He giggled. “Nope. No one gives her surprises.”
“You should tell her why they’re good so she knows.”
I sat back as Bess rolled her eyes at me.
“Mama, surprises are great because they give you happiness in your heart and your belly. They make you smile, and your smile is the best.”
Wow. This kid was something else.
I caught the tender look Bess sent him as she blinked rapidly. “I think you’re ri
ght, Booga.”
As they finished eating, I sipped on my beer, trying hard not to focus all my attention on the tight red top Bess was wearing or the way it stretched across her chest, revealing the creamy luster of her skin in the light. My mouth watered at the sight and my Reaper urged me to spring from my chair, pick her up, take her into the bedroom, and fuck her until she no longer denied the attraction between us.
I felt like a perv staring at her tits and ass whenever her eyes weren’t locked with my own. Couldn’t help it. Honestly, I should have cared. She was a mother. Not to mention she was young enough to be my own daughter. Twenty years between the two of us. Did that stop me?
Fuck no.
Only made me want her more.
This entire situation was so out of character for me that I didn’t know what to make of it. My Reaper had been oddly content since she popped into my life and it made me wonder if I was going crazy or senile or if the devil was fucking with me somehow.
Maybe a little bit of it all.
She was sexy and graceful in her movements, gentle with her son and fiercely protective. My body felt alive around her like I’d been coasting through life in shades of gray and when she appeared everything burst into color. No longer muted or dull. Vibrant, radiant, and full of light now.
I placed my empty bottle on the table when something caught my attention by the window. A shadow in my peripheral that instantly put me on edge. We weren’t alone.
“Be right back,” I announced. “Gonna make a call while you finish up.”
Bess nodded, helping Noah clear the table.
I slipped outside as I let my Reaper rise to the surface. Hissing in a deep breath I listened for any sounds that were out of place. Footsteps caught my attention when I noticed someone was running. I took off fast, ready to cut off whoever had been on the property when one of the neighbors jogged past the house.
I lifted a hand and waved, placing a smile on my face to prevent suspicion. Someone who wasn’t supposed to be here had been in the yard. Shoe prints were close to the windowsill a few feet from where we had been eating. Stale smoke from a cigar still lingered in the air along with a heavy dose of cheap cologne. My upper lip curled into a snarl and I searched every inch of the yard and outside the house to be certain nothing was out of place, missing, or tampered with.
Nothing.
I knew I didn’t imagine the whole thing and that meant I’d be watching Bess and Noah even more than I did now. In fact, I was going to make sure I was here every single day in case someone was planning to show up and cause trouble.
“Jayce?”
Bess was calling to me from the front porch.
“Coming, sugar!”
I didn’t like the feeling that settled over my skin, a hint of something sinister looming on the horizon. Feeling far more protective than I should, I stomped toward the house on a mission.
One – keep Bess and Noah safe.
Two – kiss the sexy single mom tonight.
I’d have to buy some mistletoe to bring over tomorrow. That kiss wasn’t going to be the last.
“Christmas trees!” Noah shouted, his eyes big and round. “Yes!”
“Wait for us, Noah,” Bess admonished as Noah opened the car door and slid from the seat.