Eve Langlais (2 page)

The neighborhood he lived in rested quietly at this time of the night—sweet suburbia as his neighbor, Bob, liked to call it. The houses gaped darkly as their occupants slept. His gaze flickered to the houses on either side of his own. Always best to be cautious in case the hunter became the hunted, but he found nothing out of place.

No, hold on a moment, something had changed. The For Sale sign that had adorned the house next door to him for the last three months had disappeared.
Damn, new neighbors
. Hopefully they weren’t as annoying as the last ones. Annoying college boys partying all the time. Revving his Harley at six o’clock in the morning after one of the boys’ late nighters and a
friendly
conversation had convinced them to relocate elsewhere.

He’d helped the previous owner clean and repaint the place so she could put it up for sale. Hey, she was sixty-five years old, and she’d said please. He’d kill any man who accused him of going soft. Besides, she’d paid him. Hunting Realm escapees sounded great in theory, but the pay left a lot to be desired.

The smell of his burger made him salivate, so he quickly checked his door for signs of tampering before entering. After a routine check of the house—he still didn’t quite trust house alarms—he finally went to sleep, after eating the two double burgers, fry and milkshake of course.

He awoke to screaming. Instantly, the hunter came alert and rolled off his bed, grabbing his gun—a modern concession—from under his pillow. Crouching, he sidled up to his window, which faced the back yard. Nothing in sight.

The scream came again along with the dreaded words, “Eeeee! Goblins! No! No! Don’t hurt me!”

How did the border patrol miss them approaching the boundary?

Without thinking, instinct taking over, the hunter ripped up his window sash and dove into the yard.

He ran in a half crouch to the fence, gun tucked into his waistband. He grabbed the top of the fence and vaulted over it. His body immediately went into a tuck and he landed with a roll on the dewy grass, springing up, gun in hand, eyes scanning for the troublesome creatures.

No slimy green goblins awaited him. Instead, he stared in shock at three pairs of bright brown, very human, eyes. Their expressions were comically identical with their mouths wide open in an
O
of surprise.

Uh-oh.

4

Suzie and her kids stared in stunned silence at the stranger who had vaulted into their new yard holding a gun.

What a sight!

A half dressed, blond Adonis with moves she’d never seen outside of a movie was standing so close she could almost touch the smooth, lightly tanned skin rippling with muscle. Not that she had an urge to. Nope, being single suited her just fine, and she intended to stay that way.

Gathering her two children in her arms, she sat up and stared at the stranger who hastily stuffed his gun in his pants—no pun intended—and backed away with his hands up. His wide eyes had a panicked look to them, and his cheeks flushed.

Oh my God, he’s embarrassed.
Suzie held in an urge to giggle. Anyone in their right mind should have been scared, but Suzie found herself more intrigued by the man who’d vaulted over her fence.

Apparently, she and the kids weren’t what he’d expected find.

“Sorry,” he said, his deep baritone making her shiver. A velvety voice, like the kind heard on the radio when you were awake in the wee hours of morning. “I just woke up and heard screaming, and . . .”

Trust Jared to be the first to talk. “Loo, mommy. Da man hath a gun. Ith he a po-wice man?” he lisped adorably.

“Mine!” piped in Jessica, his twin. Did she mean the gun or the man? Knowing Jessica, both.

“What? Um” The stranger backed up toward the fence he’d flown over, his look of confusion finally making the giggles Suzie had been holding in burst forth. Tempted as she was to let him stutter a little bit more—after all, he’d scared them first—she kind of felt sorry for him, and knowing her two little angels, they’d make him regret his actions with a million questions. Time to save him.

“Hi, we’re your new neighbors,” Suzie said cheerily, getting up and brushing the grass and dirt off her scuffed, holey jeans. Nothing like meeting a hunk in your sexiest stay at home, cleaning clothes. Her always perfectly groomed mother would have been appalled.

Suzie held out her hand, and with a bemused look on his face, her fence vaulter thrust out his to shake it. His large hand engulfed hers—and yes, he had matching big feet. The warmth of his calloused skin grasping hers made her tummy turn over and a tingle race through her body.
I must be coming down
with something. The flu or some other virus because I am not attracted to him.

