Chapter Ten

T o clarify, she had a terrible idea.

Just terrible.

Or was it freaking genius?

Tallulah was tipsy to begin with, but then. Oh then. Her brain had been flipped upside down and punted like a football by this man’s kiss. Who knew Burgess had that kind of... passion lurking inside of that big warlord body? She’d never been kissed so soundly in her life, especially not while fully clothed. Like, the man had serious skills. And the part she was having the hardest time forgetting was that he seemed to understand sensuality .

Though her memories of men were growing foggy, she remembered how they usually went straight for the ass during a kiss. Their hands were drawn there like homing pigeons returning to their lofts. Inevitably, a girl ended up with a tongue tickling her tonsils and greedy hands exploring her crack without permission.

But Burgess.

Their kiss was only supposed to be a tactic to divert Finn’s interest, but she’d gotten a lot more than she bargained for. He’d massaged her hips with those big hands, dragged his knuckles up the curve of her waist, licked her. She might have teased him about having his foot on the accelerator, but the big guy obviously knew what he was doing. Maybe because he’d been married? Why did that correlation make her mouth taste like bad milk?

Must be the alcohol.

Bottom line, he was her boss. They couldn’t have a replay.

However, all sorts of plans were weaving themselves together in her brain, despite the amaretto sour fog. She could help this man get back out into the world, right? As a tradeoff for watching her back while she found her footing?

Burgess put an arm across her seat back and leaned over. Thinking he was going to kiss her again, Tallulah opened her mouth to scold him. Just kidding, she moistened her lips and prepared to have her mind blown. But although he watched her tongue skate across the seam of her mouth, he continued to twist his thick body, one hand on the steering wheel—and she realized he was parallel parking in front of the building. They were home.

Cool. She really needed to sober up.

“What’s your idea?” Burgess asked while straightening out the SUV.

Now would be the time to say “never mind” and forget the whole thing. Maybe it was a really bad idea to spend more time with this man, considering she found him troublingly attractive. She definitely wasn’t looking for a relationship, so what could the fascination amount to? Living with her hookup? No. What a grand disaster that would be. Especially with Burgess who was old-fashioned. He’d probably expect her to stay home and cook, even on her nights off. She’d be locked down by a grumpy, set-in-his-ways hockey player before she could blink—and that wasn’t the life full of freedom and new experiences that she wanted.

But. Maybe she could play Ted Lasso and leave this family better off than she found them. She could help Burgess revive his social life, thus making him happier and a better father. In return, she could go on her adventures securely.

Just say it, before you lose your nerve.

“Okay.” Tallulah unbuckled and turned to face Burgess in the seat. “First of all, thank you for your offer to come with me on my batshit journeys. I accept.”

He cut her a sidelong glance. “Really?”

“Yes.”

The man seemed to be having a hard time stifling a smile.

“Oh my gosh, you love this, don’t you?” Tallulah laughed. “You get to come along with me and scare people off. That’s your sweet spot. That’s where you thrive.”

“Correct.”

“Weird.”

He shifted in the driver’s seat. “I’m also... relieved. I don’t have to lie awake and wonder where you are and if you’re safe—”

“Okay, that’s more Father than Daddy. Don’t get the two twisted.”

“Jesus. I can be protective without it being... paternal.”

“Would you be like this with any au pair that you’d hired?”

“No.”

Wow. Really, it was Tallulah’s fault for asking. She’d walked right into that sticky web of knowledge and now the SUV was filled with a charged silence, although if she listened closely, she could hear the muscle ticking in Burgess’s cheek. Move on. Pretend he was kidding.

“Um, wait. You haven’t heard the rest of my idea,” Tallulah said, her voice sounding more than a touch reedy. “You admitted that you haven’t been social in a while. It’s hockey and home. Hockey and home. But what if this is your chance to get back out there?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you might have the disposition of a cranky old man, but in reality, you’re only thirty-seven. There are students in my masters program who are older than you, my guy. Instead of coming along on my outings with the express intention of putting the fear of God into other men, we could use this as an opportunity to resocialize you.”

“Christ, Tallulah. You make it sound like I’ve been living among the wolves. I choose not to be social. People are fucking annoying.”

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right one yet.”

His expression sharpened. “Is that what this is about? You’re going to take me on a quest for a mate—”

“More wolf talk. Are you sure you’re not missing your pack?”

“Funny.” He dropped a fist on the steering wheel. “Listen, I’m a rich professional athlete. If I wanted a relationship, I could find one. I wouldn’t need any help.”

That bad milk taste made a strong comeback. “Going out and learning to have fun is less about finding a relationship and more about... having some excitement to offer when you do meet the right one.”

He actually seemed to consider that, studying her closely as the statement sank in. “So what you’re saying is my life is boring. What woman would want to get involved?”

