Wilde Blue (Wilde Brothers Book 4) (6 page)

“I’ll get her home,” Dave said, coming to stand beside her. He was close enough she could smell the subtle notes of his cologne, and when he placed a hand on her back she caught herself leaning into his touch. She knew she was being foolish, but the moment he’d taken her hand in his, she’d stopped worrying so much about the risks.

Whatever was building between them, she wanted it to happen. She wanted to feel
something
, even if it was only for a little while.

“I’ll have Tag give me a ride back here tomorrow. I can finish up the paperwork then and get my car when I’m done if that’s okay?” she asked.

“That’s fine. We’ll see you later,” Brian said and clapped his son on the shoulder. “I have to say I’m enjoying seeing you around here lately. If I had known all I had to do was hire a pretty chef, I’d of done it years ago.”

“And now you sound like Mom, which means it’s time for me to go. You know, you two would see more of me if you quit pestering me about my love life—I mean my personal life.”

Brian’s grin grew wider at Dave’s slip of the tongue, but he just gave them a wave and took a step back. “I’ll take that under advisement. See you two later.”

Once he was gone, Dave scrubbed a hand through his still-damp hair and sighed. “I love my parents, but they make me crazy on a regular basis.”

She laughed. “That’s a parent’s job description. I keep telling Casey that all moms are required to be totally unreasonable and be able to nag at a professional level. That goes for dads, too.”

“I bet she loves that,” he said.

“Have you ever seen a seven-year-old roll her eyes? It’s funny as hell and I can’t laugh because I’m supposed to be mad at her when she does things like that. Being a parent is so different than I thought it would be. Casey is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but there isn’t a day that passes that she doesn’t make me question my sanity.”

Dave’s voice dropped to a barely there whisper. “I bet she’s worth every moment of insanity and worry.” Before she could respond, he cleared his throat and added in a louder voice, “Come on, let’s find your jacket and get out of here.”

Dani nodded and let him guide her away from the cozy ambiance of the front of the bar. Polished brass and dark wood paneling gave way to simple white walls and linoleum flooring as they crossed over into her domain, the backrooms and kitchen area. Back here, away from the windows, the darkness was nearly absolute, but Dave pulled an LED penlight out of his pocket. It was bright enough for them to find their way to the small space they used as a staff room. She threw on her jacket and grabbed her purse, all the while replaying what Dave had said about Casey. It wasn’t only what he’d said. It was how he’d said it. There was regret in his voice, and longing, too.

As they made a dash across the parking lot, trying to duck the raindrops, Dani wondered how the hell the rest of his family had missed it. Lieutenant David Wilde, the man who was supposed to be married to his career, wanted a family of his own.

Dare she hope he’d consider being part of hers? How would that even work when she didn’t know if she would be staying in Chicago?

Chapter Five

Dave sat at Dani’s kitchen table with a glass of wine in his hand, going over the contents of the file she’d given him. The grim details of her life with Bobby painted a dark portrait of abuse and violence that didn’t fit with his comfortable surroundings. Dani was humming to herself as she bustled around the small kitchen, the scent of frying bacon pervading the air. It was difficult to reconcile the victim portrayed in the file with the vibrant woman currently cooking dinner only a few feet away.

The place looked more or less the same as it had when Tag had lived there, but there were subtle changes. The fridge was plastered with Casey’s drawings, and the whole place felt cozier now. Dani was different, too, more at ease now that they were away from work. She had changed out of her work clothes into a pair of curve-hugging jeans and a sunny, yellow t-shirt. He’d never seen her in anything but her black chef outfit before. The bright color suited her personality.

He read over her hospital records again, disturbed by the extensive list of injuries noted when she’d been admitted for her gunshot wound. Half-healed bruises and scrapes all over her torso, a sprained wrist, and x-rays that showed she had several previously broken ribs that had gone untreated. If he ever set eyes on her ex-husband, he would happily return the favor and give the bastard every injury he’d ever given Dani. It bothered him that there were no other reports on file. No calls to the police, no hospital visits for treatment.

“You never told anyone what he was doing to you, did you?” he asked, looking over at Dani.

Her cheerful humming stopped. “Ah, you noticed the lack of reports prior to the shooting? The thing is, I did call the police. His parents made those reports go away. No one is sure how, but there’s no trace of them.”

“Powerful family,” Dave commented.

“Influence in all sorts of places, and plenty of money. I’m nearly done making us breakfast for dinner. If you could clear that stuff away, I’ll serve this up and tell you what happened while we eat.”

“Sounds good to me.” It amazed Dave that she was so unaffected by what he was reading. She’d given him a free pass to delve into the ugliest parts of her past. His ex-wife had freaked out if he so much as went into her purse without permission, but Dani had handed him the file without any hesitation or shame at what she’d been through. She was a true survivor, one who had found a way to be at peace with her past so that it didn’t overshadow her present. That took incredible strength and it made him want her even more.

