Seven

Lux

Archer's close friend Jeremiah was coming over for dinner tonight, and I felt unnecessarily nervous about the whole thing.

I didn't even have to do anything except take care of Gunner. Archer was doing all the cooking, and judging by the aromas wafting from the kitchen, it was going to be one hell of a meal.

I wasn't sure what exactly I was nervous about. I'd been working at Archer's for almost three weeks now, and it wasn't like Archer was going to fire me just because his friend said so. Not that I was going to give the man any reason to think I should be fired...

"I'm running around in circles, Gungun," I told the baby in my arms, and he giggled, thoroughly amused by my worries.

Everything I'd imagined taking care of a little human would feel like? The reality was a hundred times better. Taking care of Gunner felt right, like it was what I'd always been meant to do. Considering the fact his dad was my mate...

The doorbell rang, and Archer peered around the kitchen doorway just as I stood up, Gunner cradled to my chest.

"I'll get it," I said, and Archer smiled gratefully, a smear of flour on his chin.

Ignoring the way my belly flipped at the sight of him all messy and not put-together for once, I made my way to the front door as Gunner started babbling in my arms.

As I opened the door and got a good look at Jeremiah, my first thought was—is everyone in Archer's circle just absolutely stunning?

With long golden-brown locks that he had tied up in a high ponytail, green eyes that lit up the moment he saw Gunner, and a chiseled jawline covered in dark stubble, Jeremiah looked like he wouldn't be out of place on a magazine cover.

"Please, come on in." I remembered my manners, opening the door wider to let him in.

"Hey, you must be Calux. I'm Jeremiah, but call me Jerry."

"Lux, please."

I closed the door after us, and his gaze slid to Gunner again.

"Can I hold the little guy?" he asked eagerly, and I grinned as I handed Gunner over. I'd already checked with Archer that it was okay, and Archer had been pleased when I'd asked. Did he really think I'd let anyone even touch Gunner without his express permission?

"Hey, little man. It's been a while, huh? You're so big!" Jerry tapped Gunner's nose, making his eyes go big and round. Then Jerry hefted him a little higher, and I realized what Gunner was going to do a moment before his little hand tangled in Jerry's ponytail.

"Aw, you like my hair?" Jerry asked as I tried to figure out the best way to offer him help before Gunner ripped his hair out.

I'd just opened my mouth to say something when Archer appeared in the living room doorway.

"Are we spending the night in the hallway?" He raised a brow at his friend, then glanced at Gunner's hand. "Oh, you would not look good with a bald spot."

Archer disappeared without saying anything else as Jerry's head snapped toward me.

"What did he mean by that?"

It was then that Gunner decided to employ his new powers to get Jerry to focus on him again, tugging at his ponytail. Gunner might be a baby, but he had a strong grip. He was so strong that I'd tried to determine if he had some supernatural blood in him, but no. He was a 100 percent human, and freakishly strong.

"Ow, ow, ow," Jerry gasped as Gunner tugged at his hair, and I stepped closer, my hand hovering inches from his hair.

"Can I?"

"Please!"

Carefully, I untangled Gunner's fingers from Jerry's hair, then took the little hellion from him.

Gunner gazed up at me with a pleased smile, and I just knew he was going to grow up to be a brat.

"Are you okay?"

Jerry nodded as he rubbed at his head, and I started leading the way into the living room before Archer came back to investigate further.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked as I waved him over to the couch, and he shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good." Removing the elastic from his hair, he wound it around in a bun before putting it back, then held his arms out. "There, now I'm Gunner-proof. May I have him back?"

"Of course."

Gunner looked mighty pleased to be back in Jerry's hold, though he started whining when he realized there was no more hair to tug. Walking over to his toys, I grabbed one that was basically a thick rope—I'd seen something like it in the dog toys section and magicked up a kid-safe version—and brought it over, offering it to the baby.

He cheered right up as he took it, and I finally settled on one of the two armchairs.

Jerry didn't waste a moment. "So, Lux. How's the job been? I hope Archer isn't working you too hard."

Smiling brightly, I shook my head. "Not at all. I love working here. Taking care of Gunner is always fun."

"And the grump? How is it taking care of him ?"

I chuckled, wondering if Archer could hear us. I wasn't sure how exactly to answer his question without revealing just how much I enjoyed that particular part of the job.

"That's fun too," I settled on saying, and Jerry watched me for a moment, humming thoughtfully.

"Lux! Could I get a hand please?" Archer called from the kitchen, and I glanced from Jerry to Gunner just as Gunner threw his toy, watching it roll over to me.

"Go. We're fine. I'm calling you if he poops, though," Jerry warned, and I laughed as I handed the toy back to Gunner.

