In Too Deep

by Delilah Devlin

  His stomach lurched. He bowed his head, breathing deeply for a moment before forcing his gaze to meet her accusing one. “What gave me away?”

  “I’m a fool,” she rasped. “You’re all grown up. Nearly unrecognizable. But I knew those eyes.”

  Gabe released one of her hands and cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry I lied about my name. I’m not sure why I did. I guess I just wanted to be some guy you’d never met.” At her continued glare, he sighed. “I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted the chance to get to know you again, without you thinking about that clumsy boy.”

  “You weren’t clumsy,” she muttered. “You were sweet. Energetic, but you were utterly perfect.”

  “And that makes you sad?”

  She blew out a gust of air. “It makes me an idiot. The one man I should never have anything to do with…” She closed her eyes. Another tear leaked from her eye.

  Gabe still didn’t get it. So she’d figured out who he was. Why was she so damn against him? “Why not have anything to do with me?”

  She snorted. “Not enough time or tears to explain.”

  Gabe frowned. “Lena, I’m not movin’ until you tell me what’s wrong.”

  Her chin jutted. “Isn’t the fact you got me here under false pretenses enough?”

  “This was fun. You enjoyed it. If it’s not something you wanted, all you had to do was tell me to go to hell.”

  “I didn’t get the chance to say that to Mr. Triplehorn, did I?” she said, her voice getting a little louder.

  “All because I’m not some stranger?”

  “Don’t look at me like that. You don’t know me.”

  “But I want to,” he ground out in frustration.

  “It’s a little too late. Now, please. Get off me.”

  Gabe dreaded doing that. So long as he was locked inside her body, she had to keep talking to him. He sensed once he let her go, she’d withdraw and he’d never understand what went so wrong. “Sweetheart—”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  Gabe dropped his glance. “Lena…” He swallowed and then lifted his gaze again. Triplehorns weren’t cowards. “I’m afraid if I let you go, you’ll run.”

  Her hard stare would have had his brother Colt backing away, but Gabe held firm.

  “I know I was dead wrong not tellin’ you up front. But that doesn’t mean there’s not something here between us. Tell me the truth. You feel it too.”

  Her mouth formed a tight line, and he almost relented.

  But then her eyes filled with tears. “This is all wrong.”

  “Doesn’t have to be,” he said, adopting a more soothing tone. “Lust always took the lead with us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make this about so much more.”

  “It’s too fucking late. Years late to make this into anything but a really bad dream.”

  “I don’t understand. Was it something I said back then? Something I did?”

  “It’s what you left,” she said, bitterness roughening her voice. “Let me up.”

  “We’re not done.”

  As though taunting them both, his cock twitched inside her, surging again inside her steamy heat. He chose to ignore it.

  But a moan seeped from inside her. Her bottom lip trembled, and her pussy gave away her state of arousal. It clenched, cinching around him to keep him deeply embedded.

  Gabe narrowed his eyes as he studied her expression. He noted the deepening of her breaths, the tension quivering through her frame. Slowly, he lowered his head, giving her one last chance to say no.

  But she never did.

  Their lips touched, softly at first. He rubbed her mouth, gently circling, and then suctioned to pull at her lips.

  She dug her fingers into his skin, raked his chest and then dragged her hands around his sides to his back.

  He’d have the marks there for anyone to see but didn’t care. He ended the kiss and jerked his hips to dig inside her, tunneling hard.

  Her eyelids fluttered then closed. Her mouth gaped as her head tilted back. The sweat on her cheeks gleamed in the bright sunlight.

  Gabe straightened, pushing up on his arms, pulling away from her tight embrace. Without breaking their connection, he went to his knees, stuck his arms beneath the crooks of each of her knees and raised her bottom. With his arms controlling her movements, he continued thrusting, jerking her against him in opposition. He dropped his gaze down to where their bodies joined and watched his reddened cock glide between her swollen vaginal lips.

  “Let me see your clit,” he ground out.

