“Can I get a fork?”
Daisy opened a drawer, relieved she’d picked the right one. She held it out triumphantly. “Ta-dah.”
Jessica’s brows furrowed as she took the fork. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, they were all settled at the dining room table with Shane’s fabulous ice cream sandwiches. Bryce had ice cream in his hair and all over his sleeves. Trav arrived back from his place just as Max was whispering in Daisy’s ear, “I’m glad I get to spend a little more time with you.”
Daisy didn’t reply, instead smiling tightly at Trav.
“I saved one for you, bro,” Shane said, offering the sandwich.
“I am way too cold for that,” Trav said. “I need my wife to warm me up. C’mere, wife.”
All eyes went to Daisy. She didn’t like Trav’s tone or the fact that he was putting them on display. She could feel the weight of Max’s stare, and she didn’t miss the cool, assessing look in Jessica’s eyes. Given no choice, Daisy rose from her seat and slowly went to Trav’s side.
He crushed her against his chest and whispered directly into her ear. “Tonight we share a bed.”
She shivered at the intent she heard there. Goofy she could handle. Badass was much harder to resist.
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “I’m making her cold now. Let’s move to the fire.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. She followed him stiffly, still annoyed with his pushiness. She couldn’t help but think about the night ahead. Bryce would sleep in his crib in the room with them. She sincerely hoped Trav didn’t expect anything more from her than sleeping, especially in front of the baby. She reminded him of this fact once they were settled on the floor in front of the fire.
“He’ll fall asleep at some point,” he said simply. He pushed her hair over her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, his stubble scraping across the sensitive skin.
She closed her eyes over the heavenly sensation. “This isn’t going to be a honeymoon,” she mumbled.
His tongue traced the rim of her ear, and her entire body came to attention, heat flooding her. Who knew ears could be so sensitive? Her lips parted; she had to tell him…something. Stop…soon.
He pulled back, and she opened her eyes. He had a smug, knowing smile.
“We’ll save the honeymoon for later,” he said.
She shot him a dirty look for stopping with the ear thing and for being so smug. “Don’t count on sex tonight,” she said in what she hoped was a convincing voice.
He stroked her cheek. “You want me, sweetheart.”
She straightened and stared straight ahead because she did. Too much. She’d promised herself not to fall in lust so easily, to listen to her brain. She wanted them to get to know each other better. That was why she’d told him they should go slow.
She was about to explain all this when he hooked one finger under her chin and turned her to face him. His eyes were hot on hers, and she waited, breathless. He moved to kiss her neck again, and her eyes closed on their own.
This is slow, she told herself. Deliciously slow.
His breath blew hot over her ear. “I could have you right here, right now.”
Her eyes flew open. She swallowed hard. “Yeah, right.”
Her body screamed, Please do!
“You could not,” she added as his hands slid into her hair.
They were one room away from an audience.
His voice was husky. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
He slowly leaned in. She should pull away. Now. Before—his mouth came down over hers. Lord, he was a good kisser. She gave in to it with a sigh. It was at once sweet and hot, and she never wanted it to end. Her hands fisted on his shirt as he deepened the kiss. He pulled her onto his lap, and she wrapped her legs around him, her throbbing center pressed against his hardness. She was burning up.
“Daisy,” Shane called from the kitchen, “Bryce is getting fussy.”
They broke apart and stared at each other, both out of breath.
He pressed the pad of his thumb to her lower lip. “Tonight you’re mine.”
She wished she could argue the point, but it was tough when she was plastered against him. Throbbing and panting. She nipped his thumb.
“Ow.”
“I have to get Bryce before he starts screaming.”
He put his hands on her hips and lifted her up. She smoothed her hair. He stood and straightened her shirt for her, one warm hand trailing down her bottom. She swatted his hand away. “Stop it.”
He chuckled. “Yup. You want me bad.”
“Oh, shut up.”
