by Linda Oaks
“Mommy!”
The loud scream had Miley jerking in my lap. It was Sierra. My hands instinctively gripped her hips, steadying her before she fell and busted her ass on the deck. “What in the world?” she wondered aloud.
Both she and Addie were already on their feet, but Devon had to help Kara up from her seat. Sierra was crying, but before anyone could investigate further, she and Jagger appeared at the top of the steps.
“What happened?” Kara asked. Jagger looked guilty as hell. Sierra was sobbing.
Miley knelt down on one knee, holding her arms open wide. Sierra launched herself into them and began crying even harder. She cried so hard, she started to hiccup. “Little man,” Devon warned, his voice stern. He cocked a finger and motioned Jagger forward. He walked slowly across the deck with his head downcast.
“What did you do?” Devon asked.
Suddenly, Sierra pulled away from Miley and ran to me. Without saying a word, she climbed up into my lap. Miley’s eyes met mine over her head. “Are you okay?” I asked, whispering those words near her ear. Sierra didn’t answer, but, instead, she nodded her head and snuggled in closer against my chest.
“Jagger Devon McGraw, explain,” Devon ordered, staring down at his son.
“Dad,” Jagger began, but then he fell quiet and glanced guiltily over at Sierra. His expression was one of concern.
“Now,” Devon prompted, and Kara stepped around Devon to stand beside Jagger. She placed a reassuring hand on his tiny shoulder shooting Devon a dirty look. There was no mistaking the silent message that passed between the two of them. She was clearly telling him to back down.
Sierra sniffled against my chest. “He threw a frog at me,” she whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. Did she just say what I thought she just said? I couldn’t help myself, my chest began to shake with laughter.
Hell, it was all I could do not to chuckle out loud.
“Tell me what you did, son,” Devon asked, and though I wanted to come to the little guy’s defense, I remained quiet. It was time for him to fess up because in this life, you had to deal with your own shit. Jagger’s face suddenly scrunched up and he appeared as if he might cry too at any given moment, but surprisingly, he straightened his shoulders and looked his dad square in the eyes.
“I threw a frog on Sierra,” he confessed. Devon’s lips twitched. It was easy to tell he was trying hard not to laugh.
“That wasn’t a nice thing to do, Jagger. You know that Sierra is afraid of frogs,” Kara scolded. Jagger shuffled back and forth beneath her stern gaze, looking remorseful and guilty all at the same time.
“I know.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets.
I glanced at Miley, and she held her hand over her mouth trying hard to hide a smile.
“Well, she’s not scared of worms,” he stated, as if his logic made perfect sense. “Why is she scared of frogs?” he asked, appearing confused.
“You need to apologize, now,” Devon insisted, and Jagger hesitated a brief second before walking over to where Sierra and I sat.
She was eyeing him warily; almost as if she expected him to pull another frog out of thin air and throw it at her. “It’s okay, baby,” Miley said, reassuring her. She patted Sierra’s knee then smiled encouragingly at Jagger.
“I’m sorry, Sierra,” Jagger said, his expression remorseful. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sierra nodded her head against my chest then began to squirm in my lap so I let her go. She slid to her feet to stand before Jagger. She stared at him with watery eyes while wearing a timid smile. “It’s okay,” she said, and all was forgiven. Just like that; the two hugged one another.
“Aww, that is so cute,” Addie gushed. I saw her and Jake exchange a secretive smile and then glance at baby Althea. Someday soon, she’d have her share of frog throwing little boys chasing after her.
“Sorry about that. He’s a handful,” Devon apologized.
“Sierra’s fine,” Miley insisted, and reached out ruffling Jagger’s hair. “We should probably get going. The sun’s staring to set, and those two have had a big day together. They’re probably tired.”
After saying our goodbyes, I scooped up Sierra and heard her laugh. As we walked across the yard toward the truck, she fiddled with my beard. I arched my eyebrows at her and she arched hers back at me with a laugh. She was rotten to the core. Miley walked beside me holding my hand. When Sierra noticed my gaze had wandered, she playfully tugged at my beard. I growled, taking her by surprise and making both of my girls giggle out loud.
