Teague

by Juliana Stone

  “Teague you have to come to Caleb’s house with us.” Harry shouted.

  Sabrina’s cheeks were still flushed and she looked more than a little embarrassed as she faced Teague.

  “You don’t have to,” she murmured. “He’s just excited.”

  “So, this is your kayak partner.” The woman standing next to Sabrina smiled and offered her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Allie, Caleb’s mom, and this is my husband Paul.”

  “Teague,” he replied, shaking Paul’s hand.

  Allie’s grin widened, her pretty brown eyes sparkling as she elbowed Sabrina. “You didn’t tell me he was so hot.”

  “Allie,” Paul warned, shaking his head, though the look he gave his wife was one of indulgence.

  “Just saying,” she replied, not missing a beat. “So, the two of you are coming then?”

  Teague didn’t answer—he was too busy watching that cute little blush that was slowly taking on a darker hue.

  “Oh no, we’re not…” Sabrina stammered. She tugged at her new bangs, trying to tuck them back behind her ears to no avail. “I mean, we aren’t…we’re not…”

  Allie giggled. “Honey, whatever it is that you two are or aren’t doing can be done at my place this afternoon.” She threaded her hands through Sabrina’s arms and lifted her chin, a challenge in her eyes as she looked at Teague.

  “I’m not taking no for an answer,” Allie said.

  She was a cheeky little thing. He kind of liked that.

  “I’m sure Teague has other plans,” Sabrina said, quickly.

  He probably should have taken the suggestion and bowed out gracefully. Hell, only a few minutes ago he was thinking that all of this was too much.

  He looked at Sabrina, a lazy smile curving his mouth. He inhaled her sweet scent, his nostrils flaring, and a powerful need to touch her rifled through him. He’d like to say that it took him by surprise, but it didn’t.

  This is definitely going to bite me in the ass.

  “I’ve got nothing planned,” he said slowly, eyes on Sabrina. She held his gaze for about two seconds and then her eyes slid from his.

  “I didn’t think so,” Allie said, a wicked glint in her eye. “Let’s go.” She looped her hands through Sabrina’s and with a shrug, her husband and Teague followed them out of the park, the two boys tagging along behind them.

  Chapter Twelve

  Allie and Paul were great hosts who loved to entertain. Sabrina had been to their place many times, before Brent passed and after. Their home sat at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in an older section of Gravenhurst that Sabrina loved, and their backyard was a dream. Surrounded by massive oak trees, waterfalls and gardens that would make most gardeners envious, there was plenty of color and fragrance to enjoy.

  The sun was warm, the company wonderful and, truthfully, Sabrina couldn’t remember the last time she’d allowed herself to relax and have fun. Wasn’t hard to do. Who knew that underneath all that smoldering darkness, Teague Simon had a sense of humor? The guy was a regular comedian when he wanted to be. He and Paul hit it off—a love of the New York Rangers and the Patriots certainly helped. But it was more than that. Teague was slowly opening up. Was it only a few weeks earlier that he’d been a brooding ogre?

  And Allie was right. Teague Simon was hot. Sabrina would have to be a nun not to realize that, and Lord knows she was no nun. From the top of his thick dark hair to the wide muscular shoulders, tapered waist and long athletic legs, he was walking, talking testosterone at its finest.

  He was also sending Sabrina looks that made her mouth dry and her stomach unsettled. She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it all and decided not to even try. The afternoon was too perfect.

  That is until Greg Champion and his son David showed up. The man was arrogant with an elephant-sized ego that left a bad taste in her mouth. The only reason she tolerated him was because Harry considered his son David a friend.

  She eyed the boys as they splashed around in the pool. All three of them were the same age, however, David already had a few inches on Harry and Caleb and he was more aggressive than she would like. She took a step forward as David pushed her son under the water—yet again.

