“You really believe that you’re utterly charming, don’t you? I’m not wearing a dress. It’s my dress-up knife. So sorry. Let me know what you want in the way of accessories next time and I’ll try to accommodate you.” She turned her head. “We’re about to have company. I’m putting my toys away now. I don’t share well with others.”
“You don’ do much of anything well with others,” he observed.
A slow, heated smile curved her soft mouth. Her gaze drifted up and down his body in deliberate inspection. “There are a few things I do well with others,” she corrected, “depending on who that other happens to be.”
He groaned softly. “That’s just not right.”
She bent over to shove the long blade down into her boot scabbard. The action sent his heart racing. He found himself staring at the smooth line of her jeans curving over her bottom, As she straightened, she caught him staring and shook her head. “You need help.”
“Don’ I know it, sugah.”
She lowered her voice to a mere wisp of sound. “Does your grandmother know she raised such a perv?”
Knives were the least of her weapons. She was a fighter, well-versed in martial arts and more than that, her voice alone was a devastating weapon should all else fail. Gator stayed close to her. “I’m only a perv when I’m around you.” He swept his hand down her back, more to touch her than to frisk for additional weapons, but he felt the thin scabbard between her shoulder blades.
She merely raised an eyebrow. “Find what you were looking for?”
His hand continued the sweep, molding the curve of her bottom almost lovingly. “You’re wearing one of those sexy little thongs, aren’t you?” He whispered the question as his grandmother, Wyatt, and Ian entered the house and started down the long hall toward the kitchen.
She leaned into his shoulder and turned her face up to his until their lips were a breath apart. “Am I?”
Heat shot through his body, blood pounded in his veins straight to his aching, thickening groin. He had to stop touching her. The alternative was unthinkable, not with his grandmother coming through the doorway with a welcoming smile on her face. He nearly groaned, catching the back of Flame’s shirt to hold her in front of him.
“That’s just so not fair,” he said.
Her soft laughter taunted him, teased his senses as she deliberately moved back until her bottom rubbed up against him, a mere brush, but it was enough to send a jolt through his entire body.
“How wonderful to see you again,” Nonny greeted. She reached out and tucked her hand in the crook of Flame’s arm. “Let’s sit in the parlor, cher, and get to know one another. Raoul, you can bring the tea in.”
“I’m sorry I was so late getting here, Mrs. Fontenot,” Flame apologized. “It was unavoidable.”
Nonny patted her hand. “Thas’ just fine, no worries,” she assured. “I understand you’re staying with Burrell on his houseboat. He’s a good friend of mine, child.”
“That’s what he said.” Flame cast Gator a smoldering look over her shoulder promising retaliation. She knew he’d really put a homing device on the airboat, that he’d already checked up on her. “He’s a wonderful man.”
Gator sent her his quick, easy grin, balancing the tea tray easily in one hand as he trailed after them.
Nonny sank down onto the couch and patted the seat beside her. “Sit here, cher, and tell me all about your family.”
“My family?” Flame echoed, a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to lie to this old lady the way she lied to everyone else. Why hadn’t she considered that it would be the first thing the woman asked her? Nonny Fontenot was all about family. She was concerned for her grandson and wanting Flame to be the mother of his future children.
Gator watched the color fade from Flame’s cheeks. She glanced up at him almost helplessly and his heart turned over. She actually pressed backward into the pillows of the couch as if to get away from the question. “Flame’s an orphan, Grand-mere. No blood relatives.”
Nonny clucked her sympathy. “That don’ matter, cher. When you marry Gator, you’ll have all kinds of family. More family than you know what to do with.” She patted Flame’s hand again, more of a stroking than a pat.
Flame had a foolish desire to cover the back of her hand with her palm, to hold that small gesture against her skin and take it out later to feel it all over again when she was alone. She flashed Gator a look of anger. How could he have betrayed his family for Whitney? She wanted to slap his face. Wake him up. Shake him. This wonderful, sincere woman loved him and surrounded herself with his pictures and drawings. She’d probably fixed him chicken soup and read him stories when he was sick.
“How long have you known Burrell?” She needed a food, safe topic.
Nonny gestured to her to pour the tea. “Oh, a lifetime. We both grew up in this parish. He was so handsome and smart, but the river claimed him. All he wanted to do was travel the Mississippi. Of course he came to every fais do-do when he wasn’t on the river and all the ladies wanted to daance with him.”
Gator made a sound of pure shock. Nonny quelled him with a stem look. “I’m not dead, Raoul, just old. Of course I noticed how handsome Burrell was. He brought me flowers every couple of months after Rene died. Sometimes he’d come over and we’d sit a spell on the porch and smoke his pipe. He’s the only man I ever smoked a pipe with.”
“I love the smell of his pipe,” Flame admitted. “I tell him smoking is bad for him, but I do inhale a lot when I’m around his pipe.”
“In your delicate condition,” Gator said, “do you mink you should be inhalin’ cher?”
The teacup rattled on the saucer as Flame handed the cup to Nonny. She gave Gator a swift, scowling reprimand, but he simply grinned at her. “I do hope you have pictures of Raoul when he was a boy. I’d love to see what he was like. I imagine he was curly-headed and strong-willed.”
Nonny nearly clapped her hands. “He still has that wonderful head of hair.” She raised her voice. “Wyatt. bring me the family album.”
“No. Grand-mere,” Gator groaned “Don’t do that to me.”
“Great idea, Grand-mere,” Wyatt said cheerfully. He went to a large antique sideboard and pulled open a drawer. The album was wrapped in a hand-crocheted shawl. Wyatt carried it over to his grandmother with obvious care.