She shook her head. “I’ve done that, and it was a worthwhile cause. I’m sure I’ll do trips occasionally, and when we have children, I want to take them on some trips. With their daddy protecting us all, of course.”
Jed’s grip on her tightened. “Excuse me, did you just say ‘when we have children’?”
Cassie smiled shyly at him. “I guess I did.”
A slow grin covered his face. “Are we talking about these children soon?”
Cassie laughed. “Well, that’s another part of the plan I hoped you’d agree to.” She bit at her lip. “We can live in Park City and travel down here for my family and to do things with the house, but after I finish my next few missions, I want to figure out how to adopt Izzy and Will.”
Jed looked like he was in shock. Cassie worried she’d asked too much, pushed too far too fast. Eventually, he said, “Adopt Izzy and Will? I mean, I’d love to. It would be crazy—and are you ready for an instant family, and are you seriously saying you’ll marry me?”
“I think that needs to come first.”
Jed dropped to his knees in front of her and clasped both her hands with his. “I didn’t want to rush you. We’ve only been together a little over a week. Then Gavin threatened me with a vicious thumping if I moved too fast. I mean, I know I could take him, but I didn’t want to have to.”
Cassie laughed and threw her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. “You aren’t rushing me. I love you.”
“Please marry me, Cassie. Please say you’ll marry me.”
“Yes,” she said.
Jed whooped, stood quickly, and lifted her off the couch. He swung her around and then kissed her long and slow. Cassie forgot about all her life plans and every worry in the world. She was going to be married to this man. That was all that mattered right now.
Don’t Miss the Moment
Chapter One
Gavin Strong rushed out of his office at Angel Falls Retreat. It was February, and in the mountains of Colorado, that meant the ski season. His resort was busy as ever. More importantly to Austin, it was hockey season, and they had a game tonight.
Austin was waiting in the lobby for him. Usually any waiting on Austin’s part, especially when they had a hockey game, would’ve been very impatient. Today Gavin could see that the outgoing boy had become distracted by—what else?—a pretty lady. A very pretty lady, if the long, golden curls and tall, fit body he could see from this angle were reliable indicators.
As Gavin headed their direction, he could see that Austin was talking animatedly to the woman. “… and I’m the best at puck control,” Austin was bragging. “Plus I can board somebody like you can’t believe. I may look skinny, but I’m tough.” He flexed an arm. Then he saw Gavin, and joy lit his deep brown eyes.
Gavin’s heart did a familiar flutter. The kid truly was the best and happiest part of his life. He loved his son more than anything or anyone. If only he could tell Austin that he was his father and not his brother. Yet he and Mama had decided when Gavin was eighteen, and obviously incapable of any rational decisions, that Mama and Papa would raise Austin as theirs. Gavin had readily agreed, overwhelmed with gratitude that Mama had performed a miracle and found Austin, then somehow rescued his son from the unstable woman Gavin had fallen for as an eighteen-year-old. He’d only wanted Austin to have a stable and amazing family, and he wanted to be part of his son’s life.
Gavin grinned at Austin. Gavin was naturally pretty serious, but Austin drew smiles out of him that nobody else could get. He’d have to hide that smile and play it cool as he interrupted Austin’s conversation. Too often, Austin’s girlfriends wanted to audition for the part of Gavin’s girlfriend. He’d learned his lessons young and had spent the past ten years making amends for his mistake.
“Gav!” Austin said. “Come meet my new girlfriend.”
The woman turned his direction, and the casual hello Gavin was going to greet her with became a strangled, “H-h-hel-ah … H-hey.”
To say the woman was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen was an understatement so strong he couldn’t make it. She was exquisite. Her skin was smooth, her cheekbones and jawline were defined, her lips formed a wide, perfect pout, and her nose was straight, but he’d seen beautiful women before. It was her eyes that yanked him in and made him stutter like a fool. Her dark blue gaze penetrated through him as if she could see into his soul, see all the secrets he didn’t share with anyone. Somehow, even knowing his every secret, she didn’t want to run from him; she wanted to accept and heal him.
