Riggs

P hoenix had passed out before he even pulled onto their street. He passed Aggie’s house, noting that all the lights were off except the one in Phoenix’s bedroom. He felt like a dirty old man for knowing that it was her bedroom, but he just couldn’t help himself. He saw her a few times in there when she had left the blinds open and the lights on. She never got undressed in front of the window, but every time he saw her, he held his breath wishing that she would. He was becoming a fucking Peeping Tom, and that was the last thing he needed Phoenix to find out about him. He didn’t want to lead her on and then disappoint her when he didn’t do a damn thing about wanting her. How could he? He was almost ten years her senior and even though she insisted that age was just a number, he didn’t buy it. Sooner or later, she’d get bored with him and want a younger guy. It was inevitable, but it was all he could think about when she asked him out. He was just saving them both from future heartache.

parked in his garage and cut the engine. He looked over at Phoenix, as though trying to decide what to do with her. He couldn’t leave her in his truck, and dumping her on the sofa while she was asleep wouldn’t work either. What if she woke up in the middle of the night and needed a bathroom, or worse, had another dizzy spell and fell? He’d be on the second floor and probably wouldn’t hear her since he was a heavy sleeper. No, the only thing he could think to do with Phoenix was to take her up to his bed so that he could keep an eye on her all night. He had a feeling that he’d be up all night, anyway, just having her lying next to him.

He got out of his truck and rounded the front to Phoenix’s side. He tugged open the door and gently lifted him out. She snuggled into his body, and mumbled something about French fries, as he tried not to laugh. He carried her into the house and straight up to his bedroom. When he laid her on his bed, she made the sexiest little moans and when she said his name, he wanted to strip her bare and make her cry it out more. But that wasn’t what tonight was about. Tonight was about him taking care of her, and making sure that Phoenix was safe—period.

He looked her over and realized that she probably wasn’t comfortable in her tight black leather leggings, so he decided to slip them off her and then pull the covers over her body. He just never imagined that she would be wearing the skimpiest pair of panties that did nothing to hide her body. He couldn’t stop staring at her, no matter how much her being asleep while he was doing it made him feel like a pervert. thought about taking off her sweater, but it didn’t look too uncomfortable, so he left her in it and pulled the covers over her curvy body.

He was going to have to take a cold shower and then, hopefully, he’d be able to crawl into bed and keep his hands off Phoenix, but that was going to be a challenge since all he could think about for the past few weeks that she had been in town, was having her in his bed.

By the time showered and pulled on a pair of boxers, he felt exhausted. It had been a damn long week and with any luck, he’d be able to take the next two days off. It was his weekend off, but he was still on call. If he had his way, he would spend the whole weekend in bed with Phoenix, but he was getting ahead of himself. She wasn’t his—yet. Maybe she never would be, but every night, in his dreams, she was his. Having her in his bed had his head messed up and when Phoenix curled into his body, wrapping an arm over his chest, he couldn’t help but wrap her in his arms. He loved the feeling of her there, even if she was sound asleep and didn’t know what she was doing. On some level, he hoped that she did and that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Maybe he needed to stop fighting his feelings. Maybe a ten-year age difference wasn’t as bad as he imagined. Maybe he could learn to ignore the stares and whispers that everyone in town would give the two of them when they were out. He’d have to think about all of that in the morning because he was quickly falling asleep and holding Phoenix against his body was a guarantee that he was going to have the best night’s sleep that he had in a long time.

woke up to an annoying ringing that turned into banging, and then, a whole lot of yelling. “What the fuck?” he grumbled. He looked out the window and saw Mrs. Aggie standing on his front porch. She spied him peeking down at her and waved up at him. He held up a finger, telling her to hold on and she nodded. How Phoenix slept through the whole ordeal was beyond him. She must have been either really drunk last night or needed sleep. Either way, he didn’t want to wake her.

