Free Had to Be You: Bad Boys of Red Hook by Robin Kaye

hoping the vision in front of her was just the result of her extremely overactive imagination. But this one was different—in this one, Slater was dressed. She rubbed her eyes only to open them and see the very man she’d been trying to erase from her mind since last night. “What are you doing here?”
    Nicki bounced beside him. “Slater’s coming with us, but he’s going to have to ride his motorcycle since there’s not enough room in the car. I want to ride with him, but he said no.”
    Slater’s eyes traveled the length of Rocki’s body and he took his time, hitting all the highlights, and sending a trail of warmth all the way from her head to her toes. “Nice boots.”
    “Thanks.” She hadn’t realized she’d stopped midway down the stoop, so she started walking again. “I didn’t know you were invited.”
    “It was a last-minute thing.” His eyes homed in on hers and the quirk of his lips told her he’d planned this. “Nicki wanted me to come, and Patrice was nice enough to include me.”
    Patrice stood beside him wearing her
this-is-going-to-be-so-entertaining
grin. “I’ve always found it helpful not to let the kids outnumber the adults. Now we’re even. Since Francis was supposed to go with us before he got called into work, we even have an extra ticket.”
    Rocki pasted what she hoped would pass for a smile on her face and did her best to inject cheer into her voice—she never had a problem when she was voice acting, but looking at Slater made her feel anything but cheerful. “Lucky us.” She averted her eyes and walked right past him toward the car.
    Rocki held the door open for the girls and couldn’t believe Pete let Nicki ride with him. If Bree found out, there’d be more than one skillet flying.
    Patrice buckled Callie in and then looked over the top of the car at Rocki. “He sure looks good straddling that bike.”
    “I hadn’t noticed.” Rocki got into the car and ignored both Slater’s and Patrice’s annoying laughter. She wanted to strangle Patrice, but she couldn’t do it in front of the kids and Patrice knew it. She’d just avoid him the rest of the day.
    Slater started his bike and the purr of the engine slid over her—it wasn’t one of those obnoxiously loud Harleys; it was a either a classic or was made to look like one. It was hard to tell since the bike was in pristine condition. It had beautiful lines and as much charisma as its owner. A powerful machine made for a powerful man. A dangerous combination.
    He waved and took off ahead of them. Maybe they’d get there and lose him. Maybe she could just take one of the girls and either take off ahead or lag far behind—anything to avoid spending the day with Slater.
    •   •   •
    An eternity later, Rocki climbed down the gangplank and held on to Cassie’s hand.
    Cassie looked up at Rocki and gave her a smile that matched her momma’s—a little bit sweet, a little bit evil, but Cassie’s evil tendencies weren’t as well developed or effective. Still, at five, the kid was fishing for tasty information. “So what did you learn, Rocki?”
    She’d learned that there wasn’t a ship large enough for both her and Slater. But she couldn’t say that. “I learned the
Intrepid
is an aircraft carrier and it’s really long.”
    “Mine’s longer. I was on the USS
Ronald Reagan
.” Slater’s breath brushed Rocki’s ear and his deep voice sent her pulse skittering. “I hear size matters.”
    They’d been on the ship for a couple hours and every time Rocki turned around, Slater was there. Every passage they went through, Slater helped her over. Every retired sailor they’d met, Slater had made an impression. The whole ex-navy thing must have been tattooed on his forehead in invisible ink seen only by fellow sailors. Maybe it was the ease with which he moved around the ship, or the way he held himself. Whatever it was had all her girly parts standing at attention, and a few even gave him a salute. That was