Snapping around, Delaney spied a plate on the counter. Sure enough, steaming eggs and toast sat beside the stove. Seth saw, too—and lunged.
The platinum knockout caught him before he squirmed headfirst out of Del’s grasp. She scooped him right up against her chest and took him over to the eggs, calling over her shoulder, “I’m Alyssa, Tyler’s boss. I’ve got a little girl just about the same age as your boy. I probably won’t have more children, so I’d love the opportunity to spoil your son. Come on, Tara. Grab a spoon.” She tickled Seth’s cheek. “You hungry?”
“Wait!” Del reached for Seth. “I’ll do that. He’s—”
“No need,” Tara chimed back, then giggled. “Gosh, Tyler. He looks so much like you. Except I actually like him.”
“Funny.” Tyler rolled his eyes. “You’ve met Alyssa and Tara over there.” He pointed at the two women fussing over Seth—who looked to be eating it up, along with the eggs. “This is Kata, Kimber, and Morgan.”
After nodding a greeting, Kata, the Latina brunette, took out her phone and started texting. Kimber, the auburn beauty next to her, got the same idea and whipped out her cell, too.
“Hold up there, girls. C’mon . . . Don’t do this.”
They both looked up with big Cheshire cat grins. Kimber tapped out a few more keys, then hit send. “That should have Deke here in . . .” She glanced at her watch. “About five minutes. Less, if there’s no traffic.”
“Oh, good. He’ll tell Jack for me.” Morgan, the pregnant redhead, smiled. “I need to recharge my phone.”
“I’m sure Deke will be happy to tell Jack,” Tyler drawled. “Isn’t that great?”
He said it sarcastically but looked relatively pleased. Del didn’t know who Deke or Jack were, but she got the quick idea that, despite his protests, Tyler had orchestrated this scene for some reason.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. “Who are these men you’re talking about?”
“Just my friends, who will hopefully come collect their wives so that we can talk privately.”
“My husband isn’t coming for me until the navy gives him leave again in a few months. I can stay.” Kata grinned.
“I’m in the same boat,” Tara added, nodding.
“But Hunter and Logan did give you a place to stay until they returned home. Do you need help remembering where it is?”
Though the women looked completely different, they wore identical pouts. “We’re trying to be helpful.”
“You’re trying to cause trouble.” Tyler turned to Del. “They’re married to the Edgington brothers. Navy SEALs . . . who will spank both your asses red when I tell them what pains in my ass you’ve been.”
“That’s it. I’m bringing over New Moon and Eclipse,” Kata insisted. “I’m tying you to a chair and forcing you to watch them. Hunter has taught me some interesting knots.”
What kind of people were they, openly discussing spanking and bondage? She sent Tyler a questioning glance. He just smiled in a way that didn’t give her any comfort.
A moment later, a booming growl sounded from the front part of the house. “What the hell is going on?”
A big hulk of a blond man bounded into the kitchen, holding a little boy just a bit older than Seth very comfortably in one beefy arm. Lord, at nearly thirty pounds, lugging her baby around took a lot of her strength. Yet this man didn’t seem to require any effort to cradle his son, a veritable mini-me of the man himself.
“Check this out, Deke.” Kimber sent a meaningful glance at Seth, still being fed and cooed by Alyssa and Tara.
The big, blond man’s gaze followed Kimber’s, then his jaw dropped. “Holy shit! Um . . . shoot.”
Tyler crossed his arms over his chest, looking more pleased by the second. What was up with that?
“He looks just like you, man.” Deke motioned to Seth.
“The way our son looks like you?” Kimber rushed over to pick up the boy in Deke’s arms. “Hi, Caleb. Miss Mommy? I missed you.”
The little boy just smiled at the gorgeous woman, then giggled when she lifted his little race-car T-shirt and kissed his belly.
“Well, isn’t this an interesting turn of events?” came a voice from the doorway.
Del whipped around to face another man who’d sauntered into the room and propped himself against the wall. Dark hair, equally dark eyes, a serious sense of leashed power. He wasn’t someone to fuck with. She got that instantly.
“Isn’t it, Jack?” Tyler agreed.
“Can’t wait to hear these details.”
She didn’t know who all these nosy strangers in Tyler’s business were, but she didn’t like the feeling that he suddenly had a whole team of people on his side—a virtual family at his back—while she had no one. As usual.
Since the whole room seemed focused on Jack, as if waiting for a cue, she decided to nip this in the bud now.
“I’m Delaney Catalano.” She approached Jack with hand outstretched. “The boy is my son, Seth. It’s great to meet you. I really have to talk to Tyler privately. Not to be rude, but would you mind leaving and taking everyone with you?”
Jack took her hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, too. Tyler, you good here?”
Tyler sent her an unreadable gaze. “Maybe you could hang here for just a minute.”
“No sweat.” Jack approached the pregnant redhead, dropped a kiss on her forehead as he stroked her little baby bump. “How are my two favorite people today?”
Their mutual love and devotion was so painfully obvious, even ten feet away. Envy lashed through Del, and she looked away. So many times as her body had been expanding and changing during her pregnancy, she’d wished for Tyler’s comfort. Some sense of his approval or caring. Instead, she’d been lugging boxes, wading into depressing divorce decrees . . . It had all turned out for the best, but welcoming a new life into hers should have been a happy time. Without Tyler, it had been bittersweet.
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Deke demanded. “Y’all texted me for a reason.”
Every eye in the room turned to her. Every face held an expectant expression. Delaney sighed. They weren’t going to leave, and this was some kind of gang-up-on-the-stranger thing. Fine.
