by Karla Doyle
He rose and stepped closer to her. “I’m completely okay with all of this. And since harassing you has gotten me this far, I’m sticking with that method.” He extended one arm and waggled his fingers. “Take my hand. Let’s show Macy that we’re both okay with all of this.”
Candace looked at his hand, then at her daughter. “She’s never had a male figure in her life, Jake. And I never knew how much that has bothered her until you came over for dinner the other night.” She glanced at his waiting hand before meeting his gaze again. “I can see that she’s getting attached to you already. If she knows we’re more than friends, she might start to count on you.”
“Then let her count on me. I want both of you to count on me.” He waggled his fingers again. “Let me in, Candace. All the way in.”
“I wasn’t kidding when I told your sister that you’re relentless,” she said, smiling while sliding her palm against his. “And she was right when she said your heart is in the right place.”
“So is the rest of me, sweets, whenever I’m with you.” He squeezed her hand as they turned to face her daughter.
Macy zeroed in on their clasped hands instantly. Anybody who said children were self-absorbed and clueless hadn’t met Candace’s daughter. Macy watched them walk toward her, not saying a word or showing any kind of reaction. A trait she’d either inherited or learned from her mother.
Candace was probably freaking out internally, because this was a big moment. A first. The panic Jake knew she must be feeling didn’t register on her face though. She had damn good control of her outward expressions. Almost as good as his cop face.
“What do you think of the pool, kiddo?” He led with an icebreaker question. Just in case.
“I like the pool. Are you Mommy’s boyfriend now?” Delivered with arrow-to-the-bullseye directness.
“I like your mom very much. I know this is a big change for you, Macy, and your feelings are important to me. You can tell me, or tell your mom, if you aren’t ready for me to be her boyfriend.”
Without diverting her attention from Macy, Candace squeezed his hand. “That’s right, baby girl. You’re the most important person in the world to me, and Jake knows that. If seeing us hold hands upsets you, it won’t happen again.”
“Are you going to get married?” Another direct shot. The kid pulled no punches.
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” he said, before Candace could get a word out. Partly to spare her the struggle of answering. Mostly to prevent her from using the word he didn’t want to hear—no.
Candace released his hand and moved to kneel near her daughter. “Jake and I are friends and we’re dating. That’s different from getting married.”
Maybe he was seeing what he wanted to see, but he could’ve sworn Macy looked disappointed. Frankly, so was he.
He moved to the edge of the pool and sat on the concrete near Macy, sticking his feet in the water. “I promise to talk to you about it before I ask your mom to marry me.”
“Sweetie, Jake said that because he doesn’t want you to worry about what may or may not happen in the future. He’s not saying it’s a for-sure thing.”
Since Macy hadn’t officially okayed their dating status, he didn’t push the marriage issue. Way too early in the game to be thinking about that anyway. Didn’t change the fact that he could picture Candace in a white dress, walking toward him. A pretty picture, but a crazy idea.
“Macy, you don’t have to decide anything about your mom and me right now.” He slipped into the water and floated out a bit, just beyond the bottom of the steps. “We’re here to have fun. Come on in the pool and show me some of that great swimming you know how to do.”
“Okay.” Without another word, Macy leapt in, slicing through the water with determined, controlled strokes, all the way to the opposite end of the pool. She grabbed the concrete and turned to face him as he swam up beside her. “Did you see me swimming?”
“You bet I did. That was awesome, kiddo.”
Exertion played a part in the pink tinting the little girl’s face, but happiness was responsible for the glowing smile. “I can swim underwater too. Want to see?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.” With that single word, Macy took a breath and plunged beneath the surface.
He filled his lungs and followed. Eyes open beneath the water, he stayed one stroke behind her. Close enough to help her if she needed it, far enough back to respect her self-confidence. Well-earned self-confidence. The kid had swimming chops, no question.
“Was that good?” she asked, when they popped up together in the shallow end.
“Are you kidding? It was amazing.”
Forty-odd pounds of wet kid smacked against his chest as Macy launched herself at him.
He wrapped his arms around her, reciprocating the hug. “I’m glad you’re having fun.”
Standing at the side of the pool, Candace cupped both hands over her heart. She’d never looked happier. Or more beautiful.
Yeah, that marriage idea might not be so crazy after all.
Candace
“You don’t want to listen to the Jays game?” Candace asked, as Jake lowered the radio’s volume.
Rather than answer, he pointed toward the backseat on the passenger side—Macy’s side.
Candace craned around for a peek. “Awe…”
Macy’s eyelids were closed, her rosebud lips slightly parted. Fast asleep, the little angel. Her small hand rested on Jake’s dog, curled up snugly against the booster seat. Adorable.
Candace resumed her previous position, then shifted sideways to look at the handsome man driving her car. “You wore her out with all that swimming and sliding. She had a wonderful time today. Thank you.”
“I had fun too. She’s a pretty amazing kid.”
