Page 29

“H e shimmied up a rope like a freaking ninja warrior. He was even dressed in all black.” Harlow fanned her face as she grinned at her friend. “Makes me hot just thinking about it.” They were sitting out on her balcony at sunset, enjoying a glass of wine.

“Girl,” Lena said, drawing out the r so it sounded like there were a half dozen of them in the word. “Tell me you nailed that man.”

Harlow snorted. “I forgot how unfiltered your mind is.” She’d told Lena all about how it had ended with Anthony, how he was keeping her son from her and how she’d hired Grayson to bring Tyler back to her. That had included admitting that she had the hots for him…temporarily.

“Well, have you?”

She shrugged. “Maybe he was the one to nail me. Ever think of that?”

“Potato, potahto. Did you do the dirty with this hot ninja man?” Lena pressed her palms together as if in prayer. “Please say yes.”

“Yes.” She tried to keep a serious expression on her face, but when Lena squealed, Harlow lost it, and just like that, she found herself side-splittingly laughing with her old friend the way they used to.

“I need details. Was it good? Did he look great naked?”

“I’m not telling you—” Harlow made air quotes “— details . Anyway, it’s just a temporary thing until I have Tyler back.”

“Why?” Lena refilled their wineglasses.

“Because. I don’t know what Tyler’s mindset’s going to be after all the time he’s spent with Anthony and that Ava witch. He has to be my sole focus. I can’t bring a strange man into the mix. That will be too confusing for him.”

“I get what you’re saying, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find some time for yourself. It’s not healthy to ignore your own needs. Find a good babysitter and let your hot ninja recharge your battery once a week.” Lena waggled her eyebrows.

Harlow shrugged. “My battery will be just fine, thank you.” If she saw Grayson once a week, even if he agreed to that, it wouldn’t be long before she’d want more. “We agreed this thing was a temporary fling until I have my boy again. Anyway, when this is over, Grayson will want to return to his life.”

“You don’t know that unless you ask.”

“Oh, look. There’s Marge and Homer.” And perfect timing. She didn’t want to talk about recharging batteries, and she especially did not want to think about never seeing Grayson again when this was over.

“Huh?”

“The swans.” She pointed to the lake where they were floating by.

“You’re deflecting, girlfriend.”

“Guilty as charged. So, everything’s great with you and J.D.?”

“Sure is. I’ll drop it for now, but I have all day tomorrow to convince you that you should think about the well-being of your battery.”

Harlow laughed. “Stop it. Never say the word battery to me again.”

“Battery. Battery. Battery.” Lena stuck out her tongue.

Maybe it was because they were on their second glass of wine, but they looked at each other and dissolved into giggles. “Stop. My sides hurt.” It felt amazing to have her friend back.

A clunk sounded as a hook shot up from below and caught the balcony’s rail.

“What was that noise?” Lena said between gasps of breath. “Whoa! Is that a hook?”

It sure was, and Harlow’s heart thumped against her chest. “I think you’re about to meet my ninja.”

“For real?” She jumped up and peered over the railing, then glanced back at Harlow. “This is so cool.”

“You don’t have to whisper.” Harlow joined Lena at the rail. Sure enough, Grayson was rapidly climbing the rope, hand over hand. They stepped back when he put his hand on the rail. He swung his legs over and landed in front of them.

He grinned. “Hi.”

She was already giddy from the wine, and that he’d appeared when he had and the way he had, as if she and Lena had conjured him up, struck her as hilarious. She… Well, to her ears it sounded like she’d cackled.

“Sorry,” she rasped, wiping the tears from her face. “We, ah, we were just talking about you.” Why had she told him that?

His grin widened. “Were you, now?” He shifted his gaze to Lena. “You must be Harlow’s friend. I’m Grayson.”

