Callum and Steven walked down the porch steps as she pulled to a stop in front of the large house.
“How are Stephanie and Linus?” she asked as she came around the front of the car.
Steven grimaced. “Who knew our sister had the heart of a drill sergeant? She’s been barking orders in a weird singsong voice since they got here.”
“I don’t think she wants the baby to realize that he’s being cared for by a foster mom dictator,” Callum added with a snort.
The brothers shared a pained look that made Becky stifle a giggle. The combined handsomeness of the two of them almost took her breath away. She knew they were stepbrothers, but the similar way they held themselves showed their family connection. She glanced up as the front door opened and the third of the Rambling Rose Fortune men appeared.
She knew from Callum that Dillon was his full-blood brother. He had sandy-blond hair and was more thickly muscled than the other two, but his features resembled Callum’s. She’d met their father only on that one occasion, but both boys looked like David Fortune. She could only imagine the string of broken hearts they’d left in their collective wake and hoped to never be among that group.
“Linus is a lucky boy,” Becky said, wanting to show solidarity with Stephanie.
Callum laughed softly. “Good answer.”
“She sent us out here to unload the haul,” Dillon told her.
Becky hit the button on the key fob to unlatch the back cargo door and then opened the side door to reveal the twins. Both girls looked with wide-eyed curiosity at the trio of handsome men staring at them.
The Fortune brothers could even dazzle ladies still in diapers. Impressive.
Luna clapped her hands as her gaze fell on Callum.
“Cawl,” she shouted happily.
Sasha pulled her binky from her mouth and squealed his name, as well.
“Nice fan club,” Steven told Callum and then followed Dillon to the back of the vehicle.
Becky leaned in to unfasten the girls’ car seats, but Callum quickly grabbed her from behind, pulling her close and reaching around to plant a gentle kiss on her throat. “Hi,” he whispered against her hair.
“Your brothers will see,” she protested, wiggling out of his grasp.
“I’m pretty sure they know I kiss you.” He chuckled at his own joke, but released her. “Did you have any problems at the gate?”
She stilled. “Why do you ask?” She threw the questioning glance over her shoulder.
“The new guy is a real piece of work,” Dillon said, reappearing with a bouncer seat. “He actually made me show him my driver’s license the other night. As if I don’t live here.”
“I didn’t have any trouble,” Becky lied. It was easier to let them believe she’d made it through without incident.
“He probably took one look at you,” Steven told her as he hefted a big box of clothes, “and thought he better not mess with a boss mom.”
Color rose to her cheeks. “That’s me,” she confirmed with a grin.
As she spoke to his brothers, Callum had reached around her to get the twins. He lifted Luna out of her car seat and handed her to Becky, then undid Sasha’s car seat strap and straightened with the girl in his arms.
“Do you think Stephanie’s up for visitors?” she asked, pausing at the base of the porch steps. “If you think she’d rather get settled in peace, I can come back another time.”
“I know she’d love to see you,” Callum told her with a smile. “She’s already started a list of baby care questions for you. I think she’s hoping you’ll be her expert resource.”
“Anything I can do to help.” Becky followed him up the steps and he paused to let her enter the house before him.
“I really appreciate—”
When his words cut off, Becky glanced up at him.
“I appreciate you,” he said, the intensity of his tone sending shivers down her spine.
She drew in a breath. Maybe she hadn’t misinterpreted how he felt. Maybe her heart was safe with Callum after all. Could she dare to believe that?
Chapter Twelve
Callum sat in his truck, finger hovering above the send button on his phone. It was nearly midnight, and he should be home and in bed. The problem was he didn’t want to be in his bed, not without the woman whose house he’d been parked outside for the past fifteen minutes.
He’d driven to Becky’s on a whim, without a plan for what to do once he arrived. If he texted her, would it look like a booty call? He didn’t mean it that way and certainly wanted to avoid giving her that message. Not that holding Becky in his arms wasn’t as damn near close to perfection as he could imagine.
But after the unexpected events of the last twenty-four hours, he craved something more. The comfort he found in her arms.
Linus’s arrival and the thought of the baby’s mother out there in the world, so desperate that giving up her son felt like the best option, had rocked him to his core. Despite the unrest in his early years from his parents’ contentious divorce, Callum had always known love growing up. Marci had come into their lives and immediately taken him and Dillon into her heart.
Even when her health suffered during those years of trying to conceive again and after the triplets’ birth, she’d never wavered in her maternal devotion. He’d had two parents who loved him and a gaggle of siblings who made him crazy but also helped him to never feel truly alone.
The baby his sister had taken on had been abandoned in the world. At least for now. He knew Stephanie would do everything in her power to love and protect little Linus. His sister had shown a depth of spirit and service that humbled Callum. He couldn’t force himself to commit to staying in Rambling Rose long-term because of the risk of being hurt, or causing pain to someone who loved him, the way he had with Doralee.
