CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Lila’s house was dark. The curtains in the windows facing the street hung open. The FOR SALE sign on her lawn mocked him.
It was eleven o’clock at night again, except Lila wasn’t home. She wasn’t at the bar—he’d checked the parking lot on the way to her house. The gym was closed.
Had she gone to Seattle already? He’d told her he needed space. Had she taken him at his word, and gone without saying goodbye?
No. Lila wouldn’t do that.
Burke knew how she felt about proper goodbyes.
He hesitated, then put his truck in gear and pulled away from the curb.
Twenty minutes later, he switched off the engine and sat looking up at Derek and Jenny’s house. Lila’s car was in the driveway.
Doing this in front of his friend and employer wasn’t his first choice, but there was no turning back. Burke strode up to the porch and tapped on the door. He didn’t pound, like he wanted to, or yell, “Send her out!” because their daughter, Kate, would be sleeping.
No one answered.
Burke dug out his cell phone and called Derek.
“Hi, Burke.”
“Hi. Answer your door.”
“Huh?”
“Your front door, answer it. I’m on the porch.”
“Hang on.” Derek disconnected, Burke heard footsteps, and seconds later Derek opened up. “Didn’t hear you,” he said, standing aside and motioning Burke in.
“I didn’t want to wake Kate.”
“I appreciate that. What can I do for you, Burke? Whyever could you be here at this time of night?”
“Like you don’t know.” Burke shifted. “Is she here?”
Derek pointed. “Living room.”
“Thanks.”
Burke brushed past Derek and walked into the living room. He stopped at the foot of the couch.
“They look so cute, don’t they?” Derek whispered.
Lila and Jenny were asleep. Lila had her head on one arm of the couch and was drawn up into a ball. Jenny was sprawled out as much as she could be while still being on the couch. Someone, presumably Derek, had dropped a blanket over them.
Burke moved toward Lila, and Derek caught his arm. “Approach with caution,” he said.
Burke raised a brow.
“They look cute. Lila wakes up like a demon. A flailing, screeching demon.”
“She sleeps like the dead.”
“Yes.” Derek nodded. “And arises like a demon in search of blood and vengeance. I once tried to wake her up after a margarita and movie night like this.” He fingered his throat. “She damn near crushed my windpipe.”
“Getting her awake is tough. But she never went for my windpipe.” She’d stiffened and the instant she’d blinked up into Burke’s eyes, she’d relaxed in his arms and…snuggled. “Could be she just doesn’t like you.”
“Could be she just does like you.”
“Yeah.” Burke tilted his head to the side and considered them. “Is Jenny a light sleeper?”
“Watch this.” Derek crouched beside Jenny. “Mom,” he whispered, pitching his voice high and soft.
Jenny sat bolt upright. “I’m coming, sweetie.” She looked around and saw Derek. “You asshole. You promised you’d stop doing that.”
Derek grinned at her.
Mid-yawn, Jenny registered Burke’s presence. “Oh,” she said. “You’re here.”
He dipped his chin. “Jenny.”
“Jerk. I’m sorry. Burke.”
He smiled and eased past her.
Jenny lunged. “Don’t wake her up!”
Burke removed Jenny’s hand from his arm. “I won’t.” He slid his hands under Lila and picked her up instead.
“You put her down this instant,” Jenny commanded.
Burke shifted Lila until she was comfortably against his chest. “Where are her shoes?”
“In the hall,” Jenny said. “Put her down!”
Burke walked out and located Lila’s shoes by the front door. He bent and scooped them up, then unhooked her coat and bag from the coatrack.
Jenny yanked at the back of his shirt. “Give her back right now.” She turned to Derek. “Derek, make him stop. This is kidnapping. I’ll call the police.”
Derek gave up trying to hide his laughter and went with it.
Jenny whirled on him. “I’m not joking. I’ll do it. Are you going to stand by and let him walk out of here with her? Because I’m not.”
Burke rearranged Lila and her things, freeing a hand long enough to open the door. He caught the shoes before they dropped to the floor. The bag slipped off his shoulder, and Derek helpfully hooked it back up. “Jenny.” Burke held Lila close. “Where do you think Lila wants to wake up? On your couch with you? Or in her bed with me?”
Jenny frowned horribly.
“Your call,” Burke said.
“So now I’m the one who has to give you permission to kidnap her? That makes me an accessory.”
Burke waited.
Jenny reached out and adjusted the bag strap over his shoulder, then her hand flitted over Lila’s hair before she stepped away. “Ugh. Fine. If I hadn’t spent the last three hours listening to her talk about how much she wanted you to… Never mind. You may leave.”
Amused, Burke smiled at Jenny, nodded at Derek, and left.
By the time he had settled Lila in his truck and buckled her in, the living room light turned off, then the light in the hall. Jenny and Derek off to bed, he assumed.
Bed was where he’d wanted to be with Lila when she woke up, where he at least had a chance of distracting her before she started yelling. In his experience, a sated Lila was more likely to let him get a word in edgewise. But…
“Lila,” he said, voice low. He smoothed her hair behind her ear. “Baby. Wake up.” Nothing. He raised his voice to the stern tone that seemed to get her attention. “Lila.”
She jolted, looked around wildly, and her gaze landed on his face. She stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “Mmm.” She leaned toward him.
Burke met her halfway and kissed her softly. “We’re at Jenny’s,” he said. “I’m taking you home. Okay?”
