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Twenty-Eight
JULIUS
“And justwheredo you think you’re going?”
The voice was such a low whisper it was almost a hiss. It stopped me in my tracks on the path from the front door, causing me to whirl around.
Delilah stood there disheveled and smiling, clutching one of the blankets around her. Even just waking up she looked radiantly beautiful.
“Taking a quick ride,” I whispered back. Adding a smile of my own, I raised the two cages until they dangled from the ends of my arms. “Gotta drop off some friends.”
She gasped at the sight of the two big raccoons, one stuck in each trap. Right now they were going crazy, skittering around in tight circles.
“Oh myGod,” she exclaimed, trying to control her excitement. “You actually got them?”
“Some of them, yeah.”
“Where are you taking them?”
“There’s a nature preserve not far from here,” I told her. “50 acres in Cutchogue. Trust me, they’re gonna love it there. Much better than eating the plaster out of our walls.”
I half expected her to protest, or to tell me I couldn’t release them until we’d caught the whole family. Instead she ducked back inside, but not before poking her head out.
“Give me two minutes,” she murmured into the morning silence. “I’ll come with you.”
Though I usually enjoyed mornings alone, I felt a surge of excitement at her offer. There was a part of me that couldn’t get enough of Delilah. Even after last night.
Especially after last night.
Loading the traps into the back of my truck, I started the engine and ran the heat up. True to her word, she was back within two minutes. This time, unfortunately, with clothes on.
Easy, buddy.
I had to temper my excitement as she climbed into the passenger side and pulled on her seatbelt. Up until yesterday, Delilah was the cute live-in Nanny we’d hired to help out with Jace and Courtney. But now, well…
Now things weremuchmore complicated.
“Can we grab coffee on the way?” she asked.
“Unless you want to see my evil, non-caffeinated twin,” I grinned. “Shit yeah we can.”
Delilah chewed a fingernail as she settled back into her seat. “Hmm, I don’t know,” she reasoned. “Evil twin Julius sounds interesting.”
“He’s a monster,” I told her. “Trust me.”
I’d hoped to get rid of the raccoons and return while Delilah was busy with her morning routine, changing and feeding the twins. I desperately needed to speak with Liam. We needed to reconcile what happened. But as we turned out of the driveway and onto the road, all I could think about was her.
“You think the monitor’s really going to wake him up?” she asked with genuine concern. “I mean, I’d hate for the twins to be crying in their cribs.”
“Liam’s a light sleeper,” I said. “He’ll be fine.”
Delilah turned to stare out the window. The morning sun set her caramel brown hair on fire with beautiful, almost blonde highlights.
“Even after last night?”
Holy shit. Talk about being direct! I gripped the steering wheel in silence for a quarter-mile, trying to think of what to say.
“Are we not supposed to talk about last night?” Delilah asked slyly.
