Wait For Me: Swoon Series

by J. H. Croix

  I recalled the doctor explaining to me that it was possible Melissa had a weakness in that artery in her brain her entire life. In hindsight, I believed the doctor meant for that to comfort me. Instead, it only hammered home the point that life was fucking random.

  All I wanted to do was shelter Rylie from the world. So there was that, and then the rest of the fucking train wreck when I found out about Melissa’s affair. Talk about having your feet knocked out from under you when it came to romance.

  So, yeah, I hadn’t planned on this. I hadn’t even considered I could be susceptible. But then Valentina was one of a kind. I loved that she sometimes slapped her hand over her mouth whenever a swear word slipped out, but she didn’t really care. It was just habit. By some fucking miracle, she had stayed a virgin until me.

  There I was, driving home on a warm, humid night in the mountains, and a woman I was coming to think of as mine was waiting there for me. Not once did it cross my mind to worry about Rylie tonight. Valentina was just that trustworthy.

  I turned down my drive, dimming the lights and slowing as I passed through the trees. After I stepped out of my truck, I leaned my head back to look at the sky. An owl called in the darkness, another answering. Crickets chirped, and cicadas hummed. I took a deep breath, steeling myself to keep myself in check when I went inside.

  I didn’t have a map for this. Not at all.

  Valentina hadn’t replied to my text. I let myself in quietly, immediately arrested by the sight of her sound asleep on the couch.

  My heart started up, thrashing in my chest. It shouldn’t mean that much to see her asleep in my house, but it did. She was on her side, a throw pillow tucked under her head with one arm resting on her belly and the other curled under the pillow. Her hair obscured half of her face, and her knees were drawn up.

  She’d kicked off her cowboy boots and wore a pair of bright pink socks. I smiled, wondering if Rylie had seen those. She would’ve been thrilled with her love of all things pink. I slipped out of my shoes and set my bag down quietly.

  I walked stealthily down the short hallway, glancing into Rylie’s bedroom. Her nightlight was on, and she was sound asleep. I leaned over her bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, adjusting the sheets over her shoulders. She didn’t even budge. Tiptoeing out of her room, I left her door cracked open.

  Returning to the living room and approaching the couch, I almost thought Valentina was a mirage and would go up in smoke.

  She wasn’t. Her breathing was even and steady, and she didn’t even stir. I didn’t know if she preferred to leave, so I needed to check.

  “Valentina?” I whispered.

  She murmured something in her sleep. I glanced at my watch. It was going on one in the morning. I had no idea what her schedule was today, but I knew I’d be up by five thirty a.m.

  Whether it was rational or not, I somehow persuaded myself it was best if she slept in a bed. I didn’t listen to the voice reminding me she’d be perfectly fine out here on the couch. I bundled her into my arms, telling myself if she woke, then I’d ask if she wanted to leave or sleep on the couch.

  She didn’t. I carried her into my bedroom because that was the only other bed in the house beside Rylie’s.

  Valentina wasn’t heavy, but she was warm, soft, and lush in my arms. She stirred briefly and then burrowed her head into my shoulder with a sigh. With my heart thudding, I nudged my bedroom door open with an elbow and carried her in, closing it behind me. I eased her onto the bed, pulling the covers over her, thinking any minute she was going to wake up. She didn’t.

  I took a record fast shower to wash off the grime of the day. When I returned to the bedroom, I thought for sure she would have woken, but she hadn’t. I tried to tell myself I just wanted her to get a good night’s sleep.

  The truth was, I didn’t want her to leave.

  I could’ve tried to tell myself it had something to do with thinking I could be slick and catch a stolen quickie with her. Not that she was a quickie kind a girl, or that I was a quickie kind a guy, but I couldn’t even make that argument. Don’t get me wrong, if the opportunity presented itself, it would absolutely happen. But what I wanted was to sleep with her beside me.