“That’s harsher than I would have put it, but the sentiment is accurate.”

“Huh.”

He took his hand off the steering wheel in order to stroke his beard. Disturbingly, Tallulah’s fingers twitched in her lap, remembering what that bristle had felt like against her jaw. Wondering what it would be like to tug it gently with her fingers. “What do you think of my plan, boss?” Tallulah said, forcing herself to stop speculating about the sensitivity of his facial hair. “You come with me on my excursions. I teach you how to meet new people. Have fun again. And be fun again. Assuming you ever were in the first place.”

“I was,” he said gruffly, looking slightly self-conscious. “If you consider raising hell fun. Growing up, I was known as the kid who never turned down a dare. I got older, though. Started collecting responsibilities—and I like those responsibilities. But maybe I went too far in this direction. If nothing else, maybe... I don’t know. Maybe I’ll learn how to be fun for Lissa.”

Tallulah’s heart went whommm , electricity snapping in her brain.

A man who recognized his own faults. A man who wanted to be better.

Apparently she found that incredibly appealing.

In that moment, she warned herself to be careful. To think of Burgess as a boss. A friend. But nothing more. Or her ties to him could get a lot stickier.

And she didn’t want to get stuck. She was just learning to fly again.

“For what it’s worth, she adores you.”

Burgess scoffed, turned his face away.

“She does. It’s hidden under a bunch of angst, but...” Tallulah smiled to herself. “When Lissa says something at the dinner table, she always looks at you first to get your reaction. Did you notice that?”

He looked back at Tallulah, a groove between his brows. “Does she?”

“Yes.”

A long pause. “Huh.”

“I bet the rookies on your team do the same thing.”

“The Orgasm Donor Twins?” Burgess rolled his eyes. “They don’t care about what anyone is saying unless it’s coming out of their mouths.”

“Oh yeah? Watch them next time.”

“No.”

Tallulah laughed.

“You’ve gotten me to agree to too many things tonight. You’ve hit your quota.”

“That’s fair. Thanks for coming to get me. I really appreciate it.” Before she could register her own movements, her hand reached across the center console and squeezed his bicep—and honestly, she’d intended a friendly lil squeeze, but when she encountered pure concrete in the shape of an arm, Tallulah frowned, thinking she must have grabbed onto something else by mistake, because this arm didn’t feel human.

Frowning, she molded the grapefruit-sized lump in her hand, only partially aware of the amused twitch of Burgess’s lips.

“I guess this is another thing I’m going to regret in the morning,” Tallulah muttered.

“Probably.”

Still touching. Why was she still touching? Her fingertips traced the rainbow-shaped bulge, top to bottom, like a kid riding a slide at the park. Wheee. “So this is... a result of the high-protein diet. Good to know. Good. To. Know.”

“Tallulah?”

“Yes?”

Slowly, he leaned in. And oh-so-casually flexed his arm. “I’m like this all over.”

“Oh.”

Their eyes met, locked, their breath accelerating in tandem. “You want to bring me around Boston on your adventures, good. Let’s go.” His face came closer, close enough to feel his warm breath painting her mouth. “You let me know if you want my bed to be one of them.”

Burgess hadn’t been exaggerating.

He really did know how to make a woman wet.

Tallulah had no problem becoming aroused by her own mental fantasies or the occasional trip to the X-rated section of the internet, but it had been a really, really long time since a real-life man had inspired that warm spread of moisture between her thighs. That hot, reckless flutter in the lowest regions of her belly. Her pulse thickened and sped up at the same time, that long absent ache of need, the one that required skin on skin, turning sharp and greedy in places that made her squirm... closer. She was squirming closer, her hand sliding from Burgess’s troublesome bicep to the collar of his shirt, twisting to drag him closer—

Both of their phones rang at the same time.

The riot of sound was so unexpected in the quiet intimacy of the SUV that Tallulah immediately thought they were being arrested. Surely those were sirens to signal a SWAT team descending on them to demand why she was about to kiss her boss for the second time tonight.

But no. Phones.

Who was calling them?

“Lissa,” they said at the same time, scrambling apart to find their respective devices.

Burgess fumbled his out of the cup holder first, letting out a blast of breath when he saw the screen. “Oh, thank God. It’s Wells.” He bolted upright. “What the fuck is he doing calling me at two thirty in the morning?”

Tallulah turned her screen in his direction. “Probably for the same reason Josephine is calling me.” Her pulse was racing now for an entirely new reason. “I hope something isn’t wrong.”

They both answered.

“Hello?”

Josephine’s dear and familiar face beamed back at her, a welcome vision of auburn hair and clever green eyes. “Hey! I knew you’d be awake. Where are you?”