Gavin backed up a step, shook his head to clear it, and broke from her gaze. No woman would have power over him. Never again. He didn’t care how incredible her eyes were, or how many insane thoughts he’d had in the moment their eyes connected.
“Nice to meet you, Gavin,” she said with just a hint of humor in her voice, coming toward him with her hand outstretched. “I’m Kari Love.”
“Love? Your name is Love?” The craziness of that shocked him out of his besotted stupor.
She grinned like they were sharing some joke. “Yeah. Try going through middle school with that handle.”
Gavin felt himself give a sappy smile in return. “I can’t imagine with your face you had much trouble in middle school.”
“She’s a hottie, right, bro?” Austin piped up, beaming up at Kari.
Gavin was in complete agreement, but he couldn’t express his admiration Austin-style and not look like a wannabe punk teenager.
She laughed, but her hand was still reaching out, waiting for him to shake it. Gavin steeled himself, as he knew he couldn’t leave her waiting much longer. He pushed forward as if he were jumping into the ice-cold lake behind his house and grasped her hand with his. As they touched, a jolt of warmth raced through him. Her hand was just the right size: not too small, not too big. It was soft, but her grip was firm. He should never have compared this to jumping in a cold lake. This touch was fire, happiness, desire like he’d never known. He should pull away. He wasn’t strong enough. No! Since Janielle he’d proven himself stronger, in better control, than any person he knew. He turned down woman after woman so he could focus on his son, his family, and his resort. How could he not simply pull his hand, or his eyes, free now?
Her eyes darted to their clasped hands, then back to his face a couple of times. “I … um …” She was the one stuttering now.
Gavin wished he felt stable enough to tease her about it. He’d never had the desire to tease and flirt like he did at this moment, but his own tongue wasn’t capable of coherent pronunciation.
“Hey,” Austin protested. “Kari is my new girlfriend. Hands off, bro.”
Gavin laughed uneasily and finally managed to pull his hand free. This woman was having an effect on him that he couldn’t control, and he didn’t like that, at all. He’d lost control once in his life. The amazing ten-year-old glaring up at him was the result of that. He wouldn’t give up Austin for anything, but he wasn’t about to fall to a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Not happening.
He backed away, studiously avoiding Kari’s eyes. “It was nice to meet you,” he muttered. “Austin, we’re going to be late for your game.”
“Oh, yeah!” Austin pumped a fist in the air. “We gotta go. I’ll see you later tonight, Kari. Dessert at nine in the restaurant?”
Austin was something else. Gavin shook his head, and his gaze darted to Kari. She was watching him with an appraising glance and her arms folded across her chest. Oxygen fled his body. She was … too much. He needed to run, and run now. “You’ve got school tomorrow,” he reminded Austin.
“Aw, c’mon, bro. You’re throwing off my game with the pretty lady.” Austin turned back to Kari, whose eyes were now lit with a bit of amusement and frustration.
Gavin had seen that look before. She thought Austin was hilarious but didn’t know what to make of his oldest brother. Usually, Gavin had no problem making short work of the women who hit on his son to get to him, but this one had power he hadn’
t seen in almost eleven years.
“Hey!” Austin lit up with excitement. “Come to the game with us. Gav will take us for ice cream after or something. It’ll give you more junk to write about and more time watching me.” He pumped his eyebrows.
“Sounds fun,” Kari said simply.
Gavin’s heart was thumping faster and faster. Had Austin just invited this perfect beauty to ride with them to Vail, watch his game, and go for ice cream afterwards? Austin loved to tease about his girlfriends, and he flirted with women everywhere they went, but they had an unwritten code—it was the two of them. Gavin had repeatedly instructed Austin that they didn’t invite women to do things that interrupted their “bro time.” The ploy had worked, until now.
“Is that cool, Gav?” Austin turned to him.
Gavin didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t want to be rude to a guest, but if one touch of her hand or powerful glance from those eyes had him this shaken, daydreaming crazy stuff like she could see into his soul, he couldn’t spend more time around this woman.
