Dangerous Redemption: A Single Parent Forbidden Romance Novel (Paths To Love Book 4)

by Grahame Claire

  When he showed up unannounced with dinner and gave Gabriel the cowboy, something changed in me. I’d decided to give him a chance. And that scared me.

  I tried to untangle my fingers from his, but he refused to let go. Something about that made me like him even more. I didn’t want a man who was easily deterred.

  “I’m sorry you were separated,” I finally said, understanding on some level. Although my brother was in my life, most of the time it was as if he wasn’t . . . unless he needed something.

  “It’s in the past.” His pained tone told me it was still very much in the present.

  The more he talked, the more I wanted to know about him, and that was a very dangerous thing. What had happened to him that put the haunted look in his eyes? Why did he rarely smile? Who had hurt him?

  “Is the rest of your family still in Nicaragua?” I settled on a neutral question instead of blurting out things that were none of my business.

  I didn’t think it was possible for his eyes to get any darker, but they did. “Some, but I have no contact with them. Muriella is the only one who matters.”

  “An ex-wife?” I wanted to clap my hand over my mouth for being so nosy. Instead, I held my ground and kept eye contact.

  A hint of amusement touched his mouth. “No wife or ex.”

  Pressure I didn’t realize had built in my chest released. I didn’t believe he’d bring us dinner if he was attached, but it was a relief to know he was available. Wait. No. His relationship status didn’t matter . . . not really.

  His rubbed his thumb across the top of my hand. The pad was rough yet soothing. I felt the seemingly insignificant touch all the way to my toes. It had been so long since I’d had any kind of physical contact with the opposite sex, but none had ever made me feel even a fraction of what Carlos did.

  “You’re staring,” he said.

  Snapping my gaze to his, I realized he was right. I’d been watching him touch me as if I’d never seen such a thing.

  “That feels nice,” I admitted.

  “I’d hoped it was better than that,” he teased, keeping up the steady rhythm.

  “It’s been a long time.” I squeezed my eyes shut. Why did I keep blurting out whatever was on my mind?

  “Am I wrong in assuming you aren’t looking for a relationship?”

  “I can’t,” I said quickly, slightly panicked at the thought of even attempting to date.

  “What about something with no strings?” He spoke casually and continued rubbing that hypnotic pattern on my hand.

  My body sparked at what I thought he was proposing. “No strings?”

  “Just orgasms. Lots and lots of orgasms.” The velvet of his voice had me clenching my thighs together.

  “I—”

  He pressed his thumb into my hand. “I should go.”

  I blinked at him in a daze. Go? After just offering lots and lots orgasms? A part of me seriously wanted to consider the proposition.

  Carlos stood and pulled me against him. I exhaled in a rush as his heat seeped into me.

  “Holly, you’re not dead. It's okay to fulfill your needs. Even if I can't be all you want, I can certainly help you out with that.”

  He kissed my forehead and sauntered out the front door, leaving me staring after him. Could I take him up on something just physical? My body said yes. My brain wasn't so sure.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Holly

  With Gabriel's hand in mine, we waited in front of Muriella's apartment. It was a few minutes before seven, and this was the routine we'd developed over the past week even though it would change in a couple of days when school started. I wanted to be the one to take Gabriel to school, and thankfully, Mulaney was more than understanding about that.

  Carlos opened the front door.

  “Mr. Carlos.” Gabriel released my hand and flung his arms around Carlos's waist.

  My voice lodged in my throat. Carlos looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower. His black hair was damp, one lock of it hanging over his forehead. He had on a thin gray T-shirt that stretched tight over his pectoral muscles. The sleeves strained around his biceps like they might rip any second. I knew firsthand how strong those arms were.

  “Hey, Gabriel. What are you doing up so early?” Carlos lifted him and tossed him in the air, Gabriel squealing with delight as Carlos caught him and set him back on his feet.

  “Mama's got to go to work,” Gabriel answered. That was when Carlos finally seemed to notice me. His eyes heated as they took in my houndstooth pencil skirt and pearl Victorian blouse.

  “Good morning, Holly.”

  “Hello, Carlos,” I replied crisply to hide what I feared was my blatantly obvious reaction to him. His body was like a magnet. I itched to run my fingers through his hair and over all that muscle.

  “Coffee?” he asked, letting me inside.

  “No, thanks. Is Mulaney ready to go?”

  “Haven't seen her this morning. Why don't we wait in the kitchen?” he suggested. “My sister's cooking something.”

  “Gabriel, go say hi to Miss Muriella,” I suggested, and he took off. “Do you have a minute?”

  “I have all the time in the world for you,” Carlos said, and my heart skipped a beat. “Want to talk in the living room?”

  My cheeks burned, but I lifted my chin. “Somewhere more private, please.”

  He shot me a questioning gaze. “This way.”

  He led me into what had to be Muriella's study and closed the door behind us. The room was light, with champagne-colored walls and a glass-topped desk. White leather chairs were positioned in front of it.

  “Have a seat.” Carlos gestured toward the chairs, and I shook my head.

