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If he stayed in the family wing, he’d be in her bed by midnight. Tonight.
He checked the clock. Almost nine.
Okay, probably byten,he’d be in her bed, if he was allowed behind those sacred walls. Her uncle Gerald would end up killing him. Not to mention what Ben’s sister would do to him onceshefound out. Nikki was a lot scarier than retired general Gerald Talley. By far.
Ben wouldn’t be able to stay away from Dusty knowing she was that close. “No thanks. I’m not going to be very sociable right now. Just…make sure I have heat and internet. Clean towels occasionally.”
“And a room with a comfortable desk. I know right where to put you,” Marin almost purred.
He just bet she did. Marin Talley could be a bit frightening. A lot frightening actually. Maybe he would do that urban fantasy. And Marin could be the main character’s coven sister or something. That would seriously work.
Of course, she’d have to have a nemesis. Maybe a really big, muscle-bound, dark-haired warrior-type guy who was all logical and rumbly or something? Someone the Marin witch could battle wits and magic with as the stories progressed?
Ben could even include a food fight scene of some sort. That would be fitting.
Marin excused herself. and it was just him, and Dusty, and that damned guest who apparently still wanted to linger.
Ben gave the man a glare. It was time the dude got lost. He looked at Dusty next. “I am going to grab something in the dining room after I get settled in. Can you eat with me, so I don’t look like an antisocial stalker?”
You know, just like that guy there and everything.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m on desk duty. Maybe next time.”
Sure. “I live in eternal hope you’ll one day see I’m not a total jackass, you know. Then we’ll get married and ride off into the sunset and have six Talley-Tylers of our own.”
“On what horses?”
“We’ll borrow Big Bubba and Angel from Gil and Sage. I know you like her.”
“That I do. But she adores Sage now.” Dusty shot him a tired smile. His poor little demoness—she worked too hard sometimes. Ben almost told her that—again—but she got snippy whenever he mentioned that lately. “They are seriously cute together, by the way.”
“Yep. That they are. Christmas can’t come for them fast enough, either.” Well, the Christmas wedding anyway. Gil and Sage had said before—they weren’t going to waste time waiting. Life was too short for that. Since they’d both recently almost died—Sage had almost diedthree timesin the last year—they knew what they were talking about.
Life was short. No regrets. Ben tried to remember that, too.
“I heard they’d set the date today.” Dusty handed him his key card. “I put you on the third floor, 308, the last room on the hall before the family wing. I’ll try to keep the rooms across and next to you empty if I can, okay?”
“I’d appreciate it. Although I’ll probably have on headphones some of the time. It helps focus.” Ben leaned over the counter as he signed the slip. He couldn’t help it. She just looked so perfect there. His demoness was luring him in. “Now, give me a kiss, baby girl, pat me on the tush, and send me on my way. Then you can tell Nik you tucked me in, and I’m being a good boy, and she should leave me alone for at least the next week, and not to get into too much trouble, as Fletch and Gil are in Texas and I’m on a deadline. Unless Hunter is back to wrangle her. He’s almost halfway good at it now, at least. I warned him what he was getting into, but he didn’t listen.”
“You really are a butthead.” But she laughed, and some of the clouds in her eyes faded. That was all he wanted. Dusty to be happy forever. Or as much as anyone could be. Well, that and for Demoness Dusty to stop tormenting him when he was trying to work. He had deadlines, after all. “No wonder you drive Nikki insane.”
“I do my best.” His stomach growled, reminding him of his first priority tonight. “Now. Checking in, hitting the room. Then food. Then…I have thousands of words to write tonight. Quit distracting me, woman. I know you’re doing it on purpose.”
She thought he was joking. Well, he would keep the fact that he wasn’t to himself for tonight.
Life was safer that way.
15
Wayne was sweating.Figuratively and literally. He'd tried to get into Preston's place. But there had been at least one of Preston's girls there at all times. Pretty girls, sweet, hardworking—nothing at all like their father or brothers. Girls Wayne didn’t want tohurt.
And that kid. Wayne wasn't going to do something stupid and risk hurting one of those girls. Or that little boy.
Hell, the eldest had been friends with Wayne's middle daughter up until Wayne and Linda had moved the girls away ten years ago. She’d been his girl’s closest friend back then, when his girl was going through an incredibly hard time fighting that eating disorder that had nearly blindsided them all. Preston’s girl had gotten Wayne’s daughter through.
That deserved loyalty.
That was not something he could easily forget.He’d practically known Morris Preston’s girls from the day they’d been born.
