Page 15 of Keeping Caroline

I was smooth. Really smooth. The smoothest, but I couldn’t convince my cheeks that flushed with complete mortification for the second time that morning as I walked away and set my plate on the table, hoping he couldn’t see how he affected me. There was a particularly good chance that he hadn’t been flirting with me at all, and that I’d read the signals and interpreted his words all wrong, but I hoped that wasn’t the case. If it was, I had a feeling I would be experiencing plenty more embarrassing moments over the next few days, and by the time he left to return to Atlanta, he would absolutely be looking at me like I’d grown two additional heads.

Chapter 10

The Phantom

The morning sun was a gentle intruder, its rays filtering through the curtains until I could no longer feign sleep. I stretched as much as I could on the bed that was made for people much shorter than my six-foot-four-inch frame, every muscle fiber lengthening and contracting. My eyes fluttered open, the room coming into focus—the quaint charm of Caroline’s cottage bringing a sleepy smile to my face. The scent of aged wood mingled with the faintest hint of lavender, and I took a moment to let it ground me.

A sense of contentment washed over me, something I hadn’t felt in so long that it was almost foreign. It was strange to think that after years of hiding behind my hacker alias, I could finally just be Tristan again, at least while I was there. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this newfound peace would last. Lying in bed, I thought about Caroline—her protectiveness toward her daughter and how she persevered even while grieving the loss of her husband. This woman and her daughter had already touched something deep inside me that I didn’t know existed. I was going soft, but I didn’t think it was a bad thing.

The tranquility of the cottage seemed to seep into my bones, healing some of the wounds I’d accumulated during my time as Phantom, and even before. It allowed me to let my guard down, if only for a moment, and bask in the serenity of a normal life.

“Mommy said you brought a kitty!” The pitter patter of little feet pulled me away from my pancake batter when Evie ran into the kitchen, throwing herself onto the floor beside Houdini. The sight of her hairless head sent my heart into my stomach, but the joy in her eyes when she crawled under the table to pet my cat made me grin. If she was sick, I couldn’t tell.

Crossing the small kitchen, I crouched beside her, scratching Houdini behind the ear. “I did. His name is Houdini.”

Houdini’s tail flicked like he didn’t have a care in the world as Evie leaned forward and kissed him on the head. “Hi, Houdini.”

Remembering I had pancake batter sitting on the counter, I stood, heading back to the stove where the skillet was already hot. The pancakes were from an instant mix I’d found in the pantry, but I figured it would do in a pinch. “Can you look after him while I cook breakfast?”

She responded with a giggled “Yes” as she flopped like a fish on the floor beneath the table next to my only partially amused feline friend.

Having never been around children, or at least not since I’d adopted him, I would have expected him to be less at ease around a hyper little kid, but he lay there cool as a cucumber, tail flicking as he nuzzled into her hand. “See? He likes you already.”

Taking a sip of my coffee, I couldn’t help but grin at their instant connection.

As I was watching Evie and Houdini on the floor, leaning near the stove to make sure not to burn the pancakes, the sound of footsteps caught my attention, and I looked up just in time to see Caroline entering the kitchen from the open doorway and bending over to give Evie a kiss. She wore black tights and an oversized T-shirt with her dark curls pulled up into a bun. Despite her casual attire, she radiated an undeniable beauty that left me momentarily breathless, and the way the tights hugged her perfectly rounded ass left me with a semi.

I grinned up at her, turning around to pour her a cup of coffee and willing my cock to behave when her child was in the room.

When I turned back around, I slid the mug of coffee across the counter to her, her light blue eyes never leaving mine as she reached out to grab it.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Jumping up from the floor, Evie wrapped her arms around Caroline’s leg. The way they looked at each other was pure love—joyous and unconditional. “Mr. Tristan is making pancakes!”

Eyebrow arching, Caroline looked at me, the playful expression on her face making me grin wider. “Is that so? “ she asked, but before I could respond, Evie grabbed both Caroline’s hands, dragging her toward me. I watched them, curious what they would do next. “Yes, Mommy! He’s a super spy too, because he knew I wanted pancakes. I didn’t even have to tell him!”

I wasn’t sure where Evie had gotten the idea that I was a super spy, but it was fucking adorable, so I played along.

Pursing her lips, Caroline looked back at me just as I was flipping a pancake. “That could be a dangerous power to have—being able to read minds.”

Although she was answering Evie’s statement, the way she was looking at me told me she was directing the response at me. I may have been an enamored idiot who was developing a crush on the sister of the most dangerous man I knew, but something in her eyes told me she was flirting with me—or maybe it was my undersexed and overly-horny mind reading into the innocent facial gestures of this absolutely stunning woman. Either way, two could play.

Lips twisting into a smirk, I turned my eyes away and plated the pancakes. “I guess it could be dangerous?” Shrugging, I handed the first plate of pancakes to Evie, who darted back to the table, dropping to the ground to sit beside Houdini again—plate and all.

“But it could be a good thing…knowing exactly what someone wants and needs, so I can give them just that.”

When Caroline’s jaw went slack and she just stared at me, not taking the plate of food I was holding out for her, I knew the innuendo in my answer had been received, although I wasn’t sure what she thought about the shameless way I was trying to flirt with her. I had admittedly been out of the game for a while.

After a few silent moments, where I almost heard the crickets myself, I smiled, a surge of mischief surging through my veins. “So, do you want something other than pancakes, Caroline? Your wish is my command.”

A cherry-red flush crept up Caroline’s exposed upper chest all the way to her cheeks as she took the plate of pancakes from my hand. “Huh? Oh. Pancakes are great. Tha-thank you. I love pancakes.” Taking one more flushed look at me, she scurried to the table, leaving me feeling victorious. She absolutely knew I was flirting with her, and I’d meant every word. If this woman wanted anything within my power to give, I would tear through the world to give it to her. After everything she’d been through, she deserved it, and I didn’t know how Ethan would feel about it, but I really wanted to get to know his sister better.

Plating the last of the pancakes, I joined her at the table, sitting in the chair directly across from her. With the flush still coloring her cheeks, she wasted no time digging in.

“Tristan, these pancakes are amazing,” she said between bites, her blue eyes bright in the sunlight coming in through the window. It would have been so easy to get lost in them, but I looked away, taking a bite of my own food.

“Thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked for anyone other than myself.” I huffed a chuckle, still unsure what possessed me to cook at all. “I don’t even cook for myself that much. When you’re always alone, it’s just easier to order out.”

Her eyebrow lifted at my admission, but she didn’t ask me about why I was always alone—thankfully. It was totally by choice, and most of the time I liked it that way, but I didn’t have anyone like her in Atlanta. “Maybe you should consider opening a cafe when you’re not busy hacking into the world’s most secure databases,” she teased, her smirk making my core heat.

---