Laura’s eyes widened. The curls bobbed again as she nodded her head and took the treat. “Can I share this with Lisa?”
“How about if you take this one to your sister?” Harley popped out the second beater and turned it over to Laura.
Laura licked at the cream, then held out the beater to Harley. “Want a taste?”
Harley leaned forward and licked a dab of the cream. “Mmmm, delicious.”
With the two beaters clutched in her hands, Laura tried to slide off the counter. Before Harley could help her, the back door swung open and Gage stepped into the porch, a giggling Lisa slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“What are you girls doing in here?” he asked as he loped up the steps, swung Lisa off his shoulder, and set her on the floor.
“Unca Gage. Unca Gage.” Laura held her arms out straight, a cream-coated beater in each hand. “Help me down.”
He grabbed Laura under the arms, swung her off the counter, and set her beside her sister. “What’ve you got there, sugarplum?”
Offering one beater to her sister, Laura licked the other. “Aunt Harley and me’s making dessert.”
“Looks mighty tasty.” Gage sidled up to Harley’s back and peered over her shoulder. “What’s on tonight’s menu?”
“Strawberry shortcake.” The heat of his body penetrated her cotton blouse and caused her to shiver with pleasure. She dipped a strawberry into the cream, turned in the small space between the counter and Gage, and held it out to him. “Want a sampling?”
He smiled down at her, leaned forward, and took the strawberry from her fingers into his mouth. As she watched him chew, all kinds of thoughts raced through her mind.
Like what she could do with the leftover cream once they tucked in the girls for the night.
“Tasty,” Gage murmured. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her hand up to his mouth. “I missed a bit.”
He licked the remainder of the cream off her finger, placed a kiss on the inside of her palm, and smiled wickedly. “I see another spot I missed.”
He leaned down toward her, his tongue sweeping the edge of her mouth before his lips brushed hers ever so softly.
Her knees turned to pudding. The girls giggled and began to sing in perfect harmony. “Sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
Gage pulled back slightly, heat in the depth of his gaze, his hands on the counter boxing her in. With a rakish smile shaping his lips, he shoved away from the counter and turned his attention toward the twins.
“Kiss Aunt Harley again,” they screamed in unison.
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Can’t.”
“It makes her happy.”
Gage turned to look at her and sure enough, she felt a bemused smile tugging at her lips. What was going on with him? Why was he in this funny, playful mood when usually he preferred to keep his distance from them?
“Well now, we wouldn’t want to get her over happy, would we?” With one last lingering look at her mouth, he turned back to the girls, a stern frown on his forehead. “Are you girls almost done with those beaters?”
The licking and slurping progressed to a speed contest, and the girls eyed each other to see who could finish first. Laura handed her beater to Gage. A moment later, Lisa followed suit. They stared up at him with rapt, adoring attention.
“Now off to the bathroom and get those hands washed.” The girls squealed and raced out of the kitchen, jostling each other by the shoulder. Gage dropped the beaters into the sink, turned back to Harley, and set his hands against the counter, one on each side of her. “So where were we?”
A laugh of disbelief escaped her. “What’s with you today?”
“Have I told you yet that you’re irresistible?”
A soft snort escaped her. She caught it back when she noticed he was moving ever so slightly toward her, degree by tantalizing degree. “You just think making me your sex slave will stop me from leaving with the girls.”
“Won’t it?” Without missing a beat, he closed the distance between them and settled his mouth over hers, kissing her softly, taking his time as though testing this thing between them. Or maybe deliberately prolonging the anticipation of what would come later.
He pulled back slowly and continued to look deep into her eyes, and as the patter of little feet could be heard running up the hallway, regret mingled with desire. “Our company is returning and unless we want to be interrupted at a most inopportune time, I should probably keep my distance.”
Aching to feel his mouth on hers again, disappointment flared through her. “I suppose it’s too early for bedtime, huh?”
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Not if it’s mine, honey.”
Two small bodies tackled Gage’s legs and he barely moved at the extra weight. His gaze still held hers and he whispered, “Remember where we left off.”
He pushed away from the counter and her, and peered down at the twins hanging off his legs. “Shall we go barbecue us some steaks, girls?”
“Yay,” they screamed, let go of his legs, and tore from the house.
Amusement drifting across his features, Gage shook his head, turned to the fridge, and pulled out the thawed meat. “You know, this family thing is kind of fun.”
Hope flared in Harley’s chest. She held her ground, tamping down the elation swelling through her.
Gage turned from the fridge, a plate of steaks in one hand, barbecue sauce in the other, and swung the door closed with his foot. “Want to eat out on the deck?”
“It’s cooler.” And less private. Attention diverted by the width of his shoulders, the lean cut of his pants, and the memory of what it felt like as he laid on top of her and made love with her, she didn’t notice his approach until he set the meat on the counter beside her.
Placing his hands on either side of her, he peered out the window. “Where are they?”
She looked over her shoulder and saw the girls in the frame of the window performing somersaults across the grass. “There.”
