From Best Friend to Daddy

by Jules Bennett

  “Hey, Dogs Playing Poker is a classic. I paid good money for that.”

  “From a flea market, maybe,” she muttered. Kate shook her head and blew out a sigh. “We better just go to bed and stop arguing.”

  Gray wasn’t sure why he hadn’t let her go, or why he continued to watch as the orange glow from the flames tinted her cheeks. Now her hair was down from the knot she’d been wearing. It had air-dried from the swim earlier...a swim that he took way too long to recover from. She’d only worn a simple black one-piece, but he knew exactly what she had hidden beneath that suit. She may as well have been naked. The V in the front and the low scoop in the back had been so damn arousing, he’d had to recite all fifty states in alphabetical order to get himself under control.

  Gray kept hold of her hand, pulling it up to his chest. Her eyes remained locked on his. Sounds from crickets filled the night, the crackling of the fire randomly broke into the moment.

  “Gray,” she whispered.

  “Kate.”

  Her eyes closed as she pulled in a deep breath. “You’re making this difficult.”

  “None of this has to be difficult,” he countered. No reason to pretend he didn’t know what she spoke of. They both had the same exact thing on their minds.

  “No, it shouldn’t be,” she agreed, lifting her lids to look at him again. “But when I’m around you, I just remember the bar and how that felt. And then I wonder if my memory is just making the whole scenario better than it actually was.”

  Good. He’d been banking on her replaying that night, but he hadn’t expected such an honest compliment. He sure as hell remembered, too, and not just when he was with her.

  Even when he was alone or working, especially working, he recalled how stunning she’d been all spread out across the gleaming mahogany bar top. She was like a fantasy come to life.

  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she wanted him, too. He could see the way her gaze kept dropping to his mouth, the fact she hadn’t let go of his hand, the way she’d avoided him for days after their intimacy. She was afraid of her feelings, of taking what she wanted.

  “I don’t expect anything once we go in that tent,” he explained. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that was why he actually brought her here.

  “I didn’t think that.” She licked her lips and curled her fingers more tightly around his hand. “You understand why I made the one-night rule. Right?”

  She might need him to know, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. All Gray cared about was how they felt, and ignoring such intense emotions was only going to complicate things further down the line. The resulting tension would eat away at their friendship and drive a wedge between them much more than taking a risk would.

  “I can’t lose you, Gray,” she went on, staring up at him like he was everything in her life. “It would destroy me.”

  Kate had looked at him that way before, when her parents died and when he’d come home from the army. He didn’t want to be some type of hero to anybody.

  No, that wasn’t right. He did want to be her hero, but not someone she thought needed to be on a pedestal. He wanted to be her equal, to prove to her that they were good together.

  Fortunately, he didn’t need to prove such things. She already knew just how good they were...and that’s what scared the hell out of her.

  “You’re the only constant man in my life.” She squeezed his hand. “Do you even know how important that is to me? Tara and Lucy are great, but they’re not you.”

  Gray swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t get emotional. Ever. But something about her raw honesty, her vulnerability got to him.

  “You really think I’d let something happen to our friendship?” he asked, staring into her expressive eyes.

  “Neither of us would mean for anything to happen to it,” she countered. “But are you willing to take that chance?”

  “I’d never risk hurting you,” he stated. Gray palmed one side of her face, stroking his thumb beneath her eye. “You think I don’t understand where you’re coming from? You have to notice you’re the only constant woman in my life basically since we met.”

  A smile played over her mouth. “You date.”

  “I do, but serious relationships aren’t my thing. I’m too busy with work to feed a relationship or worry about a woman.” He took a half-step closer until they were toe to toe. “I need this friendship just as much as you do, but I’m not going to ignore these feelings forever, Kate.”

  Her eyes widened. “You promised—”

  “—that I wouldn’t let you lose this friendship and that I wasn’t pressuring you for anything tonight. But you can’t run from your feelings forever. I won’t let you deny your own feelings, either.”

  Unable to resist, Gray dropped a quick kiss on her lips, not lingering nearly as long as he would’ve liked. After releasing her and taking a step back, he finally turned and headed to the tent.

  This was going to be one long, uncomfortable night.

  * * *

  Kate rolled over in her sleeping bag for what seemed like the eighteenth time in as many minutes. Facing Gray now, she narrowed her gaze to adjust to the darkness and make out his silhouette.

  How dare he throw down that gauntlet and then lie there and get a good night’s sleep? How did the man turn his emotions off and on so easily?

  She wanted to know the secret because this jumbled up mess inside her head, inside her heart, was causing some serious anxiety issues. As if she didn’t have enough to handle where this man was concerned.

  Kate couldn’t make out his face in the dark. But she knew it by heart just as well as she knew her own. The faint lines around his eyes and between his brows gave him that distinguished look she found sexier than she should. His dark lashes always made the perfect frame for those dark as night eyes. She’d bet they were fanned out over his cheeks right now as he slept peacefully.

