Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
W hat in the world was happening?
Shiloh squealed just a little as Granger’s mouth landed on hers, but when his hand landed on her back, pulling them even closer together, her first instinct wasn’t to make noise, but to smack the guy in the face.
Unfortunately, the thought only lasted a split second before her hand curled his shirt into her fist rather than slapping it against his cheek. It had been too long since she’d had a kiss like this…scratch that.
Shiloh was positive she’d never had a kiss like this.
However, like all good things, it came to an abrupt end when loud cursing broke into her happy haze.
Granger pulled back, but instead of giving her the loving look that should have accompanied their previous actions, he glared over her head. “What are you doing here?”
Shiloh stiffened. Arthur. It had all been an act for Arthur. Her curled hand tightened. As soon as her competitor was gone, she was gonna throw Granger into the weeds…provided Zane wasn’t watching, of course.
“Me? What are you doing here?” Arthur shouted.
Shiloh gasped when a hand landed on her shoulder and jerked her backward. Only Granger’s hold kept her from falling flat.
“Get your hands off her!” Granger bellowed.
Shiloh’s head spun from one moment to the next when Arthur lost his grip, and she was quickly pulled around, then placed behind Granger’s back. She automatically grabbed his shirt to keep from falling over.
“You can’t be serious,” Arthur scoffed.
Shiloh looked around Granger to see the other realtor red-faced and clenching his jaw while massaging his forearm. “What in the world are you doing here?” she asked Arthur, clearing her throat when it came out slightly breathless.
Curse Granger for being such a good kisser.
Arthur’s eyes darted warily between Granger and Shiloh. “I came to take you to lunch, but your neanderthal lawn guy beat me to it,” Arthur sneered.
Shiloh immediately put her hand on Granger’s arm. His back muscles tensed through his shirt. He was ready to spring. “As you can see, I’m otherwise engaged. Please leave.”
Granger gave her a look of incredulity.
“What?” Shiloh whispered. “I was taught to have manners.”
“Not for guys like him,” Granger whispered back.
“I’m right here,” Arthur shouted. He looked at Shiloh again. “You can’t really be dating this guy. Can he even put two words together?”
This time Shiloh stepped fully in front of Granger. “I said leave, Arthur. I was polite the first time, I won’t be the second. We’ve already called the police on you once. I won’t hesitate to do it again.”
Arthur’s face turned a deep shade of purple. “Who is he?” he demanded again.
Lies were bad. Shiloh had been taught that since she was little. Lies got people in trouble, and she hated trouble, unless it was all in good fun, of course and everyone was in on the joke. Lies had been a specialty in Shiloh’s single parent household, and she knew exactly what they were capable of.
So why did the line blur so badly when it came to lying for her safety?
Granger’s thick arm wound around her middle, pulling her back into his body. “I’m her boyfriend,” he said in a low tone. “And the lady has asked you to leave.”
Shiloh’s brain was going haywire. In front of her was a seriously dangerous situation. Arthur was over the line for the second time, and he needed to be gone. But behind her, with his arm around her waist, was Granger.
Granger was also dangerous, but in a very different way. Shiloh couldn’t decide if her rapidly beating heart was from fear or excitement. She could smell the fresh cut grass and churned earth on Granger’s skin, and it was doing marvelous things for her senses.
Where in the ever-loving world was her common sense when she needed it most? It was not the time to be daydreaming about a hunk when there was an egomaniac threatening her.
“Boyfriend?” Arthur scoffed. He waved an arm at them. “Shiloh’s single. She’s been that way for a long time.”
“How would you know?” Granger challenged.
Arthur smirked and straightened his tie. “I make it my business to know.”
“Ew,” Shiloh whispered. She leaned back into Granger’s chest a little more. She wasn’t one to hide in fear, but Arthur was seriously creeping her out.
“Quit with this…acting,” Arthur said, his arms jumping around again. “Come on, Shiloh. You and I need to talk.”
Time to put on her big girl panties again. Straightening up, Shiloh stepped out of Granger’s hold. Was the slip of his arm slower than it should have been? Was he as reluctant to let go of their embrace as she was?
“We have nothing to talk about,” Shiloh said firmly. “We don’t have any current deals with each other, and I’m not interested. I’ve said it several times Arthur. No means no. Leave me alone.”
