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H arlow needed to make one more trip to the grocery store before Lena arrived tomorrow, but she didn’t want to risk another confrontation with Anthony or Arthur when she was alone, so she called for an Uber. It was a relief that neither Anthony nor Arthur was waiting to accost her.

She wouldn’t be long and asked the driver to wait. Since she didn’t need to get much, she grabbed a small cart. Fruit, tomatoes and romaine lettuce were first on her list, so she steered the cart to the produce department. Fresh bread was next, and she added a loaf of French and one of sourdough to the cart. Last was the makings for sundaes. She’d already bought the ice cream but thought it would be fun to make sundaes.

As she pushed the cart around the corner to the chocolate syrup aisle, she collided with another cart. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t loo…” She blinked at the man standing in front of her. He was Grayson but he wasn’t Grayson. The man’s head was shaved, and he wore glasses, but she’d know those eyes and that body anywhere. “Gra—”

He shook his head. “No problem, pretty lady. I wasn’t watching where I was going either.” He pushed the cart around hers, and as he passed by her, he winked.

It took every bit of her control not to turn around and stare at him. Two aisles later, they passed each other again, and all she wanted to do was stand there and let her eyes soak up this new bad-boy-looking Grayson. There was an edge to him now that sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Lust pure and simple sent heat spiraling through her. As if he could read her mind, one side of his mouth quirked up, and she felt her cheeks blushing.

“I’ll come to you late tonight,” he whispered without looking at her. “Now go.”

Flustered, she snatched the closest thing to her and dropped it in her cart. As she headed for the chocolate syrup, she glanced down and saw that she’d grabbed a package of birthday cake sparklers. She laughed. Well, she was feeling rather sparkly after seeing the new Grayson. When she reached the front of the store to check out, Grayson was gone.

Back home, she put her groceries away while having a chat with Einstein. “Yes, I bought you something, so cool your jets for a sec.” She always brought him a treat or a toy when she shopped. He knew where she’d been because of the groceries she was putting away, and he didn’t appreciate not getting it immediately.

Tonight, she’d chosen a fuzzy ball. He loved batting those all over the apartment, but they kept disappearing after he played with them for a day or two. When she eventually moved, she’d probably find his secret stash of toys behind her dresser. She found the ball and as soon as he saw it, he chirped and made circles around her legs.

“Ready?” She laughed when he ran toward the living room, prepared to catch the ball he knew she was going to throw. “Catch.” She threw the ball across the room, and he leaped into the air, his body twisting effortlessly to snatch it midflight. A triumphant meow echoed through the apart ment, making her smile. As she knew he would, he pranced back to her and dropped the ball at her feet. He stared up at her and told her to throw it again.

Was it weird that she could talk cat? Did that mean she was bilingual? She was being silly, but that was what happened when one had no one to talk to but a cat. Although, he was an intelligent and talkative feline. She played toss the ball for a while until he tired of the game and disappeared with his new toy, the ball probably never to be seen again.

Not sure what time Grayson would make an appearance, she showered, shaved and lotioned up. She wasn’t going to assume that he’d stay or that they’d make love, so she put on shorts and a T-shirt instead of something sexy.

After she finished designing the website for The Phoenix Three, and she’d caught up with her other work, she poured a glass of wine. She took that and her Kindle to the sofa.

After rereading the same page for five minutes, she gave up and set her Kindle on the coffee table. Turned out it was impossible to concentrate on a book when one’s mind was filled with the sexy man who could appear at any moment. Would he enter through the front door, or would he shimmy up a rope again like a ninja and just magically appear?

She sipped on her wine while she thought about Grayson and how much she’d changed since meeting him. In all the best ways. Would those changes have happened if she hadn’t met him? She’d like to believe she’d eventually get her act together and find herself again.

It just happened faster after meeting Grayson. It started with that one little change in her clothes, wearing the black pants and white blouse the second time she saw him. How she’d looked in the mirror and cringed, wondering what he must have thought of her at their first meeting.

For being the catalyst in speeding up her need to find herself again, she’d always be grateful to him. For making her feel like a desirable woman again, she’d forever hold a piece of him in her heart. For returning her son to her when that happened, she’d be indebted to him for the rest of her life.

