“No one will ever suspect that the boy staying with Jack or Deke is Seth,” Tyler pointed out. “My friends would protect him with their lives, and you know I don’t say that lightly.”
He didn’t, but that hardly meant that she was leaving her little man with people she’d met ten minutes ago, especially when one was talking openly about whipping his wife. But Tyler could be stubborn as the day was long. The best way to deal with him wasn’t to go through him, but around.
“I’ll think about it.”
Tyler grabbed her shoulders. “Will you? Really?”
His touch was a shock. The feel of his fingers wrapped around her arms buzzed across her skin, singed through her body—made her remember that night she needed to forget. She shrugged out of his grip. “I said I would. Leave it.”
He looked unsettled that she wouldn’t allow his touch. No, pissed off. God, she didn’t have the time or patience for this game that being near him played with her head. That part of her life was done, gone. She had to focus on taking down Carlson and keeping Seth alive. She and Tyler would work out his parental rights afterward.
“Did someone say there’s a hungry woman here who needs to be fed?” Yet another voice rang out from the direction of the front door. It slammed a moment later.
Alyssa made a beeline for the arched opening to the kitchen and met a gorgeous man with hair like midnight silk hanging around his shoulders. “Hi, honey.”
“Sugar . . .” He pressed a quick, demanding kiss on her mouth, hugging a beautiful blonde baby girl against his side, her wide blue eyes and curly, pale hair a soft riot framing a pouty little bow of a mouth.
Holding out her arms to the baby, Alyssa pulled the girl against her chest. “How’s my little Chloe? You have a good day with Daddy?”
Then the man raised his face and glanced across the room at her. Oh, wow. Was that really . . . “Luc Traverson?”
When she choked out the question, everyone laughed.
He rolled gorgeous dark eyes, then regarded her with a blinding smile. “Yes, ma’am. I got a text that you’re hungry?”
So he’d come over here to cook food? For her? Del turned to Tyler. “He’s married to your boss?”
“Ex-boss, thank you very much,” Jack clarified.
Tyler nodded. “Ex-boss, yes.”
“And who sent him here?” Del asked. Was this real?
“Jack might have mentioned it when he called earlier, since I ignored the text from Tyler.” Luc slung an arm around the svelte, sexy Alyssa.
“So you just . . . came over to cook for me?” That astounded Del. A world-class chef with a growing TV and cookbook empire dropping everything to cook for a stranger?
“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, f**k-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.