He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt to run downstairs. pulled the front door open to find Mrs. Aggie standing on the porch with little Lydia standing in front of her. “Is Phoenix here?” she whispered, covering Lydia’s ears.

“Is everything ok?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if he should tell Phoenix’s grandmother that she had spent the night in his bed—even if nothing happened between them.

“No,” she whispered, “I just got a call from Vindicator, and he is in the emergency room. He had a bike accident, and he swears that he’s not hurt, but I’d like to check on him. Plus, when he’s released, I promised to give him a ride home.” knew that Mrs. Aggie had a thing for Vin. She usually showed up down at the bar, every chance that she got, and sat up at the bar talking to him. He thought that they made a great couple, even though Vin insisted that they weren’t.

“Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?” he asked.

“No, I want you to tell me if Phoenix is here,” she said.

“Oh, yeah, she’s here. Sorry, I guess I got sidetracked,” he admitted. “She’s still sleeping. Should I wake her?”

She looked down at Lydia and shook her head. “I hate to wake her. She barely sleeps as it is. I guess I can take Lydia with me.” He hated to make her take the toddler to the hospital.

“Um, I’ll watch her until Phoenix wakes up,” he offered.

“You will watch her?” Mrs. Aggie asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Why does everyone think that I can’t watch a two-year-old? I’m quite capable of taking care of a kid.” Lydia smiled up at him and he ruffled her blond hair. She looked so much like Phoenix. “Your granddaughter was invited down to the club to hang out with the Harlots, and she made an excuse about not having a sitter for Lydia, so I offered and she all but turned me down flat. She doesn’t think that I can take care of Lydia either, but I think that we’d get along just fine, right, squirt?” he asked. The kid nodded at him, and he wondered if she was picking up just what was happening.

“Are you sure?” Mrs. Aggie asked.

“I’m positive,” he assured.

“Okay, then I’ll run home and grab her diaper bag. You do know how to change a diaper?” she asked. He had no clue as to how to do anything like that, but he couldn’t go back on his word now.

“Of course, I do,” he lied. Mrs. Aggie shot him a look that let him know she was buying what he was selling.

“It’s your funeral,” she breathed. She handed Lydia to him and the toddler smiled up at him, staring at his beard. She tugged on his beard, and he must have made a face, judging from the giggle that she gave him. He had to admit, she was a pretty damn cute kid. She looked a lot like Phoenix with her blond hair and blue eyes.

“You like my beard, don’t you?” he asked. She nodded her little head at him and gave his beard another tug. “I think that your great grandma paints a bad picture of you, Lydia. You and I are going to get along just fine, aren’t we?” She grunted once and then again, and a stench filled the air. “Oh, no,” he grumbled. “Your great-grandmother better hurry back with your diaper bag,” he said. put the toddler on the floor and went to the door to watch for Mrs. Aggie. Actually, he was trying to get some fresh air, but no amount of air was going to get rid of the smell of the present that Lydia had made him.

Mrs. Aggie hurried across their shared yard with Lydia’s diaper bag and handed it to him. As soon as he opened the door to take it from her, she scrunched up her nose. Smells like you’re going to have to figure out the whole diaper thing sooner rather than later, . She gave him a big smile and winked at him before turning to leave.

“Tell Vin if I can do anything for him, to let me know,” he shouted after her. She didn’t turn back to answer him, just waived her hand over her head to let him know that she heard him, and couldn’t help his smile.

He turned around to find Lydia going through her diaper bag and when she pulled out a diaper and the wipes to hand to him, he laughed out loud, startling the toddler. “Let’s get you changed, sweetie, and then, we can check on your mommy.” Lydia nodded and he picked her up to head over to the sofa. He was going to conquer the whole diaper thing and then, he’d make them all breakfast and test the waters to see how mad Phoenix would be at him. He was hoping that she wouldn’t be too mad because he was going to ask her and Lydia to spend the day with him, and with any luck, the night too.