Page 6

T he moment the words left his mouth, Lottie choked on her coffee. He wasn’t sure if she’d merely been caught off guard or if he should be offended.

“Horrible, I know,” he said, trying to make light of it, “but if you’re going to be staying at my place, it only makes sense. And I want the word to get out—you’re mine.”

Even though it wasn’t true, because someone as young and radiant as Lottie could never be his, he really liked saying it.

Lottie cleared her throat. “Sorry. I just want to make sure I understand this—you’re proposing we have a fake relationship?”

“Yeah. Just until we find out who wants to harm you and eliminate the problem.”

“Okaaay,” she said slowly, but not sounding convinced.

Damn, she sure was taking her time making a decision about him being her fake boyfriend. Bristling, he set his mug down with a clunk. If she wouldn’t even consider fake dating him, there was no way in hell she’d ever be interested in the real thing. Maybe he should just cut his losses while he could still save face. Attribute his idea to lack of sleep and caffeine deficiency.

“If you don’t want to do it—”

“No, it’s not that,” she quickly said. “I just hate the idea of interrupting your life.”

“I already told you it’s no bother.” She fiddled with the gold “R” hanging on a chain around her neck, which he assumed stood for Reya. “Lottie?”

“Hmm?” So many emotions passed over her expressive, heart-shaped face, and he hated the idea of her possibly being uncomfortable because of him.

“Does staying with me make you uncomfortable?” he asked bluntly.

“No,” she answered with zero hesitation. “It’s just…well…a two-year old is a lot.”

He pointed to himself and smirked. “I used to track down and neutralize deadly insurgents in the most hostile areas of the world.”

They both looked at Reya who laughed and smashed a Cheerio into the tray with her chubby fingers.

Lottie chewed her lower lip, her brow furrowing. “Yes, but…”

“I can handle one small toddler,” he said, infusing his voice with confidence.

Her gorgeous mother, on the other hand…well, that was a whole different story.

“We’ll have to baby proof your place,” she said, thinking out loud. “And she doesn’t travel lightly. She has her stroller, crib, highchair—”

“Lottie?”

“Have I scared you yet?”

His mouth edged up. “It takes a lot to scare me, Sunshine. And you two staying here alone scares me more than anything.”

“I’m going to have to tell my mom. And you’ll have to explain everything to Brand and the others.”

“I will, and they’re going to want to help. Don’t worry, we’ll get everything straightened out. No one is going to bother you again, okay?”

She nodded, finally looking relieved.

“It’s settled then. After breakfast, show me what you want to bring and I’ll load it up in my truck while you start packing your bags.”

He knew it would take some encouragement and getting used to for Lottie to really trust that he was sincere about what he was offering. And one thing she needed to learn was that once Chaz made up his mind about something, he tenaciously followed through to the end. Now, his mind was made up and determined to protect Lottie and her daughter. It was a little strange to think they’d be living with him, especially since he hadn’t so much as kissed Lottie. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to them coming over. Lately, his house seemed extra quiet, and he wouldn’t mind a little life to brighten it up.

Or, in this case, a couple rays of sunshine.

◆◆◆

Since Lottie had been rear-ended twice at high speed then run off the road, Chaz said he wanted to check her car out before she drove it again. So they’d packed up the necessities, transferred Reya’s carseat to his truck, piled in and headed for his house.

On the drive over, Lottie kept up a steady stream of chatter with Reya, but it might’ve been more for her own comfort than her daughter’s. Reya looked happy as a clam; Lottie was the nervous one. She’d never been to his house and had no idea what to expect.

Funnily enough, he only lived a few minutes away in a nice house on the edge of town. Cielo Springs was small and she knew the house well because she’d always liked it. With a nice sized lot and big, fenced-in backyard, she could easily picture a swingset, barbecue pit and maybe a dog in there. There was also plenty of room for her to grow a garden.

All things she had no business imagining.

As they pulled into the driveway, Lottie could see Chaz kept his home well-maintained. There were some well-placed shrubs trimmed to perfection. He’d put a fresh coat of butter yellow paint on it last spring and she remembered quite well because she’d driven by and seen him shirtless on a ladder. When he’d lifted the paint roller up, flexing those delicious back muscles, she’d nearly driven off the road.

Her belly fluttered as he put the car in park and cut the engine. God, she hoped this wasn’t a bad idea. Pulling in a deep breath, she opened the door and slid out.

Chaz lowered the back of the pickup and grabbed the stroller in one hand and the highchair in the other. The man was all brute strength and she paused to admire the way his arm muscles flexed, his fitted T-shirt cutting into them.

Don’t look too closely , she warned herself. Those muscles do not belong to you.

Even so, she wanted to reach out and squeeze his biceps. She remembered how good it felt being wrapped up in his arms—warm, safe, protected—and she wanted that again. Badly.

“C’mon. I’ll give you a tour. There are four bedrooms, so you can each have your own.”

“Oh, no, we can share. But, thank you.”

