The doorbell rang, saving her from having to answer. She moved away from the sink but he pointed at her. “I’ll get it. Stay put. And no more coffee or you won’t sleep tonight.”
She heard the murmur of voices and figuring it was the pizza grabbed a couple of plates and some napkins, carrying them into the living room and setting them on the coffee table. Her attention was snagged by an episode of CSI.
Kent walked in and set the pizza down on the coffee table. “I can see you’ve gone from one extreme to the other.”
He frowned slightly as he studied the dead body laid out on the examination table. “No wonder you have bad dreams, watching this stuff.” He placed the pizza on the coffee table. She reached for the remote, guessing that he wasn’t a CSI fan. “What do you like to watch?”
“I only watch sports. Baseball, preferably.”
She managed to find a game on another channel.
“You don’t have to do that,” he told her quietly.
She glanced over at him with a shy smile. “I know.”
He smiled back and she felt warm inside. It was a small thing but it felt good to make him happy. He opened the lid of the box and her mouth watered. “Oh, wow, that smells good. It’s been so long since I’ve had pizza.”
“Why’s that?”
She shrugged. “Not much use in ordering it for one.” She reached for a piece then stilled. “Oh, let me get you some money for it.”
He snagged her wrist as she stood. “Pretty sure I told you already that I’m old-fashioned, haven’t I?”
“Umm, yes.”
“Which means when you’re out with me, I pay.”
“But we’re not out.”
“It also extends to take-out. Sit your butt down and eat.”
“What about a drink? Can I get you one?” She felt the need to do something for him in return for all he’d done for her.
“Abby, keep going and you’re going to be sitting there on a red ass eating your pizza. I can get my own damn drink if I want it.”
She gaped at him. He did not... “Did you just threaten to spank me?”
He looked at her. “Yep. Got a problem with that?”
She swallowed heavily, wondering at why that thought made her feel so hot. “I probably should. A sane person would.”
He grinned. “Well, I’ve never claimed to be sane.”
She couldn’t be completely sane either. Because she wasn’t frightened or horrified by the threat. Instead, she was kind of intrigued...
“Can see the wheels in your head turning, baby, but I can’t see you doing much eating and I don’t like that. Leave all the serious shit behind. Enjoy your pizza.”
“Okay.” She picked up a piece and bit into it, making a noise of satisfaction.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“What was that?” she asked.
He was watching her strangely, almost as though he’d never seen her before.
“Nothing, just never thought watching someone eat pizza could be so...umm...you got any beer?”
“Oh no, I’m sorry. I don’t drink beer.” She felt bad for some stupid reason. It wasn’t like she’d known he was coming around.
“Don’t be sorry. I should have brought some with me.”
“I’ve got pop, milk and water.”
He stood with a nod and entered the kitchen, when he returned, he had one glass of water and one of milk. He set the milk in front of her.
“What’s this?”
“Milk.”
“I know that its milk, but I don’t drink it.”
He raised both eyebrows. “Then what do you do with it?”
She blushed. “I use it with cereal. I don’t drink it out of a glass.”
“It’s good for you,” was all he said. As though that meant she should change her mind about liking the taste.
“I’ll just go get some pop.” She scooted forward.
“Stay there. That crap will rot your teeth, drink your milk.”
“You sound like my nana.” Whoops. Why did she say that? She nearly thunked herself on the forehead with her hand. No man wanted to be compared to someone’s nana for God’s sake.
“I do? She sounds like a smart woman.”
“She was.”
“It’s been a couple of years since she passed, hasn’t it?” There was sympathy in his voice that stupidly made the end of her nose sting as she fought to push back tears.
It had been, but she was surprised he knew that. “Yes, just over two years.”
She stared down at the half-eaten slice of pizza in her hand and suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.
“You lived here with her?”
“Yeah, my mom disappeared when I was a kid. Just up and left. She was there in the morning then when Max and I got home from school she was gone.”
“Max is your brother, yeah? He’s younger than you?”
“Two years younger. He hasn’t lived in Wishingbone for a while. He moves around a lot.”
“You’re not close?”
“Not really. He pops in when he’s in town.” Usually to wheedle or steal what money he could from her. That knot in her stomach tightened further.
“Did you ever discover what happened to your mom?” he asked.
“No, I never knew what happened to her. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, she wasn’t the best mother in the world. She tended to spend most of her time getting drunk and hanging out with her friends. She went through men like they were candy. I’m not even sure who my dad is.”
“Oh, baby. I’m sorry.”
Fuck. Why was she telling him this? He couldn’t possibly want to know and it wasn’t exactly painting her in a good light. “It’s okay.”
He gave her an incredulous look. She shrugged. “All right, so it’s not okay.”
“What happened?”
“I made Max some dinner. We had a bit of food in the cupboards but not much. We went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, she still wasn’t home. We went to school as usual but when we got home...well, she’d never been gone that long before. I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew I wasn’t supposed to tell people about anything that went on at home but we were running low on food. Max was hungry, so I went to our next-door neighbor. She was nice. She had a boy Max’s age and she often gave us cookies and milk after school. She called the cops. Child Protective Services took us into custody. The next day Nana came and got us.”
