by J. M. Madden
The gold necklace Chad had given her for Christmas matched the dress perfectly and she wore it now, as well as a pair of pretty, glimmery earrings. Her feet were wedged into low heels. Anything higher and she wouldn’t be able to walk. Thankfully, most of the snow from the last storm had melted.
“Mom, you look…” Mercy’s sweet voice trailed off as she tried to find a word, but she shook her head. “Chad is going to kiss all over you.”
The innocent words meant something completely different to Lora, and she blushed, looking down the length of herself.
“You look incredible, Lora. You really and truly do.”
She moved to the mirror hanging in the hallway off the vestibule. Yes, she looked striking tonight. She’d curled her hair with big rollers, and now it curled around her face nicely. She’d only used a little eye makeup to make her green eyes look even more vibrant, and a light gloss on her lips. Actually, she wouldn’t be comfortable wearing much more than she already was.
For the first time in a long time, she felt secure in herself. She had a good body she didn’t show off enough, as her significant other had gently pointed out.
She snorted as she remembered Chad’s words from last fall. “Maybe it’s better you don’t wear tank tops and shorts. I would be hard all the time, and that’s hard to hide. No pun.”
Glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall, she frowned and turned to Heather. “I’d better go. You have my cell phone number and Chad’s, as well as half a dozen others. There’s money on the counter for takeout and rented movies on the table for you to watch.”
She bent over to kiss Mercy on the cheek. “You need to be in bed by nine. Otherwise you will be a bear in the morning. Okay?”
Mercy nodded, wrapping her arms around Lora’s neck. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetie. Have fun with Heather tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow when we get home.”
Lora retrieved her coat from the hall closet and slipped it on, wishing she had something a little more elegant to go with the dress, but it would have to do. Then, with a final wave and overnight bag in hand, she headed to the car.
Yesterday she’d sent Chad a text message that she wanted to meet him downtown for dinner the next night, and then go see a play. He’d called her almost immediately.
“A play? Really?”
“Yes,” Lora told him firmly. “It will be late when we get done, so I reserved us a hotel room. You need to pack an overnight bag with essentials and nice clothes for when we go out.”
“You planned us a date?” he asked her incredulously.
She’d laughed, loving that she had surprised him again. “Yes, I did. So tonight when you come home, you’re going to pack an overnight bag, and I’ll just meet you downtown after work tomorrow.”
When he’d gotten home, he’d asked her questions that she refused to answer, even under extreme sensual torture. Eventually he’d packed his bag and grabbed a suit jacket on a hanger. When he left for work this morning, his eyes had glinted with excitement. “Anything else I need to know?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I love you. I’ll see you tonight.”
And now, as she drove through the Denver streets, her heart raced at her own daring. This was a normal, everyday thing for most people, but it felt to Lora like she was scaling Everest. As she walked into the restaurant a few minutes later, her coat in the coat check, Chad’s eyes gleamed with pleasure as he watched her walk across the room to him. Lora gasped in a breath when she reached him, and sagged into his arms. Her gumption had begun to flag as she felt so many eyes upon her.
“You look,” he paused to run his eyes from the top of her head to her toes, “like every wet dream I’m going to have for the next year and a half.”
Laughing, she lifted her mouth for a kiss, knowing he would be there to meet her.
“You approve?” she asked, some of her confidence faltering.
“Hell, yes,” he hissed. “Are you serious? You are more beautiful than any other woman in this room. If you hadn’t taken me in your arms, I’d be fighting with the half a dozen men that were undressing you with their eyes as you crossed to me. Where the hell did you get that dress?”
When he held her chair out for her to be seated, Lora sank into it gratefully. “I ordered it online,” she admitted. “At first I thought it was too tight.”
Chad sat down to her right and grasped her hand in his. “It looks stunning on you. I always tell you the truth, you know that, and that dress fits you like it was poured onto you.”
“Well,” she said slowly, “it’s so tight I couldn’t wear my bra under it.”
Immediately, his eyes dropped to her full breasts. And his attention made her breasts respond. It was a long moment before he looked up again. “Just what in the hell did I ever do to you? Why are you trying to kill me?”
She giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. “One other interesting tidbit about this dress,” she leaned toward him conspiratorially. “It’s only held up by one button at my neck.”
Chad’s brilliant blue eyes darkened with arousal and his gaze lingered at her neck. He wanted to pop that button, just to see what would happen. She smiled at him, wondering what he would do when he realized the dress had no back.
They ate a lovely meal and Lora gave herself permission to try a few things she’d never had before. Chad watched her with guarded eyes. Lora could tell he wanted to be alone with her, but he also didn’t want to rob her of the experience. “You’re going to owe me tonight, woman.”
Lora laughed, already looking forward to paying that debt to him.
They finished the meal and Chad paid the check. When she stood from the table, and he rested his hand on her lower back to escort her out, his hand jerked away, then flattened to her skin. He chuckled, low and sexy, but rather than saying anything, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked her out.
To get to the theater, they just needed to walk down less than a block and cross the street. When they were away from the restaurant, he turned her around so he could move her coat aside and look at her from behind. “My God, woman, you are trying to get me killed. I’m going to have to beat men off with a stick.”
