Taker - A Single Dad's New Baby Romance (Criminal Passions Book 4)

by Layla Valentine

  Before the conversation could go on, the trees ahead rustled.

  “What’s that?” Connor asked.

  “It’s… Just stay still, okay?”

  My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment I worried that Marshall and his men would spring out from the trees, ready to take us.

  But that’s not what happened. Instead, a small brown bear—a cub—emerged from the bushes about fifty feet ahead.

  “A bear!” said Connor.

  “Don’t scare it,” I said in a low voice. “If there’s a cub, that means his mom’s around somewhere too.”

  The cub stopped and regarded us with what felt like curiosity. He sniffed the air before letting his eyes settle on our food.

  “I think he’s hungry,” said Connor. “Should we feed him?”

  “No way. Just stay still and don’t make any noise.”

  The cub went back to sniffing the ground, the two of us watching in fascination.

  Then the bushes shook again, this time followed by heavy footfalls. Another bear appeared, this one also brown, but huge.

  The mom.

  “Wow,” said Connor, not scared at all—but maybe he should’ve been. “What do we do?”

  “Nothing. I’ve heard if you start running, they’ll chase after you. So just sit still and don’t attract attention.”

  The mama bear stepped forward and regarded us in the same way the cub had. Her big black eyes went from me to Connor and back to me.

  I had a good sense of what she was thinking. And it was the same thing as me—to protect the little one with her.

  She didn’t seem to want to do us any harm. And as we watched her, she made a half-circle in front of her cub, leading him back into the bushes. They both took one last look at us over their shoulders before disappearing back into the trees.

  “Are they gone?” asked Connor.

  “I think so. Come on, let’s get back to the cabin.”

  We gathered up our food and started off, making sure to walk slowly and carefully. But once we were within eyesight of the cabin, Connor started up again.

  “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” he said. “Two bears! I knew we’d see some around here.”

  My heart was still racing, but even I had to admit it was pretty neat. Living in downtown Denver, I’d never seen animals like that. It was a reminder I was in a totally different world, one I’d never known before.

  Tate was seated on the front porch when we arrived, Connor not wasting any time running up to him and launching into his story.

  “A bear?” asked Tate.

  “Two bears!”

  Tate sighed. “Kid, I don’t know if I like you wandering out into the woods like that and getting near all those animals.”

  Connor pointed back to me. “It’s okay, Abbie was with me.”

  Tate nodded, frowning. “Well I think that’s about enough excitement for one day. Go on and get washed up. You need some more studying done, and I’m going to start dinner before too long.”

  “Fine, fine.” Connor went into the house, leaving me with Tate.

  “Sorry about that,” I said. “I’ll keep him closer to the house next time.”

  “It’s not just the bears,” he said. “We don’t know who’s out in the woods.”

  I knew exactly what he meant. “You’re right.”

  “But…man, it’s good to see him excited about something. I’d been worrying the spark’d gone out of him. But I’ve been getting his schoolwork back from his teachers after they’ve graded it. It’s impressive.”

  “You have a really special son there, Tate. Happy to know him.”

  “And I’m happy to have you know him. Don’t know how you’re doing it, but you’re really getting through to the kid.”

  My temporary phone buzzed in my pocket after he spoke.

  “It’s Jamie,” I said after pulling it out. “I’d better take this.”

  He nodded. “Go on. And don’t you even think about starting dinner—I’m handling that tonight.”

  “Oh, really?” I asked. “What’s on the menu?”

  He grinned. “A surprise. Go ahead and take your call.”

  A smile still on my face, I hurried away from Tate and answered the call.

  “Hey!” said Jamie, chipper as ever. “How are you?”

  “Oh, doing all right. Just had a close encounter with a couple of bears.”

  “Nice, nice. Don’t get in their faces and they’ll mostly leave you alone.”

  “Mostly?”

  She laughed. “They’re more bark than bite unless you go out of your way to bother them.”

  “So, what’s up?” I asked.

  “Not much, just wanted to check in on you.”

  “All’s good here,” I said. “Have you heard anything from your parents?”

  “About the cabin? Not a thing.”

  “Okay, good. Just worried they might notice their electricity bill’s through the roof here or something.”

  “Don’t you even worry about that. That all goes on their credit cards, and I don’t think they even look at those. Perks of being loaded.”

  It was a relief, but after she spoke, I realized there was something else to mention, something I didn’t know how to say.

  “Oh, my God,” said Jamie. “You didn’t!”

  “Didn’t what?”

  “Hook up with him!”

  “How did you know?”

  “I don’t mean anything by this, Ab, but you’re kind of easy to read. Even over the phone.”

  I felt a tinge of embarrassment. “It just…kind of happened.”

  She laughed. “That’s how it always goes. But I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that might not be the best idea. He’s a criminal, right?”

  “It’s a terrible idea. But we agreed to let it happen just the one time.”

  “And you think you’re going to stick to that?”

  I paused, not sure how to answer the question. Now that Tate and I had slept together, it was the only thing I could think about.