  “This won't take long.” I waited for him to ask what this was about, but he was silent. His head tilted ever so slightly, just like Gabriel did when he was trying to figure something out, and I warmed inside. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, I met his eyes. “Is your offer still on the table? For something just physical, I mean?” It came out in a rush, but I'd never propositioned a man like this. Never considered just sex with nothing more. I’d tossed and turned for two nights and decided if he was willing, it was what I wanted.

  He crossed his arms. “Do you think you can handle just fucking?”

  I lifted my chin, his crass words turning love making into something so physical should have offended me . . . but it didn’t. “It's all I'm capable of.”

  He looked at me in disbelief. “I will be around Gabriel since he's in my sister's care.”

  “I know.”

  “And you're okay with that?”

  “You will be whether we do this or not,” I reasoned, and he appeared satisfied.

  “If it becomes a problem, you'll tell me.”

  “Believe me, you'll be the first to know.”

  His lip curled in a half smile. “You will not fuck anyone else as long as we have this arrangement.”

  I glared. “That won't be a problem for me. The same goes for you.”

  “I couldn't begin to think of anyone else, much less touch them.” He took the challenge. Interesting.

  I swallowed hard. “I don't know how this will work—”

  “Let me worry about that,” he said, and relief swept through me. It was one less thing for me to shoulder.

  “Okay,” I said, butterflies fluttering around inside me. “So we're fucking then.” I chewed on my bottom lip.

  His eyes darkened as he tugged it free. “That's mine.” His hand slid around to cup the back of my neck. “Your body belongs to me now.” Carlos nipped at my lip to prove his point, and I relaxed into him, already craving more. “You'd better get to work,” he whispered against my mouth, and every part of me disagreed. I wanted to get started on this arrangement.

  “When will we—”

  “When I say.” Carlos kissed my forehead and opened the door.

  “There you are,” Mulaney said as she barreled down the hallway. She paused and looked from
me to Carlos, smirking. “Need to come in late?”

  “No.” I blushed. “I'm ready after I say goodbye to Gabriel.”

  “Let me get some coffee.”

  Mulaney took off for the kitchen, and I followed, but Carlos grabbed me by the elbow and pressed his mouth to my ear. “I want you to think about how many times you'll come the first time I get my hands on you,” he growled, and my knees grew weak.

  I leaned against him for support. He released my arm, sliding his hand around to the small of my back and guiding me toward the kitchen. I moved on wobbly legs to Gabriel, who was sitting on a barstool at the island. He brightened when he saw me, and whatever Carlos hadn't melted dissolved at that moment.

  “Give Mommy a kiss.” I presented my cheek, and he dutifully did so. I hugged him a little too hard. This was always the worst part of my day. I absolutely hated leaving Gabriel; he was growing up so fast. He was my little man, but someday in the not-too-distant future, he wouldn't cling to me the way he did now.

  “I love you, Mama. Have a good day at work.” I was going to be in tears before I could get out of here. My eyes were already stinging. What has gotten me so emotional? I shook it off and brushed Gabriel's hair back from his forehead.

  “I love you too, baby. Be a good boy for Miss Muriella, okay?”

  He nodded.

  I forced myself to let him go. When I turned, Carlos was watching me with hooded eyes. “How many, Beauty?” he asked as I walked by, low enough so only I could hear.

  “One,” I replied saucily, and his nostrils flared before he looked at me like he knew I’d agree to his proposition all along. I kept moving, feeling his eyes burning into me from behind.

  How many, indeed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Carlos

  Holy fucking shit.

  The last thing I’d expected that morning when I woke was for my Beauty to take me up on my offer. Who in their right mind would say no to that? She'd played right into my hands. Before she knew what hit her, she'd be in too deep.

  “I have something of yours.” Stone clapped my shoulder, immediately dousing cold water on my thoughts of exactly how I wanted to make Holly come first. He flicked his chin toward the hallway, and I followed him to the bedroom he shared with my sister.

  Stone disappeared into their closet, and I glanced around the spotless room. The bed was made without a wrinkle, and nothing was out of place. There wasn't even a speck of dust. Muriella had been that way as a girl. When she’d played with her dolls, all of them went back to their designated spot. She'd gotten that trait from our mother, though Mama didn't mind if I left a little mess. Muriella always came behind me to clean it up.

  As kids, she’d kept my room tidy, and in the few days I'd been here, she’d done the same. The dirty towels and clothes were picked up, my things straightened, and the bed made. It meant she'd held on to some of who she'd been as a child before her innocence was stolen.

  “If you need to use this, don't do it in the house.” Stone held out my Glock, and I took it, tucking it in the back of my waistband. He dropped the bullets into my palm.

  “What happened the other night . . . it won't be a problem again,” I assured him, and he gave me a quick nod.

  “I owe you a hell of a lot of thanks.”

  “For what?” That was not the response I expected from Stone. Honestly, he should kick my ass.

  “You've eliminated that son of a bitch from our lives. I don't have any grand delusions he'll ever be completely gone, but knowing he can't hurt Muriella again is a big weight off both of us.”