He actually didn’t, but everything he did for her that night was magical. In every way he could, he reinforced the sensuality and womanliness that was emerging from her. Lora watched the play, but her attention was focused on the finger he played up the inside of her arm. And the arousal roughened voice warning her to be good as she very subtly rested a hand on his heavy erection. He covered her hand with his, and she let one of her fingers glide along his length.
His breath hitched in his throat and he pulled her hand away, crossing his legs in the opposite direction. Chuckling softly, Lora wrapped her arm through his, running her fingers over the puckered skin of his scarred arm.
It seemed like the play dragged on for hours, but it was only because she knew Chad would give her a greater show than anything she’d seen tonight. When the curtain fell for the last time, they made their way out of the theater hand in hand and headed straight for the hotel.
Lora was thrilled that they were almost at the dessert part of the night.
Chapter Fifteen
Duncan didn’t have it in him to pretend, so he sent John a text that he would be taking the next couple of days off and packed a bag. Then he turned his truck south on twenty-five. Las Vegas, New Mexico was only about five hours away, but the temperature difference was substantial, enough so he could almost feel his bones defrosting. They would defrost all the way when he went to his favorite hot mineral spring to soak.
Tranquilo Hot Springs Inn was in Las Vegas, New Mexico, a sleepy little town guarded by Montezuma Castle. Through the years the landmark had been many things—international college, hotel, monastery—but it had been under renovation for years. He’d never actually gone through the thing, but he loved looking up the hill to see its silhouette up there.
The Inn was just a few
minutes away and catered to wealthy clientele. But, for the right price, they would give you a room and leave you alone for two days to soak in the in-room mineral baths. Duncan realized when he pulled into the lot that he probably should have called for a reservation, but they managed to find him a room. As soon as he unlocked the door and dropped his bag, anticipation started to creep in, along with the familiar, faintly sulfuric smell. Crossing the room to the pool, he kicked his boots to the side, dropped his coat and clothes to the floor and walked carefully down the steps.
The heat was scalding, a huge temperature jump from outside, but his body acclimated quickly. As he settled into the rough stone seat, he let all his inhibitions and worries go. For just a few minutes he would enjoy the springs.
The next time he opened his eyes, he knew he’d been in a long time. His fingers had those weird little wrinkles in the skin. Sighing, he used the railing beside the steps to pull himself up and out of the water. Towels were stacked in an open cupboard nearby, so he grabbed one to dry off. Then, crossing the bedroom, he pulled back the sheets and comforter on the bed and crawled inside. As soon as he covered himself up from the chilly air, he drifted off to sleep again.
When he woke, he was ravenously hungry. Calling for room service, he ordered too many things to eat, as well as several drinks to put in the small fridge across from him under the TV.
Maybe if he kept himself busy enough he wouldn’t miss Alex as much.
As he dug into the beautifully plated roast chicken, he knew it wasn’t going to happen. He had hoped by changing his scenery and doing something, he could get away from thoughts of her but it definitely hadn’t worked that way. All he did was think of her and imagine her sitting across from him in the spa, or laying beside him in the expansive bed.
The desolation in her eyes when they said goodbye at the airport had almost crushed him. He couldn’t remember Melanie ever looking at him that way any time he’d shipped out. Granted, that was years ago and maybe he’d forgotten, but he was pretty sure his ex-fiancée hadn’t cared that much. He and Melanie had never had that kind of connection.
Fuck, why was he even thinking about Melanie? Why was he still allowing her to be a problem all these years later?
Shit, was that what his problem really was, deep down? Did he worry that Alex would leave him at some point because she didn’t want to deal with all his medical issues?
No, that felt like kind of a copout. Everyone developed issues as they aged. Besides, she was a doctor. If anyone would understand the degeneration of the body it would be Alex.
So, best case scenario, what could he do to change the situation, what could he do to fix things? Why didn’t he want kids?
The question made him pause.
Little Mercy had an iron grip on his heart, as well as most of the other men in the group. Big, bad Harper made it a point to stop and see her when he was in town, even bringing his own kids to meet her. And Drew, Ember’s little boy, was a kick-ass little dude. Zeke had already settled into being the father that Drew had been needing. It turned out Zeke had needed it too, of course.
Then there were his nephews and his little niece. All were amazing little human beings, on the path to becoming even more amazing adults. They changed every time he saw them, even if it had been only a few days.
Maybe it wasn’t the kids themselves, but the responsibility they brought with them.
The thought settled into his skin and it seemed a little ridiculous. Duncan and responsibility had been best friends and bosom buddies for a long time. All his life, he’d been the one taking care of everyone around him. The Marines had recognized his leadership abilities and taken advantage of them early. Even out of the Marines a decade, he was still taking care of people. It was what he did well.
And admittedly, he’d created some of the obligations himself. There was something satisfying in knowing he had changed lives. Just recently he’d hired two of the guys he’d met at Harmony House. They both had previous security training and fit exactly into the position he needed them for. It had been a no-brainer to hire them. They were starting after the first of the year, just a few days away.
