himself in danger to protect others.

  “Wait until you taste the dessert,” Jason said, bringing her out of her thoughts. “It’s one of my favorites. Do you like bananas?”

  Brendan nodded. “I do.”

  “Then you’re going to love this dessert.”

  “I can’t wait to try it.”

  The comment was directed toward her and her stomach flip-flopped. She met his gaze, captured by the allure in his. Did he feel it too? The chemistry between them.

  Was she prepared if he did?

  Yes. She’d been a long time without a man in her bed and right now she wanted this man next to her, making love to her, showing her the passionate side of herself. Because sex with this man would be anything except mediocre.

  Something sparked in his eyes and she knew for certain he felt it, too.

  She better be ready because tonight just might be a turning point in her life.

  Chapter Eight

  Brendan did one last perimeter check of the house, making sure all the doors and windows were locked. Restless energy zinged through him. Dinner had been amazing. Good conversation, comfortable, the best steaks and dessert he’d ever tasted. It felt like home, as much as that thought bothered him. Home for him was anywhere the wind took him.

  Jason retired to his room soon after dinner. His door was closed, but Brendan heard the television. Mia had opted for a shower. Twenty minutes ago. What did women do that took so long?

  He wanted to talk to her about Ray. Something wasn’t right there. A man like that wouldn’t give up so easily. They needed to be on their toes until he found out what the man was up to.

  “Want a glass of wine?”

  Mia stood in the doorway leading to the kitchen, wearing a pair of sleep shorts and spaghetti strap tank that hugged her curves and showed her silky-smooth skin. Skin he longed to run his hands over. After the look they’d shared over dinner he should be running out the door instead of saying yes to a glass of wine.

  “You sit. I’ll get the glasses.”

  While she disappeared into the kitchen, he dropped down on the sofa. She walked in a few minutes later with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. The glasses she set on the coffee table, the bottle and opener she handed to him before sitting next to him.

  He popped the cork and poured the rich red liquid into the glasses. Mia accepted one, taking a long sip. Nervous? That wasn’t like her.

  “Thanks for teaching Jason to use the grill,” she said.

  Small talk. All right. “No problem.”

  She took another sip, then let out a tense laugh. “What are we doing?”

  “Unwinding with a glass of wine.”

  “Is that all?”

  Her low tone made him set his glass down and gently take hers from her hand and put it on the table next to his. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against hers. Something he’d wanted to do since the moment he saw her. At first she didn’t kiss him back, then, as if the flood gates on a dam opened, she opened her mouth and let him deepen the kiss.

  God, she tasted like wine and honey. Sweet and incredible. Like no other woman he’d ever tasted.

  A low moan escaped her mouth as she climbed on his lap, circling her legs around him. The feel of her rubbing against him set his blood on fire. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, allowing him access to her neck where he kissed a fiery trail down to the neckline of her tank. Her nipples budded through the thin fabric.

  A gasp escaped her lips when he nipped the delicate spot on her throat where her pulse pounded.

  “Bedroom,” she breathed, grinding against him.

  Brendan rose with her still wrapped around him and carried her into the master bedroom, trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Not easy, with the way her tongue licked his earlobe. Damn erotic.

  Once inside, he tossed her on the bed and went to close the door, hearing her soft laughter. He could listen to that carefree sound all day long. After locking the door in case Jason got curious, he shucked his clothes. Mia had already slipped out of hers and lay naked and beautiful on the bed. For a moment he could only stare. God, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Soft curves, silky skin, incredible breasts.

 

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