If she let herself, she could fall in love with him. But she just couldn’t allow that to happen. Her little man would need all of her when he came back to her.

“And that’s that.” No falling in love, no wishing for a future with Grayson, no daydreaming of what could be.

Einstein raced into the living room and jumped on her lap. “Meeeeeow!”

“Where’s your ball?”

In the middle of his discourse that it was none of her business where his ball was, there was a soft tap on her door. Einstein cut off his conversation in the middle of a sentence and raced for the door.

She followed close behind and put her eye to the peephole to make sure it was Grayson. It was, and she let him in. His appearance still surprised her, and she stared at him. Just wow! Put him in leathers and on a Harley, and he would be an antihero right out of a romance book. She liked both versions of him. A lot.

“Hey.” He wrapped his hand around her neck and brought her mouth to his.

Oh. Not the greeting she expected as soon as he walked inside. Not that she was complaining. Time seemed to stand still as he took possession of her mouth, his kiss so demanding and consuming that it ignited a fire inside her.

When he took his mouth away from hers, he rested his forehead against hers. “As much as I want to, I can’t stay.”

Lord, the man could kiss. “You want a beer or something?” She’d bought a six-pack of the beer she’d seen him drink at his house, and what did that say about her that she was stocking his preferred beer? Nothing. It said nothing. Her heart was in the condition she’d willed it and was not falling for him.

“No, I really need to go. I shouldn’t be here at all. As much as I wish otherwise. But I just needed to see you for a few minutes, to get a kiss for good luck. I made sure no one was watching your place before I came up, and Liam’s keeping watch to make sure it stays that way while I’m up here.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I’m sorry I was rude to you in the grocery store.”

“You weren’t rude. And honestly, I’m glad I got to see this new you. Pretty hot if you want my opinion.”

“Yeah?” He grinned as he slid his hand over his head. “Feels strange. Tomorrow, Pressley’s driver is going to tell your ex that he has to go away for a short while and that his cousin…that would be me, is going to step in while he’s gone. I really won’t be able to come to you again.”

She shook her head. “Grayson, that’s too dangerous.”

“I love that you’re worried about me, but I know what I’m doing. I need to get in that safe, and getting close to Pressley is the best way. I don’t want you to worry, okay?”

“That’s like telling the sun not to rise tomorrow.”

“Okay, worry a little but not too much. How’s that?”

“I’ll try. My friend will be here tomorrow for two days, and I guess she’ll help keep my mind off worrying about you.”

“I’m glad you’ll have someone with you, but again, please be careful. I’ll try to call you every few days. If you don’t hear from me, don’t fear. If…and it’s a big if , something does happen, Liam or Cooper will be in touch with you.”

“Please stay safe.”

“Always. Now for that good-luck kiss.” He cradled her face with his hands and pressed his lips gently against hers. When he stepped back, he said, “I’ll be looking forward to doing that again soon. You stay safe, too. Don’t let either of the Pressley men catch you alone.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Einstein rubbed against his legs, demanding attention.

“What’s that?” Grayson said, bending over to scratch Einstein’s ears. “She won’t give you any tuna?”

Einstein gave a lengthy answer.

“Well, I wouldn’t put up with that if I were you.” He chuckled as he glanced up at her and winked. “You need to be nicer to my buddy here.”

“Don’t believe a word he says. He’s a little liar. He gets plenty of tuna.” She loved that Grayson had a great sense of fun. Anthony would have never talked to her cat. Actually, he would have never allowed her to have a cat.

Einstein raced down the hall, and before Grayson could leave, her cat returned with his ball and dropped it at Grayson’s feet.

“He wants to play fetch with you.”

“Does he think he’s a dog?” He picked up the ball and threw it, then laughed when Einstein returned with it, dropping it at his feet. “I guess he does.” He threw the ball a few more times before giving her one last kiss. With one last lingering look, he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

She leaned her forehead against the door as a sense of unease crept over her. No, she had to have faith in him. He was trained to deal with men more dangerous than Anthony could ever hope to be, and he had Liam and Cooper watching out for him.

“Maughp,” Einstein said as he stared at the door.

“I didn’t want him to go, either,” she said. “He promised that he’s going to be okay. We’re going to believe that.”