Maybe even after they caught themselves a killer.
Meg had been putting it off. Now that she was home, she couldn’t wait any longer. “We need to talk, Dirk.” He’d checked the house, then made himself at home as only Dirk could do, rummaging around in her fridge, grabbing himself a beer and cranking off the cap, drinking half the bottle in a few long swallows.
She’d only recently purchased the newer home in Madison Park, but it was perfect for her and Charlie. With four bedrooms, a family room, and three and a half baths, there was plenty of room for a family. The best part was the large fenced backyard, a great place for Charlie to play.
Dirk ambled toward her. “You want to talk, then talk.” He upended the bottle and took another long swallow of beer.
Meg pulled in a slow breath. Just watching him made her wish he would carry her off to bed. He was the hottest guy she’d ever met. More than that, he was sweet and smart, and she was crazy about him.
Meg ignored the soft lump rising in her throat, her gaze still on Dirk. With his colorful tattoos, sexy mustache, and cocky grin, he looked completely out of place in her practical single-family house, where a little boy would soon be playing on the floor with his toys.
It was a tract house, roomy, more expensive than most because of its Madison Park location, fairly ordinary in design. But there was nothing the least bit ordinary about Dirk Reynolds.
“So . . . my mom and dad are coming over later tonight,” she said, forcing out the words. “They’re bringing Charlie home.”
He plopped down on the sofa. “Good. I’ll finally get a chance to meet him.” He looked up. “And your folks.”
Meg shook her head. Just the way he sat there, one of his muscled arms resting on the back of the sofa, made her yearn for him. Made her heart hurt at the thought of losing him.
“As much as I appreciate everything you’ve done to protect and keep me safe, I can’t introduce you. My parents would never approve of me dating a man like you, not when I have a child to think of.”
His lean-muscled body went rigid. He sat forward on the sofa. “A man like me? What the hell’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing! There’s nothing the least bit wrong with you. You just . . . you aren’t the kind of man I need.”
He set his beer bottle down on the coffee table and got up off the couch. “Bullshit. I’m exactly the kind of man you need. I have a job. I work hard. I have money in the bank. I’m not some loser you picked up on the street. I can take care of you as well as any other man.” His gaze slowly raked her, fastened on the swell of cleavage above her pink tank. “Better.”
She ignored the tingling that shot through her body. He had certainly taken care of her in bed.
“I know that. Physically, we’re very . . . compatible. But it has to be more than that. Please don’t make this any harder than it is already.”
He grabbed her hand, pressed it against the fly of his jeans. “I can’t get much harder, Meg. That’s the way I walk around half the time when I’m with you. I can’t get enough of you, honey. I wanted you the first time I saw you. I still do.”
Her throat felt tight. “Don’t you see? Wanting isn’t enough. I’m only going to be modeling for another year, two at the most. By then I’ll have enough money put away so I can stay home and take care of my son full-time, work at something I really want to do. I’ve always wanted to own my own business. I might give that a try.”
“So you’ll own a business. Whatever you do, you’ll do it well. That’s just the way you are. Doesn’t mean we can’t be together.”
Her heart squeezed. She hadn’t realized he would think they could continue. “Maybe not, but once I’m ready to settle down, I’ll be looking for more than just a fling, more than just sex with a man I’m wildly attracted to.”
His hazel eyes sparked with interest. “Wildly attracted? That’s how you feel?” He caught her hand. “Come on, let’s go to bed. You always see things more clearly after you’re relaxed.”
Meg jerked free. “That’s the problem, Dirk Reynolds! You think sex is the answer to everything. Maybe if I didn’t have Charlie, it would be. At least until you got tired of me or . . . or I got tired of you.”
His masculine features tightened. “Is that it? You just wanted a fling and now you’ve had enough?”
“No! You know . . . it . . . it wasn’t that way. But now we’re home and things . . . things are different.”
A muscle clenched in his jaw. “You’re really serious about this. You want us to be over.”
She didn’t want that. She didn’t want it so badly she ached. “It has to be. I have a son. He’s got to be my first priority.”
She saw the moment the barb struck, when he realized she meant every word. He paced away, turned back to face her. “See, that’s the thing you don’t get, Meg. You wouldn’t have to choose between us. You could have both of us in your life. You didn’t have to choose, but you just did.”
Meg’s heart seemed to stop beating.
“Until we’re sure you and the other models are safe, you’re going to need some kind of protection. I’ll put a man out front. You’ll be covered twenty-four seven.”
She started trembling. “I wish . . . I wish it could be different.”