“Mm-hmm. Wait. M’car?”
“I’ll sort it tomorrow.”
She kissed him again, then flopped back against the seat. “Drive on.”
By the time they’d made it to Lila’s house, she’d fallen asleep again. Burke extracted her, her bag, her shoes, got the truck all locked up and Lila high against his chest, turned around, and came face to face with Mrs. Kowalsky.
Motherfucker.
“Evening, Mrs. Kowalsky,” he said.
She didn’t reply. Her German Shepherds were sitting at her feet, heads cocked and tongues lolling as they panted.
“Taken out of context,” Burke said, “I can accept that this looks bad.” Did the woman do anything other than walk her dogs when Burke came over to see Lila?
Mrs. Kowalsky pursed her lips. “I was thinking it looked secret-lover-romantic. Now I’m thinking it’s stalker-bad.”
“It’s romantic.”
“Uh-huh.”
Burke sighed. “You want me to wake her up and have her tell you herself?”
“What kind of a neighborhood watch coordinator would I be, if I let a man I suspect of stalking poor sweet Lila carry her unconscious into her own house?”
“A pretty terrible one,” Burke said.
Lila started to giggle.
“Good, you’re awake already.” Burke set her on her feet. “Please tell Mrs. Kowalsky you are with me willingly. And that I am not a stalker.”
“I am with Burke willingly, Mrs. Kowalsky.” Lila leaned into Burke, wrapping an arm around his waist.
He smiled down at her. “And?” he prompted.
“And he’s going to take me to bed, and—”
“I’m not a stalker. And I’m not a stalker. We should clear that one up for good.”
“Oh. Right. He’s not a stalker. Mrs. Kowalsky, Griffin Burke. Burke, Mrs. Kowalsky.”
Burke stuck out a hand. Mrs. Kowalsky shook it briskly, then clucked at her dogs. One of them was lying with his nose on his paws. The other was an inch from Burke, staring at Burke’s knees. “This is why it would be helpful if you gave me a list of who to expect coming and going, Lila,” the woman said.
“I appreciate your argument, Mrs. Kowalsky, as always. I’m still not going to do that.”
“Think it over.”
“You know I won’t. We all value your vigilance on behalf of the neighborhood, but I also value my privacy.”
“Think it over,” the woman said again. She nodded at Burke. “Good to meet you. Come on, boys. Goodnight to you both.”
The dogs trotted after her.
“She used to work for the government,” Lila remarked once Mrs. Kowalsky was out of hearing range. “She is paranoid, security conscious, and I once saw her drop a UPS driver who’d sneaked up on her deaf side in two seconds flat. She hogtied him with his own belt, and blindfolded him with his shirt. I have a strong suspicion which branch of the government she worked for, and I’m not stupid enough to say it out loud. Especially since no one has seen that particular UPS man again.”
They watched her go, then Lila turned to Burke. “Carry me to bed.”
Burke snorted and headed for her house, leaving her to follow. “No chance. You walk in there with me under your own steam, I’m about done with being treated like I’m dragging you off with dishonorable intentions.”
“Hey,” she said behind him. “How about giving me my shoes, at least?”
Burke turned back, scooped her up and strode up the driveway. Lila found her keys and unlocked the door with Burke muttering, “I swear, if a police cruiser passes, or your mother shows up, or another neighbor or anyone else before I get you in your goddamn house, I’m gonna—”
“We’re in,” Lila said, and slammed the door.
Burke lowered her to her feet. The hall was dark. The whole house was dark. All he could see was the faint outline of Lila’s shape and the glint of her eyes.
Burke dropped her shoes and bag on the floor, draped her coat over the small table by the door she used for mail and keys, and faced her, hands on hips.
“Want to go to bed?” Lila asked.
“Yes.”
She held out her hand. Burke took it, and side by side they went up the stairs to her room. “You use the bathroom first,” she told him. “I’m going to change.”
Burke used the toilet, brushed his teeth with his finger and Lila’s toothpaste, did it again, then came out. Lila passed him with nothing more than a smile and a pat on his ass. She was already in her PJs.
Burke got into bed, and at some point Lila joined him, because she was there when he opened his eyes the next morning.
They were lying on their sides, Burke behind Lila with one leg tucked between hers. Her head was pillowed on his bicep, and his other arm banded around her waist. She held his hand pressed to her chest between her breasts.
She was awake.
Burke tightened his fingers around hers and shifted closer until there was no more space between them.
“Good morning,” Lila said. “And please tell me you plan on doing something with this magnificent appendage.” She moved against him.
“My leg?”
“Oh, is that your leg? I thought it was something else. Easy mistake to make.” She reached back and slid a hand over his hip and down his thigh, where she dug in her nails.
“We’re starting with flattery, I take it?” Burke said, brushing a piece of her hair from his mouth.
“Seems like the shortest route to me getting an orgasm.” Lila resumed her wriggling.
Burke sucked in a breath and rolled into her, pushing her down to the mattress.
“This is promising,” Lila said, her voice muffled.
Burke got to his hands and his knees over her and stared at the pure temptation of Lila stretched beneath him. He bent down and nipped the back of her neck, hard. Lila yelped and arched her back, but he reminded himself that they had more important things to do than play in bed, and climbed off.
He scooped up his clothes from the small armchair he’d piled them on last night. He tugged on his jeans, left them unbuttoned, and took the rest to the bathroom. “Meet me downstairs,” he said over his shoulder. “We have to talk.”