“I will when you’ve given me a chance!”
“I don’t owe you a chance!” Shiloh shouted back. “What do you not understand about that? You tried your hand, and you failed. It happens. Now back off! I’m not available!”
Arthur lunged forward, but before Shiloh could react, Granger had pulled her backward again.
“Last warning,” Granger threatened.
Shiloh could feel his chest vibrating with what she was sure was restrained anger.
Arthur’s nostrils flared, but he slowly took a couple steps backward. Finally, after one last snarl, he spun and left.
Granger’s hold didn’t relax until they heard the car door slam, and Arthur’s sedan squealed down the road.
“Dad!”
“Oh my word, Zane!” Shiloh cried. She turned around just in time to see Granger sweep his son into his arms, legs dangling for only a moment until Zane curled them around his dad’s waist. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry you had to hear all that,” Shiloh offered. Her hands were trembling. Arthur’s face when he left was anything but the face of a man who was giving up.
But the fact that Zane heard it all made it worse. No child needed that kind of example in their life.
She started to reach out but pulled back. The little boy needed his dad right now, not a woman he barely knew.
Sniffling, Zane raised his head from his dad’s neck and turned his blotchy red face toward her. Lunging with his arms wide, Shiloh barely managed to catch the boy before they both toppled to the ground.
“Easy,” Granger murmured, helping Shiloh hold Zane upright. “She’s not very big, Zane.”
Zane nodded, smearing snot and tears on Shiloh’s blouse. “I know,” he muttered.
“It’s fine,” Shiloh said, her voice shaky for a completely different reason now. Closing her eyes, she let a couple of tears fall and tightened her hold on Zane. She couldn't be positive, since she’d never had a child before, but Shiloh felt fairly confident that this was what it was like to be a mother.
To care more about someone else’s heart than her own. She should be terrified right now. She should call the police, put a restraining order on Arthur, call the board of realtors, and have him fired…anything to get him out of her life.
Instead, she found she couldn’t move. The weight of Zane in her arms and the tension of his hands clasped around her neck were the greatest balm she’d ever experienced. Nothing else mattered in that moment, except the opportunity to soothe and comfort a six-year-old.
It was the greatest thing Shiloh had ever experienced in her life.
Every part of Granger was vibrating, and it wasn’t necessarily with the anger it should be.
Someone needed to put Arthur in his place, but right now Granger found himself in a different, yet still highly emotional experience.
He wanted to hold Shiloh again.
He wanted to kiss Shiloh again.
And he desperately wanted to pull Shiloh, holding Zane, into his arms.
It had been a really, really long time since Granger had kissed a woman. In fact, he was pretty sure that Shiloh could tell how rusty he was, but Granger hoped the other distractions would help her forget his lack of skills.
He hadn’t really been thinking clearly when he’d done it. Shiloh was scared. The footsteps were coming closer, and she wouldn’t let him confront Arthur…kissing her and pretending to be dating had been the only logical thought Granger had.
Except…it wasn’t truly logical.
It might have been helpful in the moment, but now they were left with a big “What now?” Where did they go from here? Were they really going to pretend to date? Would they pretend to break up? How did you fake date a person, anyway?
“Are you okay?” Shiloh asked softly. She was carefully bouncing Zane in her arms, the little boy almost as big as she was, but her wide, misty eyes were focused on Granger.
He nodded. “I’m fine. You? He grabbed you again.”
Shiloh snorted. “Not for long. You took care of that a little too well.” Narrowing her eyes, she pointed a finger at Zane’s back. “We. Will. Talk. Later,” she mouthed.
Granger tugged on his t-shirt collar. Why did that sound like a threat?
“You look like you could use a popsicle,” Shiloh said, rubbing Zane’s back. “I’m excited to see how hard you’ve worked. But now it’s time for a break.”
Zane’s head shot up, and he wiped his nose on his arm.
Granger cleared his throat. They’d have to work on that. He’d never really noticed the dirty little kid habits until his own son started leaving trails of snot on a woman’s expensive blouse.
“Popsicle?” Zane asked. “What kind?”
“I bought a variety pack,” Shiloh said. She put Zane on his feet and held out her hand. “Let’s go see what’s there.”