She reached across and curved her hand over his thigh. “You’re a pretty amazing guy.” Taking advantage of the temporary privacy provided by the snoozefest in the backseat, she slid her hand inside the leg of his shorts and journeyed upward.
He took his focus off the road long enough to shoot her a smile. “This is new.”
“Are you one of those people who’s resistant to change?”
“Not this kind. This new is definitely good.” A groan rumbled in his throat as she curled her fingers around his cock. “I take that back. This new is the best thing in the world.”
“This,” she slid her fist up and down his shaft, “is the shallow end of the pool. But I’d like to slide into deeper water with you later tonight, when the lifeguard isn’t watching.”
“Will you wear that bikini again?”
“Wouldn’t you rather we go skinny dipping?”
“Getting there is part of the fun, sweets.”
She wholeheartedly agreed when the fun included Jake. “If you want me in the bikini, I’ll wear the bikini.”
He took advantage of the red stoplight ahead and looked over at her. “Just like that, no argument?”
“Zero.” She brushed the pad of her thumb over the head of his cock, eased her hand out of his trunks and sucked her finger into her mouth while he watched. Releasing it with a pop, she asked, “Do you have any other requests for later?”
“Just one.” Smiling that mesmerizing smile of his, he reached across and clasped her hand. “Whatever we do, I want it to be like it is right now.”
“Cramped and awkward, with the potential to be interrupted at any second?”
He choked on a laugh, then did a quick check of the backseat to see if he’d woken Macy. Because he cared. Because he truly was an amazing guy.
She lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, holding the position until the urge to say three serious, important words subsided. “I know what you meant about wanting the rest of our day to be like it is right now. I feel the same way.”
The smile he flashed was as warm and golden as the afternoon sun.
She couldn’t have avoided falling in love with him if she’d tried. And
she had tried. Repeatedly. For the first time in her life, she was happy to have failed.
Candace
Cinching the floral satin around her waist, Candace took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. The carpeted hallway absorbed her footfalls as she passed Macy’s room. Hopefully, it would do the same for Jake’s on the return trip.
She descended carefully, voices from the TV gradually replacing the silence of the second floor. “Macy’s asleep,” she said, stepping into the living room. “What’re you watching?”
“You.” The TV screen flickered to dead black. Jake’s eyes flickered with something much livelier. “Tell me you’re wearing the bikini under that robe. Actually, don’t tell me. Come here and let me find out for myself.”
Wordlessly, she obeyed, moving toward him in what felt more like floating than walking. They had important issues to discuss before taking things to the next level. Stopping in front of him, she opened her mouth to speak, but failed to get a single word out. All attempts at responsible thinking fell away when Jake tugged the bow at her waistline.
He whistled, low and long, as his gaze swept over her body. He followed the swimsuit’s lines with his hands, tracing the outline of her bikini with one while smoothing the other over her exposed skin. “So damn sexy.”
“It’s just a bathing suit.”
“The bikini’s not sexy, you are.” His hooded eyes locked on her face. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Anything. Starting with this.” Palm splayed across the front of her hip, he slid his thumb inside her bikini bottom.
Sparks flew the instant he touched her clit. The rhythmic circles, the perfect amount of pressure, the way he looked at her… The heady combination initiated a tug of longing so strong, she had to focus to prevent her legs from giving out.
“Grab my shoulders and trust me.”
She did. Both things.
“I need to do this,” he said, using his available hand to free her left breast. He cupped it like a ripe peach, grazing her nipple with his lips, then circling it with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth. Sucking, nipping, laving—worshipping her breast as he worked her clit.
Heat rippled through her body. So close, almost there… “Harder.”
Jake’s growl vibrated against her skin. Catching her nipple between his teeth, he shook his head, tugging the bud with the same merciless, exquisite pressure he applied to her clit.
“Jake,” was all she could get out as pleasure rocketed through her.
With one thick, strong arm wrapped around her left thigh, he supported her writhing, shaking body, holding her up while she rode out her orgasm. “So fucking sexy.” He drew her onto his lap after the wave subsided. “I’ve got you.”
“Yes, you do.” She breathed the words against his neck. Safe replacements for three she still dared not say aloud.
“I want to taste you. I want to bury my face between your legs and lick your pretty pussy until you come on my tongue.”
Just like that, need roared back to life between her legs. Taking his hand, she rose from his lap and tugged for him to follow.
They climbed the stairs without speaking. At the top, she turned to face him, put her index finger to her lips, then pointed at the closed door on the left before leading him to the one on the right. Inside her bedroom, she closed the door as softly as possible and turned the privacy lock. Macy was a sound sleeper, but Candace wasn’t taking any chances.
Jake’s dirty-talking mouth curved into a smile as he glanced around. “Good thing I’m a cop, not a firefighter, or we’d have to talk about the hazards of leaving candles burning when you’re out of the room.”
“They’re not real, they’re battery-operated.”
“What else have you got in here that’s battery-operated?” He caught her wrist as she issued a playful swat, his deep chuckle rumbling in her ear as he pulled her up tight against him. “I like the candles, but they’re the only battery-operated item you’ll need, as long as I’m here.”