I loved that sound.
As I sat her down inside of the truck, my thoughts turned to my own child. What would his or her laughter have sounded like? I considered all of the details that forged the bond between a parent and a child. Would our son or daughter have had eyes the color of mine or Natalie’s? None of that mattered now. These moments, they always came when least expected and left me with no choice but to relieve the loss over and over again.
Would it ever end?
“You look sad, Nate,” Sierra commented, which snapped me from my thoughts and back to reality. I glanced at her, trying hard to smile as I placed her into the truck and buckled her seatbelt. From the passenger’s side, I felt Miley’s stare.
“I’m fine, princess.” I didn’t feel like explaining.
“You are really quiet,” Miley agreed.
“It’s been a long day,” I stated and climbed inside the truck, silently hoping that Miley would leave it at that. I cranked the engine. Turning the truck around, I slowly headed down the driveway. As I neared the highway, I glanced over to find Miley watching me. Sierra was resting against her side. Her eyes were closed. She was already asleep.
“Are you sure nothing’s wrong, Nate?” Miley probed. I paused to check the oncoming traffic then pulled out onto the highway.
I swear, what was it with this woman? Was she psychic?
“Nah, babe, it’s all good,” I reassured her, growing quiet once more. In the silence of the cab, I heard Miley softly sighed.
Shit! That freaking sigh!
She obviously wanted to talk.
Fuuuccckkk!
“Did you have a good time today?”
“I did have a good time, but I’ll be glad to get home.” At hearing her refer to my house as her home, my chest tightened. Home. There was that word.
If only I would allow myself to let go of the past, it could very well be her and Sierra’s home. Miley might say yes to staying on Hawk Mountain; yes, to spending the rest of her life with me if only I would ask, but the need to find Ryder Blade outweighed everything else. Even the hope for happiness.
First, I had to make sure they were safe. Then, there was always the chance that what Miley felt for me was some kind of misplaced gratitude bullshit. I needed time; time to come to terms and wrap my head around the way this woman made me feel; time to come to accept what was in my heart.
Would I be able to do as Addie advised?
Could I be the kind of man deserving of Miley and a devoted father to Sierra? Both were pretty big fucking shoes to fill.
Was it even possible for me to let go of my guilt… to truly love again… to have a life with someone other than what I’d imagined with Natalie?
At the foot of Hawk Mountain, I gave my signal and turned on to the road. “Thank God.” Miley sighed in relief, and I chuckled.
“You tired?” I asked, and briefly allowed my gaze to momentarily flicker to hers.
She arched a slim eyebrow at me. There was a sexy quirk to her lips that had every muscle below my waist suddenly tightening in anticipation. “Did you have something in mind, Mr. Lucas? A game of cards? Knitting, perhaps?” Miley purred, and my fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
Ah, she was teasing me. What I had in mind sure as hell didn’t involve a game of cards, crocheting, or fucking knitting. I wanted to get naked, sweaty, and bury myself balls deep inside of her.
“What do you think?” I taunted, smirking.
Two could play this game, but she’d done it now. Hell, all I could do was picture her naked.
I had to get a grip even though I knew what I’d like to be gripping right now. Drawing in a deep breath, I focused on the road ahead. There was no sign of Hank yet. He always came running when he heard the sound of the truck.
One. Two. Three.
Like clockwork, he bounded around the side of the house. A smile curved my lips. The place was dark. We’d forgotten to leave on the porch light, but still there was enough daylight remaining to see. I applied the brakes and parked the truck. I had just removed the key from the ignition when Miley casually said, “I think you just might get lucky tonight.”
I fumbled with the keys, almost dropping them onto the floorboard. My head whipped around so fast that I almost gave myself whiplash. She appeared entirely too innocent.
Damn, she was killing me.
I remembered myself and quickly recovered, snapping my mouth shut. I flashed her a cocky grin.
