by Marina Adair
Gage brought her face to his, and this time the kiss went from hot to nuclear meltdown in no time flat. Darcy had his jacket off, his pants undone and was freeing him when he flipped them around. Darcy was flat on her back, her dress around her waist like a hula-hoop, and looking up at the most amazing man she’d ever met.
And it couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Come here,” she repeated his earlier order, and tugged him down.
Cupping her jaw, he obliged. His mouth was firm, just like the rest of him, and when his hands slid down and with purpose, she parted her legs. His hands were almost as earth shattering as his mouth, remembering what she liked, delivering just the right amount of pressure to drive her insane.
He stroked and loved, bringing her to her breaking point in record-breaking time. It was almost embarrassing how easily he could read her, how intuitively he played her body. And even when she was about to explode, he pulled back and reached for a condom.
“One more stroke,” she begged.
“Pink, I’m going to stroke you until you’re screaming my name. And when you come, it’s going to be with me inside of you, and we’re going to do it together,” he said, and then slid home.
And home had never felt so good.
“Together,” she said.
Gage put a hand beneath her head, the other splayed on her butt, and his arms tightened. When they were so close air couldn’t even slide between them, only then, did he begin to move.
Darcy’s body matched his rhythm as if they’d done this a thousand times in the past. And maybe they had, in dreams. Gage didn’t kiss her, didn’t speak, just locked on her gaze and never looked away.
The connection was immediate and intense, and every nerve ending in her body reached out for him. Every seed of hope she’d buried over the years came back to life and wrapped around them. Took them higher until there wasn’t anything there except them—and the amazing, wonderful, and infinite possibilities.
They were moving in harmony, completely in sync and together. Gage was stroking a fire in her belly and forever in her heart. Every thrust brought them closer. To what, she wasn’t sure, but it felt all encompassing. And she wanted to get there.
With him.
“Gage,” she said, feeling the tears form, but not understanding why she was crying.
“I got you,” he said. “Just let go and I’ll be right there with you. I promise.”
Darcy’s body tightened, coiling harder and harder, and when she couldn’t hold on a second longer, she burst from the delicious pressure. Hard and fast—and Gage was right there like he promised, taking her as high as she could fly, and cradling her when she came tumbling back down.
Darcy clung to him, her face pressed into his neck, her arms so tight around him they were shaking. Her whole body was shaking. She was relieved to realize, so was his.
Gage was holding her as if promising to never let go. Which was okay with her, because there was no other place she’d rather be than in his arms.
And in his heart.
Chapter 13
The sun was still high when Gage arrived at the Belle Mont House, with a tool belt around his waist and a cold six pack of Stout handcrafted cream soda—as per request.
Tomorrow was the 100th annual Heirloom Bloomers Tea, and he’d offered to help set up all the custom made easels. In exchange, Darcy had offered to make him dinner. Since tonight was his family dinner at the Eastons, she suggested they move Finger Food Friday to Saturday Sandwich Sit-down.
He’d been looking forward to it all week. The chance to spend time with his girls, around the kitchen table, was what he’d been hoping for all along. That Darcy had been sweet enough to move her schedule around so he wouldn’t be in a position where he had to choose, spoke volumes about her heart.
“Tell me it’s cold,” Darcy asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.
She stood in the middle of the rose garden in a pair of white snug shorts, a big straw hat, and gardening gloves. Her top was where things got interesting. It was tight and a light yellow that—look at that—turned translucent in the sun. Which meant that he could see clear through to the bra she wore beneath. Also a light yellow. And lace. Designed to cover right above the nipples and drive men bat shit crazy.
Darcy had been fighting with a weed when he drove up, and apparently the weed had won. Because she was sweaty, dirty, and sexy as hell.
“Right out of the fridge at the bar.” He held up the six-pack and dangled it like bait.
He was baiting her all right. A gentleman would have walked it over, but then a gentleman wouldn’t get to watch those hips swish back and forth as they made their way across the brick walkway.