Granger followed quietly. His heart was still jumping, and he was still struggling not to pull Shiloh back in for another test run of his kissing abilities. She probably hated it, but Granger had liked it too much.
Up the porch steps and into the house brought a little more quiet, except for the churning of several strategically placed fans.
“Are you going to get the AC going soon?” Granger asked.
Shiloh gave him a sideways glance. “I want the system serviced before I try turning it on. They’ll be here next week.”
Granger nodded and rubbed at his sticky neck. He grimaced. He was covered in grass and dirt. Exactly what every woman wanted to claim as a boyfriend.
Someone kill him now.
After getting Zane settled with a red popsicle and a show on her phone, Shiloh crooked a finger at Granger and walked down the hall where they could have a little privacy.
His heart went right back to pounding against his ribs when she shut the bedroom door to keep their voices from carrying.
Shiloh sighed, then slowly turned, looking uncertain for the first time since Granger had met her. “So…”
Granger cleared his throat, prepping himself for her anger. “So.”
Shiloh tilted her head and folded her arms over her chest. “First of all…thank you.”
Granger blinked.
“You didn’t have to step in and help, but you did and I’m grateful…even if your methods weren’t exactly how I wanted to do it.”
“You’re…thanking me?” What? Didn’t independent, modern women like Shiloh always think they were right? But she was thanking him? Something wasn’t connecting here.
“Of course. I actually don’t think I could’ve gotten Arthur to leave on my own, and your idea about a fake boyfriend actually helped.” She snorted and shook her head, looking away from him with her face, then brought only her eyes back. “The kissing might have been a bit much, but it certainly seemed to be effective.”
Granger coughed and pounded his chest. “I, uh…I don’t usually just go around kissing people…” He trailed off, realizing how dumb he sounded. Only minutes ago he’d taken charge of the situation and sent an egomaniac running. Now Granger could barely think straight as he and Shiloh tried to talk it all out.
Women had a terrible effect on men.
Shiloh laughed softly, tugging on her hair. “I figured that.”
Crud. She’d noticed. “I suppose I was a bit rusty. It’s, uh…it’s been awhile…” Could he sound any more ridiculous?
Her laugh grew, and Shiloh waved a hand through the air. “Your kissing talents are just fine, Granger. I don’t think your lack of female companionship has tarnished them any.”
Granger barely caught himself before blowing out a breath of relief.
“I brought you in here because we need to figure out what’s happening next. You helped me run off Arthur, but I don’t think he’ll stay gone forever.” Shiloh pinched her lips together. “Now…I know I said I wouldn’t let myself be caught off guard again, but I did. That’s on me?—”
“We need to keep dating.” Wait, what? That wasn’t what he’d been thinking! He couldn’t date her! A woman like Shiloh was too enticing! If Granger spent time holding and kissing and dating Shiloh, the chance that he’d let her go in the end would be minimal.
There was no room for more heartache in his life. He simply couldn’t do it again.
Shiloh watched him, as if she could see every frantic thought churning through his brain. “I don’t think you really mean that,” she said carefully. Sighing, she put her hands on her hips. “Look, Granger. I’m not ignorant to the fact that you don’t like me. I’m a paycheck. I get it. We’ve all been there. No shame in that. But keeping face for a moment is fine. Making everyone believe we’re dating for a long period of time is a different story. I’m not sure you’ll be able to look at me without appearing to want to strangle me if we appeared in public together. And I’m not exactly someone who’s looking for a deep, long lasting relationship. I never have been.”
One side of Granger’s mouth pulled up. He couldn’t seem to help it. “You certainly speak your mind, don’t you?”
Shiloh shrugged. “It’s either a fault or a talent. I let others decide.”
His grin grew. “First of all…I don’t hate you.”
She raised a challenging eyebrow.
Granger took a deep breath. “You…you’re a disruption to my life,” he admitted bluntly. “My ex was always strongly independent, opinionated, and in charge.”
“Ah.”
“And one day, she decided Zane and I were baggage she didn’t want anymore.”
Shiloh’s shoulders fell. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Not your fault.”
“But because I have similar personality traits, you treat me as if it is.”
Granger opened his mouth, then paused as her words went through his head again. And again. And again.
Crap. Crap, crap, crap.
She was right.