by K. I. Lynn
“I… Why?” she asked.
“Why what?”
“Why would you want that?”
“I thought that was obvious—because I want you.”
She blinked at me. “But I have a baby.”
Had she not been listening to me? Or had it just not sunk in? “And?”
“And…” she trailed off, her arguments losing the ground that held them up.
I took her hands in mine. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m kind of enamored with you. I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted. Honestly, I was just so happy to have a sparring partner that I kept egging you on to keep it up.”
“You like fighting with me?”
I nodded and smiled. “You have a wicked wit, and I’m always on the edge of my seat for your reactions.”
“It has been fun,” she admitted with a smile. “And sexy.”
“So hot,” I agreed. “You are also dense sometimes, you know.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to buy you lunch and you haven’t gotten the hint.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t want to have to owe you anything.”
A groan left me. “I wasn’t doing it so that you’d owe me. I was doing it so that you’d see that I liked you.”
“And after all this, you still like me?” she asked, and I could hear the waver of uncertainty in her voice.
I moved closer to her and cupped her face. “Even more now.”
Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers. At first, she didn’t respond, but her arms quickly wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer and spreading warmth through me. Her lips parted, and my tongue lapped against hers.
My grip around her waist was loose. The last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of her, despite how much I wanted her.
“I should get to bed.”
I nodded. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Really?”
“You already said no to my place or a hotel before the police left. I’m not leaving you here alone.” She was insane if she thought I was leaving.
She disappeared and returned with a pillow, sheet, and blanket.
“Goodnight, Thane,” she whispered as she stood on the tips of her toes, her neck straining to reach my lips. Soft and sensual and completely too short. “Thank you again.”
“Always.”
She headed to the bedroom and turned to look at me before she closed the door. I blew out a breath and stripped out of my clothes, then set up my makeshift bed for the night before turning off the light and crawling in.
I stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. The infatuation I held had morphed in one evening to complete and total desire for her. It scared me that she had a child, but not in the way one would think. It scared me because I could see how much she loved Kinsey, and losing her due to one of her parents taking custody would devastate Roe.
I didn’t want to see her heart break like that. Her smile was too beautiful.
I’d been so frustrated with her earlier in the day because I couldn’t understand her logic, but now I knew. All I’d ever seen was the surface. That was all she ever showed, and I never dug deeper.
So much rested on her shoulders. Responsibility she wasn’t anticipating that she took in stride. She found a way to become the mother Kinsey deserved.
At some time in the night, I was startled awake by the blanket moving. Roe crawled under, her legs twining with mine as she laid her head on my chest. I was confused, but when she let out a sigh and relaxed against me, I understood. There wasn’t a lot of extra room, so I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.
The normally feisty and strong woman had let her guard down and shown me a fragility she kept hidden.
Hours later, Roe stretched against me, rousing me. She hadn’t even opened her eyes, just snuggled into my chest. The last year couldn’t have been easy on her, and I was curious if she was desperate for comfort or if she genuinely wanted comfort from me.
I’d given her little reason to trust me, and I could tell it I would have a hard road ahead of me.
“Good morning,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head. It was a mistake and she froze, her body no longer pliant against mine.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she pushed against my chest to sit up.
“Don’t be.” I pulled her back down to me despite her reluctance and wrapped my arms around her. “I’m here for whatever you need.”
We lay there for a few minutes until a cry and “Mamamamama” came from the bedroom.
“Be right back,” she said as she left my arms.
I couldn’t help but smile at her disheveled appearance. Her hair was everywhere and the neck of her T-shirt was stretched, revealing her collarbone and the top of her shoulder.
So cute and sexy, but what drove me wild was realizing the small shorts she had worn the night before were gone, leaving me a perfect view of her thong-clad ass when she bent over to pick the blanket up.
“You’re killing me, Roe,” I groaned as I palmed my hard cock—the hard cock I’d been trying to ignore since I woke up.
She turned, finally noticing I was only in my underwear—a pair of low-cut trunks and a white undershirt—and I watched pink spread across her cheeks. She bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes locked on mine as she pulled up the front of her T-shirt, exposing her thong and sensuous hips.
A groan left me, and the wicked woman simply smiled before letting out a giggle and walking away.
Leaving the warmth of Thane’s arms was difficult, especially seeing him nearly naked on my couch. I couldn’t help but tease before another cry from Kinsey made my chest clench and I quickly headed to her.
All night I kept wondering what would have happened if he hadn’t been so close. The police couldn’t have gotten here as fast as he did.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I said as I stepped into the walk-in closet that held her crib. The bedroom wasn’t large enough—none of the rooms were—but there was an oddly large walk-in closet with a window that faced the street.
Once Pete had moved out, there was room, and it was the perfect spot.
Kinsey smiled at me and lifted her arms, babbling.
“You hungry?”
Fingers whapped against my chin and lips as legs kicked.
“Let’s get you changed first, stinky girl.”