“My hero,” she said with a secret smile just for him. “I’ve been dreaming about this for hours.”
His eyes raked over her. “Want to know what I’ve been dreaming about?”
She grabbed a bottle and twisted off the lid. “Incoming.”
Gage turned, just as Kylie came racing across the field. Dressed in a pair of overalls, a doggy shirt, and one of Darcy’s hats, she looked like a mini-Heirloom Bloomer.
“Uncle Gage,” she hollered, flinging herself in his arms.
He’d barely had time to set down the cream soda and catch her. “Hey, Tiny. I missed you.”
“Me too!” She wrapped him up in a hug that knocked her hat right off, and knocked all of the stress right out of his week. “Did Mommy tell you?” She looked at Darcy. “Did you tell him about the fishing trip?”
Darcy grinned. “I was going to let you do that.”
“Fishing trip?” Gage hadn’t been fishing since—well, since his dad died. It was one of the things they did, just the two of them.
Each brother had their own special Dad and Son outing. It was Benjie’s way of giving each one of his kids focused attention. Josh and Dad used to go hiking. Rhett’s time had been spent playing guitar, Owen’s brewing beer, Clay’s was Seahawks games, Kyle’s watching NASCAR. And Gage’s had been fishing.
Just him and his dad and the stillness of the day.
“I love fishing.”
“You do?” Kylie asked, her face so expressive Gage had to give her another hug.
“I do.”
“He likes it, Mommy,” she yelled, as if Darcy were across the lawn and not right next to them. “Then, you can be my partner?”
“Anytime.”
Anytime, anywhere, and for anything.
There wasn’t much either one of the Kincaid ladies could ask him that he wouldn’t do. They both had him wrapped around their fingers. And they were securely wrapped around his heart.
“He’s my partner!” Kylie wiggled out of his arms and the second her feet hit the grass she started jumping up and down. “You don’t have to dress like a boy now.”
Gage lifted a brow in question and Darcy laughed. “It’s the Daddy Daughter Fishing Day at the river downtown. I threatened to dress like a boy to fit in with all of the other dads. But when Kylie asked me if you could take her, I said she needed to ask you.”
“You’re not my daddy, but you’re a boy and an uncle. So I figured that counted, and this way Mommy doesn’t have to pretend to like fishing.”
She shrugged. “It’s the worms that get me.”
Gage opened his mouth to say he’d bait every hook if that meant he got to take Kylie on her fishing trip, but nothing came out. Everything he wanted to say, to Kylie and her amazing mom, was stuck behind the lump that had lodged itself in his throat.
He never imagined that a little thing that could fit in his pocket could capture his heart so thoroughly. And it wasn’t because she was Kyle’s. Sure, in the beginning that was what had started his determination to be a part of her life.
But after getting to know her, watching her spin in circles on the grass, experiencing one of her hugs, Gage had fallen. Fallen hard for this tiny thing. He’d fallen for her mom too.
“I’m in,” was all he c
ould manage, and when he looked up at Darcy, she was looking back, tears sparkling in her eyes. She was all in too, she’d told him as much the other night when she’d asked him to make love on her couch.
That’s exactly what it had been. Making love and making promises to each other. Promises he wanted to spend a lifetime keeping. He didn’t just want to sit around that dinner table tomorrow, he wanted to sit around it every night, and then again every morning.
He wanted to spend his Sundays watching his girls play in the garden, while he wrote them love letters. But his love wasn’t singular like his mom’s. His love was big and full, and strong enough for the both of them—and whoever else came along.
Gage’s heart stopped as the realization washed over him. This was real and honest and he felt giddy with joy.
“Ms. Kincaid,” a voice said from behind and Darcy took off her hat.
“Yes?”
Gage turned around to see a man in a suit and tie, with slick shoes and a slick attitude, and an envelope that had the power to destroy everything. But before he could intercept, the man asked, “Darcy Leigh Kincaid?”