“Then I have time for this,” he growled, and sealing his mouth against hers, kissed her with the promise of more to come.
When he ended the kiss, as abruptly as he’d started it, he didn’t say a word. Just grabbed the plate and crossed the kitchen toward the back door.
The phone rang, slowing his progress. He snagged the receiver in his hand. “Hello?”
His gaze shifted to Harley, desire hot and heavy within the normally steely depths. He grunted into the phone, his expression turning somber, his gaze never leaving her face. Even when he hung up the receiver, he did it without looking away from her.
She steeled herself for bad news.
“The fingerprints match. It was Mike.”
“Why? No, never mind. I know why.” Fear and sorrow unfurled in her stomach, and she turned to look out the window. “Now what?”
Outside, the girls ran around the yard, carefree and unconcerned, unaware their life could change in a moment. She heard Gage’s footsteps as he crossed the room to join her, felt his hand on her shoulder offering comfort.
“You stay here until we find him. I’ll make sure he gets help. Those two little girls have to grow up without their mother. I won’t let them grow up without their daddy, too.”
With one last squeeze on her shoulder, he headed outside to toss the steaks on the barbecue. The girls came running, dancing around him in hungry anticipation, joy and adoration shining on their faces for the man who was their protector.
While Harley made herself go through the motions of preparing the salad and the rest of the meal, she wondered why life was so complicated.
In a perfect world, Hannah would still be alive.
And Gage wouldn’t feel the need to rescue every lost soul he encountered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Harley came out bearing a platter of corn-on-the-cob, an enormous bowl of undressed tossed salad greens, and a worried frown that hadn’t been there twenty minutes ago when he’d kissed her
. It was obvious she was fretting over the news about Mike and how it would affect the girls.
Something in Gage unfurled, waking his heart and his head to the realization that he’d never been happier.
Or more scared.
“What’s’zat?”
Dragging his attention from the woman who fascinated him beyond reason, he followed the direction of Lisa’s finger. “A robin.”
Laura joined their game. “What’s’zat?”
“An eavestrough.”
“What’s’zat?”
“A fence post.”
And so the game went on, the girls taking turns asking silly questions as he cooked the steaks and watched Harley move between the kitchen and the patio, bringing out plates and utensils and glasses of milk.
The white cotton blouse she wore snugged the curves of her breasts, the indentation of her waist, and stopped right above the waistband of her shorts. Every time she stretched to reach across the table, she gave him a tantalizing view of soft skin.
Her short-shorts clung to the sweet curve of her bottom. The shapely contours of her legs gave the impression they went on forever.
She straightened and caught him staring. A sultry smile teased the corners of her mouth as she quirked one eyebrow. “Hungry?”
Oh baby, yeah, and he was getting hungrier by the minute. He crooked a finger at her and gave her a wolfish grin. “Come here and I’ll show you how hungry I am.”
She laughed and shook her head, the worry fading from her face. “Not in front of the girls. Isn’t there a rule about that or something?”
He felt his grin widen as he handed the spatula to Laura. “Don’t touch a thing, sugarplum. I’ll be back in a second.”
“Where’re you going, Unca Gage?”
“Remember the kissing game Aunt Harley and I were playing earlier?” He headed across the patio. “We weren’t quite finished.”
Behind him, the girls giggled. Harley backed away, laughter in her voice. “Run, girls, run. It’s the big bad wolf.”
The girls screamed and ran in random circles. Harley darted to the left, keeping the table between them. But apparently a determined man was no match for a not quite so determined woman.
He caught up to her easily, swept her into his arms without much resistance, and leaned into her. “Sweetheart, I promise you’ll like this rendition of the hungry wolf.”
Sealing her laughter with his lips, he felt her melt into him, took her sigh into his mouth, pulled her so close he could feel every curve of her body, every breath she took.
And knew he wanted this day to go on forever.
Maybe longer than forever.
Splattt.
Gage opened his eyes, met Harley’s startled gaze, and stifled a groan.
Her mouth move against his. “Ten second rule?”
Slowly, he raised his head and saw a steak on the patio floor between the girls.
She laughed again. “If you’ll de-wolf your wolfness and release me, I’ll, uh, go rinse the steak off under the tap.”
He turned his attention back to her, noting the heat in her eyes, the kiss-swollen lips, the way she still had her arms wrapped around his neck.
She wanted him.
He wanted her.
Simply sex, she’d said.
But deep down inside where he’d never allowed himself to look before, he knew it was more than sex.
And he wanted it all. Forever in her life and her heart.
Now, if he could only figure out a way to get their semi-permanent house guests in bed earlier than their normal bedtime.
As he released her, and watched her pick up the steak between her thumb and forefinger and carry it into the house, he wondered how the hell couples with one child ever managed to find the time or privacy to make a second baby. Or why they’d even want to.
Gage decided there wouldn’t be any more kissing till the girls were safely tucked into bed for the night.
Laura peered up at him, her hands behind her back, one curl hanging between her eyes. She blew at it, blew at it again, a miniature Harley-type frown creasing her brow as she turned cross-eyed and glared at the uncooperative curl.