He’d stopped pretending that he didn’t desire her. There wasn’t any point in continuing to deny it. Refusing to admit something was true didn’t make it any less real, and it was past the time he faced the truth. He wanted Dani.

Now came the hard part, remembering how the hell to open himself up to another human being. Being alone was easier, but from the moment he’d felt the warmth of her touch being alone stopped being an option. At least, it stopped being one he would accept. He’d never failed to achieve a goal once he’d set his mind to it. He wanted Dani and her little girl in his life, so he’d find a way to make it happen.

He cleared the table, then wandered into the kitchen, earning himself the evil eye from the cook for entering her domain. He knew the look well. It was the same one his mother directed at anyone who dared to set foot in her kitchen when she was cooking.

“I know, I’m in the way.” He threw up his hands and grinned at her as he took a step backward. “Could you point me in the direction of the silverware drawer?”

Her eyes widened and she stared at him in bemused silence for a moment before pointing to a drawer to his left. “In there.”

He retrieved cutlery for them both and went to lay the table, only to find her still staring at him. “Something wrong?”

“I’m just not used to anyone offering help. I swear my brother Thomas doesn’t know where the cutlery drawer is in my parents’ house.”

He shrugged and went back to the task at hand. “Mom was determined to instill manners in all of her boys. Since I’m the oldest, I had the strictest upbringing. It sucked, but at least I learned a few useful things, like how to set the table for someone kind enough to cook me dinner.”

“Remind me to thank your mom next time I see her and to find out how she did it. Casey protests every time I try to get her to do something to help around here. Like the dishes all weigh five hundred pounds and she’s physically incapable of putting her shoes away.”

Dave laughed. “I said she was determined. I didn’t say she was entirely successful. Tag’s a total slob, and Benji can’t do laundry to save his life. I’m not much of a cook, and Nicky…let’s just say he’s had some interesting career choices and is probably the main reason Mom’s hair turned gray. At least, that’s the story I’m going with.”

Dani was smiling as she came around the counter, carrying two plates laden with bacon and a perfectly folded omelet. “So that’s why you’ve been around Leo’s so much? You’ve been avoiding cooking for yourself.”

He pulled out her chair for her, summoning up manners he hadn’t used in years. “That’s part of it, yes. Can you blame me? You’re a hell of a chef, Dani.”

He waited for her to sit, then leaned over so that his mouth brushed the shell of her ear and he was breathing in her delicate scent as he finally made his confession. “But then I got to know you and Casey better, and that changed. I’ve been coming to Leo’s to see you, sunshine. It just took me awhile to admit it.”

He hadn’t intended to say anything yet. He certainly hadn’t planned on kissing her, but when Dani turned her head toward him, instinct took over. He claimed her mouth with his, savoring the silken warmth of her lips. He shifted to the side of her chair, cupping her cheek with one hand as he drew her in closer, craving more of her touch.

Her lips parted beneath his and a low moan vibrated against his mouth as she kissed him back. She reached up and twisted her fingers into the collar of his shirt, pulling him even closer. And with that small action, she broke the last of his control. It had been too long since he’d held a woman. Too many nights spent alone. The walls he’d built to keep the world at bay came crashing down, only to be washed away in a flood of carnal need.

He stood, drawing her up with him until he could pull her into his arms and hold her properly, their bodies crushed together and her soft curves molded against him. He kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. She reached up with her free hand to touch his face, stroking her fingers through his hair.

They clung to each other for one immeasurable moment with their mouths mated and their bodies intertwined. This was heaven, or as close to it as he’d ever been. Her scent surrounded him and her taste was in his mouth, branding his senses. She was as lost to their attraction as he was, her kisses as demanding, her hands moving over him as she explored his body.

By the time he lifted his head, his cock was throbbing in time to his pounding heart. He didn’t move far, just enough to put a few inches of space between their lips. When he looked down at her, she was staring back with eyes still dark with passion.

He opened his mouth to say something. To apologize for kissing her without permission, but before he could say anything, her kiss-swollen lips parted into a smile.

“And here I’d finally convinced myself that you weren’t interested in me,” she murmured, still smiling up at him.

“Surprise,” he said, then grinned back at her. She was so damned beautiful it took his breath away. She was also strong, smart, and brave. Hell, yeah, he was interested. Only a fool wouldn’t be.

****

Dani’s pulse was still racing as she settled herself a little deeper into Dave’s arms, unwilling to let the moment end yet. She didn’t remember standing up. She barely remembered her own name at the moment. God, the man had a talented mouth. One kiss and she’d melted like a Popsicle in the summer sun.

