“Me too.” He glanced over to the second bedroom where the twins were napping. Cora had done an amazing job with them and he’d almost been sorry to send her on her way, but he and Kylie had things they needed to discuss privately, no matter how exhausted she looked and he felt. “Listen, about you finding your own place. There’s no rush at all. I’ve got plenty of room at the house and I can clear out the den and make it into a third bedroom, if you want. I never use it anyway, so it’s fine.”
“I don’t want to be any more trouble,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Bad enough I brought all this to your doorstep. That’ll teach me to take all those pictures, huh?”
“Hey, stop blaming yourself. There’s no way you could’ve known Hirohito was some whack-job gangster or that he’d send that goon after you. It wasn’t your fault.” He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “If anything, I should’ve seen this coming. I was a freaking strategist in the SEALs. Staying one step ahead of everyone else was my job.”
“The blame game goes both ways, you know,” she nudged him with her stockinged foot. “Maybe we should compromise and say neither of us are at fault here. And I appreciate your offer, but I should really get a place of my own, figure some stuff out, get my life back on track again.”
Unable to resist, he reached down and placed his hand over her foot, massaging the arch gently with his thumb. “Does that life include fighting me for custody of the twins?”
She watched him for a long moment, her expression unreadable, and his heart sank. He didn’t want to do this again, be at odds with her. He wanted them to be like they were the day before—connected, working together, harmonious. Finally, she sighed and said, “No. What happened today made me realize I’m not ready to raise the twins on my own. They’re better off with you.”
“Hmm.” He resumed massaging her foot. “What about raising them together?”
Kylie straightened and narrowed her gaze on him. “Please don’t tell me you’re proposing. I don’t think I can take any more drama today.”
Gage laughed. “Not marriage. We barely know each other.”
“Exactly.” She relaxed against the cushions again.
“But I think the twins would benefit from having both of us around.” He rubbed her ankle and she gave a small moan he felt straight to his groin. “Plus, I could use an extra set of hands to help me.”
“Babe, the hands you’ve got are pretty spectacular all on their own.” She winked at him, then sighed. “But I wouldn’t mind being around the twins more.”
His chest squeezed when she didn’t say anything about wanting to spend more time with him. Right. Yep. That’s exactly why he steered clear of all this emotional crap. He frowned down at her foot and gently rolled each of her toes between his fingers.
Her giggle lilted through the air as she removed her foot from his grasp and scooted closer to him. “Wouldn’t mind being around you more either.”
His pulse stumbled, stopped, kicked into high gear and he glanced sideways at her. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.” Next thing he knew she was on his lap and kissing him like there was no tomorrow. By the time she pulled away slightly, they were both breathless. “I was so scared earlier. I thought I might never see the twins again, never get to tell you how much I like you, how much I enjoyed our night together.”
He held her close, tucking her head beneath his chin as he rubbed her back. “I was scared too. It felt like what happened with my team mates all over again. I couldn’t lose you too. I had to find you. I wasn’t sure what direction my life was heading in until you showed up, and now I can’t imagine my world without you in it. Even if it’s only as a friend.”
“I’d say were a bit more than friends,” she said against his chest, her breath warm through the soft cotton of his T-shirt. “I’d like us to be more than friends.”
“Me too,” he whispered into her hair, savoring her sweet patchouli scent. “Please say you’ll stay. We can get to know each other better, raise the twins, you can redecorate my place again and fix my chi.”
Kylie sat up slightly and kissed him sweetly. “Fix your chi? There’s nothing wrong with your chi, honey. Best. Chi. Ever. And raising the twins will take longer than a few weeks. We’re talking months. Years. Decades.”
“I’m game if you are.” Gage grinned this time, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted off him. He wasn’t alone anymore. He didn’t have to go through this alone. He had Kylie now. “Will you stay?”
She smiled and snuggled back into him. “I will. For as long as you’ll have me.”
12
One year later…
“Hey, sweetheart? Can you grab that plate of burgers from the fridge for me?” Gage called from the backyard of his house. “I don’t want to leave the grill unattended with the twins outside.”
“Sure thing, babe,” Kylie called back from the kitchen window.
Things had settled into a nice routine these days. He adjusted the burners on the gas grill then squinted across the yard to where the twins were playing in the sand box he’d built for them. They were running everywhere now and getting into everything. He and Kylie had baby proofed the house as best they could, but somehow the twins still found plenty of places to get in to.
It was late autumn in Southern California and though it wasn’t much different weather-wise than any other time of the year, the nights did get a bit cooler now and that was okay. He had Kylie to keep him warm.
She’d stayed on living at his house and they’d gotten to know each other better. A whole lot better, in fact. Aw, who was he kidding. He was head over heels in love with her now and hoped she felt the same way about him. They were so crazy about each other that talked increasingly about making it official. They talked of getting married at City Hall, with Ben Carlisle as Gage’s best man and Kylie’s maid of honor was the gal she’d hired as her assistant in her Feng Shui business.