“Yes,” she said again, getting ready to sign for a package like this was some check from a client or a shipment of wedding cards.
But there were no cards. Gage had received packages like this before, and had even sent a few over the years. He’d never meant for one to be delivered to Darcy.
“You’ve been served,” Slick said as soon as Darcy’s fingers closed around the envelope.
Her face went from curious to uncertainty. But Gage was certain of exactly what was in there. And who it was from.
“Served?” Darcy opened the envelope. “I don’t understand. By who?”
“I’m just a messenger. Have a good night.” Then Slick disappeared as if he hadn’t just handed them all a sentence.
❀❀❀
Hands shaking, Darcy stared at the letter, unable to make out the words. She could see each symbol, even knew what they were, but she couldn’t put them together to form the actual words. Maybe it was her heart that wouldn’t let her because it was slowly breaking.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Kylie asked, wrapping her little arms around Darcy’s leg and resting her head against her hip like she used to. She hadn’t done that since the first day of preschool last year, and Darcy had thought she’d outgrown leg hugs.
But there she was, doing it again, and all Darcy could do was stare at the summons to appear at a hearing. A hearing to discuss custody of Kylie. Her Kylie, who she had raised from birth and never gone a full day without seeing.
Without hugging.
“Don’t worry about this,” Gage said, not sounding surprised.
Why wasn’t he surprised? And why did he look so calm?
It had felt like a one-two-punch to Darcy, the blast so unexpected she wanted to sit down. Right there in the grass. But Kylie was giving her a leg hug, and she didn’t want it to stop.
“Darcy, I will handle this, I promise,” he said, the determination in his voice so fierce she wanted to believe him. But the words she was finally starting to understand said that she couldn’t.
“Why is your mom suing me?” she said, her voice stronger than she felt.
“I don’t know.” He took the paper and read it over. “She’s suing for custody of Kylie?”
“Mommy,” Kylie said, her voice thin, and close to tears. “Sammy said his dad got custody and he has to do sleepovers on some weekends. I don’t want to stay with his daddy on weekends.”
Darcy got down on her knees and took Kylie in her arms. “You’re not going anywhere, honey. I promise you. Now go in the house and see if we have any cupcakes left over for dinner.”
“I don’t want cupcakes.” Her little breath was coming in short bursts. “I want to stay with you.”
“I’ll be right behind you, I just have to go tell that man he delivered the letter to the wrong house.”
“You’ll give it back?” she sniffed.
“I’ll give it back,” Darcy said with a smile, even though it was so tight she was afraid it would crack. But Kylie wasn’t upset about the letter, she didn’t even understand the letter, she was upset because Darcy was upset. Time to pull it together. “Now, go on and get those cupcakes ready and maybe we can watch 101 Dalmatians while we eat them.”
“Kay,” she said and walked toward the cottage.
Darcy watched as her daughter trudged up the front steps and into the house, waiting until the door shut, all the while Darcy’s heart was breaking.
“I swear to God, Darcy, I had no idea.”
She spun around, this time not trying to mask her anger. The fear, she hid that, only to be pulled out later tonight when Kylie was asleep and Darcy was alone.
“Then why does it say,” she snatched the summons back, “Mother is overwhelmed and admitted to struggling to take care of child’s wellbeing?” She looked back at Gage, everything inside of her willing him to come up with some answer to explain away the hurt. An answer that would make everything okay, and bring them back to how it had been only minutes ago.
But he didn’t explain it away, didn’t tell her it was a misunderstanding. He ran a hand down his face, that beautiful face Darcy had trusted with her kid’s life.
“She twisted my words. I was telling her what a great mom you were, reassuring her that she’d get to meet Kylie and…” he faded off. “I am so fucking sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it.” She slammed the papers against his chest. “Sorry doesn’t take back these words that are printed, that Kylie could someday find and wonder if they were true. Wonder if she’d somehow done something to overwhelm her mom to the point that she struggled to raise her. Because I know that burden, Gage. And I have worked my ass off so that Kylie would never have to carry that.”