“I have a dirtbag in L.A. trying to kill me. Really, the fewer people who know this the better, but since you’re all standing here, waiting for me to spill my junk, there it is.”
Jack raised a brow, then glanced at Tyler. “Did you bring us here so she could hire us?”
Del frowned. “For what?”
“Jack and Deke are in the personal protection business, angel. And they’re the best.”
With a shrug, Jack drawled, “You’re no slouch, either. The job offer is still open.”
Deke shook his head. “He’s been too busy enjoying the . . . benefits of working for Alyssa too much for that. The scenery at a strip club is way better.”
Figures. Del shook her head. She already knew Tyler had a long string of strippers on his beck-and-booty-call list. It didn’t bother her, really. Well, not much. Besides, now that she had stretch marks and her clothes often smelled like baby vomit, there was no way she could compete, even if she wanted to.
Tyler shrugged. “I might finally take you up on that offer, Jack.”
The entire room froze. Apparently, this was big news. Whatever. She had herself and Seth to think about.
“Yeah?” Jack nodded. “When?”
“Now is good.”
Del approached Jack. “Look, if you’re in the personal protection business and done with your HR functions for the day, I might be interested in hiring you. I can’t get my hands on my money until the guy trying to kill me is behind bars, but—”
“Stop.” Jack’s voice snapped with command. Then, with a deep breath, he eased his shoulders back, expanded his chest. He seemed to grow six inches in two seconds. His demeanor completely changed. Any hint of affable was gone.
Automatically, Del obeyed, closing her mouth. Then she frowned.
“That’s not fair, my love,” Morgan murmured. “Using that voice on her . . . It’s mine.”
“And you’ll stay out of this, or you’ll hear lots of that voice later. If not, as soon as this pregnancy is over, I have a new single tail with your name on it.”
Morgan shivered and gave him a secretive smile.
Del didn’t know exactly what a single tail was, but she was getting an idea. And Morgan seemed completely happy. Who the hell were Tyler’s friends these days?
“Look, Mister . . .” What the hell was his last name?
“Cole,” he supplied.
“With all due respect, I don’t have time to stop. This man almost killed me and my son three days ago. I’m leaving him here with Tyler for safekeeping. I’d prefer to come home to Seth in one piece, and I could use your help doing it.”
Jack glanced at Deke. They both turned to Tyler, who said nothing, but she sensed lots of silent communication.
“Look, I get that you’ve got your man code or whatever, but I’d like to be a client. If you can’t take the job, please refer me to someone who can.” She heaved a frustrated sigh. “I don’t mean to be bitchy, but it’s been a terrible few days.”
“Clients by referral only. There’s no one I can credibly recommend to you in Los Angeles. With my wife pregnant, I’m not leaving town. Deke has his hands full with his family and existing caseload. However, our newest associate would be happy to help.” Jack gestured to Tyler.
Damn it! That was Tyler’s game, setting himself up to be her safety net.
Del shook her head. “He’s staying here with Seth.”
“You know, your son looks like he’s in really good hands.” Jack nodded toward Alyssa and Tara fussing over Seth. Kimber had joined in, while Kata dug through the diaper bag and picked out some of his toys, to his squealing delight.
“I’m not leaving him with strangers.” Even the thought made Del’s heart stop.
“No one will ever suspect that the boy staying with Jack or Deke is Seth,” Tyler pointed out. “My friends would protect him with their lives, and you know I don’t say that lightly.”
He didn’t, but that hardly meant that she was leaving her little man with people she’d met ten minutes ago, especially when one was talking openly about whipping his wife. But Tyler could be stubborn as the day was long. The best way to deal with him wasn’t to go through him, but around.
“I’ll think about it.”
Tyler grabbed her shoulders. “Will you? Really?”
His touch was a shock. The feel of his fingers wrapped around her arms buzzed across her skin, singed through her body—made her remember that night she needed to forget. She shrugged out of his grip. “I said I would. Leave it.”
He looked unsettled that she wouldn’t allow his touch. No, pissed off. God, she didn’t have the time or patience for this game that being near him played with her head. That part of her life was done, gone. She had to focus on taking down Carlson and keeping Seth alive. She and Tyler would work out his parental rights afterward.
“Did someone say there’s a hungry woman here who needs to be fed?” Yet another voice rang out from the direction of the front door. It slammed a moment later.
Alyssa made a beeline for the arched opening to the kitchen and met a gorgeous man with hair like midnight silk hanging around his shoulders. “Hi, honey.”
“Sugar . . .” He pressed a quick, demanding kiss on her mouth, hugging a beautiful blonde baby girl against his side, her wide blue eyes and curly, pale hair a soft riot framing a pouty little bow of a mouth.
Holding out her arms to the baby, Alyssa pulled the girl against her chest. “How’s my little Chloe? You have a good day with Daddy?”
Then the man raised his face and glanced across the room at her. Oh, wow. Was that really . . . “Luc Traverson?”
When she choked out the question, everyone laughed.
He rolled gorgeous dark eyes, then regarded her with a blinding smile. “Yes, ma’am. I got a text that you’re hungry?”
So he’d come over here to cook food? For her? Del turned to Tyler. “He’s married to your boss?”
“Ex-boss, thank you very much,” Jack clarified.
Tyler nodded. “Ex-boss, yes.”
“And who sent him here?” Del asked. Was this real?
“Jack might have mentioned it when he called earlier, since I ignored the text from Tyler.” Luc slung an arm around the svelte, sexy Alyssa.
“So you just . . . came over to cook for me?” That astounded Del. A world-class chef with a growing TV and cookbook empire dropping everything to cook for a stranger?