Gage was doing well professionally. He’d joined the new recruit class for the Los Angeles county sheriffs department. He’d been in training for four months and would graduate in December. Carlisle had promised to fast track him for a detective job. Kylie had picked up a bunch of new celebrity clients in LA after the Hirohito trial and had hit the tabloids. Seemed movie stars couldn’t get enough of scandal and intrigue and having their energies adjusted. He still wasn’t a huge believer in all her mystical ideas, but he was a firm believer in her and if her work made her happy, then he supported her one-hundred percent.
“Here you go,” she said, coming down the steps of their deck with a plate of raw meat in her hand. “I’ll take mine well done, thanks.”
“Burnt to a crisp coming up,” he said, laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Pardon me if I don’t want food poisoning.”
“Is that a hit against my cooking?” He narrowed his gaze on her.
“Nah.” She kissed him softly. “You know I love you.”
“Do I?” He kissed her again, more deeply this time. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
The sound of her ringing cell phone broke them apart. Kylie glanced at the screen, then up at him, her eyes wide. “It’s Dr. Bailey’s office.”
His heart stumbled. “Answer it.”
She nodded and turned away slightly to talk and he did his best not to eavesdrop. Oh, who the hell was he kidding? He hung on every word she said. She’d gone in for her regular check-up a week ago and had been late on her period. They’d both been praying it wasn’t anything serious and that her endometriosis hadn’t worsened.
“Yes, Dr. Bailey. No. I understand. Okay. Thank you.” Kylie hung up and stood with her back to him for what seemed a small eternity.
Finally, Gage couldn’t take it anymore. “What did she say?”
“Well, unfortunately...” Kylie turned around to face him, her gaze downcast. “We’re going to have to adjust our plans a little.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said, setting the plate of burgers aside. “I’m so s
orry. Don’t worry. Whatever treatment or procedure you need, we’ll get through it together. I just want you healthy and happy.”
Then she looked up at him, her face pale and her hands shaking. “No. There’s no procedure or treatment for this.”
Heart in his throat, Gage led her over to the bench of the picnic table and sat her down before taking a seat beside her. He couldn’t lose Kylie. Not now. Not when he loved her more than life itself. After she’d moved in with him permanently, he’d made it his top priority to learn everything he could about her disease, so he could be there for her and support her. He’d never heard of endometriosis being lethal, but maybe there was something he’d missed.
“Whatever’s wrong, we’ll get a second opinion. We’ll go anywhere, do anything. I love you, Kylie, and I want to fight this.” He took her icy hand and warmed it between his. He’d lost too many people he cared about in his life. Gage refused to lose anymore. “I’m beside you every step of the way.”
“No,” she said, staring blankly out into the yard. “That’s not it.”
“Then what?” Gage scowled. “Tell me.”
She looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes even as she gave him a radiant smile. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Now it was his turn to stare at her. “How?”
Kylie gave a small snort. “The usual way, I suppose. We haven’t been using protection because I never thought this would happen.”
Gage stood and walked a few paces away, trying to wrap his head around the news. In his heart, he’d always prayed for a miracle like this, but never in a million years expected it to happen. He loved Kylie, just as she was. Would’ve been perfectly content and happy to spend the rest of his days with her and the twins in their own version of happily ever after. But now…
“Holy crap!” Gage was pretty sure his whoops of joy could be heard clear across the country. He rushed back over to wrap his arms around Kylie and picked her up, twirling her around, mindful of both her condition and the grill nearby, then set her down and kissed her. “A baby. Our baby. Wow.”
It was then that he noticed she didn’t seem as happy about the news as he did. His gut nosedived to his toes. Maybe this wasn’t what she wanted. “What’s wrong? Is there another problem?”
She moved out of his arms and over to stand by the picnic table again. “No, I’m happy. I’m just…shocked, I guess. And a little scared. I mean what if I can’t handle this?”
“Of course, you can handle it, baby. Look at what I fantastic job you’ve done with the twins. They’re doing amazing.” He joined her at the table. “You’re one of the bravest people I know.”
“I don’t feel like it most times.” She shrugged and sniffled. “I remember talking to my sister about it one time. About how challenging it was to watch all my friends have kids, including her, and me just sitting there, alone. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why she didn’t make me the twins’ guardian. She didn’t want to overwhelm me, she said. She wanted to make sure I was emotionally prepared. But what if I’m not? What if I never will be?”
Tentatively, not wanting to spook her, Gage took her hand again. “Baby, if anyone has fears about being emotionally prepared, it’s me. Until you came along, I wondered if I’d ever be able to connect with anyone, including the twins. But then you showed me how to live life and love with my whole heart. You taught me to loosen up and take experiences as they happen. You are the most loving capable woman I’ve ever met. I love you and we can do this. Together. Trust me.”
