“Well,” I say, breaking the silence after what seems like hours, but is probably only minutes, has passed. “That settles that, then.”
Sluggish, Megan lifts her head from my shoulder, and I can see her silhouette in front of me. “Settles what?”
I bring my hands up to caress the damp flesh of her throat, pushing her hair back behind her ears. “I wondered if we would be as incredible in bed together as I thought we’d be,” I say with a grin. “Turns out, we are.”
She’s quiet for a moment, then breaks into a fit of chuckles. “We weren’t in bed, Craig.”
I lean forward and kiss her mouth softly. “That’s okay, there’s always next time.”
Chapter Nine
Megan
It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t expected.
But Craig has made me fall for him. Everything about him—his crooked smile, his soulful eyes, his delightfully muscular body and the way his arms held me with such desire, such purpose. Most of all, his mind and demeanor have entranced me. He’s a man with only one thing driving him forward; his need to do right by his son.
And if that’s not the sexiest thing about a man, I don’t know what is. Everything that comes after that is just bonus. And, hell, is there a lot that comes after that.
Cardon Springs is supposed to be my place to start over, to begin to live again. I never imagined that someone like Craig would be a part of that.
But here he is, and here I am, in his pickup truck, slowly pulling my clothes back on as we share tender kisses and warms words in husky, satiated voices.
If unexpectedly having sex with Craig in the front seat of his truck is supposed to be awkward, it’s not. In fact, I’m more comfortable now with him than I’ve been since the day I met him, and I can feel the calmness radiating off him as well.
The urgency and undercurrent of our desire has been quenched momentarily, allowing us both to breathe without the electricity of our physical needs brimming just below the surface.
“I should probably get you home,” Craig says, tugging his t-shirt back over his chiseled abdomen. “You and I both know Nancy’s sitting in that chair by the window, watching and waiting with stars in her eyes.”
The mental image makes me smile. Mostly because Aunt Nancy had been right about Craig. About what a good man he is, and that he’d be good for me, too. “And you want to go home to Ellis,” I add, giving him a knowing grin. “It’s okay, you can say it. You don’t have to hide that from me.”
He leans over and kisses me, a slow and passionate kiss that leaves me breathless and rethinking the earlier thought that my desire for him had been quenched. “You are a truly amazing woman, Meg,” he breathes against my lips. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”
I’m grinning like a goddamn fool as he leans back and finishes pulling his clothes back into position. We drive from the garage to Aunt Nancy’s house with only a few words spoken between us, but Craig’s arm is stretched across the bench seat, his fingers entwined in mine. The way his thumb runs across my knuckles, so softly and sensually, says more than his words ever could.
Something has happened between Craig and I. Something more than just giving ourselves to each other in the front seat of his truck in a flurry of overwhelming need. Something daunting. Something that could be like a dream come true for me. Something very, very good for us both.
Or very, very bad.
A thought niggles at my consciousness. You’re not ready for this. You can’t handle this. This wasn’t the plan.
I remind myself that my plans were crushed the moment I left Dallas. The moment my boss ripped away my dream job and sent me packing.
To a small town called Cardon Springs.
Where a man named Craig Connelly has taken me by surprise and made part of me think that that should have been the plan all along.
“I want to see you again,” he says, pulling his truck into Aunt Nancy’s driveway. “Are you free tomorrow night?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to nod, but I wonder if I shouldn’t seem too eager. “As good as that sounds, I should probably spend at least one evening with Aunt Nancy,” I say as an excuse. “Don’t want her to develop a complex, you know.”
He chuckles, giving my hand a squeeze. “Fair enough. What about the next night?”
He’s not going to give up easily, I can tell, so I nod. “That sounds really nice, Craig. Where are we going to go when everything closes down by eight o’clock?” I smirk.
“My place,” he says with a smile. “I can’t very well ask my mom to watch Ellis again. Besides, I’ll be more comfortable having my little man in my sight. I’d love for you to meet him, Megan.”