She was giving him a challenging look with those incredible eyes, down to the tilt of her nicely formed eyebrows. Why did everything about this woman have to be nicely formed? Why did he want to not only bring her along, but take it to the next level? Why not a romantic dinner? Why not skiing together tomorrow? Why not a moonlit ice skate up on the lake? Gavin shook his head to clear it and broke eye contact with her. She was a siren. That was it. She was one of those women who only wanted to confuse and lure men in, swallow them whole, and then spit them back out as a mere shell of themselves. Wait. Was that a siren or a python? Same net effect, right?
“Gav?” Austin tugged on his hand, breaking his concentration on the siren/python. “Please.” Austin’s big brown eyes held a different power than Kari’s, but the kid could get anything he wanted with a pleading look in those eyes.
“Fine,” Gavin barked out, harsher than he intended to. “We need to fly, though, bud.” He had to look back at Kari; if only he could shield himself from that gaze. Would sunglasses help? Doubtful. “If you’d like to come, we’d l-l—” He broke off, disgusted with himself. No using the L word. “Be happy for you to join us.” There. Civil. Cool. Not acting like an idiot who couldn’t even talk to a beautiful woman.
“Thank you. I would love to.” She drawled out that L word so appealingly that Gavin had to look away from her full lips.
He focused on her blue eyes. He closed his own to shield himself. He had nowhere to go.
“Can you wait while I grab my coat from my room?” she asked.
“We can’t be late for warm-ups.” Austin seemed to finally feel some urgency.
Gavin opened his eyes again so he didn’t look as idiotic as he felt. “You can wear my coat and gloves. They’re in my car, along with Austin’s gear.”
“You won’t need them?” Her tongue darted out, moistening those incredible lips.
Heat rushed through Gavin’s body, and the lodge’s lobby was suddenly a sauna. He definitely wouldn’t need a coat with her around. “No.” He shook his head quickly. “I’ll be so into coaching I won’t notice the cold.”
“Thanks.” She touched his hand, as if in some gesture of gratitude. The warmth from her touch, the heat from seeing her tongue on her lips, the power from that gaze … It all combined to form red blaring warning signs: Stay away from this one, or life as you know it will come to a screeching halt.
He jerked his hand away from her fingers and gestured to the door. “After you.”
A flicker of hurt appeared in her blue eyes. Gavin hated that he’d caused that, but he needed to establish some firm boundaries. He needed a sign over his head: Emotionally busted. Only responds to his own son and Mama. Stay far away.
Austin grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door. “I’m so glad you’re coming, Kari. To think you’ve never been to a hockey game. This will be the best night of your life.”
Kari let him pull her along, and Gavin walked behind them. When Austin had said, “Best night of your life,” Kari had glanced over her shoulder at him. The appealing look in those incredible eyes reeled him in so quickly, he wanted to show her exactly what the best night of her life would look like—a romantic dinner for two, a hike up to Angel Falls on a warm summer night, and more kissing than Gavin had ever let himself think about. Gavin gritted his teeth and glanced away.
They reached the door, and Gavin hurried to swing it wide and hold it for her. Her arm brushed his as she walked past, and an incredible scent reached him, something sweet, musky, and designed to make a man forget his own name. Gavin sucked in air.
She looked up at him from beneath thick eyelashes and murmured, “Thanks.”
“S-sure,” Gavin stuttered out. He squeezed his eyes shut and listened to her and Austin chat as they made their way to his Lexus sport utility. It was official. He was an idiot. He was in trouble. And all of his years of thinking he was impervious to the gentler sex were about to be proven fruitless.
Kari drew in a steadying breath as the adorable Austin Strong got her door and she settled into the front passenger seat of a beautiful black off-road vehicle of some sort. Vehicles were not her specialty. Romance was what she specialized in. She’d written over a hundred romance novels and thought herself somewhat of an expert in couples finding their happily ever after.