“Can we?” Kylie met his eyes, her lovely gaze filled with a mix of hope and apprehension.
“Yes. We can.” He took her into his arms once more. “And I think if Christine was here now, she’d say the same thing. This is a miracle, Kylie. Our very own miracle. We’ll get through this, I promise. No matter what happens. We’ll get through this.”
“A baby.” She gave him a watery smile then took his hand and placed it on her still-flat tummy, covering it with hers. “Our baby. I love you, Gage Winters.”
“And I love you, Kylie Fredericks.” He rested his forehead against hers, his throat tight. “And whenever you’re ready, I say we make it official.”
“Are you asking me to marry you?” She reached up and cupped his cheek.
“Are you going to say yes?” He kissed her palm then leaned in to kiss her lips.
“I think maybe I am,” she said, laughing. “What do you say to that?”
“I say, woohoo!” He picked her up and kissed her again, then set her down and took her hand. “Right. Now, let’s go tell the twins the good news, eh?”
End of Guarding His Unexpected Twins
SEAL Endgame Book Three
Guarding the Single Mother, September 12th 2019
Guarding His Pretend Wife, September 19th 2019
Guarding His Unexpected Twins, September 26th 2019
Do you love a man who can take charge? Then keep reading for an exclusive extract from Ride with the SEAL.
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About Leslie
Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
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BLURB
When ex-SEAL Camden Thursday enters the garage at two in the morning, he’s intent on grand theft auto. Instead he’s confronted with more than a hot car—there’s a sexy mechanic too. His high school crush, wrench in hand, projects a “Dangerous Curves Ahead” warning far more tempting than any joy ride, but Camden isn’t here to try the road less traveled. He’s here to jack a car and prove he can do more than manipulate computer code for the black ops service he works for: Norse Security. So while Camden is looking to get physical on this job, he was hoping for someone to punch, not someone to plunder...
Everly Knight is the baddest bad girl in town. As the daughter of a mobster and a name in the auto industry for hot cars, she could rest on her laurels and let her reputation proceed her. However, Everly has a deep dark secret: she wants nothing more than a shiny, new, legal garage all of her own. She’s just a few thousand away from cashing in and figures that one last illegal car theft could finance her legal dreams. That is until the geek from her past shows up as a hunky hero; letting Everly see that it’s possible to become more than just a tough girl.
Camden may be all muscle, but it’s Everly who can stall the entire operation. She holds him hostage and offers an ultimatum: Take her on the ride or find himself a sitting duck for the mob. It’s not a hard choice when the bombshell revs his engine. But with warring goals and secret missions, they’ll find themselves fighting for their futures and racing toward a love they never saw coming.
Get Ride With the SEAL (Norse Security Book One) at
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
* * *
EXCERPT
Camden Thursday was over-prepared, as usual.
Still, despite hours of memorizing code and enough binary hacks to make his eyeballs explode, nothing could have prepared him for what he was looking at now. Sure, he’d expected the tech in the Aeon Turbo G90 to be mind-blowingly impressive—given it was the most advanced vehicle on the roadways today and the federal government had the only prototype in the world. Or at least they had until the damned thing had been stolen and ended up here at Knight’s Body and Rep
air—quite possibly the seediest garage in Washington, D.C. What he hadn’t expected, however, was the female mechanic apparently trying to hijack the thing out from under his nose at two in the morning.
Luckily, Cam wasn’t just a computer whiz Brainiac—as the other guys at Norse Security seemed to think. He was also a former Navy SEAL with the brawn and physical training to handle any situation. Breaking himself out of that geek hacker box they’d put him in was the main reason why he was here. Well, that and this was his first mission for his new employer, a chance to prove to himself and the other guys he was just as GI Joe as the rest of them, that he was more than the resident “tech guy” on their team, more than a brain on legs.
Silently, he waited until the woman was busy fiddling with something under the vehicle’s hood, then crept over to grab her from behind in a bear hold, preventing her from using that nasty looking wrench in her hand on his skull.
“What the fuck?” she gasped, struggling to escape from his hold. “Let me go!”
He managed to corral her kicking legs between his own muscled thighs and pinned her against the car, holding both the woman’s wrists behind her back in one hand while reaching for her utility light with the other. Cam aimed the light at her face to see her better and—
Holy shit!
Of all the people to run into tonight, it would have to be his high school crush.
Everly Knight still looked as beautiful as he remembered—all long, thick dark hair and big, brown doe eyes. She seemed to recognize him too, if her disdainful once-over was any indication. That surprised Cam, since he looked a lot different than he had twelve years ago. Adding one hundred pounds of new muscle would do that to a guy.
Guarding His Unexpected Twins: SEAL Endgame Book Three Page 10