by Addison Fox
“Your nephew is a great kid.”
“He’s wonderful. Knox adores him and I’m so glad they’ve all found each other again. He and Allison nearly lost Cody a few months ago.”
“Lost him?”
“Right before I came home from New York. Cody was kidnapped waiting for the bus. As horrible as it was, the experience brought Knox, Allison and Cody back to each other as a family.”
“And the kidnappers?”
“One kidnapper. A man who was in league with my mother. He helped her escape from jail and when she didn’t pay up he figured he’d get to her through her grandson.”
The haunting thoughts from earlier came back in a rush and the swirl of emotion that she’d battled since coming to Mac’s house caught up with her. Tears she hadn’t even realized were so close to the surface spilled over with little prompting.
“Hey. Hey there.” Hawk was gentle as he reached out, his hands resting on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just that—” Her breath caught and she hiccuped around another thick layer of tears. “It’s Cody. Something could have happened to him. I knew it. I mean, I understood it. But until I saw him before and realized—”
Claudia broke off, at a loss for how to put into words the myriad of emotions that didn’t want to let go.
The large, gentle hands that gripped her shoulders tugged, pulling her close so that she was flush against his chest. Before she could check the impulse, she wrapped her arms around his waist as he pulled her close.
“It’s going to be okay.” The words were whispered against her head, a promise she tried desperately to cling to through her tears.
“But what if it isn’t? She’s—” Another tearful hiccup gripped her. “What if it’s not? My mother’s still out there. People are still at risk. My family is still at risk.”
Her fears raced faster than she could keep up with them. The questions that whispered late at night through her mind, wondering where her mother was since escaping from prison. The continued fears that Ben wasn’t done with her, determined to wend his way to Shadow Creek to come after her. And now the possible news of her own birth.
When had it all gone so wrong?
And would any of them ever be free from the diabolic influences of Livia Colton?
The tears that had pushed her into Hawk’s arms faded as the rush of adrenaline and emotion worked its way through her system. In its place was the haunting realization of just how good it felt to stand in the circle of Hawk’s arms and lean on him. She was a tall woman and she’d always had a figure her mother had kindly—and not so kindly, pending her mood—dubbed “big boned.”
How humbling, then, to realize he still had several inches on her and his big, strong arms were more than long enough to wrap around her soundly.
She felt protected.
Safe.
And for the moment, she was fighting an increasing attraction to a man she had no business wanting. Aside from the fact they didn’t know each other, Hawk had plenty of baggage of his own and a life he likely wanted to get back to. His visit to Shadow Creek had a purpose.
A goal.
And once he reached that goal, he’d leave Shadow Creek and all its depravity and deceit in his dust.
Chapter 6
Although her crying jag was nearly over, the stiff spine and loosening of her arms indicated Claudia was about to pull away. He should let her go. Hell, he needed to let her go.
But the longer she’d stood there, warm and safe in his arms, what he needed to do was fast losing out to what he wanted to do.
And what he wanted to do was kiss her.
“Shh. It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay, Claudia.”
“How can you know that?”
“I don’t know it. But I do know you have a family who loves you. Who stands by you and will continue to stand by you, no matter what. And I’m here.”
“You got here this morning.”
“Yeah, well.” He had arrived into her life only this morning. So why did it feel like she’d been a part of him for so much longer?
He had a tendency to get involved with his cases, but the discovery of the Colton connection and the woman who might be Annalise’s daughter had happened only recently.
Yet it was her photo—the grainy one that had reached out and grabbed him from the website—that had started it all. Something about her haunted him and whatever it was, it had gripped him from the first.
The pretty curve of her cheeks and the warm smile that seemed to light her up. The attractive, feminine lines of her body that made his hands itch. And the light that shined from her when she was with the people she loved.
He’d seen it in her concern over upsetting Mac and then again in the careful way she watched her nephew.
Claudia Colton was quite a woman.
“Yeah well, what?” She tossed his words right back at him.
“Yeah, well, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Since when?”
Her nephew had inadvertently provided an opening and Hawk jumped on it like a drowning man on a life preserver. “I’ve got a date to your brother’s wedding. I can’t go anywhere.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“What if I want to? Cody already thinks I’m coming, and so does Allison, for that matter. What would it hurt?”
“It’s not about hurting, it’s about us taking you away from your life. Or me taking you away. I can’t believe a DNA test takes all that long. A quick match and you can be on your way.”
“A fashionista and a scientist, all rolled up into one delicious package?”
The image was a powerful one—and he had no doubt the woman could do anything she set her mind to—but the slight tease drew the smile he was hoping for.
“When you put it like that, I suspect the DNA experts would be a bit insulted by my simplification of the process.”
“It’ll be our secret.”
Her expressive eyes went from storm gray to light gunmetal, to bright and steely once again. Liquid silver swirled in their depths, a hypnotic invitation just before he leaned in to capture her lips. To taste.