  When I slipped between the cool sheets, I held my breath, only letting it out when she stirred, rolling against me, her warm curves soft against my side. It still took me a few minutes to fall asleep, if only because I wanted to imprint the feel of this moment in my memory.

  I fell asleep to the rhythm of her breath and the silky feel of her skin with her foot tucked between my calves and her hand splayed on my chest. Just above the thump of my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Valentina

  Daybreak came in fragments—a shaft of sunlight across the bed, my consciousness flickering awake, the feel of a muscled arm curled around my back, the hum of the air conditioner, cotton sheets against my skin, and a warm male body beside me.

  My eyes flew open abruptly. Oh. My. I was curled up against Lucas. In his bed.

  Before my brain was fully awake, my hand shifted on his chest, exploring the muscled planes and the dusting of hair. Lucas was all man even when he was asleep.

  He stirred, his eyes opening. In the muted light of morning, they were bright and sleepy. Rolling his head to the side, he scrubbed a hand through his hair and smiled.

  My heart promptly did a few cartwheels. I knew I was getting in over my head, but the way I felt right now was downright treacherous for me. Because I couldn’t let myself go there. I felt my lips curling into a smile.

  “Mornin’,” he murmured, his hand circling lazily on my back. “You were asleep when I got home last night, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”

  Before I had a chance to reply, he glanced toward the clock on the nightstand. I suddenly became aware he was aroused. My eyes were drawn to the distinct shape of his arousal under the sheets.

  I wanted—oh, how I wanted—to touch him.

  He looked back in my direction. “Unfortunately, I have to get up. Considering that Rylie will be up soon, it’s probably best if you get up too.”

  “Oh, of course.” I started to scramble up, but his arm caught me, tugging me right back against his chest, which I didn’t mind at all.

  “Just a minute,” he murmured. His hand slid into my hair, and he pulled me close for a kiss. It was quick, hot, and left me breathless. Nothing more than a brush of his lips against mine, and a sweep of his tongue before he drew back.

  I didn’t quite know how to interpret the look in his eyes. I watched as he climbed out of bed. He had on fitted briefs that hugged his muscled ass with his arousal clearly visible.

  With a glance over his shoulder, he met my gaze. “I gotta be ready in record time so I’m out in the kitchen before Rylie’s up. I need a shower to wake me up.”

  I had no idea how to handle this morning, but I had enough sense to know it was best that Rylie didn’t find us in the shower together by accident, so I simply nodded. I was still wearing what I had on last night and figured Lucas must’ve carried me into the bedroom.

  When I heard the water running, I rolled off the bed, my feet landing on the cool hardwood floor. With a deep breath, I gave my head a shake and stood. I straightened my clothes and slipped out of the bedroom. Conveniently, I always kept a little travel toothbrush in my purse. This ranked as the first time I ever actually needed it. I tended to have all kinds of handy things in my purse, including a few Band-Aids, a comb, and hair ties.

  Stepping into the bathroom off the living room, I washed my face and quickly brushed my teeth. A side bonus to wild curly hair was it was easy to manage because it was usually messy. I used the comb to tidy it a bit and stepped out of the bathroom to find Lucas already in the kitchen. His hair was damp, and he wore a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips with a T-shirt. My heart thudded in my chest, and I once again wondered what to do. I thought maybe it was best if I left before Rylie woke up.

  I stopped beside the
rounded edge of the counter just as he turned to face me. His eyes caught mine, and I wished I could climb inside his brain and see what he was thinking. I was unaccountably nervous.

  Swallowing, I cleared my throat. “I’m thinking I should get going before Rylie wakes up.”

  Lucas was quiet for a moment before he shrugged. “Maybe. Although it would be fine if you stayed for breakfast. She might like that.” Pausing, he smiled, and my heart practically started cheering. “Actually, she would love it. It’s no big thing that you fell asleep on the couch. That’s what we’ll tell her.”

  Thump, thump, thump went my heart. He was right, but I still …

  I didn’t get to finish that train of thought. I heard a pair of feet coming down the hall, the distinct sound of a small child’s half run.