My stomach constricts at the thought of meeting his son, despite the fact that the little boy isn’t even a year old. It seems like a big step. I am about to push the thought aside and just give another smile when Craig continues.
“That’s probably a bit scary, and I get that,” he assures me. “But I’d love to introduce you to him, if that’s something you want to do. If we’re something you want.”
“Craig, I—”
“I’m not meaning you have to promise anything, Meg,” he says. “We’ll go slow, I swear. I just want to make sure you and I...well, that whatever is going on here is something you want. Because I sure as hell do. Want it, I mean. Want you.”
His confession traps my breath in my throat, but I answer him without even weighing the question in mind. “I do, too. Want this, I mean.” I promise him with a soft smile. “I’ll see you and Ellis soon, okay?”
I climb from the truck, but Craig doesn’t let go of my hand right away, instead choosing to bring my fingers up to his mouth and kiss my knuckles softly.
“I’m looking forward to it, Megan.”
I give him a crooked grin, squeezing his hand before I let it go and pull reluctantly away. “It’s Meg,” I tell him softly. Then, I head up the walkway to the front porch, where the outside light is still on, giving him one more fleeting glance over my shoulder before I disappear inside the house, leaving part of my heart in that truck with him.
***
Cardon Springs is the only place I’ve ever been where I can come here for a bit of solitude and time to rest my brain, bruised heart, and shattered pride, only to wind up tied in knots over the one thing I never expected to find—a man.
If Craig can be considered simply a man. Because I don’t think he is. He can’t be. A man has never been able to make me want things like a quiet home life and someone to come home to every evening. A man has never kept me awake at night with thoughts of his dark eyes and memories of his firm, muscled body. And a man certainly has never had me so worked up and anxious about him coming to pick me up in less than an hour that I’ve resorted to confessing almost everything to my aunt in hopes of feeling some sort of reprieve from the racing thoughts I can‘t seem to halt.
“I think you’re getting way too ahead of yourself, my dear.” Aunt Nancy is doing what she usually does, making copious amounts of tea and force-feeding it to me like it’s the answer to all my problems.
Thank God I didn’t have it in myself to admit to her that Craig and I slept together the other night. She has no idea just how ahead of ourselves we really got.
“I know you think that,” I argue. “But you were right about him, Aunt Nancy. Craig is a good man. A good man with an infant son that’s his world. Am I ready for something like that?” When I’m frustrated, I gesture with my hands a lot while I talk, so I wisely set my mug of tea down before I end up wearing it and scalding myself.
My aunt offers me a narrowed glance. “Do you think he was ready?” she asks. “No one’s ever ready to fall in love with someone, Meg, whether it’s a romantic relationship, or the bond between a father and a son.”
“I never said I was falling in love with him,” I say, eyeing her warily.
“You never said you weren’t,” she counters, grinning.
“Who’s the one getting ahead o
f themselves now?” I turn around, pacing across the room to try to rid myself of the anxiety that’s creeping into my chest and constricting it. “I can’t fall in love with him, anyway. You know that.”
“Because you’re so determined to make Cardon Springs your temporary home?” She doesn’t speak with malice, but there’s an undertone of longing in there that hurts my chest even more. “Give it time, sweetheart,” she adds. “Maybe your feelings about Craig are reason enough to just slow down and see what happens next, instead of planning your way out of this town.”
Something blows over in the wind that’s whistling across the front porch, and I glance back toward the opened screen door but see nothing banging against it. Then, my gaze is turned and focused on my aunt, resisting the urge to keep pacing, keeping my face stoic. “I got another job offer in Dallas.”
Aunt Nancy remains still, but her eyebrow arches. “When did that happen?”
“A few days ago,” I admit. “I want out of this town, you know that.” Silence falls between us just as the kettle begins to whistle again. My aunt must have forgotten to unplug it, and I take the opportunity to compose myself by crossing the room and unplugging it myself. I turn back to face her. “At least, I thought I wanted out of this town.”