“Sorry,” Harlow said again. “I don’t know where my manners went. Lena, this is Grayson Montana. Grayson, my friend Lena Nolan.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lena shot Harlow a mis chievous look before saying, “I’ve heard you excel at recharg—”

Harlow slapped her hand over Lena’s mouth. “Nothing. She’s heard nothing.”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “I’m curious to hear what I excel at recharging.”

“Batteries,” Lena said.

“Oh my God,” Harlow said.

“Is batteries a euphemism for something?” Grayson said.

“Who knows what she’s talking about.” Harlow was going to die of mortification…right after she strangled her friend.

Grayson glanced behind him before turning his attention to Harlow. “Can we take this inside? As amusing as you two are tonight, I need to talk to you.”

“Sure.” She followed Lena in with Grayson coming in behind her. He put his hand on her lower back, sending a delicious shiver up her spine.

“I don’t know why I came in when my wine’s out there.” Lena gestured toward the balcony. “You know where I am if you need me.”

“Sorry for interrupting your time with your friend,” Grayson said after Lena closed the sliding door behind her.

“That’s all right. Is everything okay?”

“Before we get to that, I need to do this.” He slid his hand behind her neck and brought her to him.

She knew his kisses now, the taste of his lips, the feel of his arms wrapped around her, the heat from his body. She almost regretted knowing him. If she’d never met him, she wouldn’t have to miss him the day they parted to return to their own lives. That day was near, and the knowing was bittersweet. She’d have her little boy back, but she wouldn’t have Grayson.

A low hum sounded deep in his throat, and she melted against him as he deepened the kiss. But then he let go of her and stepped away. She wanted to pull him back, to steal all the moments with him she could. Their connection was intense, a magnetic force almost impossible to resist. In the end, though, she would because she had to.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t be here. I could have told you this over the phone, but I can’t seem to stay away. And I wanted to be with you when I told you that I saw your son today.”

“What? You saw Tyler? How was he? Where did you see him? Did you talk to him?”

“Hey, hey. Take a breath, sweetheart.”

She pressed her hand against her pounding heart. He’d seen her boy. It wasn’t fair. She was Tyler’s mother. Why couldn’t she see him? “Tell me everything.”

“Come sit a minute.” He took her hand and led her to the sofa. When they were seated, he said, “I saw him at Pressley’s house. I was with Benny… You know who he is, right?” She nodded, and he continued, “We were leaving when Tyler ran up to Benny, excited to see him.”

“He likes Benny. Benny’s always nice to him and sometimes sneaks him a peanut butter cup.”

“I like Benny, too. He seems like a good man.”

“He is. Tell me the rest.” She wanted every sliver of information about her son.

“Tyler ran up to us. Said he was hiding from Ava. I take it from your sour expression that you don’t like her?”

“That’s an understatement. Anthony hired her against my wishes. She’s the one I caught kissing him in front of Tyler. Tyler never liked her.”

“Can’t say I blame him. Before we could talk to him, Ava showed up.”

“What did she do?” Ava refused to see Tyler as a little boy who should be laughing and enjoying his childhood. She expected him to stay in his room and be quiet.

“She told him that his father wasn’t going to be pleased to hear that he was disobeying her. Tyler begged her not to tell his daddy. Then she took him away.”

“Oh, God.” She buried her face in her hands. She should have taken him and disappeared when she’d left Anthony. Before Anthony had lied about everything and gotten full custody.

Grayson wrapped his arm around her back and tucked her next to him. “I know it’s hard for you right now, but it will be over soon.”

She leaned her head against his strong chest. “It is hard. I should’ve disappeared with him the day I left.”

“That’s not the answer. You’d always be looking over your shoulder, and that’s no way to live. I want you to trust that I’ll get your boy back for you.”

“I do. I really do, but—”

“What if the worst happens and I don’t make it happen?”

She nodded.

“Then I’ll help you and Tyler disappear.”

“You’d do that for me?” Who was this man that he’d break the law for her?

“As a last resort, but it’s not going to come to that.” He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face. “Trust me, Harlow.”

She hadn’t had someone in her life she could trust since… Actually, had she ever?