  Without hesitation, her hands smoothed down her soft belly and pulled up on the top of her folds, exposing her engorged nubbin. Slick and bright red, he wished he could dip his head between her legs.

  “Tonight,” he said, with another glide into her silky hot depths, “I’ll come to your room. Don’t lock your door. I’ll suck on that pretty little button until you come. Then I’ll spank your pussy until it’s wet and your legs are shaking. I’ll make you come again like that.”

  “Shut up. Just shut up,” she groaned, but her hips fought his hold, her bottom bounced.

  He raised his curled arms tighter and spread them to open her as he pounded deep and hard, each thrust thudding against her body.

  Lena cupped a breast with her free hand and pinched her nipple. Then her belly undulated in uneven motions as her cunt squeezed around him. “Jesus, Gabe. Fuck me. Fuck me harder!” She stuck two fingers into the top of her folds and rubbed hard. “Jesus, oh, fuck.”

  Gabe was so deep, so fucking hard, his teeth hurt. His balls drew up, hard as rocks, banging against her ass. He gave everything he had in a violent flurry of motion. Not relenting even after a long wail erupted from her.

  Gabe banged her with more force, wanting to mark her, make sure she never forgot what it was like to be truly taken by a man who wouldn’t accept anything but complete surrender. He wouldn’t let her refuse him again, wouldn’t ever let her go.

  At that thought, something inside him snapped into place. Joy exploded at the same time his cock erupted, spewing inside the condom. Whatever grievance she had against him couldn’t withstand his sheer determination. He’d make it up to her, make her see that no other man would ever be as good, ever want her as much.

  He gritted his teeth as the last surge of come spurted. Lowering her thighs, he came down on top of her, his heaving chest resting against her soft breasts. “This was good, Lena. We’re good together. That’s not changed.”

  She covered her face with an arm and turned her head to the side. “This was never the problem. It’s even better now.”

  “Forgive me for lying?”

  “It’s not for me to forgive.”

  She eased her arm away and gave him a look filled with so much emotion it nearly killed him.

  “You’re gonna hate me.”

  He didn’t believe her. With her warm, pliant body cushioning his own, he held still. “Tell me.”

  Tears filled her eyes and tracked down the sides of her face into her hair. She held his gaze as if silently begging for understanding before she whispered, “We have a son.”

  Gabe blinked. He shook his head, sure he’d heard wrong. “What?”

  “We have a boy. He’s nine.”

  He’d been so hot a moment ago, but now the sweat dripping from his hair felt cold as ice against his skin. He pulled free, scrambling away to kneel beside her. “A boy? My son?” He heard the hoarseness in his voice. Felt his throat close up, unable to utter another sound.

  Lena moved, also coming to her knees.

  She reached out a hand toward him, but he jerked back.

  “You were just a kid. Still in high school.”

  “You think I wouldn’t have wanted to know?” he whispered harshly. “It was my right.”

  “I was afraid. Alone. Except for Grandpa. My mother and father were furious. Cut me off. When I went back to school, I had to do it on my own.”

  His lips curled up in a snarl. “Yo
u didn’t have to do anything on your own. One damn call would have fixed it.” Gabe pushed up to his feet and quickly rolled the condom off his cock. He dropped it to the ground.

  “Um, we have to pick up our trash,” she said, vaguely waving at the condom.

  He gave her a glare, shaking his head as he backed away. “You do it. I have calls to make.”

  “Wait,” she called after him.

  But he was already moving to the clothes they’d flung away.

  “Gabe.”

  He gave a sharp shake of his head but didn’t look back. Moments later, dressed, he crashed through the brush, heading down the sunlit trail, his chest tight, his mind completely blown.

  He didn’t want to be anywhere near her. Didn’t want to talk. Beyond shocked, fury shook his whole body. He had a kid. One he’d never met. Didn’t even know his name. He wanted to curse her but couldn’t make himself stoop that low.

  She’d had her reasons. He’d been a teenager. But he didn’t buy that one. His parents had married young and look how many years they’d had together.