  “Valentine!” Rylie called as she rounded the end of the hallway, coming into the living room and veering toward the kitchen.

  I turned, squatting down as Rylie made her way over. My heart squeezed. Between my rapidly burgeoning feelings for Lucas and his absolutely precious daughter, my heart was probably going to expire at this rate.

  Something was so endearing about a sleepy child. Rylie’s dark hair was mussed, and her cheeks were flushed from sleep. She still wore her pajamas.

  Her eyes were wide with wonder as she smiled up at me. “You’re here! Good morning,” she said, swinging her arms around my neck and squeezing tight. I hugged her back, sliding my hand over her hair.

  “Good morning. I fell asleep on the couch,” I explained, relieved I was actually telling the truth.

  The last thing Rylie needed to know was that her father had carried me to bed, and I woke up wanting him so fiercely my body ached with it. Although, I was discovering an almost surefire way to eliminate the desire pounding through my body was the presence of a child. Rylie represented so many reasons why I didn’t need to be getting ideas about Lucas.

  “JJ does that sometimes. Even Daddy does,” Rylie said solemnly.

  I ruffled a hand through her hair as I straightened. “I bet.”

  Rylie was already turning, approaching her father. Lucas leaned down and swung her into his arms, resting her on his hip as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Mornin’, sweet pea. What’ll it be for breakfast?”

  Rylie tapped her index finger on the side of her cheek. I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing because she was too cute.

  “Oatmeal with blueberries and brown sugar,” she finally announced after appearing to think deeply about it.

  “You got it.” Lucas’s attention was solely on her now. He turned, opening a cabinet that stretched from floor to ceiling and was filled with food. Reaching in, he pulled out a container of oatmeal and a small bag of dried blueberries, which he handed to her.

  As Lucas turned, she wiggled.

  “Hang on, let me put this down,” he said. After setting the oatmeal down, he took the blueberries from her and eased her to the floor.

  “Want some breakfast?” she asked.

  Like I’d say no. “I’d love some.”

  After that, it was just a morning. We had breakfast, and Lucas made a mean cup of coffee. I managed to get my body under control and not let my mind start running down the wild variety of paths I could select. Until it was time to go.

  I was covering the late shift for breakfast in the lodge restaurant today. When I stood to leave, there was a knock on the door. Whoever it was didn’t even wait, and the door swung open immediately after the knock.

  “Morning,” a woman called out.

  The moment I saw her, I knew she must be related to Lucas. She had the same black hair. It was straight and glossy, pulled up in a ponytail high atop her head. She was slender and probably a good foot shorter than he was. Her green eyes clapped to me immediately.

  Of course, I didn’t know exactly what she was thinking, but I definitely knew she was assessing me. Rylie immediately ran across the room, calling, “JJ!”

  “Hey, Jade,” Lucas called over. “Valentina babysat last night in a pinch and fell asleep on the couch.”

  Seeing as I’d never had a boyfriend, I had zero experience with meeting family. Much less under these circumstances where I didn’t know how to define what I was to Lucas. I worried Jade could somehow see right into me and sense my growing feelings for him. Anxiety tightened in my belly, and I swallowed and took a deep breath. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I suddenly felt as if I had.

  Jade hugged Rylie to her. “You got me for today. Are you cool with that?”

  “Of course!” Rylie wiggled down and swung her arm wildly in my direction. “This is Valentine.”

  Jade crossed the room toward me, and I actually wiped my hands on my sides, worried she’d feel they were damp.

  “Hi,” I said, politely holding my hand out.

  Jade’s palm was cool in mine as she shook my hand, quickly and firmly. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure it was a good thing you could fill in last night.”

  “Valentine’s nice,” Rylie said, bumping up against me as she leaned into my hip.