Beside her, Lisa also stood with her hands behind her back, radiating pure innocence.
Strolling across the deck, he stopped in front of them, brushed the curl off Laura’s face, then turned to Lisa and held out his hand, somewhat relieved he was finally getting the hang of this parenting gig.
Directing a toothy grin up at him, Lisa slapped the spatula onto the palm of his hand. “They was burning so I re’cued them.”
He went down on one knee so he was at eye level with her. “Remember what I told you about the barbecue?”
“It’s hot?”
“And?”
Her bottom lip protruded as she attempted to shift into full-sulk mode, but her affable nature had her lean into him, her elbows on his knee until they were nearly nose to nose. “Don’t touch.”
“That’s right.”
With a heavy sigh, she said, “I was only trying to help.”
She looked so dejected, Gage knew he’d regret it, yet he couldn’t stomach the thought of more punishment. He reached out and ruffled her hair. “You made the mess, so you get to clean it up. Go ask your aunt for a wet cloth to wipe up the floor.”
“Okay, Unca Gage,” she sang out, and she skipped off in the direction of the back door.
Gage straightened to watch her go and felt a tug on his hand. He peered down at Laura. The curl drooped across her nose again. She gave it an annoyed swipe before tugging him down to her level so she could hug him and kiss him on the cheek. “T’anks.”
He hugged her back. “For what?”
“For not ’panking Lisa.”
Gage felt his chest expand. And he knew it was moments like this that made parents want another child or three. “You’re welcome.”
The screen door banged open, banged closed. Harley crossed the patio, water dripping off the half-cooked, freshly washed meat, Lisa skipping behind her. “Here we go.”
Laura released him and he straightened, took the steak, slapped it on the barbecue, then shifted to get out of Lisa’s way as she tried to cram herself between him and the barbecue. He tugged her back from the heat. “This one’s got your name on it, Lisa.”
She craned her neck to look up at him, her eyes wide with childish delight. “I get a whole ’teak by myself?”
If it kept her out of trouble long enough so he could have his way with Harley, he’d gladly turn over his share of supper to the kid. Instead he growled, “No, greedy. You have to share it with me. Clean up your mess first.”
Disappointment flitted across her face. With a tsk, she squatted and sloshed the rag across the patio deck, spreading the meat drippings and making a bigger mess than she’d started with.
Despite the unfortunate incident, they were soon sitting down at the table eating, laughing, and talking like a real family. And as Gage watched Harley interact with the twins, he felt his heart swell in his chest with something other than lust.
There was no future for them. He knew it. So what made him think he could live like this for the rest of his life and be happy?
Because he was in lust. Had he been someone else, maybe not lived in a household where abuse was a daily occurrence, he might have tried.
But Harley was more precious to him than life itself, and he knew that he couldn’t—wouldn’t—subject her to the kind of life his mom had led.
She picked that moment to look up at him, laughter in her gaze and on the sweet curve of her very kissable mouth. Heat blazed low in his belly. He shifted on his chair and tried to adjust his pants so the bulge in them wouldn’t be obvious when he stood up. The last thing he wanted was for one of the pip-squeaks to notice the bulge at his crotch and ask questions only their daddy should answer.
Which brought his thoughts back to Mike.
Where had he disappeared to? And how could he convince his brother that he nee
ded professional help?
Shortly thereafter, Harley announced, “Bath time, girls.”
Across the table, they exchanged a look, then turned expectant eyes on him and screamed, “We want Unca Gage to give us a bath.”
He frowned back at them. “You do, do you? And what’s Aunt Harley supposed to be doing?”
“Dishes,” they replied in unison, nodding their heads in perfect rhythm.
He’d miss them when Mike got his act together and came for them.
If he got his act together.
Even more, he’d miss Harley when she left.
He thought about her determination to take the twins back to her house and thought, no way.
As he rose, Gage shoved the chair back from the table and picked up his plate. “Let’s help your aunt clear the table. Afterward, I’ll run you a bath.”
Lisa jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together. “With lotsa bubbles?”
He grabbed the plate of empty corn cobs and glanced at Harley. “Do we have bubbles?”
She slid open the patio doors and led them all inside. “Dish soap will do the trick.”
The girls were chattering non-stop between themselves as they set their plates on the counter top, then raced down the hallway. Figuring as long as he could hear them they couldn’t get into trouble, Gage cornered Harley and slid one hand under the cotton shirt, found the soft skin that had sent his pulse rate soaring earlier, and leaned into her. “We have about fifteen seconds before all hell breaks loose.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “Why are you wasting valuable time, stud?”
No playing hard to get, thank God. Gage groaned as she met his mouth halfway. Tongues entwining, bodies straining against one another, he captured her breast in one hand, molding the soft texture in the palm of his hand, hearing the sharp intake of her breath as her fingers ruffled his hair.
Down the hallway, an angry scream sounded, quickly followed by another, then only blessed silence.
Terms of Surrender Page 18
