Hard Break (Deadlines & Diamonds, #5)

by Morgan Kearns

  She wasn’t sure where this playful, sex-starved person came from, but, heaven help her, she liked teasing Ian. And now she knew she could, knew the way she affected him. She couldn’t wait to get him all hot and bothered again. Judging by the towel turned tent it wouldn’t take much.

  “I can’t.” He stepped closer, but not close enough to touch her. He put a hand on each side of her face and kissed her. Very chastely. “I want to take you. I always want to take you. But if I don’t hit the road in five minutes, I’ll be late for work.”

  One corner of her mouth quirked. “Couldn’t you just drive faster?”

  Now his mouth quirked on both sides. “Why don’t you drive home faster tonight? I’ll make it worth your while.”

  Her pout rivaled Penelope’s best. “You’re really going to make me wait all day?”

  “Yes. Now get out of my bathroom.”

  She turned with a bit of a sassy flair, tossing a wink over her shoulder. “Have a good day at work.”

  “You too.”

  The second the bathroom door closed, plans tumbled around in her head. Last night, Ian arranged every detail. Tonight, she’d return the favor.

  ***

  By the time Kayla pulled into the garage that night she could hardly sit still. She couldn’t wait to torture Ian. He was right, she did like shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Today, though, she’d hit Fredericks. She smiled thinking of the barely-there lace currently residing under her clothes.

  Leon had once told her a sexy matching bra and panties combo were hotter than the skimpiest lingerie. Whatever. She hoped Ian felt the same way. She counted on it.

  When she went inside her home, things were much the same as two nights ago. Kids were bathed, homework was done, and dinner was just coming out of the oven. Frozen lasagna, warmed up and ready to eat. She’d take it.

  Ian glanced up and he wanted her. She saw it, plain as day. Chase snorted and rolled his eyes, but didn’t object any further.

  “How was your day?” she asked, putting her bag on the counter.

  Chase laid a fork next to a plate, working his way around the table. “Good. I have a history project due next Friday.”

  “What kind of project?”

  He frowned. “I have to build a pyramid.”

  Awesome. She tried to keep her own frown to herself.

  “And Ian is going to help me.” Her son grinned at Ian. “Right, Ian?”

  “Absolutely, buddy.” He shook the oven mitts off his huge hands. “We’ll start tomorrow after school. Will you go grab your sisters? We’re ready to eat.”

  Chase plunked the last fork down, hollered, “Saaaadie! Penelopeeeee!” then followed his voice out the room.

  Kayla jumped when warm hands came around her waist and hot lips pressed to the back of her neck.

  “How was your day?” Ian growled in her ear.

  “Good. I did some shopping.”

  “Really? You buy anything good?”

  She turned in his arms, stretched up on her toes to purr, “No, something very, very bad.”

  “Oh yeah? Where is this very, very bad purchase?”

  “I’m wearing it,” she whispered in his ear.

  He sucked in a breath. “And I’m supposed to sit through dinner now?”

  “Yep.” She kissed his chin and pulled back just as three little people joined them.

  “Mom, I need money for the book fair,” Sadie informed her.

  “Mommy, I lo’ you!” Penelope threw herself at Kayla.

  Sadie rolled her eyes and kept talking. “There’s a book I really want. It’s Hello Kitty and—”

  “Hey, Sade, let’s eat,” Ian interrupted. “You can tell your mom all about the Hello Kitty book and how you have to have it because it sparkles and has stickers.”

  Apparently, Ian had heard the description before. Kayla grinned at him as he herded the children to their seats. As soon as Sadie’s backside hit the wood of her chair, she began again, finishing with, “and it’s only twenty dollars!”

  Kayla choked on the drink she’d just taken. “Only twenty dollars, huh?”

  “Yeah, a real bargain,” Ian interjected. “I think we should buy a dozen or so.”

  “Yeah.” Kayla rolled her eyes.

  He lifted a fork filled with lasagna toward his mouth. “Yeah, so you’ll have plenty of stickers.” He popped the bite in his mouth.

  “Oh, Ian,” Sadie squealed with delight. “You’re so smart. You think of everything.”