He’d never thought of himself as a coward. He’d established his company and grown the business to the point where he could cherry-pick the most appealing projects. His brothers had found a place with him, and he’d naively assumed that his success as a real estate developer and contractor was enough for a fulfilling life.
A couple of hours ago he’d understood how far he truly had to go, and it had terrified him.
A part of him had wanted to cut and run. He’d gotten in his car after an hour of restless tossing and turning, not sure whether to head out of town or just drive until exhaustion sent him home again. Almost unaware of where he was going, he’d ended up at Becky’s.
He startled as his phone vibrated now, the tone alerting him to an incoming message.
Are you going to sit in your truck all night or come in?
A text from Becky.
He glanced through his windshield toward the house to see Becky standing at the family room window, the lamp behind her bathing her in light.
His fingers trembled as he typed in a two-letter response.
In.
He climbed out of the truck and headed for the front door, heart pounding.
Becky met him at the door, her honey-colored eyes unreadable. She wore a thin cotton nightgown with two kittens curled together on the front and the words snooze squad scrawled beneath them. He must have it bad when he found kittens sexy as hell.
“I know it’s late,” he said, offering an apologetic smile. “If I woke you I’m—”
His words were cut off when she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she fused her mouth to his.
He lifted her off the ground as he stepped into the house, kicking the door shut behind him. She seemed as frenzied with need as he felt, like she couldn’t get enough of him. Her tongue delved into his mouth, and he groaned out loud, almost stumbling at the power of the desire pulsing through him.
Instead of moving toward the bedroom, he detoured into the nearby family room and lowered her to the couch. �
�I need you so badly,” he whispered, shocked by the intensity of his own voice.
“Yes,” she answered, smoothing her soft hands across his face. “Please, Callum.”
It was as if he’d devolved into some kind of inexperienced schoolboy overwhelmed at the possibility of a night with his biggest crush.
In such a short time, Becky had come to mean so much to him. He still couldn’t allow himself to acknowledge the depth of his feelings in his heart or mind, but his body seemed to have no such constraints.
It took only a few seconds to pull the sweatshirt he wore over his head and unfasten the button on his jeans. He paused then because Becky had sat up on the sofa and taken off her nightgown. She sat before him in only a pair of lacy blue panties, the perfection of her body making his mouth go dry.
“You never cease to blow me away with your beauty.”
“You should close the curtains,” she told him with a slight smile. “Before you give my neighbors a glimpse of a full Fortune moon.”
He yanked the ends of the linen drapes together, then kicked off his shoes and pushed his jeans and boxers down over his hips. He grabbed his wallet from his pocket before stepping out of them, taking out the condom packet as he turned back to her.
“It goes both ways,” she said as he moved toward her. “The way you look takes my breath away.” She bit down on her full lower lip. “And the way you look at me makes me want you more than I thought was possible.”
He closed the distance between them and lowered himself over her, taking her mouth in a kiss that he hoped communicated everything he wasn’t able to say out loud. As the kisses deepened, he moved his hand down her body, loving the feel of her soft skin and the way she arched into his touch. He cupped one full breast in his palm, skimming his thumb over the sensitive peak.
She moaned, and he caught the sweet sound in his mouth. Then he moved lower, snagging the waistband of her panties with his fingers. Trailing kisses down her throat and chest, he continued to move lower, pushing the scrap of cotton over her hips and lower until she was completely naked under him.
He gently spread her legs and pressed a kiss to the most intimate part of her. She gasped and reflexively stiffened, but he murmured words of encouragement and praise, feeling like he’d won some kind of lottery when she relaxed again.
“Let me have all of you,” he told her, glancing up to meet her desire-hazed gaze.
She gave a shaky nod, and he turned all of his attention to pleasing her. With his tongue and lips and fingers he explored her, gratified at the sensual noises she made.
Soon her whispered words became a chorus of yes and please and his name. When the release broke over her, it was almost his undoing. Her body seemed to come apart with pleasure.
He plucked up the condom packet he’d dropped to the floor, ripped it open with his teeth and then sheathed himself. As he positioned himself above her, she gave him a smile that just about melted his heart. This was how he wanted to make her feel all the time—languid and blissfully content.
She reached for him, opening again and taking the length of him as if they’d been made to fit together. They moved as one and he lost track of where she started and he began. As pressure built inside him, he tried to tamp it down. His needs didn’t matter until she was fully satisfied.
Her nails skimmed lightly across his back, sending quivers of need swirling through him. He lost track of time and place, lost in the moment and the joy of sharing it with Becky.
When she finally cried out his name and her body clenched around him, his breath caught in his throat. The release roared through him like a runaway train, pounding euphoria through every cell in his body.
He’d never experienced something so intense, and the force of it caught him off guard. His body tightened for several long seconds as he was suspended in a maelstrom of emotion. As the shockwaves subsided, he lowered his head, nuzzling the side of her neck.
She smelled of citrus and woman, a combination that he would forever associate with Becky.