  “I’m going to do my best,” I hedged.

  Jamie chuckled. “Try. You’re in a sticky enough situation as it is. No need to make it, um, stickier.”

  “Jamie!” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyway, I’m on break right now, just wanted to make sure you were okay up there. Stay in touch, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  We said our goodbyes and hung up. Once I was back in the house, Connor and I returned to our studies. After a couple hours, Tate cracked open a beer and started dinner, me and Connor at the kitchen table going over the Civil War for his history class.

  And there, with Tate making dinner and Connor working, me at his side, I felt a sense of satisfaction I hadn’t known in a long, long time.

  However, I couldn’t let myself forget why we were there. I didn’t want to let me guard down, despite what Tate had said about protecting me. I had to do my part.

  Dinner was steak and mashed potatoes—totally delicious. When we were done, there was ice cream and more relaxing. We put Connor to bed, and then it was just the two of us again.

  We sat on the porch outside, the evening calm and cool.

  “Good day today,” he said.

  “Really good day.”

  Then there was silence.

  And then we were all over each other again.

  It was like a dam broke. We kissed long and hard and deep, our hands moving over each other’s bodies almost frantically. We moved so quickly and intensely we nearly knocked over the chairs where we sat.

  Tate pulled away, and for a moment I worried he might tell me we needed to stop.

  But he didn’t. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and smirked.

  “Get over here.”

  No need to tell me twice. I got up and stepped over to him. I was wearing a skirt, and Tate hiked it up, first exposing my bare thighs and then the blue, lacy panties I wore underneath. He c
overed my thighs in kisses, hooking his fingers under the waistband of my panties and rolling them down my legs.

  I was helpless, logic and reason flying out the window in the face of how much I wanted him.

  As he kissed me, I leaned forward and opened up his jeans, taking out his erection. I stepped forward, sitting on his lap and wrapping my fingers around him. He was stiff and warm, ready for me.

  And I was ready for him. I lowered my body slowly, feeling him enter me bit by bit, easing through my wetness.

  Tate weaved his fingers through my hair and brought my lips to his. We kissed more as I rode him, feeling him move inside of me like no other man had before.

  It was pure heaven. I bucked my hips into him, feeling his stiffness against me, his hands grabbing me and holding my body close. The first time we’d made love had been incredible, but there was something about being with him at that moment which made it even more amazing.

  Maybe it was the familiarity, maybe it was us doing something we knew we weren’t supposed to.

  But either way, it seemed like my body was made for his, and his for mine.

  “You feel so damn good, baby,” he said, his voice low and loaded with passion. “So damn good.”

  I could barely speak, only utter a soft moan as I rode him harder and harder.

  The orgasm I craved grew nearer by the second. Each push of my hips into his brought it closer, and all I wanted was to make him feel good, to sense the throbbing of his cock inside of me as he came too.

  I wanted to please Tate, to pleasure him. And I knew he wanted the same for me.

  He grabbed my hips hard, grunting as he thrust up into me. Tate fixed those deep blue eyes onto me as he came, and the warmth that flowed from him was enough to push me over the edge. I leaned forward and pressed my head against his broad, solid shoulders and let the orgasm break through my body, lighting me up, crashing into every bit of me.

  We came together, and we finished together. I slowed my riding until I stopped, not wanting to take him out of me as he held me close.

  He’d said he wanted me to feel safe, and at that moment it was exactly what he’d done. His nearness, his warmth, were exactly what I needed.

  He cleared his throat and spoke. “Looks like we’ve got a situation on our hands.”

  “That it does.”

  “What are we going to do about this?”

  I sat up, Tate still inside of me.

  “I think…I think we should enjoy it while it lasts.”

  He grinned. “My thoughts exactly.”

  There was no sense in holding it back. We wanted each other like crazy, and it’d be impossible to not give in.

  “I’m here for you, Abbie,” he said. “No matter what happens.”

  And as his lips met mine once again, I knew my life, however crazy it had already become, would never be the same.

  Chapter 14

  Tate

  The first time we slept together could’ve easily been written off as a mistake—a little slipup to move past.

  The second time…that was something else. That night, as we held one another, our hearts beating in time, it was clear there was something else going on, something more serious than we’d bargained for.

  We went back inside the house, holding hands as we made our way to the bedrooms. But when it came time to let one another go, to say goodnight, we couldn’t do it.

  So we didn’t. The two of us went to the master bedroom and slept there together, Abbie’s body curled against mine.

  It was the first night in a long, long time that I’d actually known some kind of serenity. The two of us drifted off to sleep, waking in the early hours of the morning. As soon as our eyes were open, we were all over one another again, making love.

  And we took our time with it. It was still early, and there was no rush. After, we held each other, spent, until the pitter-patter of Connor’s feet in the hallway outside let us know there was a world waiting for us.

  “Shit,” said Abbie. “What do we do?”

  I glanced away, still resting my head on the pillow. “It’s too soon to tell him anything.”

