Seducing the Best Man

“Any new leads on your case?” she asked.

“Looks like the mom is willing to cooperate. Hopefully, it’s enough to keep her family together. I believe she didn’t have anything to do with the fire.” He shrugged. “But without evidence or useful info, what I believe doesn’t matter.”

She was watching him closely, studying him. “How long can you keep going without sleep?” Cady asked as Patton placed their to-go order.

“Longest I’ve been up is almost seventy-two hours. But I was only good for about sixty of those, the rest was autopilot.” He paused. “Drink?”

“No, thanks.” She faced him, exploring every rugged feature of his face. “Only sixty.” She laughed, shaking her head. “What was the case?”

“A stakeout a few years back. The neighborhood was hot, so we couldn’t leave often. And we were understaffed—like always—someone had to stay. Since I don’t have a family to go home to, I volunteer.”

No family. She frowned. She’d seen his family. It was gargantuan—and more than a little intimidating. Cady picked back up, “What about Mikey? He’s your family.”

“He loves my mom,” he shot back. “You’ve seen her yard, it’s big. And she has a pool. Mikey is a true lab, he loves the water. My yard—” he paused, shrugging “—it’s still a...work in progress.”

“Meaning you bought a fixer? This doesn’t surprise me.”

“I did,” he agreed, grinning at her. “Probably the biggest mistake I ever made, considering how little time I have for fixing things. But it’s a great house.”

Once they were back on the road, they chatted about the repairs and remodel ideas he had for his place. She’d never taken the time to invest in her apartment. She had everything she needed, considering how little she was there. Considering the only two rooms she regularly used were her kitchen and her bedroom suite, she could probably downsize and be just as happy.

Further proof that they were different. He saw his huge extended family as no family. But she knew what it meant to actually have no family. His idea of home was a place to put his stamp on, to renovate and build. Her idea of home was a place to relax in, without worrying about old wiring or bad plumbing. It’s not as if she needed more proof that they weren’t meant to be together. And even though she didn’t want a relationship, she did want—did love—Patton. “I’d like to see your place sometime,” she spoke without thinking, leading him up to her apartment.

She wasn’t a fan of not knowing. She was a planner. Details and structure with a clear-cut goal in mind. But since she’d met Patton, she’d been in a constant state of confusion.

She fumbled with the keys in the lock then. The last thing she needed was to get more involved in his life. Any of the Ryans really, as nice as the family was. Once the wedding was over—one way or the other—life would get back to normal. Normal as in without Patton.

“I’ll take you by tomorrow,” he offered, reaching around her to open the door for her.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his chest against her back. His arm slipped around her waist, his hand closing over hers to turn the key in the lock. She smiled as he pressed a kiss to the base of her neck.

“I thought you were hungry.” She hurried into her apartment, his kiss lingering at the nape of her neck.

His eyes followed her, determined.

She put her hands on her hips. “Since the limo fell through, the only proposition left on the table tonight is eating hamburgers.”

He closed the door behind him, placed the bag of food on the table and pressed the tabletop with both hands. He stood back, nodding. “The table’s too hard for much else anyway.”

She giggled—she couldn’t help it. The flare of hunger in his eyes kept her rooted in place. But something changed his mind, because instead of reaching for her, he made himself at home in the kitchen. He pulled out two plates and a couple of napkins.

“Beer’s in the fridge,” she offered—still a little breathless.

He grabbed two from the fridge and met her at the table. She put the food on the plates while he opened the beers.

“Need me to prop you up on anything?” she asked, taking in his heavy-lidded eyes.

He took a long swig of the beer, his eyes locking with hers. “Define anything?”

She rolled her eyes, pulling the pickles off her burger.

He paused, watching her. Then did the same. “Me neither.”

She was smiling when she took her first bite.

They ate in companionable silence. She only finished half, but enjoyed every last French fry. He inhaled his food, every bite. And had a second beer.

“When did you eat last?” she asked.