Page 27 of Trapped (Sheppard & Sons Investigations #6)

Ashley

W hen Nathan returned and relieved AJ, something seemed off. I assumed it was because of what they were talking about, even though I couldn’t hear them. Nathan’s smile looked forced as he stood in the kitchen. And he wouldn’t stop staring at me, like I was a riddle he needed to solve.

Instinctively, I put my hand over my belly. His eyes tracked the movement.

Then he squinted, clapped AJ on the shoulder, and marched into the living room.

Does he know? He couldn’t. The only people I’d told were Emily and Jamie, and they’d never tell him.

He smiled when he spoke to my grandmother. “Doug will be here soon to install the cameras.”

“You can wait here with me.” Gran patted the floral sofa cushion next to her, an invitation Nathan couldn’t refuse.

She played Twenty Questions with him while we waited.

To his credit, he was patient as he gave her half answers, using the line “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you” more than once.

Gran ate it up.

I watched and listened but didn’t participate. Nathan’s smile, no longer even, thanks to the scar, never reached his eyes. Gran either didn’t notice or chose not to comment, instead patting his knee as she offered sage advice.

Shit. Is she giving him dating advice? I’d only been half listening and realized too late she wasn’t giving him generic advice; she was providing a road map for dating me. Nathan’s focus was absolute, as if he were memorizing every word she said.

Before I could yell at her to stop, the doorbell chimed. A cute, whimsical chime she’d had custom installed.

When I jumped up to answer it, so did Nathan. He held up his hand, saying, “I’ll get it.”

Although we were expecting Doug, Nathan checked the peephole with his left hand on his gun.

How had I never noticed he’s left-handed?

When Nathan opened the door, Doug carried in several boxes. “Blaszek.”

“Sharpe.” Nathan held the door, asking, “Is that everything?”

“It is,” Doug answered. “Hi Ashley, Mrs. York.”

She insisted Doug call her Violet or Gran while she, in typical Gran fashion, gushed over his red hair. Doug was the quiet guy at SSI, preferring to observe rather than interact, so her attention made him blush.

Doug had come out of his shell a bit since falling in love with Beth and her six-year-old son, Chase.

They’d been engaged for what seemed like forever but had only been a year.

They already lived like a married couple, and Chase had recently started calling Doug, Dad, but they weren’t in a hurry to make it official.

“No offense, big guy,” Gran said to Nathan, patting his muscular bicep. Which was hysterical. At six-foot-two, Nathan was two inches shorter than Doug, and they were equally broad. “But I have a thing for redheads.”

Doug humored her with a laugh.

I was too embarrassed to laugh. “Gran!”

“What, I’m old, not dead,” she defended herself with a shrug.

“None taken,” Nathan said before ushering Doug out the front door to install the shiny, new state-of-the-art surveillance cameras I didn’t want.

If it’d been just me, I would have said no, but I reminded myself the security measures were for Gran’s safety too.

“You’re incorrigible,” I said. How many times had I heard that same statement? How many times had I pretended not to care? Too many .

It didn’t take long for Doug and Nathan to finish. When they came back in, Doug set up Nathan’s laptop so he could monitor the feed.

“Ashley, Violet, would you like to see what the cameras see?” Doug asked.

We did. I’d talked to the guys at SSI enough to know they’d never invade our privacy by pointing the cameras inside, but I still felt the need to verify.

Leaning over Nathan’s shoulder was a bad idea. He smelled so damn good. Leather and whiskey and him. One hundred percent masculine. One hundred percent yummy.

It was different from the woodsy scent I remembered from our time together in Vegas. This scent suited him better. I took what I hoped was a stealthy deep inhale, before turning my attention to the screen.

The screen showed four views. The top images were from the front cameras; the bottom two from the back. I saw our front porch in the upper left, the street in the upper right, and the bottom sections showed the patio and yard.

“Seems like overkill,” I said, ignoring the desire to lean closer and inhale more Nathan.

“I’m sure they know what they’re doing,” Gran said. Her voice cracked, revealing the fear she’d been hiding so well until now.

Wanting to put her mind at ease, I agreed. “You’re right; they’re the pros.” My smile felt like plastic on my face. I already felt more than enough guilt for bringing this to her doorstep; I wouldn’t add more by arguing with SSI.

When Prince stretched to his full length, sinking his claws into Doug’s thigh to get his attention, Doug winced and pried the sharp mini daggers out of his pants.

I rolled my eyes when Gran said, “He has good taste.” I loved my grandmother, without question, but I needed to get Doug out of here before she embarrassed me anymore.

“Thank you, Doug,” I said, as we walked him to the door.

“You’re welcome. We’ll get this sorted. You’ll have your life back in no time.”

I appreciated his confidence, but my life was a shitshow, and I wasn’t sure I wanted it back. A new and improved, non-pregnant life—that’d I’d take.

Knowing things would go a lot smoother, I decided to play nice with Nathan while he was here. Hopefully, Gran would stop trying so hard to make me like him if I was civil. Plus, I could easily avoid him by hiding in my room. Except for meals.

When I made Gran dinner, I invited Nathan.

When he offered to help me clean, I let him.

When our hands brushed against each other, I ignored the sensation traveling up my arm and settling in my core.

When Gran turned on the TV to watch her favorite show, I stood to go to my room.

“Why don’t you stay and entertain our guest?” Gran suggested.

“He’s not our guest,” I said.

“I’m not a guest,” Nathan said at the same time. “You don’t have to entertain me.”

“Nonsense,” I’d swear it was Gran’s favorite expression, “you’re here, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t enjoy your company.”

No reason except I wanted what I couldn’t have.

And because I was practically drooling over his heavily tattooed forearms. Forearms he’d hid under long sleeves every other time I’d seen him, even in the sweltering heat of August. Forearms that should be illegal to cover, no matter the weather, or how plentiful the scars.

“I have to work on my proposal for the Wyatt Foundation.” I bent the truth. “Emily and I are meeting tomorrow to go over my ideas.”

Nathan’s head snapped up.

“What time?”

“Does it matter?” I said without thinking.

“I need to tell Jamie so he can schedule someone to stay with your grandmother.”

Right, how quickly I’d forgotten. “Sorry. This will take some getting used to.”

“I know.”

“You could always stay here with Gran,” I said, wanting him to stay but hoping he’d say no.

When it came to Nathan, my heart and brain didn’t agree. My heart wanted him. My brain reminded me I couldn’t have him.

“Not gonna happen.” He attempted to grin. Unlike the Sheppards, whose lop-sided grins were genetic, Nathan’s was lopsided because of his scar.

I need to rein it in . There was no point in fantasizing about those gorgeous ice-blue eyes or perfect, kissable lips when I couldn’t have him.

“Ashley?”

Damn it. He caught me staring. Again.

“Yes, Nathan.” I used my best good-mannered tone.

“What time?” He already had his phone in hand, ready to message Jamie.

I shouldn’t have looked at Gran, who stroked Prince’s back in lazy strokes. A wicked gleam sparkled in her eyes. Nathan wasn’t the only one who noticed me staring.

“We’re meeting at Grannie’s at eleven.”

“Thank you.”

After thirty minutes of staring at my screen, I took a cold shower to freeze Nathan out of my system.