  No, he could think of only one really good reason she hadn’t told him. She’d been scared of his family, no doubt. Thought maybe she couldn’t fight him and keep custody of her child.

  But she was dead wrong. He wouldn’t have stripped the boy from her. He’d have been there for her. Married her. Damn her to hell. He’d been in love with her, missed her—for fucking years—until he’d built a shell around his heart and learned to be with women without giving a damn about their emotional needs.

  He’d played and caroused. Shared women with his brother, Tommy. He’d become a goddamn whore, fucking anything with tits because he hadn’t found that same feeling of connection, of completeness, with anyone else.

  He’d half-convinced himself he’d been operating on teenage lust, that he couldn’t have really been in love with her. That love was a myth dredged up by too many hormones.

  Until he’d seen his brother with Zuri. Watched Colt’s anger and disappointment melt beneath an all-consuming hunger. And he’d remembered what that felt like. Knew exactly why Colt hadn’t been able to give up on Zuri. Not for a minute. Not even when he thought she’d robbed a bank.

  He stomped into the clearing and ran up the steps, passed Kayla at the desk, but ignored her greeting. When he got to his room he went straight for his cell phone.

  “That you, bro?” Colt asked on the first ring.

  “Colt.” Gabe’s throat closed again, but he cleared it.

  “Anything wrong?”

  Gabe sat on the edge of the bed, dropping his elbows on his knees as he dragged in deep breaths to calm his racing heart. “I have a kid. A boy.”

  After a long pause, Colt asked, “Lena Twohig the mom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That boy’s a Triplehorn,” Colt said, his voice dead even. “Bring him home.”

  “I can’t… Jesus, I’ve probably already blown it,” he said, remembering her face, the crushing disappointment that had clouded her eyes when he’d jerked away from her.

  “No, Gabe,” Colt said, his tone firm. “I don’t care what you have to do. You bring that boy home.”

  “He has a mother. One who didn’t want anything to do with me. Never bothered to tell me even though she knew where to find me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You know now. You have to make it right.”

  Gabe shook his head. He was sick to his stomach, his head still reeling and unable to think. “She can’t just pick up and leave. She’s got a campground to run.”

  “Leave that to me and Tommy. You talk to her. She’s family now—whether she’s married you or not. He’s our kin.”

  Gabe nodded, relief spilling through him. He groaned. “She’s probably mad as hell at me right now. Soon as she told me, I got up and ran. Had to get away. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t shake her.”

  “Get a grip. You talk to her.”

  After he ended the call, Gabe sat in his room thinking about his life. About what could have been. Regret piled on top of regret. He took a shower and dressed. All the while running through everything he might say to a woman who couldn’t have had it easy raising a boy on her own. Who might resent him if he waded in and tried to take over.

  He listed in his mind all his arguments. He was the boy’s dad, and a child needed a father. He was wealthy, from a stable, respected family. Lena’s child would never want for a thing and stood to inherit a lot. She’d be a fool to deny him his place at the Triple Horn.

  And then there was their relationship. Sure, they’d made missteps along the way. She’d withheld something so important most men would find it hard to forgive, but he was willing to overlook her sin of omission. He’d lied to her in order to seduce her, but only because he’d been in denial over the fact that he’d always yearned for her.

  Fact was, he’d held other women up against her and never felt the spark. Not until he’d been intimate with her again, held her so close there was no hiding the truth, not even from himself, had he realized. She was his one and only. Same way Colt had never been able to love another woman. Neither had he.

  Sure, they’d been kids. But for two weeks in one golden summer, he’d become a man. She’d left an indelible stamp upon his soul. He’d left behind living proof that their brief affair was meant to be so much more.

  Feeling more sure of himself, more determined not to let her push him away or deny everything he offered, he set out to convince Lena Twohig to become his wife.