“I’m Suzie, and these two little monsters posing as my children are Jared and Jessica,” Suzie said.

“Hi,” said the twins in tandem, grinning at the stranger.

“Hello,” he said, then seeing their expectant faces, “I’m Hunter.”

Suzie almost giggled again. What an apt name though. With a body like his, if he wasn’t the predator, then hunter would certainly be the next best choice. Okay, so she’d looked. After all, it wasn’t every day that a total babe almost landed in her lap wearing low-hipped track pants and no shirt to hide the flattest stomach and most deliciously muscled arms ever. However, that’s all she’d be doing—looking. No touching. Definitely no touching. But God, those clear, bright blue eyes and sun streaked, golden tousled hair almost made her change her mind.

“Sorry if we bothered you,” she said. “We’ve been cleaning all morning, and the twins needed to let off some steam.”

“It is I who must apologize for my irregular behavior. I assure you it will not happen again,” he said, shrugging sheepishly.

Jared tugged on her hand so she looked down.

“Is he a po-wice man, mommy?” he said in a loud whisper that sprayed.

Good question
. Suzie looked at the stranger. Good looks aside, why had he dived into their yard with a gun?

5

“No, I’m not a policeman. Although, I do work with them occasionally. I’m a private investigator,”

he answered.

Wow a real PI.
Suzie’s eyes widened, and in spite of her vow to stay celibate, her libido woke up and yawned with interest.
Go back to sleep,
she told her awakening body.
I swore off men, remember?

“Whassa priva gator?” lisped Jessica, her wide eyes shining as she gazed in—
uh-oh
—adoration at Hunter.

To her surprise, he answered Jessica, crouching down to her eye level. “I find people who are lost and things that are missing,” he said seriously.

Jessica cocked her head as if in thought. “Can you fin’ ma baby?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” said Suzie, crouching down too to look her daughter. “I told you, she’s in one of the boxes. We’ll find her soon, I’m sure.”

Jessica hung her head and said, “Okay” in her saddest little voice, lower lip trembling. Suzie held back a sigh at Jessica, her naturally born actress and drama queen.

Hunter was new to Jessica’s ploys, though. “How about I give you a hand and help you unpack and find her?”

What?
Suzie opened her mouth, but it was too late.

Jessica beamed up at Hunter. “Fank you.”

“Hey, me too,” piped in Jared. With twins, everything went in pairs.

“Did you lose something too?” Hunter asked Jared.

Jared’s head bobbed. “Ma dinothaur, an’ my car, an’ my thord, an . . .”

“Well, why don’t you both go choose a box to unpack, and your mother and I will be inside in a moment to help?”

Oh, we will, will we?
Suzie thought, annoyed at his assumption.

The children ran off with a squeal, their three-year-old legs pumping. If she could only bottle that energy, she’d be rich.

Suzie waited till they were in the house. “You don’t have to stay. We’ll find the stuff. It’s in there somewhere.”

“I’m sorry. I guess your husband must be inside unpacking.”

“What? Oh, no husband. Just me and the twins.” She shook her head vehemently. No, that rotten bastard, whom she thankfully had never married, was long gone, and good riddance.

“Well then, let me give you some aid. I’m not expected to start any new cases for a few days. You could consider it my welcome gift.”

“Okay,” said Suzie, still somewhat surprised at the offer. Surely, he had better things to do.
Maybe
he’s got an ulterior motive,
her paranoid mind retorted.
He could be an axe murderer, or rapist or. . . just a nice guy.

“I will return in a moment after I’ve changed into more suitable attire.”

Suzie felt like saying,
don’t bother
. She could stare at those abs all day.
Hey, looking is not touching
.

Although, she bet he felt good to the touch, too. Suzie chided herself for her naughty thoughts, but still watched in fascination as he jogged and vaulted back over the fence. God, the way his muscles rippled when he moved. . . It made her feel a heat she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Mommy,” wailed Jessica. “Jar-Jar ma’e a mess.”

“No’ me,” yelled Jared.

“Coming,” sighed Suzie. Who needed a cold shower when you had two very active three-year-olds?

* * * *

What the hell happened out there?