She wasn’t the boss here. I was.
“Really, babe?” I asked.
She smiled and slowly licked her lips. In an instant, I was hard. That brief flash of her tongue almost did me in. “Only if you play your cards right,” she sassed with a wink.
She was playing a game with me. One I was going to make damn sure she didn’t win. “You’re cruel,” I stated, but my lips curved upward. I couldn’t help but admire that sassiness.
Sierra lay asleep between us, so there was no way I could retaliate against her right now. It would have to wait until later. She laughed at my obvious discomfort, and when I tried to adjust myself before opening my truck door, her peals of laughter had me shaking my head.
Hell, I’d be lucky if I could walk straight.
Behind me were the sounds of Miley trying to rouse Sierra. I scratched Hank’s head then nudged him aside to close the truck door.
Needy bastard. He was as bad as me.
“No Mommy,” Sierra protested, sleepily.
“Let me get her,” I offered.
When I moved past her and lifted Sierra from the seat, she snuggled against my chest. “She’s out like a light.”
“I’ll put her to bed and wake her a little earlier in the morning to take her bath before school. I guess it’s just you and me for the rest of the night,” Miley stated, coyly.
Like she didn’t know what she was doing. Yeah, right.
When I moved to step aside, she moved with me. For once, she managed to shut my truck door without slamming it. Her breasts brushed against my arm causing every muscle in my body to clench. Deep down, I knew it was no accident but rather more of a calculated move on her part since she loved torturing me. My eyes immediately landed on the lush round curves of her ass as she walked in front of me. There was a little extra sway to her step.
This woman played dirty.
She glanced over her shoulder, shooting me a sultry look, then turned to unlock the front door. When she turned back around, I couldn’t help but notice the rapid rise and fall of her chest. She wasn’t immune, either, to all of the sexual tension between us. I was more than well aware of what that look she was currently giving me meant. I was getting lucky tonight. Miley played a good game, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.
I was onto her.
I smirked, shooting her a cocky grin, then started to walk past her as she held open the door. Sierra was softly snoring in my arms. Her mouth slightly parted in sleep. Miley made no effort to move out of my way. Instead, she stood flush against the doorframe waiting for me to pass. It would be a tight squeeze. I stopped before her. Only inches separated us. I allowed my eyes to leisurely roam the entire length of her body; not a single curve escaped my attention. Beneath my gaze, her nipples tightened. A small gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes narrowed, zeroing in on me. I grinned and softly began to whistle underneath my breath, then I continued walking the rest of the way inside the house.
Yeah, paybacks were a bitch.
Fuck knitting.
“NO MORE, PLEASE,” Miley begged as I released her nipple from my mouth. I propped back on my elbows to admire my handiwork. Her chest heaved. Her skin was dewy with sweat from the both of our bodies. Her breasts were swelled, plump, and ripe from my attentions. Not ten minutes ago, I’d just given her the best orgasm of her life.
Hell, my own legs still trembled from the aftermath.
Miley was stretched out beneath me as naked as sin with a slim graceful arm curved around her head. Her body quivered. Her eyes were hooded as she studied me. A gentle hand cupped my cheek. Her fingers lightly stroked my beard.
She really liked my beard.
“You got another headache, babe?” I asked, unable to hide my smirk as I gazed down at her. She smiled and slipped her arms loosely around my neck. I couldn’t help but stretch and slid my body along hers. I loved the feel of her soft, silky skin against mine and, not to mention, the way her breasts cushioned my chest.
“You’re a smartass.” The husky tone of her voice had me lowering my head to capture her lips.
She was so fucking addictive.
Even though I’d just had her, I swelled once again against her heat, growing hard. I could eat her alive. I couldn’t get enough. I could happily breathe her in and never tire of the scent of her filling my lungs or her sweat coating my skin.
This woman was my weakness.
When she moaned against my mouth, my tongue took advantage and slipped past her lips. She followed my lead then finally pulled away, breaking the suction of our kiss. She was gasping for breath.
