She swallowed the lump in her throat. "We walked because it's so nice out. Maybe I should have called first."
He peeled the woman off him. "It's not what it looks like."
The brunette stood back and stared at Mercy. "I only need like ten minutes. You can have him next."
"What?"
Alex pried himself away. "Stop it. That's my daughter over there."
It didn't slip past Mercy that he didn't explain who she was. What was she? Round two?
"I've got to go. Do you have Maddie?"
He broke loose, and when he rushed to her, the woman bolted back into his house.
"Mercy, please don't leave. You don't understand."
"Oh, I do. Don't forget, I've been in this exact situation before, always second choice."
She pivoted and started toward home.
Chapter Sixteen
"Stop."
Mercy's heart told her to do as he said, but her brain screamed for her to keep going. But being a woman ruled by her heart, she stopped and spun around to face him. "Look, Alex, I shouldn't be upset because we never defined what we were to each other, but for once, dammit, I'd like to be at the top of someone's list."
Flashing lights grabbed her attention, and the police cruiser stopped in front of the house.
Merrick jumped out. "Where is she?"
Alex nodded toward the house. "She probably locked herself inside." He tossed his keys to the deputy. "You'll need them."
"Stay here, and I'll take care of it."
Alex let out a breath. "Outside of posting a guard, what can I do to keep these women away?"
Mercy cocked her head, eyeing him. Did he say he wanted to keep those women away?
Alex turned to her. "You and I need to talk. If we're going to be together, then you have to trust me."
She'd been burned by giving her love freely and completely, did she have it in her to trust again?
Merrick entered the door, and within minutes, he had a kicking and screaming woman cuffed and in the back of his car. "Since this is the second time in two days, do you want to press charges?" Merrick looked over his shoulder to the cruiser. "I know you tried to be nice by giving her a warning last night, but see what that got you?"
"I hate to give her a criminal record for being a fan."
"She already has one for stalking someone else. She's not a fan, she's a fanatic."
Mercy listened to the exchange. She had it all wrong.
"Now that I have a daughter and a girlfriend," he turned to Mercy and lifted a brow and waited like he expected her to argue, "I can't have random women sneaking into my house, so yes, I think it's time I pressed charges."
"You got it," Merrick said before he climbed in the cruiser and drove away.
Mercy was sure she'd heard him wrong when he said she was his girlfriend. When did that happen? Was it their first kiss or the last one?
"Your what?"
Alex moved close enough for her to feel the heat come off his body.
"Come inside, and I'll explain."
What did she have to lose? "I imagine once we're inside, I'll owe you an apology?"
He slung his arm over Mercy's shoulder. "That would be a good place to begin." He walked them to Maddie and ruffled her hair. "Come on, kiddo, it's time to go in."
Once inside, he led them into the kitchen, where two grocery bags sat on the counter.
"Can I go play?" Maddie asked.
Alex nodded. "I'll be right back; I want to check the house and make sure everything is in order."
"Can I do anything to help?"
"Open a beer or pour a glass of wine and enjoy. I'll take it from here." He reached into the bag and pulled out both options before he walked away with Maddie on his heels.
Since Alex didn't drink, this was for her benefit. She chose the beer and tucked the bottle of wine in his refrigerator. She didn't care if it was red, white, or rose, she liked her wine cold.
Inside were shelves filled with fruits and vegetables and little yogurts in child size packages. There were bags of pre-sliced apples, cheese sticks, and a protein pack with cheese bits and nuts mixed with cranberries.
This was a refrigerator filled with love.
When he returned, he moved in front of her.
"Mercy, even though I haven't been in a monogamous relationship, I'd never cheat."
She picked up her beer and took a drink, all the while looking at him like he'd grown a third eye. "Do you realize how ridiculous that sounded." It wasn't her intention to be mean, even though it came out sounding that way. "How would a man who has never been monogamous know if he'd cheat?"
He set his hands on her shoulders. "Because when I'm with you, I don't want to be with anyone else."
"That sounds fine and dandy, but what happens when you're not with me? What about when you're on the road, and some hot brunette only needs you for ten minutes?"
He brushed his thumb over her lips before tilting her head up. "Let's flip the script for a minute. Do you think I want someone whose only desire is to have me for ten minutes? Frankly, that's an insult on many levels. Ten minutes? Really? What I have to offer takes a lot longer than that."
"You're offended that she wanted you?" Her neck ached from staring up at him, but there was no way she'd look anywhere else. Staring into his eyes, she saw the things he didn't say. Things like he was vulnerable and maybe a little scared.
"No, it's nice that someone finds me attractive, but at some point, I have to ask, is there something deeper?" He chuckled. "She told me I looked like her father, but she'd do me anyway."
"Seriously?"
"Apparently, my haircut aged me."
She lifted her hand to his head and raked her fingers through the soft strands. "I like it better than the long stuff."
He leaned into her touch. "Me too.