“And none of you ever heard from your mom again? What did the cops say?” He was frowning.
“The police think she took off with her latest boyfriend.”
“Oh, baby.” He pulled her onto his lap. She tensed up. Umm, what was happening? Why was she sitting in his lap? What was she supposed to do? Where did she put her hands? What if she was too heavy for him?
But he didn’t seem to notice her freaking out. Or if he did, he ignored her reaction, pulling her in against him and tucking her head in under his chin. He rubbed his hand up and down her back. Wow, okay, that felt nice. Gradually, she relaxed into him.
She yawned. He was so warm. And he smelled so good.
“Here, eat some more pizza, sweetheart.” He leaned forward and picked up a piece of pizza, holding it to her lips. She reached up to take it and he pulled it back. “Uh-uh, I’m going to feed you. You just sit there snuggled into me so sweetly and let me take care of you.”
God, those words. They were like a balm soothing the ragged edges of her soul.
She finished off the slice of pizza then shook her head as he held up another piece. “Full.”
“You sure? You didn’t eat much. I’ve eaten four times as much.”
“You’re bigger than me.”
“I am. Here.” He held the milk up and she sighed, grimacing.
“I really don’t like drinking milk.”
There was a beat of silence then to her surprise he set the milk down without argument. Instead, he picked up his glass of water and held it to her lips. “I promise I don
’t have germs.”
She took a few sips, realized how thirsty she was and gulped down the whole lot. She tried to move off his lap, thinking to get him another glass but he held onto her. “Didn’t say you could move.”
“I thought I’d get you some more water,” she explained, feeling special that he didn’t want her to move.
“I’ll get it in a minute. And I’ll bring in some wood for your fire. It’s starting to get chilly. Where do you keep it?”
She bit down on her thumbnail. He gently extracted her thumb free. “Gotta do something about that.”
“About what?”
“What’s going on that you don’t want to tell me, Abby?” he asked instead.
“Well, okay, I don’t have any wood.” Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of.
Yeah, she wished she actually believed that. Considering how much shit she’d taken over the years about being poor, it was hard to believe.
“You used it all during winter? It was a cold one this year. You need to order some more though, sweetheart because this house is so old it’s probably drafty and needs its insulation upgraded.”
She nodded. It wasn’t really worth telling him that she didn’t have money for wood. That she hadn’t had any all winter and instead relied on blankets and hot water bottles to keep her warm.
Although, he was better than any hot water bottle.
“Just relax, baby,” he told her, rubbing her back up and down.
“I should clean up the pizza.”
“I’ll clean it up before I leave. I just want you to relax so we can get you back to bed. When’s your next day off?”
“Sunday.”
“Tomorrow? That’s good. You can get some rest.”
“No, next Sunday.” She yawned, her eyes growing heavy. She wanted to prolong this. It felt so nice to be touched, held
He grew tense beneath her. “Next Sunday? Seven days away? When did you last have a day off?”
“Last Sunday.” Belatedly she realized why he had tensed up and his voice had grown low.
“You’re working thirteen days in a row?”
“Umm yeah.” Her thumb crept towards her mouth and he gently grabbed hold of her hand, pulling it away.
“You’re going to bite your thumb raw. Why are you working those sorts of hours?”
“Because I need the money.” And because she wasn’t very good at saying no.
“I don’t like that.”
She sat up with a sigh, trying to climb off him. He pulled her back. “Kent, let me go.”
“No.”
“Kent,” she warned.
“I don’t like you working such long hours.”
“Well, I don’t either. But I need the money. It’s my life. My job. Now let me up.”
“Well, shit. Don’t like that either.”
“Kent!”
He drew her back into his arms and she opened her mouth, ready to blast him and that’s when he kissed her. And oh boy, was it a kiss. Yeah, she should pull back and tell him off. But was she going to?
Hell, no.
Because Kent Jensen was kissing her. The man who featured in the majority of her fantasies. The man she’d watched from afar longingly for years. He was the sexiest, most gorgeous man she’d ever met.
And the man could kiss.
For a moment she was frozen, unsure what to do. He pulled back slightly. “Kiss me back, sweetheart.”
Kiss him back? She’d only kissed one boy and that had been horrid, his tongue jabbing into her mouth until she wanted to vomit.
This was far, far from that.
But instead of embarrassing the hell of herself by explaining to him that she had no idea what she was doing, she decided to just follow his lead. She relaxed her mouth, ran her tongue along his. He tightened his hold on her, and a low growling noise escaped from him.
“Fuck, yes, baby. Kiss me.” He ran kisses along her jaw. “You have the softest skin.”
He took her mouth again as he grasped hold of her ass, squeezing tightly. She gasped, her body going up in flames. His lips were surprisingly soft. The scent of him was masculine. Rich. Woodsy. His arms were strong around her, his body so hard and hot. And she melted.