  “I'm sorry I let him find her in the first place.” I tightened my hand around the bullets. “I've questioned if I should have just killed him instead of sending her away, but I was in no condition to take care of her back then. We'd have both ended up dead. When I see the life she found, I know I did the right thing.” I closed my eyes for a second. “It could have been much different. I thought sending her away had to be better than the hell she was in.”

  “I can't imagine being in your shoes. You did what you had to do for your sister. I know of some of the hell she went through, but you lived with that monster all your life. I think wanting to kill him as many times over as you can is completely justified.” This was Stone's way of telling me we were good. I could have hurt Muriella the other night, but I didn't.

  “Having your brother-in-law living with you isn't ideal, but I appreciate this. She's the only family I have left.”

  “No, she's not,” Stone corrected. “You've got a whole bunch of Jacobses now. We're a lot to take in, but you'll get used to us.”

  I tensed. I liked the Jacobses, wished my own family had been more like them, but I'd isolated myself for so long, the idea of letting all those people in was daunting.

  “You've gone pale.” Stone slapped my back. “Don't worry. We'll be here when you're ready. It took your sister six years to let me in, but I doubt any of us will be that patient with you. My grandmama will come up here herself to see about you. Just between you and me, I think she's got a crush.” Heat crept up my cheeks, and he grinned. “You've got a little color back.”

  “Thanks a lot,” I said wryly before turning serious. “I mean it. I appreciate you and your family looking out for Muriella.”

  “We'll look out for you too.” I held out my right hand. Stone took it and pulled me in for a hug. “You want me to hold onto that for a while?” He gestured toward the gun.

  “Not necessary.” Now that I had it back, I felt more comfortable. I was in control, not that dead evil bastard. The gun didn’t affect me one way or the other; what did was knowing the diablo wouldn’t win.

  “The ladies are taking Gabriel to the park for lunch. Why don't you and I grab a bite? Take advantage of a rare moment to ourselves,” he suggested.

  “All right. Where do you want to go?”

  “I was thinking we could stay here. We'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than what Muriella can cook.”

  We wandered back to the kitchen, where Muriella was pulling a huge dish of something covered in cheese out of the oven. Stone rushed over to help her.

  “Thank you, but I have it.” She deposited the dish on the stovetop.

  “Darlin', that pan is bigger than you are,” Stone said, kissing her temple. She swatted him with an oven mitt.

  “Would you get the bread out, please?”

  “Smells delicious,” I said, and Muriella beamed at me.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Actually, I am.” I went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and took a gulp.

  “Carlos and I were hoping we could have some of this for lunch,” Stone said.

  “You know you can. I'll fix you a plate.”

  “What's the best way for me to get in touch with Daniel?” I asked.

  “I heard my name,” Daniel said from the doorway, his hand in his wife’s.

  “I was hoping to have a word with you when you have some time.”

  “My door is always open to you,” Daniel said as Vivian bounced over to me. She was stunning, full of energy, and I was grateful for the friendship she'd given my sister.

  “Hi, Carlos.” She wasn't short but had to stretch to press her lips to my cheek. “Glad to see you’re up and about.” I wasn't sure Muriella had told her about my meltdown, but if she trusted these people, I would too. At least on some level. They'd never treated me any differently than one of their own.

  “I'm feeling much more myself.” That was the truth, yet I wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. After being idle for a couple of days, I was itching to get back to some sort of action. Even though the old man was dead, there was still unfinished business.

  “Then you'll be at dinner this evening.” She patted my arm and gave me a pleasant smile, one not to be argued with.

  “I wouldn't miss it.”

  “Hey, where's the little man?” Vivian asked, looking around the kitchen.

&
nbsp; “He's in the living room, working on a puzzle,” Muriella answered. “I'm almost ready to go. I need to finish packing our lunch. Why don't you get him ready to leave?”

  “I'll do it,” I volunteered, and looks fired at me from all directions as I left the room. Gabriel was in Muriella's chair, puzzle pieces spread on the ottoman.

  “Hi, Mr. Carlos,” he said, shoving a giraffe in the correct slot.

  “Are you ready to go to the park?”

  Immediately, he dropped the next piece in his hand. “Yeah! Is it already time?”

  I laughed and caught him in my arms when he launched himself at me. “It's time.”

  “Are you taking me?” he asked hopefully.

  “Not today. My sister is.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “We'll see.” His arms tightened around my neck. “Would you like to hang out this afternoon when you get home? I'll teach you how to play soccer.”

  “Okay. I've never played before.”

  “Then I'll be honored to introduce you to the game.”

  Muriella, Vivian, and Gabriel left for the park, leaving Daniel, Stone, and me to share a meal.

  “Muriella says you can help me with obtaining legal status here,” I said to Daniel, forking a bite of lasagna. “I'd like it to be done quickly.”

  “Do you need a new identity?” he asked.

  I hesitated. The short answer was probably. There were plenty of people who wanted me dead. A new name would thwart them but not forever. Some of them could still reach me here, and they'd pursue it. Others would let it go once they found I was out of the game. Just because I'd gone off the radar didn't mean I was invincible.