by Melody Anne
“I’m sorry,” she said, taking in deep breaths.
“Never feel bad for having a moment,” Stormy told her as she walked up on Chloe’s other side. “We all have them. In this family, the great thing is we don’t have to suffer through them alone. We take care of each other.”
A tear escaped and fell down Chloe’s cheek. Lindsey quickly grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. Chloe didn’t know what to do with what the women were saying. It was all a lot to take in. And it was Chloe who was supposed to be taking care of her brother the way this family was so determined to take care of each other. But she couldn’t do that―not ever again.
“I think the Armstrong brothers are too dang good-looking for the sanity of all women,” Chloe said as she attempted to make a joke. Stormy and Lindsey smiled while nodding their heads.
“We’ll leave you alone about it, but we’re going to give you our numbers. If Nick gets out of hand, you just call us. For that matter, if you just need a woman to speak to, call us and we’ll be here for you in a minute,” Stormy said.
“Unless I’m in the delivery room,” Lindsey added with a smile. “But even if I’m there, you can come talk to me in between contractions.”
This made Chloe laugh. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that one,” she told her.
“Might be smart. Stormy was yelling at everyone in sight while she was giving birth. I have a feeling I might be worse than she was,” Lindsey said.
“Okay, in my defense, childbirth should be used as a torture device. If men had any idea how much pain was involved, they would never want us to go through with a delivery,” Stormy said.
“But then we wouldn’t have these wonderful children to raise,” Lindsey pointed out.
“Yes, it most certainly is worth it in the end,” Stormy said as she looked down at her sleeping daughter.
Chloe followed her stare and gazed at the beautiful baby girl. She was so tiny in her little car seat with blankets tucked around her. There had been a time when Chloe had wanted her own children so badly, she could practically taste it. Now she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know what kind of mother she would be, and if she was anything like her own mom, weak and pathetic, she didn’t want anything to do with becoming a parent.
Chloe couldn’t ever imagine letting anyone beat her children―not even their father. As she watched the love shining on Stormy’s face, she felt another pang in her heart. If her own mom had loved her as much as Stormy loved her children, maybe Chloe wouldn’t have had to endure the hell she’d been through growing up.
It didn’t do her any good to try to imagine how things could have been. That was a waste of her time and emotions. She would never have the answers because she was grown up now. Her life was what it was.
The women stopped grilling her, and she found herself enjoying their company as she stayed and helped them make a mountain load of food while the men socialized elsewhere. She was scared, though, because as she hung around them and laughed and listened to their stories, she found she wanted to be with them even more.
She wanted to be a part of their family. It felt safe and comforting―something she wasn’t used to. If she weren’t careful, she might find herself wanting something she could never have.
Just as she had that thought, Nick and his brothers walked back into the room. Her eyes met his, and the intensity between them took her breath away. There was a promise shining from his beautiful green depths―a promise that told her she only needed to reach out to get it.
Was she brave enough to do that? She knew she wasn’t. Instead of walking to him and allowing herself to explore what was going on between them, she broke the connection of their gaze and instead focused on a spot on the wall.
Nick walked up to her, but she found a reasonable excuse to move―to avoid him. She hated herself a little bit for doing it. But she knew it was the right thing to do. It left her feeling incredibly lonely, though, even in a room full of people.
Chloe knew that was just how her life was destined to be. She’d accepted it long ago. Being with Nick might make that concept a bit harder to accept, but it was the way it had to be. Dreams were for those with the luxury of having a choice.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The moment Chloe stepped out of the house with the ladies to join them on the back deck, Nick could practically taste her. They were like two magnets being drawn toward one another, and he had no desire to run away. It had only been about an hour since he’d been in the room with her, but even that seemed too long.
His heart began to race, and everything within him wanted to be with her. He tuned out whatever it was his brother had been saying, and his eyes focused on the beautiful woman with a smile on her face as she carried Stormy’s daughter, Addie.
The sight of Chloe with the small infant in her arms sent something burning through his chest. Never before had the sight of a woman and child evoked such a deep yearning in him, but as he took in the smile on her lips, the flush to her cheeks, and the baby cradled protectively in her arms, he wanted to pull them both close to his heart, and block out the rest of the world.
She looked down with awe as the infant cooed at her, and he melted from the inside, turning into a puddle. He couldn’t look away from her―couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was feeling.
“She’s so small, I’m worried I’ll hurt her,” Chloe said. Stormy laughed as she patted Chloe’s arm.
“Trust me, she might be small, but she’s a warrior, and she has the lungs to prove it,” Stormy assured her. Chloe giggled as she lifted a hand and ran her finger delicately across the top of the bald head.
She was still smiling when she looked up and their eyes met. Her features froze for a moment before she tried to shutter her expression. He still saw the worry residing deep in her telling eyes. It nearly broke him to know he was the cause of her losing that glow she’d been wearing only seconds before.
