Dirty Letters(32)

“So how long are you two planning on staying in California?”

Luca sighed, and I knew before she spoke that I didn’t want to hear the answer. “We have to get back on the road the day after tomorrow.”

Heaviness settled in my chest. “Why so soon?”

“It’s a three-thousand-mile drive. We took a little longer than we’d planned to get out here, and we need to leave six days for getting back. If I’m behind the wheel too many hours in a day, I start to daydream and forget I’m driving. I missed half of Colorado plotting my next book in my head. It’s not exactly safe.”

“What about if I get someone to trailer the RV back and you guys take a plane? I’ll book you a private flight.”

Luca smiled sadly. “That’s very sweet. But I . . . I don’t go on planes.” She looked down. “Or trains or buses. I don’t even go to the grocery store like a normal person, Griffin.”

Doc piped in. “She did great at the pet store last week, though.”

Luca shook her head. “My life is . . . complicated.”

Doc caught my eye. “Yes, Luca’s life is complicated. But I’d venture to guess that Griffin’s isn’t uncomplicated. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

It was easy to forget about Luca’s issues while looking at her. Hell, it was easy to forget everything while admiring her beautiful face. But Doc was right; my life was as complicated as hers, maybe even more so—just in a very different way. I stared at Luca—we only had a day and a half, and I didn’t want to waste a minute of our time together.

“Doc, I have a small pool house in the back of my property. It’s got a bedroom and a kitchenette. Why don’t you camp out there for the next two nights? I’m sure the beds in that RV can’t be too comfortable. We can pull the camper into the driveway so that it’s secure, and you can have some privacy.”

Doc seemed hesitant to accept my offer. So I told a little white lie that I knew would sway things in my favor. “There’re some great birds out there. I just installed a new feeder, so I bet it’s like an aviary first thing in the morning.”

Doc’s eyes lit up. “Have you seen the spotted towhee? I hear she’s quite the stunner.”

The spotted what? “Sure, sure. Definitely have some of those out there.”

Doc looked to Luca. His face reminded me of a little boy with his nose pressed up to the glass ice-cream display at the store while he waited for his mom to say he could get a scoop.

Luca smiled at Doc. “That sounds like a great idea, Doc.”

He beamed. “Alright. Thank you for the offer, Griffin. But only if we can really pull the rig into the driveway behind the gates. I don’t want Luca sleeping in the RV all by herself out on the street.”

Oh, don’t worry about that. I have no intention of letting Luca stay in that RV, either. “Of course. Why don’t we go take care of that now, and I’ll show you to the pool house.”

The three of us headed out, Doc walking through the front door first. I extended my hand to tell Luca to go ahead of me, but she stopped, turned to face me, and pushed up on her tippy-toes to whisper in my ear. “You better find a way to make birds appear back there by morning, liar.”



Cole: Need you to do me a favor.

Aiden: Whatever you need, boss.

Cole: Find a 24-hour Home Depot and pick up a dozen bird feeders and seed. Hang them all around my pool house by the time the sun rises. I need birds out there bright and early. Buy a dozen parrots from the damn pet store if you have to.

Aiden: Okay . . .

Cole: And don’t wake up the old man sleeping inside the pool house.

My assistant had received way stranger requests than this. One of the things that made him good at his job was that he never asked questions. So I powered my phone off, confident that Doc would be happy in the morning, and turned my attention to the woman standing in my kitchen.

Her beautiful mouth stayed in an unreadable line.

I walked toward her, focused on those lips. I wondered if she’d mind if I bit them. But Luca put her hand up and pressed against my chest, stopping me from finding out.

“I’m not sleeping with you.”

I raised one brow. “Not ever?”

“Not tonight.”

I nodded, amused. “Okay. So tomorrow night it is, then.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She still had her palm to my chest, so I tested the waters by giving a little nudge forward. She didn’t stop me, so I leaned down and buried my face in her neck, kissing my way along her pulse line up to her ear to whisper, “Are you saying you’re not attracted to me, Luca? That’s a shame, because I’m very attracted to you.”

She shook her head. “I . . . I am. Very. But . . .” Her words fell away. I had no doubt I could convince her to change her decision if I set my mind to it. Though Luca meant more than just a quick fuck to me.

I pulled back to look at her and cupped both her cheeks. “I respect that, Luca. I’d be lying if I said that the thought of burying myself inside you wouldn’t be a dream come true. But I’d never ask you to do anything you didn’t want to do.”

She looked genuinely relieved. “I’m just afraid. Meeting you was such a huge step, and I don’t want to get even more attached than I already am.”