To savor.
Unwilling to resist the invitation one moment longer, Hawk bent his head and captured her lips. Soft and pliant beneath his, she opened immediately. He took full advantage of the welcome acceptance, deepening the kiss and satisfying the curiosity that had dogged him since the moment he’d looked at that photo.
She was perfect. Soft. Responsive. And as into the moment as he was.
Hawk let himself go, all the anguish and emotional torment he’d experienced earlier fading away. He would pay for this later—when she wasn’t there, in his arms all warm and giving, he’d pay—but for now he let himself feel.
Feel the beauty of a woman’s body, curved against his.
Feel his blood heat as her mouth moved beneath his.
Feel his pulse race as she took him places he’d believed long forgotten, never to be discovered again.
* * *
Claudia pulled Hawk tight against her, her initial surprise quickly giving way as she sought to take all he could give. Her arms wrapped around his powerful body and she poured all the emotion she felt into the kiss.
His tongue thrust against hers, a sensual feast as she matched his movements. Matched his ardor and passion.
And his need.
Great, glorious waves of it rolled from Hawk to her and right back again.
She’d missed this. The delicious play of male and female, want and desire. She and Ben had had it at the start, but that had faded quickly, replaced with the dark and the ugly.
An ugliness that had no place in these tender moments with Hawk.
Yet even as she knew not
to bring Ben into her head, he’d arrived, spoiling the tender interlude.
The heavy stomp of boots on the porch added to the urge to pull away and Claudia thought perhaps it was a good thing her mind had overruled her passion. Having Mac walk in and see her making out with Hawk would have been awkward.
Even if they were now pretending to have a relationship for her family.
Mac knew the truth.
She stepped from the circle of Hawk’s arms and back on the other side of the dishwasher. The door was still open, the top shelf pulled out, so she rearranged everything, straightening just as Mac walked into the kitchen.
“That child would question a rock if he thought he’d get answers.” Mac shook his head, his smile from ear to ear. “Wants to know where the ponies came from. I told him to ask his mother when she drove him home.”
“I’m sure Allison will thank you for that one,” she said with a smile.
Mac reached for a fresh glass above the sink and turned on the tap. “Better her than me.”
“Evelyn mentioned a similar conversation with her grandson recently.”
“Curious minds.” Mac took a long sip of water, oblivious to her mention of Evelyn.
But it was Hawk who wiggled his eyebrows across the kitchen that had her standing to her full height and slamming the dishwasher door closed with extra force. The man was infuriating. One moment he was kissing her brainless and the next he was teasing her for her matchmaking efforts.
Mac and Evelyn were a match. A damn good one, if she did say so herself. She clearly needed to up her game.
Filing that one away for later, she moved back to where she’d settled her purse on the counter. “Hawk and I should get going. I need to drop him off and then I need to finish up some items on Maggie’s dress.”
“Best get to it and finish what you can. And both of you should plan to head back for dinner tomorrow. Leonor called a few minutes ago and says it’s all set and that I should spread the word. Allison jumped on the idea.”
“I can’t do dinner this week. I have to work on the dress.”
Mac finished off the water and stared at her. “How much is left?”
“A lot.”
“A lot or a few stitches you could do in your sleep?”
Since she’d gotten so much done that morning, she had precious little to do besides finishing a few spots on the bustle and working additional seed pearls into the train. And until Maggie came in for her final fitting, her work on the dress was nearly finished.
“It’s a big project.”
“Well, after the show you two just put on, you’ve got a bigger one.”
Claudia’s eyes darted to Hawk before resettling on Mac. “What show?”
“The Claudia’s-got-a-new-boyfriend show. It’s all Allison could talk about.”
Hawk inclined his head, the cocky smile hovering around his lips absolutely not helping. “She did seem rather excited.”
“Excited. The woman kept up a brisk pace against her son. And she’s now organized a family dinner with your sister for tomorrow night so everyone can meet your new beau. So you, sweet pea—” Mac chucked her on the chin “—had better save that dress excuse for another time.”
The closest thing she’d ever had to a real and true parent sauntered out of the kitchen and headed for the back bedroom that had been his forever, tossing over his shoulder as he went, “Leonor is making a lasagna, so she said you can take care of the garlic bread.”
“What about me?” Hawk called after his back.
Mac’s answer came winging down the hallway, along with a long, low chuckle. “Bring a bottle of wine. For yourself. You’re going to need it for the inquisition.”
Claudia took a small moment of petty glee at Hawk’s open-mouthed expression before checking herself. If Allison’s curiosity over cookies was any indication, the two of them were both about to go before the firing squad.
Goodness above, what had she done with that little white lie to her nephew?
And why did she still feel more excitement than dread?
Hawk’s grin had faded but his deep blue eyes still danced with mischief. “So that means you’ll say yes?”
