Tangled in His Embrace

by Sherri Hayes

  “Are you hungry?” he asked as they were leaving the zoo. It was getting late, but he didn’t want to say good night to her yet.

  “Not really.” She was looking out the window at the lights as they drove from the parking lot.

  With a sigh, he headed in the direction of her house. He’d wanted this date to be a positive experience. Now he was concerned it would be the opposite.

  Jax felt her gaze on him as he turned onto the highway. He waited for her to say something, but she never did.

  Fifteen minutes later he pulled up in front of her house and turned off the engine. She was still watching him, but when he met her gaze it wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d expected uncertainty and maybe a little fear, but instead it appeared as if she was deep in thought.

  They sat in the car for several minutes before she broke the silence. “Do you want to come in?”

  He didn’t want to read too much into it. Besides, his mother was in there. “Sure.”

  Gabby was already outside the car waiting for him when he rounded the vehicle. They walked side by side, not touching, to the door and he waited for her to put her key in the lock. Jax flexed his hands, telling himself to be patient.

  When they stepped into the house his mom peeked up from the book she’d been reading. She bookmarked her place, closed the novel, and stood. “You’re home early.”

  “We didn’t want to be out too late,” Gabby said, taking off her coat.

  “There was no rush. I made sure to bring a book to keep me company.”

  Gabby’s attention went to the book his mother had pressed against her chest. It looked rather racy if the cover was anything to go by. He’d had no idea his mom read books like that. Then again, that wasn’t exactly the type of discussion a grown man typically had with his mother.

  His mom followed Gabby’s gaze, and if he wasn’t mistaken his mother’s cheeks darkened a little. “Gabby, you like romance novels, right? Have you ever read G. E. Lewis?”

  He saw Gabby shift her weight. “I believe I’ve heard of her.”

  “A friend recommended her books to me and I have to say they’re hard to put down.” His mom leaned toward Gabby and lowered her voice. “Not that my husband is complaining. It’s put a little more zing in the bedroom, if you know what I mean.”

  “Mom!”

  Kathy laughed. “Oh please. If your father and I never had sex, you wouldn’t be here.”

  “While that might be the case, it doesn’t mean I want to hear about it.”

  His mom acted as if he hadn’t said a word. “Since you’re home, I’ll head out. Taylor went to bed around eight thirty, and when I looked in on her about nine she was sound asleep. Haven’t heard a peep out of her since.”

  “Thank you again for watching her,” Gabby said.

  “Any time.” His mom slipped on her coat, stuffed the book she’d been reading into her purse, and reached for the door. “I left the rest of the cookies on the counter by the sink. Taylor and I each only had one, so there are plenty left. Call me if you need me to babysit again.”

  ***

  As soon as Kathy was out the door, Gabby went to check on Taylor. She pushed the door open enough for her to poke her head in. Taylor was on her side, her favorite doll in her arms.

  Gabby felt Jax come up behind her so she backed away, pulling the door closed.

  “She all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah. She’s out like a light.” Gabby forced her feet to move. She knew if they stayed there in the hall she would be tempted to drag him into her bedroom across the hall and have her wicked way with him.

  Jax followed her into the living room.

  Her first instinct was to straighten up, but there wasn’t anything to do. The house was in great shape—better than she’d left it. Kathy had cleaned up any messes that the two of them might have made and had even fixed the throw on the back of the couch. It was too bad because Gabby could really have used the distraction.

  She started to go into the kitchen and then changed her mind at the last minute.

  To hell with it.

  Gabby pivoted and marched over to stand directly in front of Jax. Without overthinking it, she took two fistfuls of his coat, pulled him toward her, and kissed him hard.

  It took all of a second for him to get with the new program. He wrapped his arms around her body, molding her to him, holding her head exactly where he wanted it as he took control of the kiss.

  Warmth spread through her limbs as the sensations overwhelmed her. She melted against him, needing more. He seemed to sense what she craved and pressed their lower bodies together, letting her feel how much he wanted her. She moaned, anticipation curling in her belly. Her body knew exactly what pleasure Jax could bring.

  It was only the sound of a muffled thump that brought her out of the haze she was in. Gabby jerked away from him.

  She paused, waiting to see if she’d hear it again, but all she could hear was their labored breathing.

  “What is it?” he asked, picking up that something was wrong.

  “I thought I heard something hit the floor.”

  Jax frowned. “I didn’t hear anything.”

  To be honest, Gabby was surprised she’d heard anything either considering how caught up in the moment she’d been. “I need to check on Taylor.”

  Without comment, he released her.

  Gabby rushed down the hall, needing to make sure her daughter was all right. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found Taylor still in bed and fast asleep. Her daughter was no longer on her side, however. She had rolled over and twisted somehow so that her feet were facing the wall. Based on her position, Gabby guessed the noise she’d heard was the sound of her daughter’s foot making contact with the drywall.

  Letting go of her momentary anxiety, Gabby pulled the door shut again and headed back out to where Jax waited. “I think she kicked the wall with her foot or something. She’s still sound asleep, though.”