  “I’ve got this,” Teague said, handing her his beer. He strolled past her and crossed the grass until he stood at the edge of the pool. He motioned for David, and she watched the boy swim over to Teague. After a few moments, David swam off to join Harry and Caleb.

  The boys continued playing Marco Polo, but this time the shenanigans were much more low key.

  “What did you say to him?” she asked Teague when he joined her.

  “I told him that if he pushed Caleb or Harry under one more time I was coming in.” He flashed a quick grin, eyes back on the pool. “I told him that me coming in the pool wouldn’t be a good thing.”

  “That sounds intimidating.”

  Teague shrugged. “I grew up with three brothers and I get that kids need to learn to work their stuff out on their own. But that boy has a mean streak and he’s taking advantage of his size to be asshole.”

  “He comes by it honestly,” she said.

  Teague turned to her then, his eyes dark—and there went her stomach again. “That guy David’s a prick and he’s had way too much to drink. If he’s inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable in any way, let me know. I promise it will be the last time.”

  Sabrina shivered because no longer was he ‘fun Teague’. No way in hell. This man right here looked dangerous. He looked like the kind of man who would have no qualms about starting a fight and finishing it.

  “I can look after myself, Teague.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  Teague held her gaze, those dark eyes so intense they made her shiver. “You shouldn’t have to,” he said abruptly before pulling his aviators back into place.

  “No,” she murmured, heart suddenly twisting. “But it’s not like I have a choice.”

  A heartbeat passed.

  “I’m sorry you lost your husband.” His words were simple and spoken quietly, but they carried weight and emotion.

  She nodded but her throat was so tight that she couldn’t answer.

  They’d just had some weird kind of moment and a little shaken, Sabrina finally managed to murmur a bunch of nonsense before heading back to the upper deck.

  She thought about that moment a lot over the next few hours. Thought of how her skin felt tight. How her heart constantly beat out of her chest.

  She thought that Teague had the longest fingers—the strongest hands, she’d ever seen on a man. And she realized he had a dimple when he smiled.

  And when he smiled at her, he set off a chain reaction inside her body that was all butterflies, and flushed cheeks and…

  And good Lord, what the hell was happening to her?

  “You okay?”

  It was after dinner and the sun was starting to set. They’d had barbecued ribs and chicken, pasta salad and homemade apple pie. The kids had lit a few leftover sparklers from the holiday and Sabrina had just agreed to let Harry spend the night with Caleb. It was an easy decision—David was off to his mother’s place so he and his father were long gone.

  Sabrina glanced at Allie. Paul and Teague were near the far end of the property where the boys were still fooling around with the sparklers.

  “Sabrina?” Allie prompted.

  “I’m good,” she answered slowly, her eyes finding their way back to the boys. Teague was bent low, listening to whatever it was Harry was saying and the sight of that little head next to Teague’s, his face upturned and listening with rapt attention, made her throat knot. Yet again.

  She really needed to deal with whatever this was and move on.

  “I’m glad,” Allie said with a slow grin. “It’s nice to see you smiling and enjoying yourself.”

  Fireflies began to flicker along the property line eliciting a round of squeals from the boys. As the sun completely disappeared from view, the solar lights around the pool glowed, and Sabrina wa
s content to just sit and watch her son. Morgan was still at her friend’s house and wouldn’t be home until the following afternoon, and her mother-in-law was off to the movies with her girlfriends.

  “So,” Allie began, leaning closer to Sabrina. “What’s Teague’s story? I mean, I know what I read in the papers and saw on TV, but he’s not at all what I imagined.”

  “No? What did you think he’d be like?”

  Allie shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess I thought he’d more…closed off and aloof. I can see that he’s an intense guy, but he’s so good with the kids. I’m surprised he’s single.”

  “He’s complicated.”

  “Is he?” Allie grinned, the candlelight from the table throwing shadows across her face. “How complicated?”

  Sabrina shook her head. She knew where this was headed. “There’s nothing going on between us, Al.”