  Ian reveled in the praise. He grinned at Sadie, studiously ignoring the scowl Kayla threw at him. He finished his bite and placed his fork on the table. After wiping his mouth, he looked at Kay then Sadie.

  “I’m sure it’s the very best Hello Kitty book ever printed, but really, girl, you only need one.”

  She frowned, but nodded.

  He reached around to his wallet, and took out a twenty dollar bill, handing it to her. “Your birthday is next week, right?”

  “Right,” she said, holding the money like it were the most precious thing ever. “On Wednesday.”

  “We’ll call this my birthday present.” His smile and this whole conversation warmed Kayla’s heart. This man really did love her children. “That way, your mama can’t be mad at me and you get your book. Deal?”

  “Deal!” She jumped off of her chair and threw herself at Ian. “Oh, Ian, thank you!”

  “You’re welcome.” He kissed her cheek, then pushed her away, motioning toward her food. “Eat your dinner. It’s almost time for bed.”

  Kayla expected a pout at the mention of bed, but nothing came back. At least not from Sadie. Penelope and Chase protested, but a single look from Ian staunched both. It was very nice having Ian around, she admitted. Very, very nice.

  An hour later, Kayla put a movie into the DVD player. Ian had gone to his place to change. Into something more comfortable, he’d told her with a wink.

  She wanted to jump right back into Ian’s arms, maybe venture into his bed tonight, but she needed to make sure the kids were asleep and…

  Yeah, she needed to remember her kids were her first and foremost.

  Waking up this morning had been a sobering slap. As much as she loved being with Ian her kids were number one, two and three.

  She’d teased him with her purchase. She sure hoped things played out so he’d be able to see it. Fool that she was, she hadn’t thought much about that part of the scenario. In her fantasy they’d turned into horny teenagers and the kids magically weren’t around.

  Reality, though, had them sleeping—or on their way to dreamland—instead. Sneaking off to Ian’s place every night wasn’t an option. That just made her feel as if she had something to hide. She didn’t want to hide Ian or her feelings for him.

  The kids seemed to be fine with it. Before she allowed them to see the physical, she needed to make absolutely damn sure they were peachy-keen, a-okay with it.

  Three raps to the front door preceded Ian’s entrance. “What’s the plan, love?”

  Her heart flip-flopped at the endearment. Leon never…

  Huh-uh. Leon didn’t belong here.

  “I thought we’d watch a movie until the kids fall asleep.”

  “Sounds good. I’m always up for a good chick flick.” He dropped down onto the corner of the overstuffed couch.

  “What makes you think it’s a chick flick?”

  “An educated guess.”

  She sat down on the other side of the couch, remote in hand and shifted to look at him. “Educated by whom?”

  “Chicks?” He laughed and was totally ready for the pillow she threw at him.

  The opening credits started and Ian didn’t look at the screen. He watched her, studied her, scrutinized her without a single glimmer of desire.

  “What?” she finally asked.

  “Why the hell are you all the way over there?”

  She glanced down at the couch, up at him. “What? I always sit here to watch a movie.”

  “You
don’t want to snuggle?”

  “You do?” She had a lot to get used to.

  “Hell yeah.” He patted the spot right next to him. “Get over here and snuggle me.”

  She stayed where she was a moment too long, apparently, because he was the one who got up and moved down the couch. When he plopped down next to her, she bounced. He laughed and tossed an arm behind her, resting it on the back of the couch. She tucked her legs under her and snuggled into his body. She’d never watched a movie quite like this. For some absurd reason, she wondered if he also lifted the armrest at the movie theatre.

  “You rented Die Hard?” he asked through a laugh.

  “You like Die Hard.”

  “I’d prefer not to die hard, love. I’d prefer drained and sated, but yeah, guys like the movie.”

  She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “And in love with you.” He kissed the top of her head, and she didn’t mind in the least.

  Ian awoke when his alarm went off. It took a few ticks of the clock for him to remember where he was. With a blanket tucked around his body and his shoes tucked under the coffee table, he deducted he’d fallen asleep.