  He started to move toward her, the look in his eyes making it clear he had every intention of picking up where they’d left off.

  Gabby decided maybe a change of direction was in order. She needed to cool off and think, and she couldn’t do that when he was touching her. “I wonder what kind of cookies your mom made.”

  Without giving him time to adjust to her complete one-eighty, Gabby went into the kitchen and found the cookies.

  She took one out of the bag and bit into it. The chocolate hit her tongue and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. Kathy had always made the best sweets.

  When she opened her eyes again, Jax was staring at her. He was watching her lips, and it didn’t take a genius to know what he was thinking.

  Grabbing a plate, she set the cookie down and went to the refrigerator for some milk. “Want some?” she asked, holding up the gallon of milk.

  “No, thanks.”

  She poured herself a glass and returned the jug to the refrigerator. Taking her cookie and milk over to the island, she pulled out a stool and sat down.

  Jax watched her every move. He waited until she was almost finished with her cookie before sitting down on the stool beside her. “Does the thought of us getting married one day scare you?”

  “No. Not really.” She finished off her cookie and drank the rest of her milk. “Not once I’d had a chance to think about it.”

  He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Then why have you seemed so distant since our conversation on the bench?”

  “I didn’t know kissing you was considered being distant.”

  Jax chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Aside from that.”

  Sure, she could keep avoiding the question, but that wasn’t going to help the situation. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “Okay.” He squared his shoulders as if he was bracing himself for whatever it was she was about to say.

  “I think we should take Taylor to the zoo to see the lights on Saturday night.”

  That was clearly not
what he’d been expecting her to say. “All three of us?”

  “Yes.” Gabby swallowed. “And I was thinking about Christmas.”

  He’d been rubbing the inside of her wrist with his thumb, but he paused and held her gaze. “What about Christmas?”

  She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to say. Several things had become clear to her in the last week. For one, she was still as much in love with Jax as she’d ever been. She wasn’t sure anything was ever going to change that. He’d broken her heart and still he was the only man who could make her heart race with nothing more than a look or a touch. She was tired of fighting it—tired of trying to remind herself of all the reasons she should guard her heart.

  It was useless anyway. Her heart already belonged to him. It always had.

  “I think you’re right. We should have Christmas together as a family.”

  His lips curled into a smile that lit up his face.

  “And,” she said before he could comment, “I think it should start here.”

  Jax’s grin faltered a little. “You want my mom and dad to come here first?”

  She shook her head. “No. I figured you and I would watch Taylor open her presents here first, and then we could go over to your parents’ for dinner or something. Or maybe we could all go over to my mom’s.”

  He sat up a little and reached for her, turning her to face him. Scooting his stool closer, he held on to her waist and situated her between his knees. His brow was furrowed, deep in concentration, as he mulled over what she’d said.

  Deciding to let him off the hook, she reached out and cupped the side of his face. “That’s what families do, right? They wake up on Christmas morning and open presents together?”

  “You want me to spend the night on Christmas Eve so I can be here for Christmas morning?”

  Gabby nodded and waited to see where his thoughts went next.

  He leaned into her touch, covering her hand with his. “Don’t you think that might be a little confusing for Taylor? Or are you going to make me sleep on the couch?”

  “I think Taylor would be used to you spending the night by then.”

  Jax closed his eyes and took a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. “Sweetheart, I need for you to spell it out for me. I’m dying here.”

  Slipping off her stool, Gabby stepped in between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you promise never to leave Taylor and me again?”

  “You couldn’t drag me away.”

  “That’s good.” She pressed her lips to his in a barely there kiss. “I want you to move back in with us. I want to wake up with you beside me every morning. And I want to fall asleep every night knowing you’re there.”

  “That’s what I want, too.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you, t—”

  His mouth covered hers and she let herself be swept away by the kiss.

  When they finally came up for air several minutes later, he’d snaked his hand up her shirt and was working his way under her bra. She needed to get out of these clothes. Pronto.

  Gathering what little willpower she had left, Gabby tore her mouth away from his and backed away. Before he could protest, though, she grabbed his hand and began leading him toward the bedroom—their bedroom.

  Chapter 12

  “Good morning.” Jax stood beside the bed, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

  Gabby lifted her arms above her head and stretched. “Morning.”

  The action caused the blanket to inch lower, exposing her breasts, and his gaze followed.

  His pupils dilated and her nipples began to harden in anticipation.

  But they couldn’t go there. Taylor would be up soon and Gabby didn’t want to start the morning by trying to explain the birds and the bees.

  Pulling the cover up and tucking it under her arms, she propped herself against the headboard. “You’re up early.”

  Jax shrugged and went to the backpack he’d retrieved from the trunk of his car the night before to dig out a clean pair of jeans and underwear. “It was either get up and take a shower or ravish you again.” He shot her a glance over his shoulder, his eyes still smoldering. “I decided to be a gentleman and let you sleep.”

