He stood, walking with her to where Erin stood with Todd and Ben, both her men. One her legal husband, the other the husband of her and Todd’s heart. They’d both loosened up around her, especially once they realized how much she loved their son.

“I need to get my bag, I’ll be right back.”

Erin went with her, leaning in to speak quietly. “Holy crap, Levi’s brother is so freaking hot. You gonna nail him?”

Raven rolled her eyes at Erin. “You’ve got two dudes of your own to nail; why the prurient interest in my knickers?”

“Be quiet about that. He’s hot. Naturally I’ll need every last filthy detail.”

“He wants me to do some ink. There’s chemistry. Chances are—if he’s lucky—there will be filthy nailing to tell you about like you’re my pimp.”

Erin laughed. “I just want to check in on Poppy before we leave. Miles said she’s popping a tooth.”

Poppy Brown was clearly her father’s daughter. She had the Brown ebullience. Always freaking happy. Always making noise or music. She lit up when someone she loved came into view.

So when they came around the corner to find Miles—Gillian and Adrian’s now-sixteen-year-old son—holding his sister, who held his cheeks, patting them as she babbled, Poppy’s little face lit even brighter when she saw her aunt and Raven.

She held her arms out and Miles frowned, loath to give her up.

“Once Aunt Erin has her, I’ll never get her back.”

Raven swooped in and took her instead.

“Hey, Pop, what’s shakin?”

Poppy gave her a gummy grin, grabbing a fistful of Raven’s hair. “Oh, I see your tooth.”

Erin crowded in. “There it is. You have a chomper, Ms. P. Whatcha going to eat with it? A steak?”

Poppy gave a gusty laugh as she kicked her legs.

“I should have known you’d be in here with the baby.” Gillian came in. She moved to Miles, putting an arm around him. “Hello to you, my biggest child. Mary says she’s put a tote full of food in the fridge for you.”

“Awesome.” He kissed Poppy’s head and ran off.

“I’m chopped liver to the food goddess and the baby.”

Raven snorted. “Yes, that’s so obvious. No one loves you, Gillian. You may as well eat worms.” She’d had to explain that line to Gillian back when they’d first met.

“Give me that baby. I’m her aunt.”

“Fine. Jeez. I’ll see you later, Pop.” Raven kissed Poppy’s head and handed her to Erin, who immediately began to dance around and sing to her.

“I’m so glad you came tonight.” Gillian smiled. “I don’t like it when you’re gone for so long.”

Raven had been in Los Angeles and then stopped off in Honolulu for a while. She liked to roam. But she had people to return to in Seattle and found herself there more and more these days. She used to be gone for six months at a time and now she limited it to no more than a month.

“I’ll be around for a while. Brody is down two people so I’ll be there for the foreseeable future anyway.”

Gillian smiled. “Good.”

She shrugged, not always sure what to do with that sort of positive attention.

But Gillian got it. Much like Erin did. Gillian was an outsider. Had been for most of her life. She never pressed or got up in Raven’s face about anything. That sort of acceptance was . . . it was startling, and it filled something inside.

“You know you’re welcome to come back any time to see Poppy. And me of course.”

“All right. I’ll call you.”

Gillian took Raven’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “See that you do.”

“We’ve got to get going. Alexander knows Raven is coming over to give him a bath and read him a story. He’ll be mad if we’re late.”

Gillian’s mouth tipped up into a grin. “Everyone’s so afraid of you. But they don’t know that underneath that bitchy exterior is all marshmallow.”

“All that postpartum stuff has made you goofy. That and your prolonged exposure to the Browns.”

Erin handed Poppy back to her mother. “Hasn’t done that to you.”

“My bitchiness is bone deep. Even you people can’t change that.”

Erin linked her arm through Raven’s. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you both for coming. We’ll walk you out.”

Adrian had been talking with Todd and Ben and the ever-so-delicious Jonah. But when he caught sight of his wife and daughter, his entire demeanor changed. Raven had to admit—to herself anyway— that having Poppy had changed him nearly as much as being with Gillian. He’d softened, even toward Raven.

“I’ll meet you all back at the house.” Raven nodded at Erin, who waved. She turned and nearly bumped into Jonah.

