Dangerous Promise by Gwendolyn Cease (6 page)

“It won’t take me long. I like to read.”

She beamed at him and turned to tuck her small bag under her coat. Kate touched his arm and when he turned, she smiled at him and mouthed a thank you.

“For what?” He leaned in close to whisper to her.

“She loves those books and never shares them with anyone. So thank you for accepting it,” she whispered back.

“I might like them, too. You never can tell.”

Kate tried to force back a shiver as Grimm’s hot breath fanned her neck and ear. She wanted nothing more than to lean into him and let him murmur against her skin all night long. The man was so sexy and once again she wondered why he was here with her. She wasn’t the type of woman beautiful, dangerous, sexy men went after. Yet, here he sat, having dinner with her and two small children. And from what she could tell, he was enjoying himself. Go figure.

The waitress walked up to the table and smiled broadly. At Grimm. “Good evening. What can I do for you?”

Kate almost snorted. She imagined the girl wanted him to do quite a bit by the way she licked her lips and smiled. But Kate had to admit, the girl was pretty and blonde. Yeah, men so went for blondes, especially if they had boobs, like this girl did.

She felt Grimm slide his arm around her as he leaned in. “What do you ladies want?”

Kate turned and found him watching her, not even glancing at the waitress. The image of him spread out naked across crisp white sheets popped into her mind. She blinked and tried to think of something to say, but he gave her a slow smile.

Leaning in he whispered in her ear, “What do you want that the waitress can bring you?”

Color climbed up Kate’s neck to spread across her face. She really wanted to say something, but her mind remained empty.

“Can I have a peach iced tea?” Abby asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Of course,” Grimm said. “I’ll have one, too, sounds good.”

“Me, too,” Olivia said with a smile. “What’re you going to have, Momma?”

“I’ll have the same thing.”

“I’ll be back with your drinks,” the girl said with a tight smile and walked away.

By the time their drinks arrived and the waitress took their orders, Kate had herself back under control. She needed to stop acting like some half-witted teenager. She was an adult with two children. Yes, the man she was sitting with was the hottest human being she’d ever seen, but there was no reason to act as if she’d never been on a date before. She imagined women threw themselves at him all the time, so she needed to act as if she had sense.

She found that once she settled, she really enjoyed herself. Grimm was a fun dinner companion and the four of them laughed and talked throughout the meal. The girls seemed as if they really liked him, and that was a huge check in the positive column. If they hadn’t, no matter how much he affected her, she wouldn’t see him anymore. Abby and Olivia were first in her life, and if they didn’t like the man she dated then she wouldn’t date him. They’d had enough with being last with Janie, she’d never do that to them.

When the waitress delivered the check, Kate leaned in to get a look. Grimm blocked her as he tucked the check and his credit card on the tray and handed it back.

“How much do I owe you?” Kate asked.

Grimm leaned in close. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

“What?” Kate asked in surprise.

“I asked you and the girls out for dinner. This is a date. Ladies don’t pay when they’re on dates. And you three ladies especially don’t pay when you’re my ladies on a date with me.”

The two of them stared at one another, his gray eyes steady and unreadable.
His ladies.
She liked the sound and the thought of that. It wasn’t that she couldn’t take care of herself and the girls. Hell, she’d been doing it for years, but it would be so nice to have someone share the burden. And what the hell was she thinking? They had only met a few times and talked on the phone and suddenly she was building a life with him? Was she losing her mind? She didn’t feel as if she were. In fact, being with him felt right more right than anything had ever felt.

“I’m sorry, I’m so used to taking care of everything.”

“I know,” he said with a slight smile. “Not with me, though.”

Once the bill was settled and the last of the tea sucked up, Grimm helped Abby and Olivia with their coats. The girls giggled as he maneuvered their tiny jackets onto their tiny bodies. Kate knelt to help them button and zip, ensuring they were protected from the night air. When she stood, Grimm held Kate’s coat for her. Blushing, she turned and allowed him to help her slip it on. The heat from his body washed over her, and she held back a gasp when she felt his breath against her neck. She so wanted to lean back into him but knew she couldn’t, especially with the girls watching.