  She nodded. “Hell, I still don’t know what’s going on between us.”

  “Me either. And it’s not a good idea to confuse him, right?”

  “Right,” I said. “Why don’t you head down and get him started with breakfast, and I’ll join you both in a few minutes.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Abbie slid out from under the covers, and the moment she was up, my eyes locked onto her naked body, taking in the sight of her hips and breasts and flat stomach. She was gorgeous, so beautiful it hurt.

  But I reminded myself I couldn’t get carried away with my attraction to her. I needed to focus, to make sure the big issue, the one that had brought us to this cabin, was looked after.

  All of our safety was on my shoulders, after all.

  Abbie put on some sleeping pants and a T-shirt, covering up her perfect figure in baggy clothes. I was thankful for it—it gave me a moment to get my head right.

  “Okay,” she said, tying her hair into a ponytail. “Mum’s the word for now, right?”

  “Exactly.”

  “See you down there.”

  She flashed me one more incredible smile before leaving, shutting the door softly behind her.

  Once I was alone, I laid on my back, folding my hands behind my head and looking up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what the hell I was doing, what I was getting myself into.

  As long as we were in that cabin together, the two of us wouldn’t be able to keep our hands off each other. Last night had proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

  But I was worried, worried that I’d get in too deep, and find myself in a position I couldn’t get out of.

  And what if Marshall were to find out there was something between the two of us? No doubt he’d use it against me, knowing what I’d been through, what kind of loss I’d endured.

  I’d have to be careful, balance my feelings for Abbie with my duty to keep her and my son safe.

  Nothing else to do.

  When I was ready, I put on some clothes and headed downstairs. Just like every other morning since Abbie had come into my life, the day started with the smell of cooking food, along with the laughter of my son. Could a life like that be so bad?

  Abbie and Connor greeted me with smiles as I entered the kitchen. Whatever the days ahead held, I was ready to greet them.

  And that’s how the next week passed. Mornings started with Abbie and me together in bed, followed by the three of us having breakfast together, then Abbie and Connor off to the library to begin schoolwork.

  I’d spend the day taking care of things around the house, going into town if we needed it, and getting in a little reading when I could. And I sent off a few emails to associates I’d had back in Denver, letting them know who I was and that I wanted to get in touch.

  But no replies came from any of them. As much as I hated to admit it, the three of us seemed to be alone in all this.

  I’d burned a serious bridge, and one of the most powerful criminals in Colorado was gunning for me. But he hadn’t found me yet.

  I wanted to believe he’d simply given up. But I knew Marshall, knew that he wouldn’t let something like that slide. He either simply hadn’t found us yet, or had, and was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  What sort of revenge he had in mind, I could only guess.

  One evening after dinner, Abbie and Connor watching a movie over some popcorn in the living room, I had the urge to step outside and take a look around the property. Couldn’t say why—just a sudden desire to do it, as if something compelled me.

  After a time, I realized what it was.

  The feeling of being watched.

  I always trusted my instincts, so I let Abbie and Connor know what I was doing before heading out.

  “Everything okay?” she asked, slight worry knitting her brow.

  “Is it a bea
r?” asked Connor, more excited than anything else.

  “It’s nothing,” I said, not knowing for sure whether or not that was the case. “Just want to get some fresh air.”

  Abbie regarded me for a moment longer, that worried look still on her face, before turning back to the TV. I didn’t like lying to her, but then again, what else was I supposed to say? It very well could have been nothing.

  But I wanted to be on the safe side.

  One of the closets in the upstairs hallway held random things, sports gear among them. Before leaving, I opened it up and took out an aluminum bat, holding it tight in my right hand as I stepped out onto the back porch.

  There was nothing but silence, aside from the gentle rustle of the wind in the trees. I looked around, seeing nothing, not even an animal.

  But I wanted to be sure. Stepping outside had made the feeling of being watched even more pronounced, that burning, tingling on the back of my neck.

  Someone was out there. I knew it.

  Bat in hand, I hopped off the back porch and onto the grass, making my way into the trees.

  I wasn’t there long before I spotted something.

  Ahead of me, maybe a couple hundred paces, the trees shook. My eyes flicked to the source of the movement, and for the briefest of moments, I spotted the black outline of a figure that was unmistakably human.

  Someone was out there.

  “Hey!” I shouted, trying to get their attention.

  But there was no response. I broke out into a run, rushing toward the spot where I’d seen the movement. Whoever had been there was long gone, vanished into the bushes.

  I spotted something when I reached the area. In the mud were several imprints of boots, as if someone had been standing there, occasionally shifting their weight. And in the grass were a few small, crooked items. I kneeled down and saw what they were—cigarette butts.

  I turned toward the house, realizing that the spot where I stood allowed a sweeping view of the cabin. I could see into the kitchen, all the way through the windows into the entry hall and the living room, along with the second-floor hallway.

  Someone had been there. Someone had been there watching us, watching us for long enough to go through a few cigarettes.