“Don’t forget to call me.”

She smiled. “I won’t.”

She put an extra bit of sway into her walk as she left. Didn’t hurt to show him what he wouldn’t be having that night. 

2

He looked at his phone and her number for a while before he finally called. He’d dreamed of her, the delicious Raven, the night before. All lush curves and cat’s eyes.

Jonah knew there was an element of danger with a woman like her. There were shadows in her gaze. She wasn’t an easy sort of person. He got that from the way some spoke about her.

Then again, he wasn’t an easy sort of person either. He’d dated easy women. Both kinds. If he wanted that, it could be had without too much effort. But that had gotten him a broken marriage and single parenthood.

He’d taken the last several years off from complications. He’d put his energy into raising his daughter, Carrie. She’d needed to finish high school and get prepared to leave for college. Her mother wasn’t any help.

Though it had been difficult and he hadn’t had much time for more of a life than parenting and working, it had been good. Carrie was smart. Strong. She’d had her pick of schools and though he’d winced when she chose Harvard—across the country . . . and Ivy League was still across the country—he’d also been incredibly proud.

He’d gotten used to being with her every day. Of getting up and having breakfast with her before she went off to school and he’d gone to work. The house was quiet now. Carrie was in Italy for her senior year of high school, having scored a spot in a prestigious art program.

The answered phone brought his attention back.

“Hello?”

Her voice did things to him, low in his gut.

“Raven? This is Jonah Warner.”

“Why hello, Jonah Warner. I’ve got some designs for you to look at.”

“Already?”

“Of course. I said I would. I keep my promises.”

He liked that quality.

“Would you like to come to my house tonight?” he asked. “I’ve got a pretty busy day at work, but I’ll be home by seven. I can make you dinner as incentive.”

“All right, that works.”

He gave her directions and she hung up and he was still smiling when he walked into court twenty minutes later.


“What are you smiling about?” His mother sent him a raised brow.

“What isn’t there to smile over? It’s a nice day. I won in court not once, but twice today. My mother has shown up in the office unexpectedly. Spoke to Carrie earlier, she’s having a great time.”

Liesl Warner wasn’t stupid. She narrowed her gaze but didn’t say anything else about it.

“Did she mention if she’d received my package?”

“She said it arrived Friday and to thank you.” His mother scared people routinely, as regularly as she breathed. But she loved her granddaughter and sent her care packages several times a month. It probably made them both feel better.

“She sent me one too, with photographs as well. She’s got quite an eye.”

Art was important in his family. They’d been raised to appreciate it. His mother collected it, as did Jonah and Levi. It was no surprise really that Carrie wanted to be a curator or go into museum and collection management.

“Daisy has been a great deal of help.” That had been surprising as well. Levi’s hot young fiancée the artist had won their mother over quite handily. And she’d been supportive of Carrie as well. “I wasn’t sure about your brother for a while, but Daisy is entirely suitable. He’s far better behaved since they’ve been together. Have you noticed that? Now if they’d only actually choose a date to get married. My heavens, Jonah, what sort of engagement is it that lasts so long without a date?”

Ha. He wasn’t going to touch that one. Not for all the money in the world.

In fact, it was time for him to get out of there so he could stop at the grocery store on the way home. He promised dinner but realized he had an empty fridge.

“I’ve got to rush.” He gathered up his things. “Is there something you needed?”

He kissed her cheek on his way past as he turned out his light.

“Your father and I are going to the symphony tonight. Would you like to join us for dinner?”

“Not tonight. I’ve got some things to do. Have a good time though.”

She looked him over again but didn’t say anything else.


“I’m out of here.” Raven gathered her stuff up.

Brody Brown, her friend and the owner of Written On The Body, looked up from his place just across from hers. “Whatcha up to tonight?”

“Thanks to your recommendation, I’m meeting with Jonah Warner about a full back piece.”

“Nice. I saw something between you at the engagement party. Did I imagine more than ink talk?”

Brody knew her in ways less than a handful of people did. There was once a time when she could have let herself love him, and probably did, but she’d fucked it up. He liked to tell her she did it on purpose. But he’d been married for several years at that point. He and his beautiful wife had two kids and it fit him perfectly. He was still her friend. Always that.