I moved back into the bedroom and the makeshift changing table that was simply the top of my dresser.
My mind took over as I went on auto pilot.
From the time I left Thane to the time I crawled into bed with him, all I could think about were the what-ifs. That was the anxiety that had me seeking out comfort in the first person in so long who didn’t let me down.
The way Ryn was pushed to the ground and the strength they used to try and bust into the bathroom made me fear greatly for my life and for Kinsey’s. What did they want with us? What were they going to do to me? To Kinsey? What did they do to Ryn?
What if Thane hadn’t been so close?
He hadn’t run away yet, which surprised me, but I was guarded for when he did. It would happen, just like it had happened before.
Getting even more attached to him than I already was would only end in heartbreak.
Thane didn’t deny that he didn’t like kids, and it didn’t matter how much he liked me; I was a package deal. Kinsey was mine, and she wasn’t going anywhere.
“You want to go see Thane?” I asked her. The thought that he might have already skipped out crossed my mind, but the front door was heavy and I didn’t hear it shut.
His head snapped to me when I walked in with Kinsey on my hip. I was struck by how good looking he was with bed head. His dark locks were longer on top, and they had curled and kinked in the night, sticking up and out everywhere. His blue eyes almost glowed from the light pouring in through the windows.
I hadn’t even looked at my own appearance, but I knew I had to be a mess.
“Capp
uccino?” I asked as I set Kinsey down in her high chair.
“Sure,” he said as he stood, pulling his pants up as he did.
I nabbed a stray ponytail holder and threw my hair up in a quick messy bun.
After sprinkling some O’s onto her tray, I turned to my cappuccino machine. Thankfully the assholes didn’t take that along with my purse.
We were halfway done drinking our coffee when he locked eyes with me.
“I don’t feel right leaving you yet.”
I quirked a brow at him. Honestly, I was confused he’d stayed so long, especially after finding out about Kinsey.
“I’m surprised you stayed.”
“Why?”
“It’s not that I keep her a secret, but my situation isn’t what I led on.”
“Actually, I think it’s spot on. All your little idiosyncrasies and OCD about leaving on time, not staying after. Your tardiness and sometimes rumpled demeanor make complete sense. Before, I wondered if you partied too hard at night.”
A strangled laugh erupted from me. “Major party person right here.”
“If this is an attempt to forget what I said last night and throw your walls back up, I’m going to have to stop you.”
“What you said?”
“I know you didn’t get black-out drunk on those two margaritas last night. You were barely tipsy when you went to bed.”
“It was just lip service,” I said, turning my attention back to the cup in my hand.
“No, it wasn’t. I’m taking you two out today. I already got us tickets.”
My head snapped up. “You what?”
“You heard me. I bought us tickets to the zoo. And little miss gets in for free because she’s under two.”
My chest clenched and I swallowed hard. “You want to go on a date with me and bring Kinsey?”
“Is that not all right?”
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist. “It’s perfect.”
He leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of my head.
“She’s going to be so excited,” I said as I pulled back. “She loves when I put Animal Planet or Discovery Channel on. She’s enamored with the animals.”
“How long does it take you to get ready?”
I pursed my lips and looked at the chubby-cheeked baby stuffing another O in her mouth. I needed a shower, and there was a whole day’s worth of stuff I’d need for her diaper bag.
“Two hours?” I said, though it was more of a question. An hour was definitely too short.
He nodded. “I’ll go take a shower and change and come back.”
He wrapped his arms around me, and I relaxed into the warmth. A whimper left me when he stepped away.
“I’ll be back soon.” He picked up his dress shirt and jacket, then slipped his shoes on. “Lock the door after me.”
I did as he requested, not that I wouldn’t after what happened. It still felt like a dream, but the evidence of my nightmare was everywhere—including my lack of a purse.
Shit.
What was in it? I didn’t keep a lot in it because Kinsey’s baby bag and my laptop bag held a lot of the unnecessary extras.
After a quick shower, I put Kinsey on the bed while I dug through the closet for clothes for both of us. Then, I pulled an older small leather bag from my closet and grabbed my bedside lip balm, tossing it in.
We moved back out to the main area, where I dug through my kitchen cabinet until I found the small cosmetic bag tucked in the back. After years of Ryn stealing from me, I’d gotten better at hiding valuables.
Inside was my other credit card, my passport, and a stack of cash. I tossed some of the cash into my purse, with the ID and card. At least I had some identification.
Shit.
I was going to spend half the week trying to get replacements for everything, and some things were going to require taking personal time.
It was the first time that day I’d thought about the previous night. Despite everything that happened, my chest clenched, hoping she was okay. The men she was with weren’t the type to care about her life at all. She was gone before the police arrived, but I had no problem implicating her in what happened. I only hoped they found her before those men took their anger out on her.
I busied myself with gathering up diapers, bottles, formula, O’s, a change of clothes, and every little thing we might need. Luckily, it was pretty close to what I packed up every day for her when I took her to daycare.