  “Because you’re not ready or because you’re not letting it happen?”

  “Because…” Sabrina paused, thinking of the dark glances she’d shared with the man in question. Of the night dancing in the parking lot of a country bar. Of the way his fingers had sparked something hot inside her when he’d touched her earlier.

  “There’s nothing going on between us because it would never work. We would never work. He’s here to get his head together after what happened in Syria and then he’s leaving. And I’m…I’m not looking for a relationship.”

  “Jesus, Sabrina. I’m not talking about something permanent. I’m talking about some down and dirty and hot sex. You need a release.” She giggled. “A hot release.”

  “Allie—“

  “And don’t you dare tell me that you haven’t thought about it, because I have eyes. I see the way you look at him when you think no one’s watching. Especially when he doffed his shirt to jump in the pool.”

  “Allie—“

  “And I could tell he wanted to punch Greg Champion in the throat for getting too close to you at dinner and spilling his beer down the front of your dress. His eyes were saying, ‘mine’. Hell, if he were a gorilla, he would have pounded his chest with his fists and then flattened the guy. Actually too bad he didn’t. Greg’s a tool.”

  Thank goodness the darkness hid her cheeks because the whole blushing thing was starting to become a problem.

  “Allie I don’t…” she stammered. Flustered, Sabrina blew out a long breath. Was it that obvious that she found Teague attractive?

  “Hey, I don’t want to upset you. I’m just saying that you’re a young woman who’s still very much alive.”

  Suddenly serious, Allie clasped her hands over Sabrina’s. “I have no idea what it feels like to lose a husband. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through since Brent passed and the many months he was sick before that. I have no idea when the right time is for you to move on. But what I do know is that there’s nothing wrong with wanting another man and there sure as hell isn’t anything wrong with taking that jump into his bed. The only way to feel truly alive again is connect with someone and he could be that for you.”

  “Be what?” Sabrina found herself asking.

  “Your connection. Your conduit. Your path back to the living.”

  Teague laughed just then and both women watched the men as they slowly made their way back to the deck. The moment of quiet with Allie was over, but Allie, being the cheeky lady she was, had one last parting shot before the men joined them.

  “You owe it to me to at least have one hot night of sex with that man.”

  “I owe it to you?” Incredulous Sabrina’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Damn right you do. Remember the time when Paul and I had sex behind the stage at the Summer Festival of Friends a few years ago?”

  Sabrina couldn’t help but giggle. “Of course I do. We could hear you. In fact I’m pretty sure that all of Gravenhurst could hear you.”

  “Well, you made me give you a play-by-play because you and Brent weren’t getting busy at the time on account of you being pregnant and sick to your stomach.”

  “And?”

  “Payback’s a bitch,” Allie said with a wink. “I want my own play-by-play.” She paused. “On account that I’m having another baby and I need something to get me through the nights when I’m as big as a house.”

  Sabrina squealed and enfolded her friend in a hug.

  “It’s about time you told her,” Paul said with a smile, sliding up to his wife and kissing her on the cheek.

  After a round of congratulations and a kiss pressed to her son’s face—one he tried to wriggle out of with all his might—Sabrina decided it was time to head home.

  Teague had followed her to Allie’s in his truck and he pulled in behind her on the road back to the lake. The music was on low and she drove home under a star-sprinkled night sky.

  Everything out here was so big and on a night like tonight it made her feel small. Insignificant. She thought of Allie and the growing life inside her.

  She’d wanted one more child, but then Brent had gotten sick and the dream was lost. Would she ever feel the thrill of a miracle inside her again? Allie was right. She was young. There were still possibilities out there. She just had to be brave enough to find them.

  Or rather, she had to be brave enough to take them when she did.

  Sabrina pulled into her driveway and cut the engine. She watched Teague’s truck until it came to a stop at his place. The headlights went out and she waited until he exited his vehicle before sliding from her own.

  The crickets were loud tonight and in the distance, an owl hooted.