  He wiped a hand over his face, rubbed at his eyes and sat up. The blanket tumbled to his waist. Thanks to the full moon and the light coming in from outside, Ian could see around the dark room. What welcomed him on the coffee table had him choking on his tongue.

  Damn her.

  There was no way he wouldn’t accept the gauntlet. To hell with being on time for work.

  He grabbed the blanket in one hand and her bad little surprise in the other and raced up the stairs. He checked on the kids, all three were out cold and would remain completely oblivious to what he had planned for their mother.

  He snuck into Kayla’s room and knelt next to the bed. She lay on her side, her arm tucked up under her chin. Her brown hair fell in wisps across her face. He brushed a lock away and she mumbled something he didn’t understand. He kissed her cheek and she burrowed deeper into her pillow. He eased the comforter down her body and found her naked.

  Beautifully, gloriously naked.

  He sucked in a breath. She shifted and stretched, flopping over onto her back and tossing an arm over her eyes. He shifted and stretched too. Shifting right out of his clothes and stretching out on top of her.

  She jerked awake, her eyes going wide. But then realization twinkled amongst the sapphire and she sighed. “Good morning.”

  He moved against her, letting her know just how good of a morning it was about to be. “I got your surprise.”

  She ran her hands over his back. “I was hoping this would be your response.”

  He slid into her and she gasped. Her nails dug into his shoulders, holding him to her. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “Ride me, love.”

  She rose up on her knees and moved against him. Her breasts moved in the most intoxicating way. Natural all the way. He clutched her to him, her chest lightly rubbing against him. Wow, mornings didn’t get any better than this.

  He swallowed her moan. His own release building. He wanted to hold out longer, but there wasn’t a chance of that. His arms went vise grip, not allowing any more than her hips to move, and leaped off the cliff.

  She slumped against him, breathing hard against his neck. “I could get very used to waking up like that.”

  Trailing his fingers over her back, he whispered, “So could I, love, so could I.”

  They lay there in the darkness, surrounded by nothing but each other. The clock on her dresser ticked away the seconds, becoming minutes. Some of the best minutes of his life. He was just about to get up and start the rest of his day when the bathroom light flicked on. Kayla’s head jerked up. Ian tried to become one with the mattress.

  The toilet flushed then the light flicked off.

  “Sadie, everything all right, baby?”

  “Uh-huh.” She yawned. “’Night, Mommy.”

  “Good night, Sadie.”

  When the door closed, Kayla’s breath hit his chest in a puff. His fled his lungs in a similar fashion. “Phew! That was close.”

  “Too close.” She kissed his chest. “We can’t do that anymore.”

  “You won’t hear me argue.” He rolled her onto her back, kissed her long and hard, then stood. “I’ll remember to lock the door next time,” he said, refusing to acknowledge Sadie’s entrance had just secured his status as a monk.

  Twenty-Three

  Ian wasn’t sure where his good fortune had come from. With this kind of luck, he really should play the lotto. Or head over to the casino for a chance at some really big bucks. Having Kayla in his life, as his lover, had been the best damn thing. Ever.

  He loved her like nothing else.

  Heaven help him, he shouldn’t already be hearing wedding bells, but dammit, he did. He wanted to make her his in a way everybody on the planet would know it.

  The sun beat down on his back, the fall weather making it tolerable. The story they covered was nothing but fluff. Zoo, baby elephant, very rare, blah, blah, blah.

  Glancing at his watch, he grinned. In exactly thirty-nine minutes his weekend began. He couldn’t wait. He’d planned an amazing weekend, including a trip to Chuck E. Cheese and the park. This weekend was the beginning of the rest his life and would end in the best way possible.

  If the sexual tension didn’t kill him first.

  Kayla didn’t realize how damned sexy she was. Or maybe she did and was a closet sadist. Since putting on the brakes two days ago, there’d been very little contact. And it was killing him. Now that he’d revealed how much she meant to him, he wanted to show her in every touch.

  “I don’t give a damn why,” Philip Ross, reporter extraordinaire snapped into his cell phone. “I’m going live in five minutes. I’ll have to talk to you later.” Without waiting for a response—more like ignoring the shrieked protect—Phil swiped his finger over the end button and tucked the phone into his pocket.