“I am. Surprised, I mean. But in a good way, not a bad one. I never expected this, but I hoped that maybe… I may have even fantasized a little—oh God, I said that aloud, didn’t I? I’m babbling. Please pretend I didn’t say that last bit.” She pressed her face against his chest, mortified by what she’d let slip.

“Oh, I heard what you said, sunshine.” His arms tightened around her and he nuzzled the top of her head, the warmth of his breath fanning over her skin. “I like that you’ve been dreaming about me, and one day soon I’m going to want to hear the details. Everything we did, everything you’d like us to do, all of it. But right now, as much as it pains me to say it, I need to let go of you.”

Dani didn’t want to leave the comfort of his arms, but she didn’t want to cling to him, either. She released him with reluctance. “You’re right. You must be hungry and our food is getting cold.”

She went to step away from him, but his arms were still locked around her, holding her firmly in place.

“Uh-uh. I don’t care about the food getting cold. This isn’t about dinner, or needing space, or the fact your daughter and my parents will be here soon. You’ve got me so hot that if I don’t cool off quick, there’s a good chance I’ll try and turn your fantasies into reality right here and now.”

One glance at his face told her that he was serious. His hazel eyes burned bright with desire, and to prove his point Dave rocked his hips, letting her feel the hard ridge of his cock where it lay trapped beneath his jeans. Her pussy was instantly soaked, her clit aching with the need to be touched. She wanted him, and for one brief second she considered letting it happen, but she dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. Dave had only admitted he was interested in her a few minutes ago. They shouldn’t rush things.

Her libido didn’t agree with her logic. A fresh flood of cream dampened her panties as a surge of lust hit her, hard, but she didn’t give in. Sexual chemistry and pretty words had drawn her in once before. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Not that David was anything like her ex. They were like night and day, but that didn’t mean she had to throw herself off the cliffs of insanity right away.

“For a man everyone describes as a cranky bastard, you certainly have a way with words when you want to,” she said.

“I can be charming, but why would I waste that effort on my brothers? They’re family so they have to put up with me as is.” He brushed a gentle kiss to her upturned face and finally let go of her.

“So I’m a special case?” she asked as she moved to reclaim her seat, meaning it as a lighthearted jest.

“Very special,” he said as they both sat down, his expression completely serious. “You and Casey both are.”

It warmed her heart to hear him talk about her daughter that way. She’d never been sure how to even
start
dating as a single parent. She wouldn’t only be picking someone to share her life with, but to be part of Casey’s life, too. If she chose badly again, both of them could get hurt in the fallout. It was one of the reasons she’d never tried to meet anyone else. She didn’t trust her own judgment.

After Bobby, how could she?

He’d been charming, attentive, and sweet in the beginning. Phone calls, and texts, and surprise visits with gifts. He’d made her feel like a princess, and she’d fallen for his act completely. She’d believed in him so much that when he started to change, she let him convince her that she was the one to blame, not him. The bastard had twisted her in so many knots it had taken years to get her head straight again.

God, the things he’d done to her, and somehow she’d always ended up being the one to apologize.

Dani forced herself to forget the past and focus on the present and the wonderful man seated across from her. “I’m glad you like Casey. She’s always talking about you.” Dani turned in her chair to point out the sketch he’d drawn the first night they’d all met. “She loves your drawing, insisted I give it the place of honor on the fridge. I like it, too, especially the way you drew Casey into the picture.”

He actually blushed a little at her compliment. “She told me she wanted to be a police officer someday, so I thought I’d draw her as one. They’re just doodles. My mom and Nick are true artists. If you haven’t been to Nick’s shop, you should drop by one day. His studio upstairs is fucking impressive. I had no idea how good he was until a few months ago.”

She frowned at that. “How could you have no idea? You see your brothers all the time. I’ve never seen a family as close as yours.”

A guilty look passed over his face and he took a sip of his wine before answering her. “You’re seeing us in a good phase. There are times we barely speak to each other. Tag pretty much dropped off the planet after he got shot and found out he’d never be able to return to the force. As for Nicky…we weren’t even born in the same decade. You might have noticed that most of us went into one of the family businesses. Three of us joined the force and Jared went to school to learn how to run Leo’s. Nick went his own way. He moved to Florida to go to art college and ended up working as a fucking stripper.”

Dani choked on her eggs. “He was a stripper? As in G-strings and lap dances? Wow, lucky Lia.”

“Oh no. Don’t go there. If you start thinking of Nicky that way, I’ll have to smack him around on principle. It’s a guy thing.”

She laughed at him, trying not to react to the possessive tone of his words. A couple of kisses didn’t mean anything. Certainly not enough to make him jealous of a man he knew she had no interest in. The only Wilde she wanted was the one sitting across from her right now, drinking wine with their breakfast-for-dinner and not caring a bit about the odd pairing.