Tallulah shifted guiltily. “Never mind where I am. What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, Josephine shot a perplexed look at someone off-screen, and Wells appeared beside his fiancée suddenly, holding his phone in his hand. “Hold up, hold up.” His lips spread into a cocky grin. “Are you two together?”

“I’m hanging up,” Burgess snapped, doing just that.

“What are you doing together at two thirty in the morning?” Wells asked.

“She needed a ride,” Burgess near shouted from the driver’s side.

Josephine was failing to smother a laugh. “Ohhh. She needed a ride , did she?”

Wells and Josephine fist bumped.

“Okay, you two. Very funny. Burgess was gracious enough to put his beauty sleep on hold to come pick me up.” Tallulah turned so that she and Burgess would both be visible on their screen. “Long story short, you’ve got us both. Now what is the meaning of this?”

“Well...” Josephine looked at Wells with heart-shaped eyes. “We finally picked a wedding venue. And the wedding... it feels like it’s really happening now. I got so excited that I had to call and ask you to be my maid of honor. I knew you’d be out and I thought it would be even better—read, funnier—if you were tipsy. Obviously, I’m screen recording this.”

“I’m not that predictable, am I?” Tallulah stared at the screen through a gathering veil of tears. “You’re really asking me to be your maid of honor?”

“Yes.”

A couple of tears popped free and rolled down her cheeks. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course, it’s a yes.”

Something bumped Tallulah’s knee and she looked down to find Burgess had opened the glove compartment. He lifted the manual, shifted some paperwork aside, and found a small pack of tissues, taking one out and handing it to her.

“Thanks,” Tallulah sniffed.

He frowned at her, but it wasn’t an irritable one; it was more helpless than anything .

“I’m fine,” she mouthed at him.

A grunt was his response, surprising no one.

A lightbulb went off above Tallulah’s head and a weird lightness invaded all four of her limbs. “Wait, are you calling Burgess, too, because...”

“Yeah, hey.” Wells coughed into a fist, looking distinctly uncomfortable, but he also seemed grateful for the circles Josephine started rubbing into his back. “Do you want to be my best man, B?”

It was a true pleasure to watch the hulking hockey player do a double take. “Me?”

“Please don’t make me repeat myself.”

Silence landed like a splat.

Josephine raised her eyebrows at Tallulah.

“Uh...” She hurried to fill the void left by Burgess’s stunned reaction. “Wait! You didn’t even tell us which venue you landed on.”

Wells executed a finger drum roll on his fiancée’s knee. “Costa Rica. This December.”

“ December? That’s... just over two months away. Josephine!” Tallulah bounced in her seat. “I’m screaming!”

“Pack your bathing suit,” Josephine sang. “Especially if you still have that baby blue one from college, because that’s one of our wedding colors.”

“I do! I still have it! Might be a little tight, but—”

“I’ll do it,” Burgess said, abruptly. “I’ll be the best man.”

“The timing of that agreement was a little transparent, man,” Wells said, dryly. “But I have no choice but to take it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Burgess said, crossing his arms.

This fucking guy , Wells mouthed to Josephine.

“We’ll let you guys get back to... whatever you were doing when we interrupted.” Josephine’s grin broadened. “I just couldn’t wait until morning to pop the question.”

“I’m so excited for you guys! I can’t wait!”

“Me either,” Wells muttered, planting slow kisses on Josephine’s neck that were quickly turning the phone call un–family friendly. Not to mention Josephine’s eyes were beginning to grow suspiciously glassy. “All I want is to call you my wife...” came the golfer’s muffled voice.

“Okay, talk tomorrow!” Tallulah said quickly, severing the connection. “Wow. Costa Rica. Wedding colors. Venues. It’s like... on.”

“Yeah.”

Tallulah and Burgess looked at each other so long, the air started to crackle. It was clear from Burgess’s tight expression that he remembered exactly what was on the verge of happening when those phone calls came through. And he wanted to get back to it.

But while Tallulah could still feel the deep pull of need in her lower body, the reckless impulse to venture into muddied waters with her boss, the conversation with Wells and Josephine had only served as a reminder of what she didn’t want. At least, for herself.

To be tied down.

And this man who waited up to make sure she got home safe, this single dad, this old-fashioned man... he was the commitment type. No question about it.

“I’m going to head up. I rescheduled some of my weekday classes for Saturday ones, so I can be free for Lissa during the week. They’re kicking off tomorrow afternoon.”

“Right.”

They exited the car, entered the building, and rode the elevator in silence that screamed with electricity. Tomorrow, when she was fully sober, she wouldn’t ache with the need to abandon her caution with Burgess. She’d have herself under control and her priorities in line.

But when she turned at her bedroom door and found him watching with hooded hunger from the living room, she wondered if she’d overestimated her willpower.

With a burst of determination, Tallulah closed herself in the bedroom.

And slowly engaged the lock.