  She felt her inner muscles clench and release.

  “That,” he said, “and we have to talk to Taylor this morning and figure out how to explain the new living arrangements.”

  That sobered her up. Of course they needed to talk to their daughter about Jax moving in. Gabby didn’t think Taylor would have a problem with her father being here full time. In fact, she was guessing Taylor would be thrilled about it. But one could never tell with a three-year-old. Sometimes what Gabby thought wouldn’t be a big deal ended up in an epic tantrum and vice versa.

  Gabby threw the covers off her, got out of bed, and went to get her robe. There was no sense in getting dressed until after she’d had a shower. She smelled like sex and Jax. Not that she was complaining, but she needed to be in mom mode this morning and that meant putting her needs as a woman on the back burner.

  She secured the robe around her middle and padded across the room to her dresser to get some clean clothes. When she turned around, clothes in hand, Jax was standing there looking as appealing as ever. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that had her wanting to run her hands over every inch of him.

  Without a word, he cradled her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers.

  It was a simple kiss, but it left her insides tingling.

  He ran his thumb along her cheek and stared into her eyes. “I’ll make us some breakfast while you shower. Eggs and bacon okay?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  Jax grinned and gave her another quick kiss before he dropped his hand and moved away. “Don’t take too long or I might be tempted to come help you.”

  She chuckled and headed for the door. “Somehow I doubt you’d speed things along.”

  His laughter filled her ears as she entered the bathroom.

  Gabby hurried through her morning routine, but she was still drying her hair when a soft knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Mommy?”

  She opened it to find her sleepy-eyed daughter standing on the other side in her pajamas. “Good morning, sweetheart. Did you need to go to the bathroom?”

  Taylor nodded.

  “Okay. I’ll be outside if you need help.”

  After bathroom rituals were taken care of, Gabby and Taylor made their way into the kitchen where Jax was plating the eggs. He looked up at their arrival and smiled. “Perfect timing, ladies.”

  “Smells good.”

  Taylor must not have been fully awake before, because it was only when she heard her father’s voice that she lit up. “Daddy! You’re here.”

  She launched herself across the room and into his arms. “Morning, Pumpkin.”

  That feeling of rightness filled Gabby’s chest.

  “Are you hungry?” Jax asked.

  Taylor nodded.

  He set her on her feet and picked up the plates containing the eggs and bacon, taking them over to the table.

  “Do you want milk or juice, Taylor?” Gabby asked, going to the refrigerator.

  “Juice, please.”

  “Jax?”

  “Juice works for me, too.” He shot her a grin before he sat down.

  After pouring everyone some juice, Gabby sat down at the table and they all began to eat the food Jax had prepared. About halfway through, Jax and Gabby looked at each other. It was time to address the elephant in the room.

  Gabby dove in. “Taylor? What do you think of Daddy being here this morning? Do you like having him here eating breakfast with us?”

  The reaction from Taylor was unmistakable. Her eyes sparkled and she nodded as she chewed on her bacon.

  “How would you feel about Daddy living with us?”

  Taylor thought about it for a moment. “Would Daddy
have breakfast with us every morning?”

  Jax answered. “Yes. That means I’d have breakfast with you and Mommy every morning.”

  “Okay.”

  She went back to eating her food as if one of the most pivotal conversations of Gabby’s life hadn’t just happened. It had to be one of the easiest conversations she’d ever had in her life.

  After breakfast, Jax cleaned up while Gabby got Taylor ready for preschool. She had to say it was nice having another adult around to help. Cleaning up the kitchen was one less thing she had to worry about before leaving the house.

  “Ready for preschool?” Jax asked when they emerged from Taylor’s bedroom.

  She hoisted her backpack on her shoulders. “Are you taking me to school, too, Daddy?”

  “Not today. I have a meeting this morning.” At her disappointed look, he added, “Maybe I can take you tomorrow.”

  That cheered her up. “I can introduce you to Mrs. Von. She’s really nice.”

  He ran a hand over the top of her head. “I can’t wait.”

  Jax gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek then turned to Gabby. She saw so many things in his eyes as he looked at her—things that made her wish they didn’t have an audience. “I’ll see you tonight. If you need me or can’t find something, you have my cell. And there’s an extra key in the nightstand beside my bed.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He took hold of her free hand and brought it to his mouth, letting his lips linger on her skin. “Have a good day at work, honey.”

  She laughed, breaking some of the tension. “Thanks. You, too.”

  The rest of the day seemed to drag since all she wanted to do was be home with Jax. Gabby kept wondering what he was doing. She must have thought about calling him at least a dozen times, but she’d resisted. He’d call if he needed something.

  When she walked in the front door later that evening with Taylor, Jax was sitting on the couch, glasses on, his feet propped up on the coffee table, and his laptop resting on his lap.

  Neither Jax nor Gabby got a word out, however, before Taylor was running across the room and jumping onto the couch beside him. He almost dropped his laptop on the floor when she plopped onto his lap and threw her arms around him.