He almost laughed at the thought that he’d never be able to smell the scent of lemons without thinking of this moment.
She pushed her fingers into his hair, and he lifted his head to drop a kiss on her forehead. “Sorry I ruined your good night’s sleep.”
She flashed a slow smile. “I’ll forgive you this time.” Her eyes darkened. “What brought you here tonight, Callum?”
“I wanted you.” He didn’t dare try to express to her all the emotions tumbling through him. The level of need he felt. At this point, it was easier if she believed their physical connection had led him to her. Anything more would reveal too much.
She continued to smile but for an instant he would have sworn a shadow passed over her gaze. “I’m glad,” she answered, although he got the feeling she wanted to say more.
He didn’t want the moment to end but forced himself to get up, grabbing his boxers from the floor. “I’ll be right back,” he told her, hoping he was imagining the awkwardness suddenly radiating between them.
It took him only a few minutes in the bathroom, and he figured she might have moved to her bedroom in the meantime. Instead, he saw the glow of a light coming from the kitchen.
As he entered the room, Becky gave him a tight smile. “Thanks again for stopping by.” She held out his jeans and T-shirt, which she’d folded into a neat pile along with his socks and shoes. “You’ll probably want to get dressed before heading out.”
“Um...” He frowned but took the clothes from her. “Yeah. Is everything okay?”
“Fine.” Another stiff smile. “I have an early day tomorrow, though, so I should get to sleep.”
“Sure.” He realized he sounded like an idiot with all of his one-word responses, but her actions left him rattled. They’d just shared mind-blowing intimacy, the best of his life. Now she was basically kicking him out.
What the hell?
Instead of arguing or asking for an explanation, he quickly donned his clothes and shoved his feet into the boots. As far as she knew, he’d gotten what he came for and if he wasn’t willing to reveal the depth of his feelings for her, he didn’t deserve any more.
She stood leaning against the cabinets on the far side of the room, her expression guarded. The adorable kittens on the front of her nightgown seemed to taunt him. They had a place here, and he had a big pile of nothing.
Because he had nothing to offer. And apparently Becky knew it.
“Thanks again for...” What exactly should he say?
Her chest rose and fell on a quick inhalation of breath.
“Everything,” he finished softly.
The smile that curved her lips looked forced, but he didn’t ask about it. Not when his own emotions felt too jumbled and unsure.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” she told him as she walked him to the front door. “Or I guess I should say later today.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry I woke you tonight.” He had to offer something.
“You didn’t. I got up to check on the girls and saw your truck out the window. I’m glad I saw you.” She shook her head and huffed out a faint laugh. “Otherwise, you could still be sitting at the curb.”
Why did he feel like he was being kicked there now?
She gave him a quick kiss after opening the front door. “Good night, Callum.”
He said good-night and a moment later stood alone in the darkness of an empty January night.
* * *
“I’m the one who’s sleep deprived,” Stephanie told Callum later that week as they stood in the front lobby of the veterinary clinic. “Why are you so grumpy?”
“I’m not grumpy,” he answered through clenched teeth, earning a laugh from his sister.
When he didn’t respond, she sucked in a quick breath. “Tell me there’s not another delay for the clinic.” She gestured to
the men carrying in the new cabinets for installation. “You and Steven managed to avoid one potential disaster. My nerves can’t take another one at this point, not with the opening coming up so quickly.”
He pulled out his phone and glanced at it for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, then lifted his gaze to Stephanie’s. “Everything’s on track. The crew will be putting in some long hours, but the facility is going to open on time and be fully functioning.” He flicked another look at the annoyingly dark phone screen and then added, “It’s all good.”
“Something isn’t right with you.” Stephanie reached out a finger and tapped it on the edge of his phone case. “Are you angry about Linus?”
Callum blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“I get that you had your fill of kids underfoot when we were growing up.” She flashed a weak smile. “Even though he’s still tiny, it’s kind of shocking how much stuff comes along with having a baby. The peacefulness of the house has been disrupted, and I’d understand if you resent the intrusion.”
“I don’t,” he told her, shocked and a bit chagrinned that he’d given off that impression. “Linus is adorable and I meant it when I said you’re doing an amazing thing for that baby.”
“Yes,” she agreed slowly. “But I’m beginning to wonder about Laurel returning. No one has heard from her.” Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course I’m happy to keep him for as long as needed, but I guess I thought it would be a short-term placement. What if his mama doesn’t return to claim him?”
Callum looped an arm around his sister’s shoulder. “Then he’ll be lucky he’s got you as a foster mom. I’m sorry I made you question whether I’m okay with having Linus in the house. Make no mistake, Stephanie. He’s where he needs to be, and I support you 100 percent.” He squeezed her arm. “The baby routine is an adjustment for all us, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He frowned. “I like babies. Hell, I helped take care of the triplets for years. And Becky’s girls love me. Why do people think I’m antibaby?”
Fortune's Fresh Start Page 13