She longed for a cool glass of water before facing the group in the kitchen. She hurried away, aggravated with herself for making things too easy for Trav. Charming men had always been her downfall. And bad boys. Trav was a terrible combination of every guy she’d ever fallen for with an unattractive dollop of demanding man. And where had it ever gotten her? Heartbroken and alone. Devastation, party of one.
She steeled her heart against him.
Her treacherous body ached for him.
Agh!
Chapter Thirteen
Right on schedule, Bryce launched into his early evening scream fest. Trav did the usual: pace back and forth with him. There was nothing else to do but ride it out with the boy. It was like he just had to have a good scream once a day.
Daisy came over to relieve him. She paced the length of the house—kitchen, dining room, living room—singing softly to Bryce. Trav took a seat in the living room, where Jessica and Max shared a low conversation on the sofa.
Jessica piped up. “Is the baby always like this?”
Bryce’s howls got louder. Daisy must be getting closer.
“Nah,” Trav said. “Not always. Just the witching hour.”
Max cringed. “A whole hour?”
“Usually.”
Daisy started her circuit around the room again. “We forgot the swing,” she told him.
“Where did you leave it?” Jessica asked, looking from Trav to Daisy. “Isn’t that kind of big to cart around?”
Daisy booked it out of there.
“Sometimes we take it to his grandparents’ house,” Trav said, quickly covering Daisy’s slipup. The swing was at Daisy’s apartment where it always was. “It helps him relax. You gotta get it cranking, though. He wants to really move.”
A few minutes later, Daisy reappeared for another fast-paced stroll around the room.
“Trav says he’s like this every night, yet you still call him Baby Delight?” Jessica asked.
Daisy stopped. “What would you call him?” she asked, an edge to her voice.
Jessica murmured something under her breath, and Daisy rushed forward, her face flushed with anger. Damn. Time for intervention. Trav neatly intercepted and took Bryce from Daisy’s arms. He swung the boy up on his shoulders, hoping the new view would distract him. Bryce quieted down.
“You’d have to be a parent to understand why we’d still call him our Baby Delight,” Trav said. “Right, hon?”
Daisy smiled at him gratefully. “Right.”
“I guess biology will do that for you,” Jessica said. “Excuse me while I save my hearing. Coming, Max?” She grabbed Max’s arm, her manicured blood-red fingernails digging in.
“Ouch. I’m coming.” Max got up and followed her out toward the kitchen.
Bryce started to fuss, and Trav pulled him back into his arms, bouncing him again.
Daisy shook her head. “I’m so tired of this screaming every freaking night. Do you think he’ll ever outgrow it?”
“He’ll probably outgrow it right around the time baby number two arrives.”
“Very funny.”
He wasn’t joking. For once. He did a circuit of the room with Bryce. He was in it for the long haul. One day soon he hoped Daisy would appreciate that about him.
~ ~ ~
Daisy and Trav made pb&j sandwiches for dinner for their little group. Jessica ate
more peaches rinsed of syrup. Just as they finished, the doorbell rang. Daisy went to answer it, wondering who it could be out there in the cold and dark.
“Look who we found on our doorstep,” Maggie said. She wore a puffy, red down parka and a purple knitted hat with a cheerful pom-pom on top. She looked like Santa with a grape for a head.
Rico pulled down the scarf that was wrapped around his face. It matched the yellow and red striped knitted hat with a pom-pom he wore. Looked like one of Maggie’s creations. He carried an acoustic guitar case in one hand, a duffel bag in the other.
Jorge urged them both out of the cold. “Let’s get inside.”
“Yes, please come in! Omigod, did you walk here?” Daisy asked Rico.
“Yup,” Rico said.
Trav appeared at Daisy’s side, holding Bryce, whose face and hair were freshly rinsed from the sweet potatoes he’d enjoyed. “Hey. You need a place to crash?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“I didn’t say you could stay here,” Trav said with a straight face.
Rico jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t joke with a man who just hiked three miles across town in a blizzard.”