Thane arrived soon after, his eyes wide as he stared down at the stroller. “That is elaborate.”
“This is the arsenal you need for a day out with a baby,” I explained.
When he said he bought zoo tickets, I’d assumed the Central Park Zoo since it was just a few blocks away. But no, Thane went all out and got tickets to the Bronx Zoo. At least a decade had passed since I’d visited and I was more excited than Kinsey, if Kinsey understood what was going on.
“Tell me again why we didn’t just drive?” Thane asked when we got off the train and continued walking.
“Because I don’t have a car seat.”
He shook his head. “That just sounds weird.”
“Why? I don’t have a car, so why would I need one?”
“Just in case.”
“And where would I store it? The stroller takes up enough room as it is.”
He nodded. “Fair point.”
The sun was high in the sky when we made it through the entrance, and we’d only walked a few steps before I veered us off to the right.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I almost forgot the sunscreen,” I said, stopping the stroller before digging into one of the bags I had with me.
Once I had the bottle, I crouched in front of Kinsey, whose eyes were wide as she looked around. Her brow scrunched and she grunted in annoyance when I applied the sunscreen to her face.
When she was covered, I squeezed more into my palm and spread it on my arms and face.
I glanced to Thane, who’d been watching me the whole time, and stepped to him. His eyes widened as I began to smooth the sunscreen around his face. I’d barely covered his forehead and cheeks when he yanked me to him and pressed his lips to mine.
A squeak left me, allowing him to slip his tongue against mine. With hands still covered in lotion and getting caught up in his touch, I cupped his neck and wiped the remaining on the back of his neck.
He pulled back, a brow raised as he looked down at me. “Did you just lotion up my neck?”
I gave him a small smile and nodded. “Yes.”
“Oh, wow.”
“What?”
“I didn’t realize I was such a terrible kisser. I mean, I thought I was pretty good, but that… I couldn’t distract you.”
“Was that your goal?”
“No. I simply wanted to kiss you because you are amazing.”
“It was a good kiss.” I stood up on my toes, and he leaned down to meet me. When I cupped his neck, it wasn’t to wipe my hands. It was to pull him closer.
When we parted, we were both breathing hard and the space between my thighs tingled. “Very good.”
He dipped his face into the crook of my neck, his strong arms wrapping around me and holding me tight to him. A shudder rolled through me, and I drew in a sharp breath at the feel of his tongue lapping at my skin. Little nips from his teeth had my thighs clenching.
His breath was hot against my ear, a low moan rumbling in his chest as he placed open-mouthed kisses on my neck. “I could just eat you up.”
My heart hammered in my chest, and I had to force myself to pull away. “Okay, big bad wolf, settle down. There are children around.”
He chuckled and pulled back before we merged in with the people entering.
Walking around with Thane drew more attention than I ever would have expected. More than once I heard someone say what a cute family we were. I knew Thane heard it as well, because he wrapped his arm around my waist and smirked down at me.
Kinsey practically bounced in her seat, squealing at all the animals and reaching out for them. She would look to me and it was a readable expression of, “See it, Mama?”
“That’s a big giraffe, isn’t it?”
After walking around for an hour or two, we decided to get some lunch. Thane grabbed our trays while I parked us at a table.
Kinsey fussed, not liking that we had stopped. It was close to nap time and tired baby was taking over, but there was just so much stimuli.
Before I could reach down and pick her up, Thane was unbuckling the seatbelt and pulling her up into his arms. I was stunned, unable to speak as he smiled at her, tucking her against him.
“Is this better?” he asked her with a smile.
She stared up at him with wide eyes for a moment, trying to figure out just who he was. The expression was adorable, and I couldn’t help pulling out my phone and snapping a quick picture.
Kinsey started kicking her legs like she wanted to bounce, and Thane picked up on that. He placed her on his thighs and I watched as he held her steady, helping to propel her. A sweet giggle left her.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sight in front of me. My chest clenched and so did my thighs. The man was delicious looking on most days, but with a baby in his arms?
I was ready to jump him right then.
Just as I was about to say something Thane cursed, his eyes widened as big as saucers. He pulled Kinsey back to him and closed his eyes as his hand moved to his crotch.
Did she…
I brought my fingers up to hide my amusement. I knew exactly what had just happened because it happened to me a lot, but little feet slipping off my leg between my thighs didn’t affect me much. However, a man was a different story.
“Did she just kick you in a sensitive area?”
He blew out a breath. “I think you have a soccer player on your hands.”
I tried to feel bad, but I couldn’t stop my shoulders from shaking.
“Not funny.” His gaze narrowed on me.
“I’ll make them feel better later. Give them a nice massage.”
“They would appreciate that. Maybe a kiss or two.”
“I think I told you last night.”
He snatched a fry from the tray. “I know what you told me last night, but I’m hoping you’ll finally say yes to me, and not when I have you pinned to a wall.”