“And to see for myself the woman who gave birth to Tyler’s son.” Luc glanced at Seth. “Yep, dead ringer. But he’s cuter than you, Tyler. Since you’re not working for Alyssa anymore and clearly have your hands full, does this mean that you’ll finally stop hitting on my wife?”
Del’s gaze zipped across the room to Alyssa. Instant jealousy bubbled in her gut. She tamped it down. Tyler wasn’t hers, never had been, and this gorgeous blonde was absolutely his type. Tight dress, fuck-me mouth, stunningly gorgeous. Del felt ridiculously inadequate—as if she needed any help in that department. Right now, she felt every minute of the two years since she’d last had sex. Somehow, being mommy had allowed her to push aside that sexual part of herself. At the moment, she felt as sexless as cardboard.
Alyssa slapped Luc’s arm. “Would you stop causing trouble and cook?”
He shrugged and turned to the refrigerator. “Anything you don’t like, Delaney? That’s your name, right?”
“Y-yes. You don’t have to do this. I’m honored, really. But I’ll be fine.”
“You last ate when?” Tyler cut in right beside her.
When had he inched that close?
“I’m said I’m fine.”
“That wasn’t the question, angel.” Tyler’s voice was soft but firm. She knew when he put his unyielding hat on, and this was one of those times. A meal wasn’t worth an argument, especially when she needed it.
“Yesterday at lunch. I split a sandwich with Seth.”
Everyone stared at her like she’d grown two heads. Suddenly, Kata rushed to pull out a chair from the table in the eat-in kitchen. Tyler shoved her into it. Alyssa pressed a water bottle into her hands, along with a hunk of cheese.
Del stopped arguing and ate it gratefully. If she was going to fight off Carlson, she’d need her strength.
“I don’t like bell peppers,” she told Luc. “I’m allergic to shellfish.”
“She also hates mustard and pickles,” Tyler added, staring straight at her. “Coffee with creamer only. Lightly toast everything. She has a real thing for strawberries.”
His knowledge of her was intimate, and his direct green gaze challenged her to remember exactly how well he knew her. It was just food, but somehow Delaney felt as if he’d opened her up again. She dropped her gaze to the slate tile beneath her feet, feeling her face heat up.
Suddenly, the chair to her left scraped against the flooring, and she looked up to find Jack plopping down beside her. “Go with Tyler. We’ll watch Seth. Between Deke, Luc, and I, he’ll be completely safe. We’ll also do whatever investigating we can from here to support you. Tara over there is a whiz of an analyst. Come back to your son in one piece.”
When Jack said it, the suggestion sounded reasonable . . . right up to the part where she had to leave her little boy with people she didn’t really know. They seemed nice enough—but seemed wasn’t good enough for her. Only Tyler had a really vested interest in Seth’s future and continued well-being.
Before she could answer, Luc set an omelet in front of her, filled with chunks of ham, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. He’d drizzled a light cheese sauce that smelled over-the-top heavenly. A piece of wheat bread, lightly toasted, and a handful of fresh strawberries sat to the side, along with a cup of creamed coffee. She now had a meal made by the Luc Traverson. Surreal . . .
Del inhaled deeply and almost fainted in bliss as she dug in. “Thank you so much.”
He looked at her with a kind smile that only made him more gorgeous. Alyssa was one lucky woman. “You’re welcome. It would have been better, but . . .” He turned to Tyler. “Go to the grocery store and stock up. You eat like a five-year-old.”
“Hey, I had fresh fruits and vegetables. Sorry I don’t keep foie gras and caviar for you, Your Highness.”
Okay, so no love lost there. Yet . . . when Tyler needed help, Luc had come. They all had. Again, she was amazed by the incredible sense of family he had among all these people. Yes, they’d rushed over to gawk at her and Seth, but they’d stayed to help. God, she wished she had even half the support system he did, and she realized how much she’d closed herself off from everyone after Tyler had gone, after her divorce. Del shook her head as she moaned around another bite. She’d rectify these deficits in her life after this crap with Carlson was over.
Seth toddled over to her and plopped at her feet with one of his toys. Little Caleb followed, then Chloe wanted down to join in the fun. Del gnawed on her lower lip, then took her last bite of food. Seth missed his preschool, his friends. He was cranky without his routine, his naps, his fun time. Guilt pounded her. For the millionth time, she wished she could make all this go away for him. For them.
And none of these thoughts did her a damn bit of good.
After wiping her mouth with her napkin, she set it down. “I’m stuffed. Thank you, Mr. Traverson.”
“Luc,” he corrected. Then the chef looked at his wife. “Ready to head home?”
Alyssa nodded, and within moments, they were gone. Tara and Kata left directly behind them with a friendly wave and air kisses for Seth, followed by Deke and Kimber. Jack and Morgan loitered for a moment.
“Deke and I will be around later to discuss our plan of action. We’re going to help you. And you need to trust that Tyler is going to do everything to fix your problem. Listen to him; he knows what he’s doing.”
That sounded an awful lot like an order. Given his profession, it wasn’t a stretch to guess that he’d either been military or law enforcement in the past. But she didn’t work for him, and she wasn’t about to just fall in line with his plans. She had the solution worked out in her head—one that didn’t risk both of Seth’s parents and leave him with strangers.
“Thank you for your opinion, but this is my son and my life. I have to think about it.”
“We understand.” Morgan patted Tyler’s arm. “You’ve got a tough cookie there. Good luck.”
With that, the couple departed, leaving her alone with Tyler, who sent her an unfathomable stare. His cop stare. God, she hated it when she couldn’t read him.
Seth’s childish noises faded to the background. The air turned thick. Crap, why was her heart beating faster?
Tyler leaned over her, bracing his hands on the back of her chair and crowding his way into her personal space. His ridged abdomen, apparent through his tight T-shirt, was right in her line of vision. She didn’t dare drop her gaze lower to see if she had any effect on him. She wanted to . . . Instead, she tipped her head back to glare up at him.
“So, angel . . . let’s talk about how this is going to go.”