  I managed to smile at Jade. “I was glad to help. I met Rylie last week when Lucas brought her out to see if Shay could watch her for a little bit. Shay and I work in the office together at the lodge so …” My words tapered off, and I shrugged slightly.

  I definitely felt as if I were under a microscope—a protective sister microscope. Jade gave me one last careful look, then stepped past me with a nod. Lucas was closing the dishwasher and turned to face us.

  At that moment, Rylie piped up, “Can Valentine come over again tonight?”

  The adults in the room froze, and I could feel the sudden tension in the air. Lucas, who up to that point had been warm, gave off a cool air. His eyes flicked from Rylie to me and back. “I’m not on call tonight, so I’ll be home for dinner.”

  Jade, wisely in my opinion, immediately created a distraction. “Come on, girl,” she said, clapping her hands lightly. “Let’s get you out of those pajamas.”

  She held out her hand as Rylie looked up at me. “Are you staying?”

  “I need to get to work. It was sure nice to see you,” I said, ruffling her hair and leaning over to press a kiss on the top of her head. I was relieved when Jade called her name again.

  I wasn’t relieved because of Rylie, but because I wanted to escape the tension. I knew my smile was tight when I looked in Lucas’s direction. “Gotta go,” I said quickly, not waiting for a response.

  I heard Rylie and Jade’s voices fading as they walked down the short hallway with Jade keeping up a running commentary of questions. I had already stepped outside and was closing the door when I felt it open again. Turning back, I found Lucas right behind me.

  “Thanks again,” he said gruffly. “Look, I didn’t mean …”

  I didn’t give him a chance to finish. “You don’t need to worry about what you meant. You’re a father, and I get how important it is that nothing be confusing. Don’t worry about me.”

  I sensed he wanted to say more, but now definitely wasn’t the time. I may not have known how to read him to well, but I knew what I felt in his reaction when Rylie asked if I could return tonight. That wasn’t something he was considering, and that was perfectly okay with me. It had to be.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Lucas

  A few days later, after hearing Rylie ask more times than I cared to count when Valentina would babysit again, I walked into my parents’ house for dinner. I’d had a busy day at work with a guided hike and helping Jackson with the new cabins, so I was tired. Jade had texted to let me know she’d bring Rylie over here for dinner. We usually got together like this as a family every few weeks whenever everyone managed to be available.

  Rylie’s voice carried from the kitchen when I stepped into the living room with the murmur of my mother’s more muted reply following. “Hey, sis,” I said, toeing my boots off by the door.

  Crossing the living room, I sank onto the couch beside Jade wh
ere she was knitting. My parents had a simple ranch house. There was a large living room with a fireplace on one side, and a hallway to the back that led to a run of bedrooms. An archway led to the dining room with the kitchen beyond that.

  My father ran his own mechanic business in a garage down the street while my mother ran a floral business. In just about every way, I’d had a typical middle-class childhood. I was lucky. My parents loved each other and me and my sister. I never forgot to count my blessings.

  Jade and I hadn’t had much time to chat since she met Valentina the other morning, but given our schedules, that wasn’t a surprise. We rarely had time to talk for more than a few minutes.

  Her green eyes slid sideways, catching mine. Her knitting needles clicked away.

  “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Same as usual. Just busy. Anything I should know about today with Rylie?”

  “Nothing new. She had a small fit when I made her stick to the half hour of TV time. Oh, and she’d like Valentine to come over again.”

  Jade’s slow drawl of Rylie’s version of Valentina’s name wasn’t lost on me. I knew she’d been waiting for a moment to ask about just what the hell Valentina was doing at my house that morning.

  I’d had plenty of time to chew on it in my thoughts and decided I might as well tell her the plain truth. In mulling it over, I’d come to a conclusion. It was too damn messy to try to think about bringing a woman into my life with Rylie. I didn’t want her to get attached, and there was no way to see into the future.

  I might’ve wanted Valentina—hell, I fucking dreamed about the woman every night—but that didn’t mean it was a smart decision to do anything about it.