  They looked at each other across the open space between them and Sabrina didn’t even know she’d stopped breathing until Teague slowly raised his hand and she heard a quiet, ‘goodnight’.

  She exhaled, gasping a little to draw in another breath and turned toward her own place.

  Maybe Allie was wrong and maybe Sabrina was plain old crazy.

  Or maybe doing nothing about what was there between them was for the best, because the one thing that Sabrina was sure of was the fact that a connection with Teague Simon wouldn’t be easy. It would be complicated. It would be messy. Wasn’t her life complicated enough?

  Or was Teague Simon worth the complication?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Teague Simon was restless. It had been a full day—out in the sun for more hours than he could count, and then a couple rounds of water volleyball. Add to that a basket of ribs and enough homemade pie that he should have been face down on his bed asleep.

  Should have being the operative words. He closed his eyes and all he could think about was silky brown hair and blue eyes. He’d been staring at the ceiling for at least two hours and by now it was well past midnight.

  “Screw it,” he said, rolling out of bed wearing nothing but his boxers. He strode out of his room and headed to the deck. He needed to clear his head and maybe some fresh air would help.

  Or one of his Cuban cigars.

  A thousand stars shone down on him and the full moon lit the deck as he searched for the damn cigars. He’d just located them when a splash turned his head toward the water. There was a shadow down there.

  Someone was at the boathouse.

  More intrigued than anything, Teague tossed his cigars back into the compartment where he’d stowed them and on silent feet, moved across the deck and down the stairs.

  It was so bright that it didn’t take much for his eyes to adjust and even before he hit the dock, he knew who it was out there.

  Sabrina.

  She was sitting at the end of the dock, dangling her feet in the water as the soft breeze of the lake lifted her hair into a cloud around her shoulders. She turned slightly and dragged some of that hair off her face. She was so damn small. So delicate.

  A powerful need erupted inside him, and yet wasn’t it was a need that had been there for days? A need he’d been trying to push back.

  Silently he moved forward, his bare feet not making a sound. Teague didn’t stop until he
was inches from her, and hell, that honeysuckle scent surrounded Sabrina. It rode the wind and he inhaled a heady shot of it.

  For several long moments, the water lapped at the edge of the dock and it was the only noise in his ears. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and when she pushed back a tangle of hair, his eyes fell to the exposed skin at her neck.

  He wanted to taste her there.

  He took another step forward—not even thinking—and then stopped himself. What the hell was he doing? This right here was dangerous. Why in hell was he contemplating getting involved with a young widow who had two kids?

  He couldn’t be good for them. Hell, he hadn’t been good for anybody in a long, long time. Even before Syria.

  “Are you going to join me or stand there all night?”

  Her voice was soft and she spoke haltingly, as if unsure of herself. Her shoulders were hunched a bit and she looked so damn vulnerable. It tore at something inside him.

  Teague took the last few steps and then he was beside her, sitting down on the dock, dangling his feet over the edge.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

  She shook her head, not looking at him, but staring up into the big night sky. “No. It’s a bit of a problem sometimes.”

  “Something we have in common.”

  She looked at him then, lips slightly parted. “What do you do about it?”

  What hadn’t he done? “I used to drink a lot. And then there were the pills. Took me a while to realize those things only made it worse, so now when I can’t sleep I—”

  “Walk around in your underwear?”

  He laughed softly. “You complaining?”

  Her tongue darted out and his gut tightened when she let her eyes roll over him. “No,” she whispered.

  “Good to know.”

  She glanced away then, those small delicate shoulders hunched forward once more. He eyed those shoulders for a long time, enjoying the play of shadows along her upper arms. Abruptly he jumped into the water and she glanced up sharply, those eyes of hers glistening under the summer moon.

  The water at the end of the dock reached his neck and he moved along the side to where it was shallow. When it was at his waist, he stopped and glanced over to her. “How about that swim lesson?”