“Yes to what?”
“Being my guest at Thorne and Maggie’s wedding.”
“You mean you’re my guest.”
“Hey, woman.” He held up his hands as he moved toward the door. “Don’t beg.”
* * *
Don’t beg?
Hawk still questioned his sanity using that one as he jumped into his rental car the next afternoon. The question he couldn’t answer was how shockingly easy it had been to fall into an easy banter with Claudia Colton.
Or how much easier it was to wrap her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
She’d been quiet on the short drive back to her shop and he’d figured he’d be better off cutting and running than sticking around to push his luck. She’d played along with the improvised boyfriend routine, but everyone had their limits.
Since he wanted to check in on a few other cases, one of which had required a quick drive up to Waco that morning, he’d made excuses and left her at her shop. Yet none of his innate practicality had kept her from lingering at the very forefront of his mind.
He shouldn’t have kissed her.
That had been ill considered. Because now he knew what she tasted like and one taste was not enough.
Aside from the bender he’d gone on about six months after Jennifer’s death, he had no love life to speak of. His monk-like existence had seemed like appropriate penance, but it was only now, the memory of Claudia Colton’s body pressed to his, her mouth opened to his explorations, that he realized he’d only been playing at penance.
It was easy to repent when there was no temptation.
Hawk pulled into the parking lot of the liquor store he’d seen on the drive into Shadow Creek. He still needed to pick up his wine for the dinner at Mac’s. The lot had a few scattered trucks and he estimated he’d get in and out in quick order.
That was until he walked into Knox Colton, staring in confused silence in front of a large wine display in the entrance.
Knox turned to him with a droll smile. “What happened to red and white? All this choice is enough to make a man’s head explode.”
“We’ll fumble through it together.” Hawk extended a hand, aware he had the advantage. “Hawk Huntley. I’m half the reason for tonight’s impromptu dinner and your current wine dilemma.”
Knox’s easy smile faded as he moved into big brother mode. “You’re dating Claudia?”
“I am.”
The answer spilled out, quick and easy, and he couldn’t deny to himself just how good it felt.
“This was a surprising development.”
Since agreement wasn’t an option, Hawk played it easy. Loose. “Oh?”
“How’d you two meet?”
“Through a mutual acquaintance.”
“Claudia hasn’t mentioned you.” Knox’s fierce expression faded ever so slightly. “But with all that’s been going on around here, I’m not sure there’s been a lot of time to talk about private matters, either.”
“It’s a new relationship.”
“It might be new, but you’re coming to my brother’s wedding Saturday after next.”
Although he was more than willing to take the required family ribbing, he wasn’t going to fully roll over. “Word travels fast?”
The comment was just enough to fully break the ice and Knox’s easygoing smile returned. “My wife and nine-year-old son are key grapes on the Colton family vine.”
“He’s a sweet boy. We shared some cookies and milk yesterday. I think it’s possible you’ve got a horseman on your hands. He couldn’t stop talking about Mac’s stable.”<
br />
The same wistful look he’d observed in Allison’s eyes filled Knox’s, no doubt an all-too-recent recollection of the boy’s kidnapping, before his smile went positively electric. “He’s the best. And if given his druthers I think he’ll be Texas’s first horseman slash astronaut slash dinosaur digger.”
Hawk remembered those days, was surprised how easy they were to summon back. “It’s good to be nine.”
“That it is.”
“It’s also good to be over twenty-one and able to ease into a family dinner. Shall we pick our poison?” Hawk pointed toward the assembled racks before them.
“I think you mean family inquisition.” Knox clapped him on the back. “So let’s do it.”
* * *
Claudia finished tying off the last thread for the last loop on Maggie’s bustle. Mac had been more spot-on than she’d wanted to acknowledge and the dress was basically ready for the bride’s final fitting.
Although she typically preferred a bit more time between the final fitting and the actual wearing of the dress, Maggie’s pregnancy had ensured they needed to manage the final size to a bit of a game time decision. Her future sister-in-law had worried that she’d be “a house” by the time she walked down the aisle and no amount of protesting, soothing or convincing had changed the woman’s mind.
So they’d do the fitting next Tuesday before the wedding and give her one less item to worry about before the big day.
Not like she hadn’t dealt with crazy deadlines before. The rush leading up to Fashion Week had always meant a few weeks of sleepless nights. It was part of the job and, more to the point, part of what made it so much fun.
It was surprising to realize that while she missed it in a general sense, she’d begun to look forward to new sorts of fun. Dinners with her family. More Colton nieces and nephews to spoil. And the joys of owning her own business.
Evelyn had already shared the morning’s receipts and Claudia had needed her to repeat them twice, the number had been such a surprise. Shadow Creek had embraced the Honeysuckle Road boutique and she was beyond grateful for the quick reception.