Hunter shook his head and pinched himself. Nope, definitely awake. So how, by all the powers, had he found himself volunteering to help a stranger and her two kids unpack? Although, with looks like 6

hers, hopefully they wouldn’t be strangers for long. Even in a ponytail, he could tell she had thick, long, dark hair framing a creamy complexion, drawing attention to her full lips. And her body—nice and curvy with a full bosom. He’d always liked a woman with curves. Skinny women caused bruises. Nope, he liked them full hipped with a nice handful. . .

Woah
. Not a good idea to get involved with the neighbors, even a sexy one.
Think with your head
, he admonished himself,
not with your groin
.

Okay, but he had promised he’d be over to help, and he always kept a promise, no matter what sanity—

or drunken—level he’d been at when making it. He changed into a scruffy pair of blue jeans and a well washed T-shirt with a Harley on the front then vaulted back over the fence to get this over with.

* * * *

When he tapped on the sliding glass door leading to the back yard, Suzie jumped. She hadn’t really been sure he’d come back. A part of her wished she’d cleaned herself up a bit, but she’d restrained herself. After all, she didn’t care what he thought of her looks. She had no need to impress him since she had no intention of trying to attract his attention. But she still couldn’t help the hand that fluttered up and tucked a loose strand of hair back.

“Come in,” she shouted, staying on her knees to mop up the rest of the juice that Jared had spilled.

Three years old, such a wonderful age—old enough to kind of know how to do things for themselves, but still too clumsy to do it neatly. All children should come supplied with a robot maid, one with a vacuum attachment in one hand and a rag in the other.

Hunter no sooner stepped inside than two whirlwinds materialized and threw themselves at him.

Looked like her little angels had themselves a new hero.

“Hunta! Hunta!” screeched Jessica, hugging his leg.

Jared, being a boy, hung back and showed off his ninja turtle moves. “Hi-ya,” he exclaimed, thrusting out a chubby fist.

Poor Hunter had that dazed look on his face again. Well, he’d volunteered. He’d think twice before he did that again.

“Hey, ankle biters, tone it down. You’re going to make him go deaf.”

The children, rebuked, calmed down for all of about three seconds.

“See my woom,” said Jessica, tugging on Hunter’s hand and dragging him through the kitchen while Jared kept up a mostly incomprehensible chatter alongside them.

When he turned to look at her helplessly, Suzie shrugged and smiled. She watched, with way more interest than necessary, the wiggle of his ass in his tight jeans as he walked stiffly into the other room.

She’d deemed looking okay. It was the touching she had to stay away from.

Wiping up the last of the mess, she stood and rinsed her rag in the sink. Looking up, she paused to admire the view of her very first backyard from the window over the sink. She’d been so excited when they’d found this place. Well within her budget, a nice neighborhood for the twins, and best of all, no one knew where she’d disappeared to, so there was no way
he
could find them. With an unlisted phone, a mailbox in town, and no credit cards, she’d done everything she could to ensure they stayed hidden.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

It seemed awfully quiet in the other room. As any parent will tell you, that’s not a good sign with kids. Silence meant pictures drawn in pen on the walls, several rolls of toilet paper shoved down the toilet with water rising, climbing of furniture in preparation for flight. . .

Preparing for disaster, Suzie walked into the other room and stopped dead at the scene. The silence hadn’t been due to Hunter being duct-taped to a chair by the children. No, it was even more shocking.

He’d managed to actually get the children to help him unpack, and they were doing it willingly!

How the hell did he pull that one off?

7

Hunter had opened one of the boxes on the living room floor. Pulling out objects, he handed items to the twins one at a time with a serious nod. The children solemnly nodded back, and then with a grin, scampered off to various parts of the house to deposit their item.

Hunter flashed her a white smile—with teeth like that he could be a poster child for Colgate. Suzie felt her tummy tingling in response.

“You have very nice children.”

“Yes, they can be adorable when they want to,” she said, wondering if she’d entered an alternate dimension.

“Looks like the movers just deposited everything into this room. Perhaps you could tell me where you want the boxes, and I’ll move them to make it easier to unpack,” he said, gesturing to the cardboard towers.