“Are you trying to kill me?” she asked, her lips brushed my ear.
At hearing her claim, I softly chuckled. Then sharp teeth captured the fleshy part of my earlobe and all thoughts of teasing her completely vanished from my mind. Slowly, my hand slid down her body molding her curves. I adjusted myself between her thighs and rocked my hips against hers, reveling in her softness. Her hands clenched my back. The feel of her nails digging into my skin almost drove me mad. I cupped her face and stared down at her.
There was no need to rush; not this time.
Sultry hooded eyes held mine spellbound as we moved in a slow, sinful rhythm. God, the way this woman made me feel. “I love you,” she whispered, as we moved as one among my twisted sheets. The glow of the full moon seeping in through the blinds provided enough light for me to clearly see her face. Closing the blinds had been the last thing on my mind, but it all worked out for the best. I was glad they were open since I’d forgotten to turn on a light.
Hell, as soon as we’d stepped into the room, I’d been unable to think of anything but her.
Since Sierra and Hank were sleeping in the next room, I’d locked the bedroom door just to be on the safe side. There was nothing to be done about these paper ass thin walls. We’d have to be quiet. My lips captured her throaty moan just in time as I hit her sweet spot. She quivered beneath me, shaking. Her hands tangled in my hair as we continued to strain against one another, moving in sync. As I gazed down at her, unwanted emotions tugged at my heart.
This was so much more than just fucking.
“I love you, Nate,” Miley moaned, letting me know she was close by the way her muscles began to clench and tighten around me. Those four little words had the ability to render me speechless. There was the sudden urge to run. It became difficult to breathe, but there in her trusting gaze, in those sultry blue eyes staring up into mine… I found myself; the part that had been missing since Natalie left.
My lips swooped down capturing hers. The silky glide of our flesh dragging and sliding against one another’s had me shaking. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, pulsing from the inside out. Picking up the pace, I rocked harder — frantic to escape the emotions plaguing me and the pleasure threatening to swallow me whole.
It was a useless fight. I couldn’t outrun myself. I couldn’t deny what I felt, not anymore. With no choice, I gave into the tingling rush of bliss racing up my spine.
“Miley.” I groaned against her lips. Soft muffled cries echoed with mine, ringing in my ears. Shit, we were supposed to be quiet. I panted hard against the curve of her neck.
There, in that rush of oblivion where the pleasure had become so intense that it consumed my soul, had come the dawning realization I’d tried desperately to deny… I was in love this woman. I fucking loved her! I rolled over onto the mattress trying to catch my breath and heard her softly giggle.
I fucking loved that sound almost as much as I loved her.
She rolled against me and curled into my body. She laid her head to rest on my shoulder and placed a hand over my heart. Beneath her palm, I was sure she could feel its wild thudding. Now, it beat only for her. At feeling the slight brush of her lips along the side of my neck, I closed my eyes on a contented sigh.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A SWEET SOFT voice registered in my ear shortly followed by two tiny hands clasping my face. Small fingers squished my cheeks trying to mash them together. I couldn’t help but grin. “Nate,” the little voice called, and I opened my eyes to find Sierra on her knees in the bed leaning over me. Her face hovering close to mine.
“Hey, princess,” I croaked, feeling slightly groggy. I glanced over at the other side of the bed to find it empty.
“Where’s Mommy?” Sierra asked. I was wondering the exact same thing myself. She sat down on the bed beside me. “Hank’s gone, too,” she informed me.
Well, that explained everything.
“She’s let him out to use the bathroom.”
Stifling a yawn, I dragged my hands down my face, trying to force myself awake. I needed caffeine. Last night, I’d lain awake with nothing more than my thoughts to keep me company long after Miley had fallen asleep. In the early morning hours, I’d wanted to wake her — to let her know exactly how much she meant to me, but, instead, I’d watched her sleep. All of this time, my stubborn mule headedness had kept me from realizing the truth all along; I’d been falling in love with her, and I wanted her to finally know that I’d fallen whole heartedly.