“It’s got to be more than that,” Daisy said. “It takes me fifteen minutes to drive here from that side of town.”
“I cut diagonally across town,” Rico replied. “And I walked mighty fast.” He rubbed his palms together and blew on them. “So what’s the plan?”
“And who is this?” Jessica asked, crossing the room to get a good look at their guest.
“Rico del Toro, at your service,” he said, kissing her hand.
She eyed him speculatively. “Very nice to meet you. I might have need of your service later this evening.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Rico promised with a leer. “And you are?”
“I’m Jessica Larsen,” she snapped. “I take it you don’t watch the show.”
“Oh, that’s right. The Mornings with Jessica show. Ah, man, you guys got stuck here in this storm.”
“Yeah, and no power either,” Jessica pouted.
“At least you got a generator over here,” Rico said. “My apartment is like an icebox.”
“Let’s all sit down and get acquainted,” Maggie said.
They took seats in the living room, on the furniture and some on the floor as they spilled over.
Max crossed the room to shake Rico’s hand. “I’m Max Parker, producer at Rogue TV.”
“Rico.” He pumped Max’s hand.
“Hey, Rico.” Shane held up a hand in greeting.
“Shane! Glad to see you here. Now I know we won’t starve.”
Shane grinned. “I’ve got one leftover pumpkin cookie sandwich with your name on it.”
“Yeah? Awesome.” Rico stood to get it.
“I got it. Have a seat. You just hiked three miles in a blizzard.”
“Thanks.” Rico sat and looked around the room.
“So how do you play into this family drama?” Jessica asked.
Rico laughed. “I’m not family. Trav and I go way back.”
“You are so family,” Maggie said.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Rico said.
“Way, way back,” Trav said. “We were friends back in Jersey. It all started when Rico asked me to be his boyfriend in kindergarten.”
“There’s a space in there,” Rico said. “Boy friend.”
“That’s what I said, boyfriend.”
“I had a pack of girls that followed me around in class,” Rico explained. “Plus two older sisters. I really wanted a friend who was a boy.”
Trav raised his brows. “He wanted me.”
Rico shook his head. “Anyway, long story short. Ten years ago, Trav started Elegant Land Designs and called me up.”
“I knew I wanted Rico as crew chief.”
Rico spoke behind his hand in a stage whisper. “I’m the only guy he knows who speaks Spanish. He needed someone to talk to the crew.”
Jessica scooted forward on the edge of her seat. “Are they illegals?”
Rico frowned. “Everything’s aboveboard. They’re legal, just not great at English.”
Jessica sat back and examined her nails.
“That’s not the only reason,” Trav said.
“Yeah, he needed eye candy for his female clients.”
Trav laughed heartily. “I’m the eye candy.”
“Oh, really?” Daisy asked.
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Not since I met you, darlin’.”
Damn, he’s good at adoring husband.
You’re falling for a fantasy.
“Okay, then,” she muttered.
Shane returned with the ice cream sandwich for Rico.
“Rico, I know you didn’t drag that guitar clear across town for nothing,” Maggie said. “Play something for us. You have a beautiful voice.”
Rico nodded, finished off the sandwich in three bites, and fetched his guitar. He strummed a few notes, tuning it. “I write my own songs.” He launched into the first song.
In Spanish.
His singing really was beautiful. Even with the little Spanish she knew, Daisy had no idea what he was singing. But it was heartfelt and sincere, the music gentle and rolling along. She picked up beso and corazon—kiss and heart. She smiled. His song was about love.
Trav set Bryce on a blanket on the floor and, without a word, lifted Daisy off the chair she was sitting on and sat there himself, with her on his lap. She opened her mouth to protest when he whispered in her ear. “Shhh…don’t interrupt the music.”
Maggie smiled over at them. Daisy felt her cheeks flush. Trav was overdoing the adoring husband act. Really. She was sure married people didn’t sit in each other’s laps normally. A warm hand slipped up the back of her shirt and rubbed slow circles. It was simultaneously relaxing and arousing.