  Chapter Five

  Lena served dinner with a brittle smile and an eye for the entrance of the dining room, dreading the moment Gabe joined them. She’d had time to think about how he’d reacted, time to pile regrets on her shoulders for the fact she’d succumbed to temptation, and then spilled her guts in a stupid moment of weakness.

  “Just plain stupid, that’s what I am,” she whispered to herself. What had she expected? That he’d sweep her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay? That he’d forgive her for never seeking him out?

  Now, she worried about what he might do. The Triplehorns weren’t unknown in these parts. They owned a major spread in the big state of Texas. They could buy better lawyers, come after her and Jake with all guns blazing. And just maybe, they’d win.

  “Dessert’s on the buffet table,” Kayla said, coming to her side. “Gonna eat?”

  Lena wiped her sweaty hands on her apron, glanced around the tables filled with families eating meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits straight from her oven. “I couldn’t swallow a bite.”

  “He sure had me fooled. I thought he’d be a gentleman,” Kayla said softly.

  Lena stiffened. “We had an argument. Wasn’t any of his fault. Don’t you worry about me.” She reached behind her to untie her apron and draped it over a chair.

  “Um, don’t look now, but you know who just walked in. Want to slip out the kitchen door?”

  Lena shook her head. “How about you sit him at a table. I’ll start emptying the dishwasher.”

  Kayla nodded, pasted on a smile and swept toward Gabe, whose laser gaze locked on Lena.

  Lena’s stomach did a somersault and she turned on her heel to push through the kitchen door and hide.

  Only, of course, that didn’t work. The door swung open with a whoosh behind her, but she didn’t glance back. Instead, she opened the dishwasher and began unloading glasses into the cupboard.

  “We have to talk.”

  She stiffened, but then grabbed another glass to put away. “Nothin’ more to say. I got your message loud and clear.”

  Hands landed on her hips and firmly turned her. He was standing too close. She didn’t dare lift her head. Instead, she stared at the collar of his shirt.

  “I didn’t handle that well back at the river.”

  “I’m not grading you on your ability to handle upsetting news.”

  “Teacher, if you were, I’d have earned a big fat F. I was dead wrong for the way I behaved.”<
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  He tucked a finger under her chin, and she resisted for a moment but didn’t want to seem cowardly. Now was the time to show some strength. Let him know she wasn’t cowed—not by his rudeness, not by the power he might wield if he had a mind to fight her for Jake.

  She slowly let him raise her head and met his stormy gaze. For a moment, she softened inside. Felt that familiar spark and nearly swayed toward him. But she caught herself just in time because she couldn’t read his expression.

  “Come walk with me,” he said softly.

  “I have work to do here.”

  “I’ll help you with it, later.”

  “It’s not your place. You’re a paying guest.”

  He drew in a deep breath and then let it sift slowly out. “I don’t want to start this conversation with an argument. I’m calm now. I apologize for my reaction earlier. I have no excuse for leaving you like that.”

  The backs of her eyes began to burn, but she blinked. No way was she going to cry. She was made of sterner stuff than that. Lena Twohig didn’t disintegrate into tears just because a man made a pretty apology. Not even if the way he’d exploded, rushing from the river, had been the worst, most harsh rejection she’d ever received.

  She gave him a nod. “All right. We’ll walk.” When he didn’t move away, she arched a brow. “You first.”

  Gabe cleared his throat and backed up a step.

  She slipped to the side and walked as sedately as she could manage to the door leading out onto the back porch. But she didn’t want to talk with the possibility of anyone overhearing, so she continued striding toward the river, hoping the sound of the water gently trickling by would soothe her nerves.

  At the river’s edge, she sought a picnic bench and sat.

  Gabe removed his hat and lowered beside her. They both stared out over the water.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry as hell for what happened. I didn’t act like a man. It’s embarrassing to admit. But your…news…was unexpected. I felt sucker punched.”

  “I shouldn’t have said anything. Should have let things go on as they have for ten years, but I was surprised as well.” She shot him a sideways glance. “I never would have taken up with you if I’d realized it was you, Gabe.”