The gloomy parking lot greeted them as they left the restaurant, and the girls hesitated, as they always did. Olivia moved a bit closer to Grimm’s side as Abby moved into Kate. She saw Grimm look around warily as he reached down and took Olivia’s hand, and she smiled up at him as they moved off to where Kate had parked.

Just as he had the night before, he helped her get the girls into the car as she watched the lot grow darker around them. She knew, rationally, that nothing was going to come screaming out of the night at them, but it still didn’t stop the fear.

“Is everything okay?” Grimm asked her as she moved around to the driver’s door.

“What do you mean?”

“You look a little nervous, that’s all.”

“I didn’t realize I was that obvious.” She lowered her voice and he moved in close. She glanced around again and finally spoke. “The girls and I have had some things happen. So nighttime makes us nervous.

“But it’s no big deal,” she said, with a shrug, “we’re good. And thank you so much for dinner. I know the girls had such a good time, and so did I.”

“I did, too. I really enjoy spending time with all of you. Look, let me follow you home. Just to make sure you get there safe.”

“I can’t ask you to do that—”

He cut her off. “You’re not. I’m offering. I really want to make sure you get home safe. It’ll make me feel better. Besides, then I can walk you to the door, like a proper date.”

She hesitated. Did she want him to follow them home? Know where they lived? They stared at one another for a long moment, and Kate had to admit, she did. She wanted this man in her life. It was stupid and insane and pure foolishness, but there it was. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate it.”

“It’s not,” he said. “Let me just get my car, and I’ll fall in behind you.”

Kate pulled out of the parking lot and checked the rearview mirror. Grimm, in a big black SUV, followed behind. She still wasn’t sure how to feel about the whole idea of him knowing where she lived. A huge part of her was excited that a handsome man like him really wanted to spend time with her. The other part of her, a tiny part, was afraid. She’d spent so long hiding and now someone she didn’t know well was going to know where to find them. The idea was scary and very much overwhelming.

The girls, though, had no such issue with it. They were bouncing in their seats and excitedly chatting about what they were going to show Grimm when they got home. Kate found she had to fuss at Olivia at least twice because she kept trying to squirm out of her car seat to see if he was still behind them. After a second sterner warning, Olivia stopped looking and took to asking Kate if he was still there. She was never more relieved to make the turn onto their street so they could finally get home.

Kate eased up on the gas when she realized the street was dark. The streetlights were off, and all the houses sat like gloomy shadows. Worry crawled up her spine, but she beat it back. They had a standby generator and when the power went out it automatically kicked on to ensure the alarm and lights were always operational.

“Why is everything dark?” Abby asked, her voice high and thin with worry.

“I don’t know, sweetie. But we’re fine. Remember the generator?” Kate spoke smoothly, hiding her worry.

But as she neared the house, there were no lights to welcome them. Their yard, just like everyone else’s, was dark. What the hell? Kate sat clutching the steering wheel, filled with uncertainty. Should she turn into the driveway? But what if someone was waiting for them? Could she back out in time? What if someone pulled in behind them and blocked the drive?

A light tap on her window jerked her out of her thoughts. She almost slammed her foot on the gas and drove away until she realized it was Grimm standing outside her car door. Shit, she had to pull herself together. She was not going to fall apart.

She rolled her window down. “The lights are off and, for some reason, the generator didn’t come on.”

Grimm nodded as he watched her. “Do you want to pull in and I’ll check it out? Or would you prefer to go someplace else?”

She would not be forced out of her house. It was important for her and especially important for the girls to stand their ground. This was their home, and they all needed to feel safe in it. “Pull in and we’ll check it out. It could be that the generator blew a fuse or something like that.”

He nodded and disappeared into the darkness as she eased off the brake and pulled into the driveway. When they’d moved in, she’d had all the trees taken down as well as the bushes around the house. She didn’t want anyplace that someone could hide, but even with that the yard and house were spooky in the gloom. She took a deep breath and opened the car door. Grimm once again appeared at her side.