  When he’d come home from the army, he’d been harder than when he’d left. Whatever he’d seen overseas had done something to him, something she never could put her finger on. But then he’d jumped right in and taken over the family business.

  Some men came home a shell of who they’d once been. While Gray might be harder and more closed off to some, he was alive and thriving in their little town. He might not like the word hero, but he was hers. Honestly, he always had been.

  Just another reason she couldn’t keep exploring these new sexual feelings. The friendship was so, so much more important.

  When Gray had implemented Ladies’ Night at Gallagher’s, the women around town had flocked there, all trying to catch the attention of the town’s most eligible bachelor. Ladies from surrounding towns also came in to see the sexy new vet turned bartender.

  Kate had always been aware of Gray’s ridiculously good looks. She wasn’t blind or stupid. She’d just never thought about acting on her attraction. She could be attracted to someone and still be friends...right?

  Well, she’d been doing just fine at managing both until he propositioned her on the bar top. The sex couldn’t have been as good as she remembered. It simply couldn’t. And yet it was all of those overexaggerated flashes in her mind that had her all jumbled and aching now when she had no right to be.

  “Are you going to stare at me all night?”

  Kate jerked at Gray’s mumbled words. He hadn’t even cracked an eyelid open, so how did he know she was staring? Her heart beat faster at the abrupt break in the peaceful silence.

  “I can’t sleep,” she answered honestly. No need to tell him her insomnia was due to him. Gray wasn’t stupid.

  “I can tell from all the flopping around you’ve been doing.”

  Now he did open his eyes. Even though she couldn’t make out the color in the dark tent, she knew they were fixed on her.

  “Sorry I kept you awake,” she whispered
, though why she was whispering was lost on her. Maybe because everything was so peaceful around them and she needed to hold on to that just a bit longer. Lately, so much in her life didn’t seem calm. Well, maybe not so much. Mostly just Gray and their friendship, which trickled down to everything else because she couldn’t stop thinking of him, of what had happened, and how to move on.

  Gray shifted in his sleeping bag. When his knee bumped hers, a jolt shot through her. Being hyperaware of him in the middle of the night with these sexual urges spiraling through her was not good. Not good at all.

  But there wasn’t one thing she could do to stop how she felt. Why did these feelings have to be awakened inside her? How long had she had them and not even realized it?

  Yes, she’d wondered if they could ever be more than friends. She’d thought of sex with him. He was hot. She was a woman. It was the natural order of things. But she’d always pushed those thoughts aside and focused on their friendship.

  That wasn’t the case right now.

  “Your movement didn’t keep me awake,” he countered.

  Kate curled her fingers around the top of her sleeping bag and tried to resist the urge to reach out. So close. He was so close she would only have to lift her hand slightly to brush the side of his face. She knew from firsthand experience exactly how that bristle would feel against her skin.

  Kate swallowed. She shouldn’t be fantasizing about that stubbled jaw beneath her palm. She shouldn’t wonder if they both could fit into one sleeping bag. And she sure as hell shouldn’t be thinking how quickly they could get their clothes off.

  “What’s keeping you awake?” he asked.

  Kate snorted. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Do I sound like I’m joking?”

  No. He sounded sexy with that low, growly voice she’d never fully appreciated until now.

  “You’ve got me so confused and worked up,” she confessed. “Why couldn’t we just keep things the way they were?”

  “Because attraction doesn’t follow your rules.”

  Kate closed her eyes and chewed on her lip. What could she say to that? He was right, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t keep trying to compartmentalize her emotions. They had to stay in the friend box. They had to. Everyone in her life had a special area inside her heart, but Gray kept stepping out of his designated spot and causing all sorts of confusion.

  “You’re not the only one losing sleep over this, Kate.”

  Oh, mercy. Those were words she wished he hadn’t thrown out there to settle between them. Not now, when they were being held hostage by the circumstances surrounding them. The dark night, the enclosed tent, the sexually charged energy that seemed to be pulling them closer together.

  Her heart beating a fast, steady rhythm, she reached out. When her fingers found his jawline, she slid her hand up the side of his face. That prickle of his coarse hair beneath her palm had her entire body heating up.

  “What if...”

  She couldn’t finish. This was insane. This entire idea was absolutely insane and not smart. But she ached...for this man.

  His warm, strong hand covered hers as he whispered, “What if what?”

  “One more time,” she murmured. “We do this just once more.”

  “Are you going to regret it this time?”

  Kate eased her body closer. “I didn’t regret it last time.”

  He released her hand and jerked on the zipper of his bag before sliding hers down as well. In another swift move, he was on her, taking her hands and holding them on either side of her head.

  “Tell me now if you want me to stop.”

  Kate arched against him, pulling against his hold. “Now, Gray.”

  Chapter Nine

  The green light couldn’t be brighter. And one time? Sure, he’d heard that before. Whatever. He’d take this time and show her again exactly how perfect their special bond was.

  Gray eased up just enough to slide his hands beneath the long-sleeved T-shirt she had on. He hadn’t been able to appreciate her before at the bar, and it was so damn dark he could barely see, but he was going to get her naked and not fumble around ripping underwear like some inexperienced, out-of-control teen.

