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“You don’t have to come for dinner if you don’t want to. I’ll explain to Beau.”

“Are you taking back my invite?” His mouth spread into a grin that I didn’t just want to kiss, I wanted to devour it.

But that wasn’t why he was here. “It’s not my invitation to rescind, Cross. I’m just saying that you don’t have to feel obligated.”

“I don’t. I’m hungry and glad that I’m getting a home cooked meal.” He patted that flat and hard stomach that I knew was covered equal parts in muscle and body art.

“You’ll have to set the table, though.”

“I can handle it, Moon.”

Not once since I legally changed my name had it sounded so good on another person’s lips. Especially those lips. “Then let’s go do it. Dinner. I mean. Let’s go eat dinner.”

“I’m game, either way, baby.” His smile looked like it came straight from the devil himself.

And I may—or may not—have melted on my way to get Beau.

Chapter Fifteen

Cross

What the fuck was I thinking making a statement like that? I wasn’t thinking. Couldn’t possibly be thinking to have said some shit like that, because Moon was a mom and I had to remember that. There was a reason I hadn’t messed around with single moms because they deserved better than a man like me. Especially these days. I let Lauren down and I wouldn’t put myself in that position again.

“You okay, big guy?” Moon looked at me with a worried grin that I found far too appealing.

“Yeah, just wondering when I last had to set a table.” Lauren used to set the table because she loved to make shit beautiful but that was years ago and the Reckless Bastards weren’t the table setting type. Unless a woman was involved.

“Well I figured I could use you since I’m cooking. Beau gets to see a big strapping man setting the table.”

I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “You think I’m big and strapping?”

When Moon laughed she did it with her whole body, bent over with her shoulders shaking and her hair falling everywhere. “I think we both know that I do. How have you been sleeping?”

Nothing got by this woman and I needed to remember that. “A few hours here and there.”

“And the breathing exercises?”

My lips quirked up. “You know I’ve been working on it but, you see, I have this problem. Whenever I breathe in real deep the only thing I can smell is you.”

She shivered. Even with most of the kitchen between us, I saw it. “As flattering as that is, if you don’t get enough sleep you won’t be able to do much about it, will you?”

“Right to the point, huh?”

“Mom says there’s no time to waste!” Beau went into the kitchen and pulled the silverware from a drawer and came up to me. “I’ll go behind you.”

I put a napkin down and then a plate and the kid came up behind me and set a knife and fork on each napkin. It was a little two-person assembly line and after one quick spin around the table, we were done. “Thanks,” I said.

“Welcome. Want to see my room?” The kid definitely didn’t waste time and he wasn’t shy about asking for what he wanted.

“As long as your mom doesn’t need any more help.” I didn’t want to be just another mouth for her to feed.

“I’m good. You guys go have fun and Beau?”

“Yes, Mom.” He sounded like an annoyed teenager.

“Let Cross get a few words in too, okay?”

“Okay, Mom!” He rolled his eyes and signaled me to follow him. “You can talk first. Did you always ride a motorcycle? Is that your only motorcycle? Do you drive it in the cold, too?”