Moving quickly, he slid up to her, his eyes never leaving her face. His heart was thundering as he reached out and touched her arm. “You look beautiful,” he said, his voice filled with awe.
Just being near her, having her within touching distance, soothed his frazzled nerves. He drank her in, pride filling him as she gazed upon him with equal intensity. The rest of the world faded away. It was just the two of them and the tiny baby. He wouldn’t mind all of his days being this focused on family.
Nick had no clue that their small circle had drawn the attention of their guests. Their reactions were the furthest thing from his mind.
Chloe might have told him they were moving too quickly. She might have insisted on pulling away from him, but that wasn’t what her eyes were saying. She desired him. What Nick didn’t fully comprehend was that it was so much more than desire―it was a melding of souls.
Her holding the newborn was sending emotions through him he didn’t know how to evaluate, but in his heart he could imagine it was their baby she cuddled close. Having a child with a woman had always been a fear he considered when having sex. He never trusted the woman to be on birth control, never had sex without protection.
But with Chloe, that’s exactly what he’d done. He’d trusted her when she’d told him she was protected―he hadn’t even hesitated at her words―he’d thrust forward and sealed them together as one.
Was it because he wouldn’t be devastated if she were to become pregnant? Nick couldn’t imagine he’d be okay with that. He didn’t understand this voice in his head telling him she could be the one he never wanted to leave.
She looked like she should have a baby in her arms. She looked like she would be a beautiful mother and wife. Nevertheless, Nick had decided long ago he wouldn’t marry. However, seeing his brothers so happy was making him realize it might not be the end of the world.
His thoughts were scaring the crap out him. But even so, he couldn’t seem to pull away from Chloe. He tried to assure himself it was only the sex messing with his brain. He tried to think that if they were in a relati
onship for any length of time, his hormone levels would go back to normal and all the odd thoughts would disperse. But he’d lusted after women before, and never once had he imagined a baby in their arms, let alone imagined the infant to be his.
She’d pulled away from him that morning, and he’d given her space for the entire afternoon―well, the early part of the afternoon. Nick wasn’t too good at letting people have their distance if he didn’t want to be away from them. Personal boundaries had never been an issue for him.
Without saying another word to the woman who was looking at him with startled eyes, he pulled her close to him. Careful not to jar the baby, and without a thought as to who was watching, he pressed his lips to hers, taking them gently as he became even more mesmerized by her.
She sighed against his mouth, and for that moment it was just the two of them. His brothers and their wives disappeared. He deepened the kiss, and the baby squirmed between them, reminding him they weren’t alone. He pulled back instantly, afraid he’d hurt his niece.
His hand came up and caressed her soft head, and he looked into Chloe’s eyes. They were slightly glazed as she licked her lips and watched him with confusion and a bit of wonder.
“I’m not good at taking things slowly,” he told her.
As he said the words, he felt a spark of anger ignite inside him. She wanted him―liked him―needed him―so why in the hell was she acting like she didn’t. His emotions were weighing him down, and he needed to talk to her, needed to understand what it was she was thinking.
Chloe’s expression became shuttered as she read the tempestuous emotions flickering across his face. He was turned on, angry, and half out of his mind. She should be slightly worried. The only thing saving her from him dragging her off to be alone was the fact that she was holding his niece.
“You don’t get to choose how I want to take things,” she told him, firming her shoulders as she looked him in the eyes.
He smiled at her. “I’ve always loved a challenge, doc. You’re making this adventure a lot of fun for me,” he told her.
He ran his hand down her arm and his anger disappeared. He couldn’t stay upset, not when she was gazing at him in that confused way. He just needed her to admit there was something special between them. He was determined to hear her say those words.
“But I can certainly call you out when you are lying, even if it’s to yourself,” he told her.
She took in a sharp breath as her eyes narrowed on him. She didn’t like him calling her out. Good. If he got her riled up, she wouldn’t be so composed, she wouldn’t be able to give him standard answers. She’d be a heck of a lot more truthful with him.
“I thought there was nothing going on between the two of you,” Stormy said with a chuckle as she joined the conversation.
Nick wanted to tell Stormy to go away. He could see panic setting in for Chloe, though, and he thought it might be best to take the baby before she forgot she was holding her. With gentleness he was used to exerting with his niece and nephew, he slid his hands beneath Addie’s warm body and extracted her from Chloe’s arms.
Chloe’s hands dropped to her sides when she saw the baby was safely cradled against Nick’s chest.
“How’s my precious girl?” he cooed at the baby. The last of his temper completely drained away. How could he hold on to such an ugly emotion when he held something so innocent in his arms?
“I’m going to take my daughter to safety so the two of you can finish whatever this is in . . . private,” Stormy said with a laugh. Nick kissed his niece before handing her over to Stormy. His arms felt unusually empty when the bundle was taken away.