“Why don’t you stay here with the girls and I’ll check things out,” he said.

Kate wanted to argue and insist she could go with him, but she couldn’t leave the girls alone.

“Momma,” Abby said from inside the car.

That sealed it. This little girl was finally trusting her, she couldn’t let her down. She pulled her keys out of her purse and handed them to him. “The alarms should be on. At least, I hope they are.”

“They should have battery backup. When’s the last time you checked the batteries?”

“I’m not sure. The system is only two years old, and we’ve always had a working generator.”

“I’d think the alarm is on, but if you trust me with the code, I’ll go check it out.”

“It’s three one six eight.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said and gave her a smile.

She climbed back in the car and locked the doors as he started toward the porch.

Grimm moved through the night toward the house. Nothing stirred, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Using the keys Kate had given him, he walked in the front door and entered the code. The alarm was working, but he’d expect no less since the thing was incredibly sophisticated. He wondered again what they were afraid of. Putting that thought aside, he methodically checked the house and found nothing.

He went back out to the cars and tapped on Kate’s window. She rolled it down and gave a tentative smile. “Everything is good. Why don’t you all come in, and we can find some flashlights.”

“Okay.” She nodded, exiting the car. The two of them helped the girls out and, as they walked across the yard, Grimm searched for any kind of trouble. Nothing. It was as quiet as when they’d first arrived. But something had them all spooked. Once they were inside with the doors locked, the girls hovered near the security panel.

“Why isn’t it lit up?” Olivia asked, obviously worried.

“There’s no power, sweetie,” Kate explained. “When there’s no power, the keypad doesn’t light up.”

“Yeah, but what about the generator? It should have come on. What are we going to do without the alarm?” Abby interrupted, wringing her hands.

Grimm could smell the fear coming off of all three of them. Kate did a great job of hiding it, but not from him. Once he found out who or what had put this kind of fear in them, he would hunt it down and destroy it.

“The alarm is on, but because it’s on battery backup the pad doesn’t light up. If you want, I can stay for a while,” Grimm said. “If that’s okay?”

Three sets of eyes turned to him, and he saw relief. But Kate said, “You don’t have to do that. We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, but I’d feel better. Besides if not in here then I’d just sit out in my car.”

Kate gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

Kate pulled flashlights out of a little table that sat near the front door and handed them to the girls. They immediately flicked the lights on and illuminated the living room. Shadows danced across the room and Grimm saw the girls look around nervously.

“Why don’t we start a fire?” Kate said, moving over to the fireplace. “It’s chilly in here and if the power doesn’t come on soon, it’s going to get cold.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Grimm said, moving to intercept her. He couldn’t stop the need to take care of them. In fact, if he had someplace else to take them he would but knew the underground was not someplace they could go. Not yet anyway. Not until he figured out how to tell Kate what he was.

“Girls, let’s get you cleaned up and into your nightgowns,” Kate said.

“But I’m not tired,” Olivia said.

“And it’s dark upstairs,” Abby added.

“That’s why I’m going to pull out comforters and blankets and you can both lie on the floor in front of the fireplace,” Kate explained as she ushered them out of the room.

When they were gone, Grimm took the opportunity to check out the framed photos around the room. He wondered who the girls’ father was and where he’d gone. He knew Kate wasn’t married. She didn’t wear a ring, and she wasn’t the type to cheat. Besides, the girls would have said something, but no mention of a father had come up at any time. He wondered if he’d died or just skipped out. Whatever happened, it didn’t matter, they were his to protect now.

Grimm moved to help Kate as she came back into the living room with an armful of blankets and comforters. They worked together to make a pallet on the floor in front of the fireplace while the girls stood and waited. When they finished, Olivia flopped onto the pile with a small giggle. Abby joined her, but was more hesitant and made sure to sit as close to Kate as possible.

Grimm shrugged out of his coat and joined them on the floor. As dates went, this was the oddest one he’d ever had, but it was definitely his favorite. Sitting and listening to the girls chatter to Kate was something he would and could do forever. Yep, he was hooked. Now, he had to make sure Kate felt the same way because he wasn’t letting her go.