They were in a room full of people. She subtly leaned back on his arm, pinning it still.
His other hand slid slowly across her hip, inching toward her inner thigh. She grabbed that hand and held it. He resumed the relaxing/arousing massage of her back. She considered moving to the floor, but…it felt so good.
The song ended, and everyone applauded.
“Encore!” Maggie exclaimed.
Rico launched into the next love song in Spanish, then another without further prompting. Trav never stopped touching her. His hand moved under her shirt, stroking slowly up and down her back. Another song, her shoulders. Another song, her neck, then stroking her hair. Half an hour later, Bryce was asleep and Daisy was completely relaxed, leaning her head back against Trav’s shoulder. His arms were around her, his hands folded securely across her waist.
Rico looked up and smiled at everyone. “I’ve gone on too long. I put the baby to sleep.”
Daisy sat up. “No one’s complaining about that. I wish we could have you over to play for him every night.”
“Every night?” Trav muttered.
Rico strummed a few notes. “Thank you.”
Jorge tilted his head to the side and asked Rico a question in Spanish.
Rico lifted one shoulder up and down and answered in English. “They’re about no one and everyone.”
“Nobody special?” Jorge pressed. “All these songs about love, yet no love in your life? How do you speak of it so deeply?”
“I’m a deep man.”
Trav snorted.
Daisy elbowed him. “I’m sure Rico is very deep when you get to know him. That was wonderful.”
“Yes, lovely,” Jessica said. “Do you know any songs in English?”
“I write in Spanish because I feel in Spanish,” Rico replied.
“I feel in English,” Jessica said, subtly leaning forward to present her breasts to him.
Rico put his guitar back in its case, not bothering to reply, though he did take in her check-these-out pose.
“Be right back,” Maggie said. “Help me in the kitchen, love.”
“Of course,” Jor
ge murmured. He kissed her tenderly on the lips.
Trav’s voice rumbled in her ear. “As long as we’re all kissing.”
Before she could say we’re not all kissing, he’d turned her in his arms and kissed her. Already primed for more from his constant touching, she kissed him back. Someone wolf-whistled. Probably Rico.
Her cheeks burned, and she pushed against his chest. “You’ve got to stop doing that,” she whispered fiercely. “Married people don’t kiss that much.”
“We will,” Trav said with a pleased-with-himself smile.
She leaped off his lap and avoided looking at their audience. If he thought she was just going to fall into bed with him tonight, he was sorely mistaken. They had the baby and a house full of people. No way was she doing anything but sleeping.
She lifted Bryce off the blanket and carried him upstairs to settle him in his crib, her lips still tingling from that unexpected kiss.
She stopped short when she got inside Maggie’s room. “What the hell?”
The crib was gone.
Trav! That presumptuous, smug, irritating man. No way in hell she was making tonight that easy for him.
~ ~ ~
Trav sprinted upstairs, knowing what Daisy would find.
She was pacing Gran’s bedroom, eyebrows furrowed. He shut the door behind him.
She turned. “There you are! Where is it?”
“I moved it to Shane’s room,” Trav replied.
She looked to the ceiling, clearly reaching for calm. She leveled her gaze at him. “Which room?”
He led the way. She gently deposited Bryce into the crib and shut the door quietly behind her. She gestured for him to follow her back to Gran’s room.
He knew he was in for it, but he followed her anyway. Once she got used to the idea, she’d thank him. He shut the door behind them.
She lifted one finger. “First of all, poor Shane! You know Bryce wakes up at three a.m. every night!”
He crossed to her and put a finger near her lips. “Shhh.”
She smacked his finger away. “Don’t you shush me! Now I’m going to have to sneak into Shane’s room in the middle of the night to get Bryce back to sleep, and poor Shane’s going to be up for no good reason!”
He pulled her across the room and into Gran’s closet, shutting the door behind them. It was a small closet, and Gran’s clothes pushed at them from both sides. It was also pitch black.
Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Page 12