  With some careful maneuvering and assistance from Kate, Gray had her clothes off in record time. His hands settled on her bare hips as she reached up to frame his face.

  “You’re still wearing clothes.”

  Gray gripped her wrist, kissed her palm and put her hand on his shirt. “Then take them off.”

  Her hands trembled as she brought them to the hem of his tee. She jerked the material up and over his head. When she grabbed the waistband of his shorts, he sucked in a breath. Those delicate fingers on his body might be more than he could handle. To say he was hanging on by a thread would be a vast understatement.

  Since she’d paraded around in that swimsuit, he’d been fighting the ache to take her hard and fast. Gray covered her hands with his and took over. Within seconds, he was just as bare as her.

  Kate eased her knees apart, making room for him. Her fingertips grazed up his arms and over his shoulders. “I wish I could see you better.”

  Gray reached over, taking the lantern-style light he’d brought. He flicked the switch on and left it against the edge of the tent. When he turned his attention back to Kate, his breath got caught in his throat. A vise-like grip formed around his chest.

  She lay beneath him, all of that dark hair spread around her, her eyes bright and beautiful and solely focused on him.

  “You’re stunning.”

  He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. He’d wanted to keep this simple—or as simple as they could be, considering their circumstances. But now that they were out, he wasn’t sorry. Maybe Kate needed to hear this more often. Maybe she needed to realize just how special and amazing she was.

  A smile spread across her face. “I’m already naked,” she joked. “You don’t need to flatter me.”

  If she wanted to keep things light, that was fine. Having Kate here with him, like this, was more than he thought would happen.

  But he didn’t want more words coming between them. All he wanted was to feel this woman, to take his time with her, and show her how much she was treasured. Above all else, he never wanted her to feel like she was just a one-night stand. Even if they agreed to stay friends, he needed her to know she was worth more than quick actions and meaningless words.

  Gray covered her body. Then he covered her mouth. Her delicate arms and legs wrapped all around him.

  “I need to get protection,” he muttered against her lips.

  Her hold tightened. “I’m on birth control and I trust you.”

  The whispered declaration had him battling over what he should do. There was nothing more he wanted than to have no barrier between them and he trusted her, too. He’d never gone without because there wasn’t a woman he trusted that much.

  But he knew his Kate and he wasn’t about to move from this spot, not when she was holding on so tight and looking at him like she couldn’t take another second without his touch.

  Gray settled himself between her thighs, bracing his forearms on either side of her face. He smoothed her hair back, wanting to see every emotion that flashed across her face when he joined their bodies.

  And he wasn’t disappointed.

  The second they became one, her lids fluttered down, her breath came out on a soft sigh, and she arched against him.

  Kate’s fingertips threaded through his hair as she urged him down, opening for another kiss. How could he ever agree to just one time with her? Hell, he already knew that twice wouldn’t be enough.

  She muttered something against his lips, but he couldn’t make out what. Her hands traveled down to his shoulders, then his back as she tossed her head to the side. Raven hair covered a portion of her face as she crie
d out, her legs tightening around him.

  Gray shoved her hair out of the way, basking in the play of emotions. He’d never seen a more beautiful, expressive woman than Kate. His Kate. No matter what happened, friends or more, she’d always be his.

  In no time he was pumping his hips, capturing her mouth beneath his. Kate’s nails bit into his back and that was all he needed to send him over the edge. Nothing had ever felt like this...well, nothing except their encounter at his bar.

  Gray held on to her, nipping at her lips as he trembled. After several moments, and once his body stilled, he gathered her close and pulled the open sleeping bag over them. He didn’t care about their clothes, didn’t care that there was a little chill in the mountain air. He leaned over with his free hand and clicked the light off.

  “That was the last time,” she muttered against his chest. “I mean it.”

  Gray smiled into the dark. He’d never agreed to that bargain to begin with.

  * * *

  “These new pamphlets turned out so nice.”

  Kate glanced to Tara, who was waving around the stack of brand-new promotional material for their grief center. Judging by the look on her face, she’d been talking for a while, but Kate had zoned out.

  “What? Oh, yes. They’re pretty. Lucy did a great job with the design and the colors.”

  They’d just had new pamphlets done a few months ago, but with the popularity of their weekly meetings, Lucy had taken it upon herself to design the new ones, adding some testimonials from the regulars and having nicer pages printed online.

  “You’re distracted,” Tara stated, dropping the stack to the table at the entryway of the community center. “Does this have anything to do with the camping trip?”

  Kate shook her head. “No. Gray and I just went away for a day. It was pretty cool. I can’t believe I live in this gorgeous state and have never taken advantage of the mountains. I’m definitely going camping again.”

  The waterfall had been amazing, but the sunrise only hours after making love had been something special. She wasn’t sure where Gray’s thoughts were, but for her, something had changed. She needed a breather and she needed to do some serious reevaluating of where she stood on her feelings for her best friend.