Nick hadn’t ever considered being a father, he had to remind himself. That wasn’t going to change just because he had some precious moments with his niece and nephew. Then again, when he’d held them before, he hadn’t thought he wanted his own. It hadn’t been until he’d seen Chloe with a baby in her arms that the ache had spread to his chest and made him feel somehow empty.
Shaking his head, he tried to push away the disturbing thoughts, but now that they were planted, he feared they were going to grow. He had enough problems to deal with without having his paternal clock ticking.
“Come with me. We need to be alone,” he told her. She stiffened as his arm went around her. He looked into her eyes, wondering what was going on inside those sweet, deep depths. He had no idea. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
He had a feeling that the only reason she allowed him to lead her away was because she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of his family. Instead of taking her back into the house, he led her down one of the many trails surrounding his property, giving them all the privacy he could ever want.
When they were a safe distance from the place, she stopped moving, making him halt his steps. She turned and gave him a withering glare.
“You shouldn’t have kissed me in front of your family like that. I just got done telling the girls earlier that nothing was going on between us,” she snapped. He loved when there was fire in her eyes. It made him feel less like a predator.
“You shouldn’t have lied to my family then,” he said simply. She gasped at him.
“I didn’t lie. Just because we slept together last night doesn’t mean our entire future has been decided. It certainly doesn’t mean I want anything else to happen between us. And I really don’t want people talking about it,” she told him.
Something about her words caught his attention. He looked at her, and her cheeks blushed as she turned away from him.
“Who the hell cares what people are talking about? What’s going on is between us. It doesn’t matter if other people have an opinion. All that matters is how we feel about one another,” he pointed out.
She flinched at his words, and he wondered again what was going on in that brilliant brain of hers. She most certainly was hiding things from him, he just wasn’t exactly sure what they were.
“I care what people think about me, Nick. I have a reputation to maintain, and if it gets out that I sleep with my clients, I’m going to draw in the wrong sort of customer,” she told him.
There was some truth to her words. He could clearly see that, but there was also something she wasn’t saying. He just wasn’t sure how he was going to draw it out of her.
“I know who you are, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you’re not that sort of woman, Chloe. However, there is something between us, and I don’t want to hide it. I don’t do secret affairs,” he warned her.
“That’s good, because neither do I,” she said as she took a step back from him.
“Oh, Chloe, I think you’re misunderstanding me,” he told her as he stalked her. “I said I don’t do secret affairs. I am in no way willing to let what we have go.”
She needed to fully understand his commitment. They were both in far too deep. If she didn’t like him, Nick would let her go with no problem. But she did, and she was fighting it. Why she was, he had no idea.
“You should learn to take no for an answer, Nick. I’m not interested,” she said.
For the first time, Nick noticed that when she told a lie, a blush stole over her cheeks. She blushed for other reasons, too, but it was more obvious when she was trying to hide something from him. That was very interesting to know indeed. It meant she wouldn’t be able to easily deceive him. He liked the thought of that.
“You weren’t saying no last night, Chloe. You were begging me to take you each and every time. It wasn’t until morning that you put your armor back on. But let me give it to you as black and white as I possibly can. I want you. I am throbbing with the need to take you right here, right now. I can’t think of anyone else or do anything without imagining sinking deep within your hot, slick folds. I want to run my tongue over your velvety skin and suck your nipples into my mouth. I want my teeth scraping across your back, leaving my mark on you. I want to take you in the shower, in the bedroom, on the kitchen table―and that’s just for starters. I don’
t think I’ll ever get enough of you. By the look in your eyes, I have no doubt you want me just as much. We can play this game of being patient and client all you want, but I have the utmost confidence that you will be mine again. By delaying it, you’re only making both of us suffer.”
His voice grew huskier the longer he spoke, and her mouth dropped open as her dark tongue came out and dampened her lips. Her chest heaved, and he could clearly see the beaded tips of her nipples. He would bet his life she was hot and wet, and all he’d have to do is pull her pants down and slam inside her with zero resistance.
“That’s not what I want,” she said, her husky voice in direct contrast with her words.
Nick smiled. He could afford to be affable. He’d get what he wanted, and even though he wasn’t normally a patient man, he thought for this woman he could change his ways. His lips turned up in a confident grin as he stood there looking at her. He could practically envision her with no clothes, picture the two of them falling to the ground, her on top of him as she pushed down until he was fully inside her.
Reaching out he grabbed her hand and cupped it over his pulsing arousal. Her eyes practically glowed as she flexed her fingers. She wanted him, and she knew he was ready to give her pleasure. If she was going to force them to wait, then he wanted her suffering as much as he was.
Nick had no doubt she was in misery. Her eyes drifted down his body, and she gazed at her fingers with his large hand over them as she cupped his mass. He was too big, even inside his pants, for her to fully hold. But he was the perfect size to give her what she needed. She was very much aware of that.
“What’s it going to be, Chloe?” he asked huskily as his fingers flexed over hers, the pressure both agony and pleasure. He wished she’d just give in to her cravings and undo his pants. He highly doubted that was going to happen.