Aunt Nancy sighs, offering me a sad smile. “You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself about this, Megan.”
Not very often does she use my full first name, so it commands my attention and I swallow down my anxiousness. I watch as she stands up slowly from the table, leaning her weight on the surface of it to gain her balance. “I think you need to just slow those wheels in your head that have been turning since you got here. You’re always planning your next move, striving for more, yearning for more. And that’s not a bad thing, honey.” She pauses to give me a smile. “Now, you’re unsure how to feel because you like a good man like Craig. Because you like the small-town job you’ve just started. Why, because you don’t feel like it should be enough?”
“I don’t know what to think, Aunt Nancy,” I confess, sounding defeated and letting my shoulders sag slightly.
“You know what I think?” She shifts her weight to lean back against the table, reaching out her hand. I take the steps forward to close the gap between us, letting her surprisingly strong hand envelope mine. “I think you’re scared, sweetheart. Of Craig. Of being hurt. Of being happy.”
“I’m not,” I reply weakly, swallowing hard past the lump in my throat. “I’m petrified.”
My aunt only squeezes my hand tighter. “Oh, Meg, the most rewarding things in life are the ones that frighten us most.” She smiles encouragingly. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see headlights in the driveway flash through the sheer dining room curtains. I hadn’t heard Craig pull in. Judging by my aunt’s glance over her shoulder, she didn’t realize he was here, either.
As I kiss Aunt Nancy on the cheek, thank her for the tea and the pep talk, and gather my purse and belongings to head out to Craig’s truck, I contemplate her question. She’s right, what is the worst that could happen?
But just as quickly as the question sears through my mind, the answer follows. I could fall in love with him, I think nervously. Maybe I already am. And if that’s the case, he could break my heart.
Chapter Ten
Craig
I’m pretty sure someone could have told me that anything could have happened tonight between Megan and I.
Anything but this.
I’d worked hard all day at the shop to make sure I was done in time to get home, shower, make myself look presentable, and be able to pick Megan up on time for our date at my house. Taking a page from her book, I managed to show up a little early.
I expected, and looked forward to, a quiet night in at my place, with supper I’ve been planning for two days, maybe a movie on Netflix amidst some easy conversation, and my son right there with us so I could show him off like a proud dad is supposed to.
What I didn’t expect was for the entire evening to be shot to hell before I even knocked on Nancy’s front door and had the chance to come face to face with Megan, a bouquet of lilies in my hand.
I didn’t have to see her to know what she was thinking. Her words carried through the opened screen door as I’d stood on the front porch.
I never said I was falling in love with him, she’d stated, which was enough to stop my hand in midair, preventing me from knocking on the door. You never said you weren’t, Nancy had replied, which had pushed a grin onto my face and made me bite the inside of my lip. Leave it to Nancy, always the matchmaker.
Megan’s pause after that had made me grin wider to myself. I knew I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but since there was a part of me that was hoping Nancy was right about Megan’s feelings for me, I couldn’t help myself.
That should have been my first warning to get the hell out of there, seeing as everything went so downhill afterwards.
I got another job offer in Dallas. A few days ago. I want out of this town, you know that.
I left the front porch after that, too furious and hurt to want to object myself to anymore of Megan’s true feelings, almost stumbling down the fucking stairs in my haste and anger. When she still didn’t come outside after a few minutes, I figured she must not have realized I’d arrived yet.
I debated just driving home, saying screw it and not even bothering to give an explanation. Letting her think I just hadn’t shown up.
But, no. To hell with that. Megan had lied to me, to my face. She could damn well admit the truth to me, face to face, as well.
Which is why I flashed my truck headlights, announcing my arrival.
My back pressed up against the driver’s door, I stand outside, leaning with my arms crossed in front of me, waiting. Megan appears a minute later, a smile plastered on her face as she shuffles down the steps.
A smile I know is fake.
