Rumor Has It Read online

  She shrugged then studied him. “This hits home for you.” She let out a sigh, unlocked her car, and tossed her purse in. “I don’t leave any kids behind, Griffin. I’m sorry that it happened to you. It shouldn’t have.”

  He wasn’t easy to read, he’d made sure of it, and yet she read him like a book.

  “Have you ever tried talking to your dad about it?” she asked.

  “You mean the brick wall?” He blew out a breath and shook his head. “This isn’t why I came here.”

  “Fine. Then let’s talk about why you did come. To make sure I wasn’t secretly devastated about our one night, right? To make sure you haven’t ruined me for all men?”

  He grimaced and shoved his hands through his hair. “Okay, how about we leave it at the fact that I’m a complete idiot and move on.”

  Finally, he’d reached her. Her mouth curved, albeit slightly, but he’d take it. “I’m willing if you’re willing,” she said.

  He nodded and turned to go, but he couldn’t stop himself from stepping in it one last time. “Oh, and online dating is dangerous.”

  “More dangerous than dating, say . . . you?”

  Touché. “We haven’t dated,” he said.

  “True.”

  “We should change that.”

  She actually paused, and he went for it. “Have dinner with me, Kate.”

  “I’ve got a lot to go over in regards to my upcoming parent-teacher conferences . . .”

  He knew a blow-off when he heard one. He’d certainly given enough of them in his life. Studying her for a moment, he said, “You change your mind about me?”

  “No. No,” she said again more firmly. “I really do just have a lot of work.”

  “I could help,” he said in that voice that had gotten him what he wanted more than once. “I’m an excellent . . . debriefer.”

  She gave him a considering look, and as he’d intended, a sense of playfulness came into her gaze. “What would this debriefing involve?” She wanted to know.

  He stepped closer and was gratified to hear her breath catch. “Personal, hands-on techniques come to mind,” he said.

  “Oh,” she breathed, sounding a little short of air and also intrigued.

  He smiled. “We’ll discuss at dinner.”

  “Now?” she asked.

  “Now.”

  * * *

  Halfway out of town, Kate’s cell phone rang. It was Holly. “Hey,” Kate said, going for casual. “What’s up, everything okay?”

  “Depends,” Holly said.

  “On?”

  “You. Are you okay?”

  Kate looked over at Grif, who was driving. “I’m okay.” And excited. And terrified. “Why?”

  “Are we still best friends?” Holly asked.

  “Well, of course!”

  “Then when were you going to tell me you’re on a date?”

  “I just texted you five minutes ago that I’d be out tonight.”

  “With my brother?”

  Kate twisted and looked behind them. “Are you following us?”

  Griffin, much more used to Holly’s tricks, didn’t even glance in the rearview mirror.

  “I’m not following you,” Holly said.

  “Let me guess,” Kate said dryly. “There’s another rumor?”

  “Adam asked Grif to go on a quad ride with him tonight, but Grif said he was busy. Grif’s never too busy for a quad ride. I took a wild guess.”

  She glanced at Griffin. He was driving in his usual Zen-calm zone. Kate didn’t have a Zen-calm zone. “Was I this annoying when you were dating Adam?” she asked Holly.

  “More,” Holly said on a laugh. “Listen, I just want to say that I love you. And take things slow, okay?”

  “I will.” Kate looked at Griffin again. “I’ll take very good care of your brother, but he’s a big boy now, Hol.”

  Holly laughed.

  Griffin slid Kate a long, slow, thoughtful gaze that gave her a hot flash. She hung up with Holly and pocketed her phone.

  “I’m a big boy?”

  Kate thought about just how big and shifted in her seat, earning her another one of those looks, this one accompanied by a low, sexy laugh.

  He drove her into Boise, where they went to a tiny little blues club she’d never been to before. They enjoyed great food, great music, and fantastic wine, and when she curled up with him on a comfy love seat to watch the musicians, kicking off the heels that were killing her feet, Grif pulled her feet onto his lap.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, shocked. Panicked. Her feet were . . . well, not pretty. She’d spent years standing on them all day in classrooms. Not even Ryan would have touched her callused stumps.

  But Griffin wrapped her foot in his big, warm hands and dug his thumbs into her arch.

  She moaned so loud that he grinned and leaned over her to kiss her, probably to shut her up.

  Later he drove her back to her car. When they reached the school, he woke her up, and she was mortified that she fell asleep on him. He unlocked her car for her and nudged her inside.

  “Be careful,” he said, and hooked her seat belt.

  To her surprise, he followed her home. “Is this where we get to the hands-on debriefing?” she teased as he walked her inside.

  He smiled. “You’re too tired for what I have in mind.”

  She was getting less tired by the second. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  “A proper debriefing is . . . intense,” he said. “You need to be on top of your game for that.”

  Her good parts quivered, and she pressed him against the door. “You think I’m off my game?”

  He stroked a hand down her back and palmed her butt in a possessive nature that was shockingly thrilling. “I think you’re exhausted,” he said. “Understandably so.” He patted her butt then and tugged off her sweater. He hung it up on its hook, his thoughtfulness warming her and making her suddenly not so tired. Because for the first time in recent memory, someone was taking care of her. She felt safe. Cared for. Cherished.

  And this was a problem. A big one, given the man making her feel these things. The man she’d originally pulled into her orbit for nothing more than a tryst.

  After all, he was leaving.

  She was leaving.

  And she was in over her head . . .

  As if he sensed her sudden melancholy, he paused. “You okay?”

  She managed a laugh. “I thought guys only asked that question in romance novels.”

  He looked at her for a long moment. “We’ll do just about anything to get what we want, Kate. You should remember that.”

  She sucked in a breath. “What if what you want is the same thing I want?”

  This earned her another steadying gaze. “I don’t think that can be true,” he said.

  “Is that why you haven’t tried to get back in my bed? Because you think I don’t want what you want?”

  “I didn’t want to push you,” he said.

  “I’m not easily pushed.” She put her hand on his chest. “So I’m going to ask again, what if we want the same thing?”

  He stared down at her for what had to be an eternity, during which she let her hand shift a little, gliding from pec to pec.

  “You’re going to get your way on this, aren’t you?” he murmured, voice low and a little husky.

  “I usually do.” She kicked off her shoes. “Don’t try to fight it, Griffin. I’ll be gentle.”

  He moved so that his forehead rested against hers as he slid his hands into her hair, his fingertips against her scalp. “You’re daring me.”

  “Yes,” she said, not opening her eyes, enjoying the bliss caused by his touch. Even without looking, she felt him smile. After a moment he tugged lightly on her hair until she met his gaze.

  “I stayed away to give you time to think,” he said.

  “Thinking’s overrated.”

  This startled a laugh out of him, and she soaked up the sight of his genuine amusement. He was