“How long will that be? You have to work tonight, don’t you?”
“Unfortunately, yeah. But not for another couple hours.” His palms were warm and just the right amount of rough against her skin as he slid the robe from her shoulders. Without warning, he scooped her off her feet and carried her to the bed, where he laid her out beneath a cage of his muscular limbs. “Plenty of time for me to make you come.” He dipped down and kissed her softly. “Then come again.” Another kiss, this one deeper, longer. “And again.” Slipping his hand beneath her nape, he untied her bikini top, pulling it out of the way as he kissed every inch of skin between her lips and hips.
“Jake, wait,” she said, when he hooked his fingers under the sides of the bikini bottom.
A man of his word, he stopped immediately. Then looked up at her from his position between her legs, his gaze filled with heated intent.
“I’m not saying stop, but there’s something I want to talk about.”
“Right now?” He glanced at the triangle of fabric covering her pussy. “Can’t it wait?”
She shook her head, giggling when he released an agonized groan. Knowing how long he’d waited for this moment without receiving any sexual gratification, he might truly be in pain. “I promise I’ll be quick.”
“I promise I won’t,” he said, wiggling his tongue against her bikini-covered clit.
Oh, she just bet he wouldn’t. And she couldn’t wait to enjoy every minute of him making good on that promise. Soon. “Jake, this is important to me.”
“Then it’s important to me too.” He placed a kiss just below her navel. “Talk to me.”
“I want you to know that there are certain things that have never, and will never, happen while I’m at work.”
“Candace—”
“Please, let me say this. I want you to know.”
“All right,” he said, holding her gaze.
“I don’t let them put their mouths on my body, not anywhere. I don’t let them touch me below the waist. And when I—” The fact that she had practiced this speech in her head at least a dozen times didn’t make the next part easier to say. “When I provide services, they always wear a condom. Even with those precautions in place, I still get checked out at least four times a year. I had an appointment earlier this week and everything was clear, as always.”
“Okay.” A single word after she’d spewed out so many couldn’t be a good sign.
“I know I should have told you all of that sooner. Not waited until we were in the middle of things. There hasn’t been a right time to bring it up, and I didn’t want to wait until after. I needed you to know that I’m not exposing you to anything, and that being with you is different and special and—” She clapped her hands over her face. “God, I ruined our night, didn’t I?”
“No.” Another one-word answer.
She shook her head and continued hiding behind her palms. Whatever disappointment or disgust must be on his face right now, she didn’t want to see.
He moved up the bed, framing her beneath him once again. “Candace, look at me. It’s my turn to tell you something, and I want to say it to your face.”
She owed him that much. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she lowered her hands.
“I’m over it. I hate your job, but I know that’s all it is. I know it’s temporary and I’m prepared to wait it out. Until then, if you feel the need to tell me things related to your job, I’ll listen. If you never want to say another word about it, that works too. I’ve told you this next part before, and I’ll say it again, as many times as you need to hear it. When I look at you, Candace, all I see, all I think about, is you. The beautiful, smart, funny, strong, sexy, incredible woman I’m crazy about.”
“I’m crazy about you too.”
His smile said as much as any more words could. So did his kiss, as his lips connected with hers. He slid his tongue into her mouth. In and out, in and out, his kiss showed her what he p
lanned to do once he’d liberated her of the bikini bottoms. Something she wished he’d do soon.
“Want to talk about anything else?” he asked, pressing two fingers against the fabric between her legs.
“Actually, yes.” Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth couldn’t prevent the giggle from escaping when the tortured expression returned to his handsome face. “Just kidding. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “Neither can I.” Lowering his weight slowly, he worked his way down, lighting up every nerve ending with his kisses and nips.
She lifted her hips as he freed her of the bikini bottom. Her heart kicked into full-gallop mode as he rose from the bed to strip off his clothes. This was it.
Tall, sun-bronzed and athletically muscular, he could pass for one of those Greek god statues. Except for one thing. Those statues never had much going on south of their washboard abs. Strictly twig and berries. Jake, on the other hand, had plenty going on. And on and on. And more specifically, up. Higher than his navel.
“Everything okay?” he asked, when a strangled gurgle escaped her lips.
“Very okay.”
A bad-boy grin settled into place on his handsome face when he caught her eyeing his cock again. Hopefully, he’d planned ahead and brought condoms, because the just-in-case-it-ever-happens supply she’d bought a few days ago weren’t going to be big enough.
Stepping closer, he cupped her left heel in his palm and lifted it, skimming his free hand over her calf and up the inside of her thigh. “You have great legs.”
An incoherent sound replaced her intended words as Jake coasted his fingers over her clit. Round and round, he circled, delivering enough contact to drive her wild with need. Desperate for more, she tilted her hips.
A chuckle rumbled in Jake’s throat. “Want something?”
“You know I do.”
“And you know I’ll give you anything you want.” He stroked one finger into her, then trailed it up to her clit. “Tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