And just from a kiss.
But then it wasn’t just any kiss, was it?
It was the kiss. The kiss to end all kisses. The kiss she’d never forget for the rest of her life.
He moved gently to begin with. Everything felt light and sweet from the brush of his lips against hers to the way his hand rubbed up and down her thigh. Her clit tingled, her nipples aching. She’d never experienced arousal like this. Something all-consuming. Something that made her forget everything except his touch.
She groaned against him mouth and he pressed his tongue in to play with her. Their kiss grew wilder. Explosions of heat. Her heart raced and she moved restlessly on his lap. She wanted more. Needed more.
“Where do you want me to touch you? Tell Daddy, baby.”
Chapter Six
Fuck it all to hell.
What the hell was that? Why did he just say that? He wasn’t a daddy. He didn’t want a baby girl. He’d just gotten carried away.
He stared down at her, his hands dropping away. He should say something. He just didn’t know what.
What had he been thinking? What was he doing kissing her? He was supposed to be here as a friend. As part of a debt owed.
He was not supposed to pull her into his arms and kiss her for fuck’s sake. It wasn’t fair on her. It was obvious how innocent she was. The way she’d kissed him back had very clearly demonstrated that. Not that the kiss hadn’t been hot. But she’d been hesitant, unsure.
Until the kiss had deepened and she’d stopped thinking. Then it had become far too hot for his peace of mind.
And then he’d fucked it all to hell.
Daddy? Really?
When he was younger, he’d always been attracted to women with attitudes, with confidence. He’d enjoyed the thrill of the chase.
And none of them would ever have wanted to live on a ranch in the middle of Montana. To yield to his excessive demands around their safety. To cede control beyond the bedroom.
Was that why none of them had lasted?
Fuck. Fuck.
Abby stared up her, lips swollen. Her face slightly flushed. Her eyes, which had been glazed with lust, were now darkening with worry.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“I can’t believe I just did that. It was a mistake.”
Her body grew tense and she scrambled her way off his lap. He let her go. She scooted her way onto the sofa, kicking him in the thigh as she moved.
“Oh crap. Sorry. Shit.” She stared at him in horror. “I didn’t mean to do that. Honestly. It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Abby, I know it wasn’t. Calm down, sw—” He cut himself off before he could call her sweetheart. He needed to back off. For both their sakes. Because the more he thought of that kiss...the more he wanted to kiss her some more. The more he wanted to take things further. To lay her down on the couch. To explore every inch of her.
She sat in the corner of the sofa and the way she crouched in on herself, as though to make herself smaller, punched him in the gut.
“Abby, I’m so sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. I apologize. That’s not what I...who I am. What I need.” He needed to get out of here. Before he was tempted to pull her back into his arms and comfort her. Which would no doubt lead somewhere else...
Fuck. What was wrong with him? This was Abby. Sweet, kind, innocent Abby. She wasn’t the sort of woman that could deal with him. She needed someone who would be gentle with her. Guide her. Nurture her.
Not someone who’d want to tie her to the bed, plug her ass before fucking her. Hard. Fast.
She stared at him incredulously. Those wide, hazel-colored eyes were filled with something he couldn’t quite decipher. It wasn’t anger, although she was entitled to feel
that.
More like disillusionment.
“Not what you need? It was a mistake?”
He nodded. “It was. And I’m so sorry. Can we please just forget it happened? I came here to put on new locks so you are safer and to check on you after the late night you had. My family owes you a debt—”
“No, you don’t,” she interrupted.
“Pardon?”
“You don’t owe me a debt. I didn’t do anything. And I think you should leave.”
He didn’t want to leave things like this. Not with her looking at him like he’d slapped her. “You went running into a dangerous situation to help my sister. Anything could have happened to you. Many people would have stayed hidden or left to get help but you didn’t.” He gave her a stern frown. “Of course, if that situation ever happens again, that is exactly what you should do.”
“You would expect me to leave your sister there on her own with those assholes?” she asked.
An uncomfortable feeling filled him. The thought of anything happening to Eden made him nauseous. But he also had this growing protectiveness towards the woman sitting as far away from him as she could on the couch.
“It won’t happen to Eden again.”
“I hope not,” she said quietly.
“It won’t,” he repeated firmly. “Sanctuary takes care of its own. Eden is going to find herself much more closely watched.” He knew Clint was already beating himself up for not taking a firmer stance with their sister. They tended to indulge her where they could. She’d been through so much in her short life and she was the baby of the family.
“Okay, well, you don’t owe me a debt. Or if you did it’s been paid with the new locks on my doors. So, you can leave now.”
He didn’t want to go.
It was ridiculous. He’d just pushed her away. He should be taking the out she gave him and going.
“Abby, it’s not what you think,” he told her gently. “It was a slip of the tongue. We’re just not well-matched.”
“That’s one way to put it,” she said stiffly. “I get it. A mistake. I’m tired.”
Daddy's Sweet Girl (Montana Daddies, #3) Page 7
