Perfect Partners(35)
Author: Carly Phillips

“Eventful.”

He nodded. Alix pried herself from his grasp and headed straight for the animals. He stepped forward and again, his foot ground something against the floor. “What’s this?” he asked, looking down.

“Nothing important. I just haven’t had a chance to clean up yet.” Chelsie gnawed on her lower lip before rushing on. “But don’t worry. I was with Alix the whole time and she never got near the broken glass. I’ll get it now.”

He stopped her run for the closet by grabbing the tail of her shirt “Relax. It was a simple question, not an accusation. I know you’d never let Alix get hurt. But did she break this?”

“An accident.” Laughter twinkled in Chelsie’s eyes. “The animals wanted to play follow the leader. I’m afraid the rabbit was a bit uncooperative.”

The rabbit. Her favorite piece, yet she seemed not to care. “I’ll replace it.”

“No, you won’t. I don’t care about these things. Alix had fun. That’s all that matters.”

His eyes narrowed as he assessed her sincerity.

“Honest, Griff. Don’t make a big deal about this. I never thought a small accident would affect you like this.”

You affect me. Who was this woman who never reacted in accordance with the standards set by the women in his past? “Okay. We’ll forget it for now.”

A brief flash of relief crossed her face. “Good. You hungry? We could order in pizza before you go home.”

He glanced across the room. Alix still played contentedly in the center of the carpet. “Pizza sounds good.”

Chelsie picked up the phone and placed the order.

“Want to sit?” She flopped down on the couch and waited until he joined her. He groaned, his exhaustion evident in the slouch of his shoulders and the weary expression on his face.

Alix ran to Griff, dumping two animals in his lap. She continued to charge back and forth between her uncle and the pile of crystals she thought of as toys. When Chelsie glanced at the heap in the center of the floor, she decided this activity might take a while. It might take even longer for the memory of Griff and Alix in her apartment to fade, she thought with chagrin.

“What’s our game plan for Amanda Sutton’s case, partner?” he asked.

“Let’s discuss business later.” She nodded towards Alix. She couldn’t talk about the details of their newest client without revealing all the details of her past, something she wouldn’t do without a guarantee of privacy. Now wasn’t the time. The coward in her heart, a shadow of her former self, welcomed the delay.

“Okay, the squirt comes first,” he said, settling himself on the carpet beside Alix.

Chelsie’s heart swelled at the sight of the two people she had come to love frolicking on her living-room floor. Griff and Alix in her apartment created the illusion of a real home, something this place would never be.

Griff glanced up, his gaze locking with hers. “Come join us. We need you.”

His words sent a tingle along her spine. She liked that he’d linked them together in something other than a professional capacity. In fact, she enjoyed the notion too much. Maybe the sound pleased her because he’d said “us” without conscious thought.

She sat between them. After a while, Alix laid her head in Chelsie’s lap. “I love this squirt,” Chelsie whispered. She fingered the dark curls, watching as the little girl’s eyes grew heavy and finally closed.

“Peaceful,” Griff said.

Chelsie smiled. With Alix around, a moment of silence was rare. “This is nice,” she agreed. Too nice. Maybe it was just as well the end had come. At this point, occasional visits might benefit everyone. Alix shouldn’t come to rely on her any more than she already did, especially since she’d probably be making herself scarce once Griff understood everything about Chelsie Russell.

As if he read her somber mood, he spoke. “Hey.” He tipped her chin upward so her eyes met his. “You are the world’s best baby-sitter. And how many women get this kind of practice before they’re officially called Mommy?” His lips touched hers before he turned his attention back to the sleeping child.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He turned toward her. “For what?”

For reminding me of my place. “For being so understanding,” she said.

He smiled. “I’m an understanding guy.”

Hold that thought. Chelsie wished she felt nearly as confident that his words would hold true.

* * *

Griff lifted the sleeping child out of her car seat and stifled a yawn. Chelsie followed him into the house. While he got Alix settled in bed, Chelsie waited downstairs. He found her in the den. Her feet were propped on an ottoman and she lounged comfortably on the couch.

“You didn’t need to come all the way back with us, but I appreciate the company.” He stretched his arms above his head, feeling every muscle that had worked loading boxes that afternoon. “Mrs. Baxter will be back in the morning and I’m hoping this household will resettle itself into a routine.”

Her eyes followed his every movement, stirring his body to life. Wanting Chelsie had become as much a part of him as breathing. Fantasy had been easier. Now he knew the feel of her silken skin gliding beneath him.

She smiled. “Routines are easy to fall into.” She paused. “Now that Alix is asleep, we need to talk.”

“Personally, I can think of other things to do while Alix sleeps.” Too much time had passed and he couldn’t forget the feel of Chelsie in his arms, couldn’t stop the need to have her again.

Her eyes glazed over at his words and he knew she was remembering. The memories of that one night seared his mind, heated his body, and made treating her in a casual, non-lover-like manner damned difficult. Daydreams as potent as his seemed awfully real sometimes, especially those involving Chelsie Russell.

He stepped closer and placed an arm on either side of her shoulders. Her tongue darted over her lips, moistening them until they glistened.

“Talk, Griff. This shouldn’t wait.”

He kissed her mid-sentence, capturing her mouth with his and slipping his tongue through her already parted lips. She raised her hands to his chest in a half-hearted effort to push him away. Her hands lingered, but didn’t move. Her scent surrounded him.

He needed more. He nipped lightly at her lower lip. Her hands grasped his shirt and pulled him closer, until he ended up lying on top of her on the couch.