Kerrelyn Sparks: Eat Prey Love

He was changing the subject, as if she wouldn’t notice. “Do you think Constantine will like it? I didn’t know what to buy for him.” She’d bought all sorts of stuff—a book, a DVD, a dinosaur, and the fire engine—hoping that if she hit all the bases, one would result in a home run.

“Yeah, he’ll love this stuff.” Howard jammed the fire engine back into the gift bag, then frowned at the mangled crepe paper. He attempted to fluff it up but only succeeded in ripping the paper. “Damn. I’m just making it worse. Mom always said I was a bear in a china shop.”

“I thought that was a bull.”

He grunted and slid the present back to her. “Sorry.”

Her beautifully packed gift bag looked like it had been mauled by a grizzly. Howard seemed genuinely embarrassed, so she gave him a friendly smile. “Don’t worry about it. I doubt a four-year-old boy cares about aesthetics. It’s what’s inside that really counts.”

He nodded, clearly relieved. “I’m glad you feel that way. You…may need to remind yourself of that before the night’s over.”

Was that some kind of warning? Caitlyn slipped the long strap of her handbag over her head and shoulder, grabbed the gift bag, and followed the security guard to the end of the long foyer. They passed through a set of double doors, then entered a long hallway, lined on one side with windows. A courtyard and garden was visible through the glass.

On the other side of the courtyard, she could see the cafeteria through another wall of glass. It was well-lit, with colorful balloons gathered in bunches and obstructing her view of the people inside.

Howard led her to the right, then turned left into an intersecting passageway that linked the first wing to the second. The hallway continued, lined on both sides with glass. Not soundproof, for she could hear shouts and laughter from outside. She slowed, glancing out the windows on the left.

Off in the distance, past the cafeteria, she spotted a basketball court. It was brightly lit and currently filled with players.

“They’ve got quite a game going on.” Howard paused beside her to watch. “Roman had that court put in last summer, but it’s usually just him, Tino, and Phineas playing. Tino was excited about having enough guys at the party for two full teams.”

“You mean Constantine is playing?” Caitlyn stepped closer to the glass. As far as she could tell, all the players were grown men and teenage boys.

“That’s Phineas there, doing a slam dunk.” Howard motioned to the left end of the court.

Caitlyn smiled as the young man celebrated with an exuberant rendition of a chicken dance. The guys were obviously having a great time, but as big and athletic as they all looked, she was worried they would run over her young nephew. She searched the court for a little boy, then halted, her gaze fixated on the most glorious representative of manhood she’d ever seen.

Smooth and stealthy, she thought, as the man ran down the court. He glided with such effortless grace it was like he was standing still and the earth was doing the moving. His shoulder-length black hair blew back, revealing a classic profile—straight nose, sharp cheekbones, strong jaw.

Time seemed to slow as her vision sharpened, taking in every detail. She detected some sort of tattoo along his neck. His jaw was shaded with a hint of dark whiskers. A glint of gold gleamed on his earlobe. An earring. Exotic. Dangerous. So very masculine.

A big redheaded man moved into his path to block him, but he dipped around his opponent with ease and kept going. So graceful, and yet so strong. He reached the free throw line and leaped into the air, twisting to catch the basketball hurled in his direction, then rotating in the air to neatly deposit the ball through the hoop.

Howard snorted. “Show-off.”

The man landed lightly on his feet as his team shouted in celebration. He grinned.

And Caitlyn was lost.

She slowly became aware that Howard was nudging her. “There’s Tino. Do you see him?”

What? Who? She pressed a palm against the glass, surprised to find herself light-headed. She inhaled sharply. Sheesh . The man had smiled, and she’d forgotten to breathe. Forgotten to think. She’d slipped into some sort of trance.

Temporary insanity. That had to be it, ’cause the man was definitely not her type. She’d always dated the clean-cut, shirt and tie, neatly combed hair, corner office type of guy. Intellectual and predictable. Easily managed and easily forgotten when the lure of adventure called. And it always did.

Caitlyn had never been able to resist the exotic. Exotic languages, foreign locales. It was the reason she’d joined the State Department. She’d worked all over the world, and she thrived on the excitement. But even though she’d put her physical self in stressful situations, she’d never done that with her heart. When it came to relationships, she’d always played it safe.

This man was dangerous. She could feel it in her bones. He could slide right under a woman’s skin and take hold of her heart. If she had any sense, she’d stay away from him. Unfortunately, her sense was in question. She’d been warned to stay away from Romatech, yet here she was.

She took another deep breath and eased her grip on the gift bag. She’d been clutching it so tightly, the handles had dug into her palm.

“There’s Tino. By the other goal.” Howard pointed.

She spotted her nephew for the first time and smiled. He was even more adorable than he’d looked in the photo. Blond curls and an angelic sweet face. Her earlier concern rushed back. “He’s too little to play with adults. They’ll run him over.”

Howard chuckled. “Tino can hold his own. He has…special skills.”

Skills? What kind of skills could a boy have to help him compete with guys over twice his size? And who was the mystery man who’d made her forget space and time?

“Come on. I’ll take you to Shanna.” Howard headed down the hall to a set of double doors.

Caitlyn followed slowly, peering out the window to make sure her nephew wasn’t being trampled. The gorgeous mystery man was playing defense now, guarding the big redheaded guy who had possession of the ball.

Constantine was still stationed underneath the goal. The redheaded guy tossed the ball to him, and he caught it. The other players ran toward him, and Caitlyn slowed to a stop, worried for his safety.

He jumped.

Howard grabbed her arm. “Come on, let’s go.”

Her jaw dropped as Constantine’s jump went higher and higher. “What the…?”

“Come on.” Howard tugged, managing to make her stumble a few steps. “Shanna wants to see you.”

Caitlyn’s heart raced. Her nephew was now as high as the goal, and he easily dropped the ball through the hoop. His team cheered as he landed on the cement.

She gave Howard an incredulous look. “Did you see that? He just jumped ten feet in the air!”

“Well, yeah. I told you he has some special skills.”

“Like what? Flying?” She glanced out the window again. The guys were playing in a normal manner now, as if nothing strange had just happened.

A chill tickled the back of her neck. This was too weird. “Is this related to the reason my dad told me never to come here?”

Howard winced. “Please don’t tell your father what you saw. He might reject Tino, and it would break the little guy’s heart. Tino’s a great kid—”

“Who can fly?”

Howard frowned as he opened the door. “It’s not my place to say. Shanna will explain it to you.”

Caitlyn glanced inside at the cheerful balloons and happy people. The chill on her neck skittered down her spine. It’s just a birthday party for a little boy. No big deal. Then why did it feel like she was about to tumble down the rabbit hole?