“She doesn’t have a case,” he said as if it made a difference. “This is just her way of, well, being Margo.”
“Do you think I give a shit about this hearing?” Angry tears burned her eyes. “I care that my little girl is upset. I care that the man I trusted used my words against me. Words I said to him in an intimate setting. We were about to make love when I said those words. Or at least that’s what I thought it was.”
He stood there, silent, and she was certain it was because he could see the disappointment tighten around her neck, watch the pain cut right through her chest. Piercing her heart and leaving nothing unmarked.
“I can fix this,” he pleaded, sounding heartbreakingly desperate. “Don’t let her ruin this. Ruin us. I made a mistake.”
“Sometimes things slip, accidents happen. But I was clear up front about my concerns. I thought I had made it so nothing like this could happen again.” She met his gaze, her own so watery he was a blur. “So that you couldn’t possibly let me down.”
“Darcy.” He reached out to touch her and she stepped back.
“I asked you one thing, Gage. Just one.” And It had seemed so simple to her. “To put Kylie first. And you didn’t.” She hated the way her voice cracked. “Tell your mom if she doesn’t drop the suit, she will never see Kylie.” She swallowed. “I think you should go.”
“Please, don’t do this,” he said, and she had to look away because he was starting to cry, and Gage didn’t cry. Ever. Not even at Kyle’s funeral.
Darcy put her hand to her heart, to keep it from shattering to the ground. “I told you before, I choose Kylie. I always will.”
Chapter 14
“You going to get up?” Rhett asked, towering over Gage at the gym, sipping from a water bottle. “Because Fancy wants to know when you’re going to return his Biggest Pussy on Earth sash.”
“Fuck you,” Gage said
“Didn’t you hear? I’m engaged. Plus, hormonal agents aren’t my thing. They mope around all day and leave the seat up.”
Gage kicked out his leg, swiping Rhett’s feet out from beneath him and sending him crashing to the gym mat. Water went everywhere.
“The
bigger the asshole, the harder the fall,” Gage said, pushing himself up and off the mat while Rhett brushed the water off his pants. Which only managed to make him look like he wet himself.
Damn, that felt good. First time he’d smiled in days. Too bad it was short lived, because the second his lips twitched, he remembered that he had nothing to smile about. Margo wasn’t dropping the lawsuit, Darcy wasn’t returning his calls, and somehow Rhett still got to walk down the fucking aisle at Belle Mont House.
Not that Darcy would be there. She’d explained to Stephanie that, under the circumstances, she would be taking off a few days before the wedding. She and Kylie were flying down to Disneyland for a long girls’ weekend. And, okay, that made him smile.
Tiny would love meeting the princesses and would buy an autograph book for them to sign. He could picture her twirling down Main Street in one of those costumes they sell in the shops there. She’d probably even get Darcy to wear a matching one.
And Darcy would look sexy as hell.
“You going to Friday night dinner this week?” Rhett asked. Grabbing two towels, he tossed one at Gage, who caught it midair. He used the other one to wipe the sweat off his face.
“Nope.”
“You going tomorrow then?”
“Mom isn’t home on Wednesdays. She has her bridge club meetings.”
Rhett looked up from the towel. “I was talking about Darcy’s hearing.”
Darcy.
Even her name brought on an ache so deep Gage had to check his chest to make sure there wasn’t a hole in it. And he knew what Rhett was talking about.
Margo, who admitted she’d just sent the papers as a warning, refused to drop the suit. Claiming that the family lawyer was certain that, although she wouldn’t get custody, it was likely she would be granted some kind of visitation rights. Or at least it might scare Darcy into caving.
That was the hope.
His mom was a fool to think Darcy would cower when it came to Kylie. She would take on the Taliban if it was for someone she loved. Nope, the only thing this harebrained idea of his mother’s would do was cause Darcy to sever all ties with his family.