Yet she had never in her life experienced what she wrote about. Tingly feelings from shaking a man’s hand? Wanting to melt in a puddle from a broody, incredibly sexy glance of a pair of deep brown eyes? That didn’t happen to her. She wrote about it. Maybe her mom was right and she needed to break away from her computer for something besides her daily runs. Maybe she needed to make an effort to stop living in her imagination. Kari always teased back that her imagination was a lot more fun than reality. That might not be true if one Gavin Strong was around.
Gavin slid into the driver’s seat without looking at her. She caught a hint of his heady cologne and tried to identify what kind it was. He slid a pair of sunglasses on, and she let out a dreamy sigh at the perfect picture he cut, which drew a sharp gaze from him. He didn’t say anything, just started the car as Austin climbed in back and started teaching her about the rules of hockey and what position he played. She was eating up all the information and how cute and friendly the little boy was, trying to keep her focus off of the man seated next to her. Unfortunately, Gavin Strong was larger than life, in every sense, and could take control of a woman’s every thought.
The car warmed up quickly, but she hadn’t even felt the cold of the Colorado mountains without her coat on, not with Gavin Strong nearby. He heated her clear to the bone. Could she use that in a book, or was it cheesy? Hmm. She had a feeling she would get all kinds of book ideas from this guy.
She focused on what Austin was saying and encouraged him with questions. She’d been wanting to do a series about hockey players, and she needed to do some research. This was perfect because Austin’s descriptions were in depth, but she could still understand them and he was definitely engaging to talk to.
Usually, her research was all from her close friend Google. Austin’s readily given info and invitation to watch his hockey game was so much more fun than Googling the info and watching YouTube videos.
So Gavin was his … brother? Somehow that didn’t fit. They seemed more like father and son to her. Wouldn’t that be a story? The broody hero hides the truth from his only son. When the mother reappears after having been kidnapped by South American drug lords for ten years, their undying love for each other rekindles and … She frowned. No, no, no. She didn’t want the mother reappearing. This man needed a new love: blond, reclusive, a late bloomer who never got noticed, maybe a romance writer. Kari had never actually written about a writer. It was her life and it seemed too boring, but nothing was boring with Gavin Strong around.
“Are you okay?” Gavin asked quietly as Austin explained in depth what boarding was.
“Yes, sorry. I get distracted sometimes.�
� She turned to look at Austin, and the little man was grinning as he told her how he’d slammed someone into the wall, but the move brought her closer to Gavin and she couldn’t help but take in his incredible scent.
Daring a glance at Gavin, she saw that his eyebrows had a questioning tilt to them. Oh, she liked that. Questioning tilt. She wanted to pull those glasses off and see his eyes, though the glasses made him look even more the tough, secretive hero. He had the dark hair and eyes, plus a strong jaw with the perfect length of facial hair. His lips were firm, but they’d be more than up to the job of making her heroine beg for mercy, or beg for more. Yum. She fanned her face.
“Are you hot?” Gavin asked. “You can control the temperature on your side.” He gestured to the panel.
Kari couldn’t peel her eyes off of him to look at any thermostat. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.” Tilting to the front of the vehicle, she leaned a little closer to Gavin and inhaled deeper. Then she nailed it. “Tom Ford?”
He tilted his head. “Excuse me?”
“Tom Ford cologne. I’ve used that very scent in …” She ticked through characters and scents in her head. “Three—no, maybe four of my novels.” She made it sound like an advertisement. “Tom Ford is a sensual fragrance with base notes of citrus and ginger, highlights of amber and leather. For the strong, appealing, yet untouchable man.”
Gavin was staring at her instead of the road now. If only she could rip those sunglasses off.
“Don’t you need to …?” She pointed at the road.
He refocused but said, “No, not really. It pretty much drives itself.”
“That’s good.” She winked bravely. “You can stare at the crazy romance novelist all you want.”
“So you … write romance?” He said the word romance like it was acid on his tongue.
“You don’t like romance?” she shot at him, disappointment seeping in. She suddenly realized she’d been dreaming that this man was a real-life version of the heroes she wrote about every day, but if he didn’t like romance … Game over.
The Strong Family Romance Collection Page 60