"Sure thing."

Making my way to Archer, I hoped the rest of the evening would pass by just as smoothly.

Archer

We'd decided to eat in the living room so Lux could join us and we could still keep an eye on Gunner, and as we ate, the conversation drifted from work to Gunner, to random topics like a movie that came out recently, or some band Jerry was currently obsessed with. It was all light and fun, and I realized I'd really needed a night in with a friend.

I'd long since grown out of the club scene, but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy spending time with Jerry and Kat.

"Oh, one time when we were in college, Archer here had one too many, and you know what he did?"

I blinked, realizing the conversation had somehow drifted away from the band discussion I'd tuned out at to my past escapades.

"Shut up, Jerry." I scowled at him, but he merely cackled like the little ass he was.

"What did he do?" Lux's eyes were bright with humor, and I shot him a look that he ignored. He did know I could fire him, right? The fact that I wouldn't do it didn't mean he shouldn't still be careful.

"Well, first he pissed in front of our economics professor's office, then he puked all over the statistics professor's office door. We barely made it out of there without getting caught."

Seriously? Out of everything I'd done in my college years, that was the story he decided to tell?

"Oh my god, that's horrible!"

Lux gave a soft, almost musical laugh, his eyes sparkling when they caught mine.

I sucked in a breath as our gazes locked, and for a few moments, it was just the two of us in the room. Damn, had his blond hair always looked so soft?

Gunner let out a cry, breaking the spell between us, and Lux put his empty plate down and hurried over to him.

"Oh, looks like someone needs a diaper change. Come on, Gungun."

Was it just me or was there a faint tremor in Lux's voice?

It was only after they were gone from the room that I realized Jerry was watching me with a curious look on his face.

"What?" I stuck another bite of food in my mouth, chewing as he continued to stare at me.

"You're into your manny."

The declaration almost made me choke on my morsel of food. Shaking my head, I coughed, grabbing my glass of wine and taking a much needed sip.

"I am not."

Jerry raised a brow at me. "Archie, we've known each other practically our whole lives. You really think I don't know what you look like when you have a crush on someone?"

"I'm not a teenager, Jerry. I don't have crushes."

"All right, let me rephrase. You don't think I know what you look like when you want to bang someone and also raise your kid with them?"

Scowling, I pushed the food around in my plate, and offered my last bit of resistance. "I'm straight."

Jerry, the bastard, started laughing. "Archie, we both know that's a flimsy fucking excuse. You took my virginity, remember? Just because you only find a dude attractive once every decade like some kind of decennial bi werewolf doesn't mean you're straight. And if a label is the only defense you have..."

I sighed, wishing Jerry didn't know me as well as he did. This conversation would be so much easier if that was true.

"Well, you want a better reason? How about this? He's an employee, and I don't think I'll find a better nanny than him. I don't want to mess this arrangement up, and I definitely don't want to make him uncomfortable by making any kind of move on him."

Jerry pursed his lips, then tilted his head in acquiescence. "Okay, that's a valid point. Though I don't think the interest is one-sided."

"You don't?" To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

"Nah. Did you see how he hung on to every word I said about you? I'm pretty sure he's into you."

I'd just told Jerry I wasn't a teenager, yet hearing that Lux might be interested in me definitely made me feel like one.

And act like one too, apparently, because the moment Lux returned with Gunner, I shot to my feet, startling everyone in the room, including Lux.

"Jerry, help me clean up." I practically barked the words at my friend before picking up Lux's empty plate and taking off toward the kitchen, ignoring his offer to help.

Throwing the dishes in the sink, I braced my arms against the edges, hanging my head. What the fuck was I going to do now?

I really didn't want to let Lux go as Gunner's caretaker. I didn't think I'd find anyone better suited to the job than him.

Which meant I needed to take care of these feelings somehow.

The thought of hooking up with someone else, a man perhaps, occurred to me for all of a minute before I shook it off. What I felt for Lux wasn't simply lust. I liked Lux. I wanted to go out with him. Which meant hooking up with someone else would be about as effective as patching up a bullet wound with a band-aid.

Maybe I needed to spend a little less time with Lux. It would be easy to do when I was at work, but when I got home, instead of taking care of Gunner together, I'd have to make sure we split up the work so we were apart for most of the time. Yeah, some distance was exactly what we needed.

"You done formulating your big plan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Taking the dishes Jerry had brought in, I put them in the sink and started the water.

"Oh, so you weren't just making up a plan that would help you work past these feelings of yours?"

Damn Jerry. Why did he have to know me so well?

"It's not going to work, you know."

"And why not?"

"Because you don't want it to," Jerry said, his voice full of the knowledge that he was right.

Damn you, Jerry. Damn you.