She unbuckled Reya from the carseat then scooped her up and followed Chaz through the front door. The place was surprisingly neat and not at all what she expected. Turning in a slow circle, she took in the light-colored walls and big windows with the curtains pulled back to allow in an inordinate amount of sunshine. There weren’t any knick-knacks, but the tables were dust-free and clean. A hint of lemon cleaner hung in the air.

He set Reya’s stuff down, watching her reaction closely. “What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

“Oh, no, I love it. I think I expected more of a bachelor pad.”

His mouth edged up. “Oh, you mean empty beer bottles everywhere? A pool table in the middle of the living room?”

“And posters of half-naked women,” she added with a smile.

“Nah, not my style. But I do have the giant-screen TV.”

“I noticed.” She wandered around, Reya on her hip, taking in their new surroundings.

“I’m going to grab the crib and the rest of the bags. Go on upstairs and pick a bedroom.” He hesitated. “I’m in the one at the end of the hall and the one on the right is my gym/office. The other one is pretty small, but I think you’ll like the one on the left. It’s a decent size and freshly painted. Plus it’s right across from the bathroom and—”

He abruptly stopped speaking, as though he realized he was rambling, and scrubbed a hand over his beard.

“If you don’t like it, we can switch stuff around or—”

She sent him a smile. “I’m sure it’s perfect. Thank you.”

He nodded and she watched him turn and head back out, her attention dropping to his tight ass encased in a pair of black cargo pants. The urge to grab it filled her. Giving her head a shake, she walked over to the stairs.

“Head out of the gutter,” she mumbled to herself.

At the top of the steps, she paused. A pleasantly masculine scent hung in the air. Maybe his shower gel or cologne. She pulled in another deep breath then pushed the guest bedroom door open and stepped inside. The walls were white and the only artwork was a picture of a sunrise hanging above the queen-sized bed. There was a small dresser and a chair beside the window. She walked over and looked out to see Chaz heading in with the crib, muscles flexing. And her traitorous belly did another flop.

He stepped into the bedroom a moment later and began to set it up. God, the man was efficient. She watched his big hands move so effortlessly and couldn’t help but wonder what else they could do. Specifically, to her.

Shifting Reya to her other hip, she cast a critical eye over the room. She definitely needed to do some babyproofing, otherwise Reya would have her finger in an electrical socket the second she put her down.

Chaz pushed the crib against the wall. “All set. What’s next?”

“Well, I’m going to need to do some babyproofing.”

“Like what?”

“You might want to take notes,” she told him with a little smile. Even though she was only joking, he nodded.

“Okay, hang on.” He disappeared, returning a minute later with a pad of paper and pen. “What do we need?”

We . The pronoun hit her hard. It had been a very long time since a man had used it with her. In the last two years, she’d learn to depend on herself for pretty much everything. Her mom was a huge help, but Lottie did her best to take on the majority of the household responsibilities. Having a man to lean on…well, it was nice for a change. Even if only temporary.

“We don’t need to do everything, but the basics are important.”

He waited, pen poised.

“Stairways need baby gates at the top and bottom, electrical outlets need to be covered and any cleaning products need to be out of reach. I have childproof locks on all my lower cabinets and covers on the stove knobs. Any heavy furniture should be secured to the wall and sharp corners should be covered. Oh, and we need to lock the toilet lid.”

He looked up. “Lock the toilet?”

“She could fall in or play in the water. And, not to worry you, but she has been known to throw things in it. There was a whole episode with a decapitated Barbie head and a plumbing emergency. It’s just best to lock it.”

“Right. Toilet lock.” He squinted, scrawling a note, and she tried not to smile.

So adorably serious.

“Also, we need to make sure there aren’t any small objects laying around which could be choking hazards. And cords should be up and out of reach. You have smoke detectors, right?”

He nodded. “Change the batteries every spring and fall.”

“Okay, good. Oh, and I know you have guns. They’re all locked up?”

“All secured in a gun safe in my bedroom. Anything else?”

“All medications should be out of reach and garbage cans should be locked up in a cabinet.” She tilted her head, thinking. “And if you have a laundry room, let’s keep that door shut and locked.”

She gave him a little grimace. “Sorry, I know it’s a lot, but she gets into absolutely everything.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He walked over and Reya lifted her hand. When he raised his, she gave him a high five and he grinned. “We need to keep her safe and out of trouble. I get it. Especially since I remember my mom telling me how I got under the sink when I was little and ended up eating a bar of soap.”

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, well, that’s what happened when my dad was supposed to be babysitting. He wasn’t around much, and when he was, he was usually drunk.”

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t know anything about his family and her heart clenched. It must’ve been hard for him growing up like that. A parent’s job was to protect their children. “Sometimes I worry about Reya growing up without a dad.”

“Don’t. Because you know what? She has me and six other men who will be there for her. Well, I don’t know about Xander, but the rest of the guys will help out. I mean it, Lottie. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

That last sentence came out a little husky and her pulse raced. She sensed the promise of something more in his words. And the woman in her was dying to take him up on his offer.