He Did It!
Havoc
I doubted Creed. He seemed so convinced that he would be able to talk her into coming over that I played along.
But Greer is standing in my kitchen, smiling at me.
It shouldn’t feel this right to have her here, but it does.
What do I say? Because walking over and kissing her is what I want to do, but is not an option. Instead, I just stand there grinning at her.
“Hey, Dad, is the frittata ready?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Greer, what would you like to drink?”
“Tea, if you have it.”
“Tea?” Creed’s probably staring at her like she has three heads.
“There’s some in the cabinet behind where we store the coffee.” I picked it up on my way home, just in case. “And there’s half and half in the fridge. She likes half a teaspoon of sugar.”
“Got it, Dad.”
***
Creed and Greer kept the conversation rolling while I ate veggies for breakfast and watched just how easily she fits into my life. It’s terrifying and exhilarating.
“I’ve got to get to school. See you later, Greer. Dad, I’m taking the SUV.”
“Sounds good.”
“I should probably be going, too.” Greer stands up.
“No. Stay. Dad doesn’t have anything to do today.”
That’s so not true, but I’d probably ignore everything to spend the day talking to Greer. Did she have a nice time? “I’ll walk you home.”
She glances down and then back up at me through her lashes…
You’re giving her time and space.
She just got out of what was probably a messy divorce.
Taking her in your arms and ravishing her lips would be…a bad idea. Everyone thinks bikers are bad. Why can’t I live up to that one little stereotype just for a minute or ten?
Would I be able to stop?
She’s in a fragile place. Step back and give her space.
Or step forward, take her hand, and walk her to her door like a gentleman.
“This feels kind of silly.” But she doesn’t pull her hand from mine.
“How am I supposed to teach my son that a gentleman walks a lady safely to her door if I don’t model that behavior?” That’s a pathetic excuse, but I’m grasping at straws.
“He can’t even see. He’s on his way to school.”
As close as it is, Creed’s probably already there. “You do what’s right regardless of who’s watching or not.”
Greer stops and pivots so that she’s standing in front of me. “Is this really about doing the right thing?”
“No. But I’m afraid if I tell you I want to hold you and kiss you hard, it’ll be too soon and scare you off.” That was far too honest.
She takes a step forward. “I don’t scare easily.”
I reach up and brush a lock of silky hair behind her ear, trailing my finger down her cheek. “That’s becoming very clear.”
“My marriage was gone years before our divorce. I just didn’t want to acknowledge that what I fought so long for was never real.
Finally, saying the words opened my eyes to so much more than Darrel’s troubles with fidelity.
It made me realize I was a person who has her own thoughts.
That I can do what I want and not what other people expect me to. ” Greer leans a little closer.
“And what do you want?” I lean down so that our eyes are level with each other.
“I want you to kiss me like I’ve never been kissed before.”
Say no more. My lips land on hers, which taste faintly of herbal tea.
Don’t overwhelm her. Don’t push too far, too fast. I fight to keep my arms to my sides and let her set the pace, when all I want to do is feel her hair threaded through my fingers.
Greer, it seems, doesn’t have the same worries as she moves her hands from my side to my shoulders and then right into my hair, tugging my head down so that she can deepen the kiss.
Who am I to say no to an offer like that?
Skip being careful. I match her voracious lips and pull her closer to me.
A first kiss should be sweet and gentle, but it seems ours is just going to get more and more ravenous until we ignite right here in the front yard.
THE FRONT YARD.
Greer might be enjoying this kiss now, but will she when she realizes that we’re in the most public place ever?
Before she intoxicates my brain again, I gently pull back.
Her grasping hands try to pull me back to her tempting lips.
“Do you want me to carry you inside so we can keep kissing in private?” I’m barely holding on to my self-control. A man can only take so much. “Greer.”
“Kiss me,” she mumbles.
“Sweetheart, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We might make Mrs. Florintine faint.”
Greer’s head pops up as her eyes widen. “Oh my.”
“Exactly my sentiment.”
She flops her head onto my chest like it’s too heavy for her to hold up. “Are there any people watching us?”
I glance around. “Not that I can see.” But knowing my neighbors, they’re probably looking through their curtains.
“That was some kiss.”
You can say that again, but I need to tread lightly. “Yes, it was.”
“Do you mind that I accosted you in your front yard?”
“I believe we’re in your yard. But any time and any place you want to accost me, feel free.”
Her cheeks turn even pinker. “Thank you for breakfast.”
I lift her chin up so that she’s staring at me. “Thank you for the best kiss of my life.”
Her mouth drops open, and her eyes get smoky.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to forget that I’m a gentleman and toss you over my shoulder.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh really?”
“What would Creed think?”
That boy would probably cheer me on. “Do you want to kiss me again?”
“Yes, but I should go inside.”
“You should.” But I don’t let go of her.
“It’s going to be very hard to do with your arms around me.”
She’s so cute. “Your hands are still locked in my hair. I think you need to let go first.”
“Oh.” Greer slides her fingers out of it, careful not to pull any. “You have nice hair.”
“I’ll tell you how yours is after our next kiss.”
She grins as she steps back. “Who says we’re going to kiss again?”
“I do.”
“We’ll see about that.” She winks and struts over to her front door.
That woman is dangerous.
***
Daydreaming about a kiss is not getting me anywhere except closer to calling her.
Wait. I don’t have Greer’s number.
Does Creed? Probably.
That boy is too smart.
Integer pokes his head into my open office door. “You got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“You gotta talk to Bram.”
I don’t like where this is going. “Why?”
“You know how his woman is planning the winter festival?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, she’s not sending me the bills. She’s walking around paying cash for everything. That’s going to make it a nightmare at the end to balance the books. And where is she getting all this cash? Because I didn’t hand her any. Everything is always billed to the club. That’s always how we do it.”
“Could Ledger have given him some?”
Integer shakes his head. “We note all cash payments in the private books. Even the not so legitimate ones. There’s no cash unaccounted for. She’s spent thousands of dollars. Warden came to me—”
“What? Why could she possibly need to see him? He arranges all the permits we need every year. It was in the packet I gave Bram.” That part I remember.
“She told him it’s for the musical act she’s hiring.”
Musical act…that might bring in more people and revenue. “That’s a good idea.”
“Except she told him she was getting Kia to play.”
“WHAT? Is she crazy? There’s no way our small town could support what her performance fee has got to be. That would kill the event. We wouldn’t make anything.”
“That’s why you need to talk to Bram. He’s got to get that woman under control before she tanks the event.”
“We won’t let that happen. But the club certainly doesn’t want to waste a bunch of money.”
“I’m worried Bram is so into this woman he plans on paying it himself.”
That’s a scary thought. “I’ll take care of it.”
***
Walking into Bram’s shop fills me with all the memories from when Creed was little, running around picking the books he wanted to read.
Creed still does the same thing. His bag is just a bit bigger and more expensive, but buying my kid books is one thing I’ll never complain about.
“Hey, Havoc.” Cate steps out from behind one of the bookshelves.
That’s not a good sign. Bram gets one of the sisters to cover when he needs an hour or two off so he doesn’t have to close the shop. “Is Bram here?”
“No. He’s having lunch with that pretty lady of his. They’re at the Ivy Café if you need him.”
“Thanks.” Having this conversation in front of her isn’t a good idea.
Bram’s gotten in too deep too quickly.
Though who am I to speak. That one kiss this morning makes me want to think about a future that we aren’t even close to being ready for.
Women are so much trouble.