“Hey,” she greets me, her eyes scanning down my casual outfit of a green and black plaid shirt over a black t-shirt and jeans. “You look good.” She leans forward to kiss me, but I push away from the truck, away from her, which causes her expression to fall. “What’s wrong?”
I don’t speak immediately, too afraid the anger boiling inside me will overflow into every word. Then, “When are you leaving?”
“Leaving for where?” she asks, her brows drawn down in confusion.
“Dallas,” I snap.
“I’m not—”
“If you’re going to answer, Megan, do me a favor and let the next words that come out of your mouth be the truth. Because the last ones you said to me sure weren’t.”
Her eyes grow wide as realization dawns on her. “You heard me tell Aunt Nancy...” Her voice trails off, not finishing her sentence.
“About the job interview in Dallas? Yeah, I heard that.” And as though I need to defend my actions, I add, “The door was opened when I came up the front steps. I didn’t plan to overhear you, but here we are.”
“I didn’t think—”
“Tell me, Megan,” I continue, running my hands through my hair, exasperated. “You said you found out about the interview a few days ago. When, exactly?”
Her eyes are locked with mine, and she shakes her head. “Craig, I—”
“When?” I bark, cutting off her stammers.
She holds my gaze, searching my eyes. For what, I don’t know, but when she answers, her shoulders sag in defeat, her head bowing forward. “I got the call before I left to meet you at the arena.”
It’s like a stab to my gut, even though I suspected as much. “Before you and I had sex,” I correct her. “Before you stood in front of me and said you wanted this. Wanted us.”
“I did want you!” she exclaims, tears brimming her eyes. “I still do, Craig.”
“But you have no intention of staying here, Megan,” I remind her, a vicious edge in my voice that I can’t seem to stamp down. I wave toward the house. “You said so your
self just a few minutes ago...you want out of this town.”
“I thought—”
“You know what, Megan? It doesn’t hurt me that Cardon Springs isn’t the kind of place you want to be. Hell, I have days where I’m not sure it’s the place I want to be.” I reach for the handle and pull the driver’s door open. “What hurts is that you didn’t have the guts to tell me, but you still thought it’d be okay to play around with me while you waited for your chance to escape. Jesus, you were about to come and meet Ellis, even though you knew damn well you had no intention of—” A hollow laugh escapes my throat. “Whatever.”
I can’t explain half the thoughts running through my head, too fueled by the hurt and anger that is flooding my brain and muddling my concentration. I shake my head and attempt to haul myself into my truck, but Megan’s hand juts out, stopping me.
“Craig, just wait,” she pleads through tears. “I can explain. It’s not what you think.”
As gently as I can muster, I pull my arm away from her grip and tug the door closed. Through the open driver’s side window, I reply, “It is, actually, which is kind of humorous in an ironic sort of way. I used to be someone you’d call a player, Megan, so you’d think I’d recognize one when I see one.” I turn the key in the ignition and shove the gear shifter into reverse. “So, maybe what hurts the most is that you were playing me, and yet I didn’t even see it coming.”
I back out of the driveway, leaving the woman I thought I was falling for—the woman I thought was falling for me—standing in the middle of it, tears streaking down her cheeks as she watches me drive away. That’s when my own tears begin to sting my eyes, and I let them.
***
Ninety-six hours. That’s how many hours there are in the span of four days. And that’s how long it’s been since I talked to Megan in her aunt’s driveway.
Since she lied to me.
Since she cried, because I made her cry. Which made me feel even more like a dick than confronting her did. I’ve tried to push that self-loathing down over the past few days, reminding myself that she’s the one who had the intention of getting a piece and then running off back to Dallas, but I’ve been having a harder and harder time of believing that as the days pass by. The woman had seemed genuinely upset by my outburst, and I didn’t blame her for that. I had a wicked temper when I wanted to. She’d wanted to explain, to talk it out and salvage some semblance of friendship from this.
Unexpected Daddy: A Bad Boy Hockey Romance Page 6