  “Trouble in paradise?”

  Phil shook his head. “Do yourself a favor, McCallister, and don’t ever get married. It’s not worth the hassle.”

  Phil would know. His fourth marriage seemed to be crumbling around his feet. Not that Ian was surprised. He liked Phil, hadn’t liked a single one of his wives. The relationships lasted just long enough to set Phil up real nice after the impending divorce.

  Not that Phil was playing the women. If anything, they played him. Every damn time. Poor guy.

  His phone became a very angry bumblebee, buzzing like the hive had been hit by a baseball bat. Phil just reached in and all that buzzing stopped. He cursed when it started again. Without saying a word, he took it out of his pocket and turned the power off.

  He spoke into the microphone, looking into the lens. “If anybody at the station needs me, I’m with McCallister.”

  “Got it,” came the reply via their earpieces.

  Ian’s phone rang.

  Phil’s eyebrows rose. “So soon?”

  Ian fished his phone out and smiled when he saw the caller ID. “You’re off the hook, Phil, this one’s for me and me alone.” He turned his back on his reporter, hitting send on the spin. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey,” Kayla said softly. “I’m going to be a little late tonight.”

  “Everything good?”

  “Yeah, I just really need to catch up on this paperwork. I’m sorry.”

  “No sweat.” Even though he hated she’d be late. “We’ll be waiting for you when you get home. How late you gonna be?”

  “I’ll be home by seven-thirty.”

  Only an hour later than normal. He could live with that. “Drive safe. We’ll see you later.”

  “Love you,” she said.

  Ian smiled like an idiot, so very happy she said it first. “Love you, too.” The line went dead and he turned when Phil laughed.

  “Who is she?”

  “None of your damned business.” He jerked his head toward the zoo’s newe
st addition. “Let’s get this wrapped up, I’ve got things to do.”

  Phil chuckled. “I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face, don’t do it, McCallister.”

  “Go ahead, turn blue, as soon as she’ll have me, I plan on doing it.”

  When Kayla came home that evening—closer to eight, than the seven-thirty she'd promised—the house was dark. No, that wasn’t right. It was dim. She could smell the remnants of dinner and her stomach growled.

  She sat her bag on the counter and went in search of her family. Light drifted down the stairs and she followed it, feeling a bit like a moth seeking the warmth. Happy sounds came from the girls’ room. She stood in the doorway and watched as Ian read a story to all three of her kids.

  “That’s not how it goes, Ian,” Sadie protested.

  “How do you know? You can’t read,” Chase scoffed.

  “You can read. Is that how it goes?” Sadie scowled at her brother.

  “I like it,” Penelope chimed in.

  Ian closed the book, his finger becoming a bookmark. “Hey, no fighting. You’re right, Sadie, I did change the story. But I thought it was better my way.”

  “It was,” she conceded. “I just knew it was different.”

  Penelope looked up from the debate and smiled big. “Mommy! You home.” She climbed over Ian’s outstretched legs.

  The rest of the audience glanced her way as well, and three more smiles appeared.

  “Hi, guys.” She accepted the hugs from her children. Chase was a little more reserved with his hugs these days. She hoped he wouldn’t become too cool to admit he loved her. “Have you brushed your teeth?”

  Three heads bobbed.

  “Used the bathroom?”

  Three more head bobs.

  “Wow. I think Ian deserves a reward.” She smiled at him. He answered with a wink. “Tell Ian thank you and climb in bed.”

  Ian had climbed off of Sadie’s bed and stood in the middle of the room. Penelope ran to him, her arms going around his leg. “Tank you.”

  “You’re welcome, princess.”

  “I lo’ you.”

  He rubbed her back. “I love you, too.”

  Penelope shocked Kayla by climbing into her crib. She opened her mouth to ask if Ian had taught her that, only to have the question die on her tongue. Judging by the look on his face, he was as surprised as she’d been. Penelope plopped down, pulled the blanket to her chin and said, “Ni’ ni’.”