Page 60 of Dangerous Secret

Benny grinned. “Good morning, Tyler. Where are you off to?”

After glancing behind him, Tyler whispered, “I’m hiding from Ava.” He eyed Grayson. “Who are you?”

Grayson squatted, bringing himself to eye level with the boy. “I’m a friend of Benny’s. You can call me Richie.” Tyler was a cute as a button with Harlow’s unique blue eyes and blond hair, and Grayson wanted to pick him up and carry him out of this house. Take him to his mother.

“Tyler Pressley, you get your butt back here.” A beautiful woman dressed as if she was on the way to a club walked down the stairs, and when she reached them, she grabbed Tyler’s shoulder, jerking him to her. “Your father isn’t going to be pleased when I tell him you’re disobeying me.”

“Please don’t tell Daddy.”

Grayson bit down on his cheek. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t interfere, and he especially couldn’t pick the boy up and take him out of this damn house. The woman lifted her gaze to Grayson, and he didn’t like the interest in her eyes.

“Hello. I’m Ava Crawford.” She glanced at Benny. “Introduce me to your friend.”

“I’m Benny’s cousin,” Grayson said, cutting Benny off from answering, “and we have a meeting we need to get to.” He smiled down at Tyler. “See you around, little man.”

“Well, Benny’s cousin, don’t be a stranger.” She shot Grayson a sultry smile before marching Tyler away.

The woman was unquestionably beautiful with her long auburn hair, pouty lips and a smokin’-hot body, but her calculating eyes said she was trouble. She did nothing for him.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, suddenly needing to breathe fresh air. This place was suffocating. He couldn’t imagine what it had been like for Harlow during her years of living here.

“That woman’s a piece of work, and I’d advise that you stay away from her,” Benny said once they were outside. “I don’t know why Mr. Pressley lets her anywhere near his son.”

“I can think of a reason why.” Was Ava the same nanny that Pressley had kissed in front of Harlow and Tyler? “And trust me, I plan to stay as far away from her as possible. She’s trouble with a capitalT.”

After a tour of the garage and seeing the three cars he’d be driving—depending on Pressley’s mood—and getting his agenda for the week, he parted company with Benny. As he drove back to his temporary home, one question took over his mind.

Should he tell Harlow he’d seen Tyler?

Chapter 28

“He shimmied up a rope like a freaking ninja warrior. He was even dressed in all black.” Harlow fanned her face as she grinned at her friend. “Makes me hot just thinking about it.” They were sitting out on her balcony at sunset, enjoying a glass of wine.

“Girl,” Lena said, drawing out therso it sounded like there were a half dozen of them in the word. “Tell me you nailed that man.”

Harlow snorted. “I forgot how unfiltered your mind is.” She’d told Lena all about how it had ended with Anthony, how he was keeping her son from her and how she’d hired Grayson to bring Tyler back to her. That had included admitting that she had the hots for him…temporarily.

“Well, have you?”

She shrugged. “Maybe he was the one to nail me. Ever think of that?”

“Potato, potahto. Did you do the dirty with this hot ninja man?” Lena pressed her palms together as if in prayer. “Please say yes.”

“Yes.” She tried to keep a serious expression on her face, but when Lena squealed, Harlow lost it, and just like that, she found herself side-splittingly laughing with her old friend the way they used to.

“I need details. Was it good? Did he look great naked?”

“I’m not telling you—” Harlow made air quotes “—details. Anyway, it’s just a temporary thing until I have Tyler back.”

“Why?” Lena refilled their wineglasses.

“Because. I don’t know what Tyler’s mindset’s going to be after all the time he’s spent with Anthony and that Ava witch. He has to be my sole focus. I can’t bring a strange man into the mix. That will be too confusing for him.”

“I get what you’re saying, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find some time for yourself. It’s not healthy to ignore your own needs. Find a good babysitter and let your hot ninja recharge your battery once a week.” Lena waggled her eyebrows.

Harlow shrugged. “My battery will be just fine, thank you.” If she saw Grayson once a week, even if he agreed to that, it wouldn’t be long before she’d want more. “We agreed this thing was a temporary fling until I have my boy again. Anyway, when this is over, Grayson will want to return to his life.”

“You don’t know that unless you ask.”

---