And maybe he was a little selfish, too. There was a very real possibility that he just didn’t want to give up the time and energy to raising a child. His life worked like a well-oiled machine. Well, it had until Alex had thrown a wrench in the gears.
She had made him realize how boring his life was, and as many people as he had around him, it was empty too. Yeah, he loved working, but his personal life truly sucked. There was no way he could count the guys at Harmony House as his Wednesday night dates. Alex made him feel things that he’d been missing all the more sharply now that she was gone.
In the privacy of his room, he could admit that he missed her desperately. She’d walked into his life in her too-tall heels and wrapped herself around his heart. He would do damn near anything to get back with her.
Even think about having kids.
* * *
John and Shannon had taken a couple of days off. They’d needed the time to let everything sink in. When they returned to work, they let the rest of the company know about the double pregnancy. Duncan, definitely not looking refreshed after his trip to the hot springs, sat in the corner of the conference room, frowning distractedly. He’d been snappish and a little lost since Alex had left. John wished they’d get their shit together so the company could settle down again.
After the men had gotten over their shock, they’d congratulated them, or commiserated. John laughed as he saw the scolding look on Roger’s face. “What?”
The big man just shook his head, arms crossed. “You’re in for it now. What if you have two girls?”
John scowled. That had occurred to him as well. Two boys would be ideal. He could deal with boys. What the hell would he do with girls?
Chad punched Roger in the shoulder. “Hey, now. Girls are fine. Mercy is amazing.” He looked at John. “Don’t give in to all that stereotypical bullshit. She plays with cars and stuffed animals. Give her a Barbie doll and she turns her nose up at it. I can’t wait to take her shooting at the ranch. I found this awesome little .22 caliber rifle called a Cricket. Shorter barrel, shorter stock. Totally made for a little girl.”
John looked at the picture Chad had saved on his phone of the little pink gun. Huh…okay. That was pretty cute.
“Besides,” Chad continued, “I doubt Shannon will let you avoid them. Twins are a lot of work, my friend. I used to babysit my niece Grace when she was a baby, and just one kid is a handful. I can’t imagine two.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Lowell,” John growled.
They all laughed, but John knew they spoke the truth.
The group took it a little easier on Shannon. She got hugs. And warnings that she had better get in gear on the nursery because she would be as big as a house in no time. John didn’t like the look in her eyes. The men’s words held a glimmer of truth in them, and she was realizing that twins could shorten their timeline. The doctor had warned them that carrying two babies also meant having a greater chance of pregnancy issues.
“I think I need to talk to the girls,” she murmured to him later.
Chapter Sixteen
With a heaving sigh, Alex settled into her office chair, wondering why the heck she felt so bad. Oh yeah, she’d been on duty for like five hundred hours. And she’d lost a patient. Hadn’t slept for days. God, what else…
Removing her glasses she rubbed her eyes, wondering when she’d be relieved. Most of the staff was out with the flu and it was everything they could do to keep it from spreading patient to patient.
It didn’t help that she was also missing Duncan terribly. It had been a long, grueling three days since she’d walked away from him. She’d never lost her head over a man, but Duncan was definitely the one to make her do it.
Six feet of muscular male, dark hair fading to silver, strong jaw—he was everything she thought she would want in a man. And more. Her
breath sped up every time she’d walked toward him. When she’d watched him interact with his men, she’d been impressed with how much he obviously cared about all of them.
Her beeper went off, shattering the calm of the doctors’ lounge. She jerked her head up, realizing she’d dozed off at some point. Dreaming about Duncan, again. Figured.
Alex pushed to her feet, fighting the exhaustion that was dragging her down. Just a few more hours before somebody would relieve her.
When she finally walked out of the hospital, bundled against the brutal cold, she felt like a damn zombie. She was literally rambling along the sidewalk with her eyes closed, because it felt so good to close them. It was a good thing she didn’t get mugged. She would probably have just laid down on the street and given the muggers everything.
The two blocks seemed to stretch for miles, until the cheery vestibule light of her building shone through the night. Fumbling her keys, she let herself into the building, then clomped up two flights of stairs. She felt like her eyes literally crossed as she tried to fit the key into her door, but she finally got it done. She slammed the thing shut and immediately started removing layers. Now she was sweating.
Crossing to the bathroom she peed, brushed her teeth and drank what seemed like a gallon of water, then fell face down onto the bed. Dragging the comforter over top of herself she fell into a deep sleep.
Alex didn’t rouse for a solid twelve hours. When she finally woke, she realized she was the next woman down in the Kansas City flu epidemic. Shudders wracked her body and she felt like she’d been dragged over twenty miles of bad road. Getting out of bed took a Herculean effort, but she had to use the bathroom. When she was done, she drank a glass of cold water. Then another. Before she crawled back in bed, she got two bottles of water from the kitchen that she put next to her bed. Falling across the mattress, she let herself pass out.
It took a solid three days for Alex to get over the flu. The hospital was still short staffed, but they didn’t want her on premises if she was still recovering. She caught up on her lost sleep within the first couple of days, then got so tired of sleeping that she couldn’t any more. Crashing on the couch, she watched as many episodes of ER as she could before her eyes dried out and she fell back to sleep, exhausted and sore from doing nothing.