Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  “Better. Hit harder.” He kept his hands locked on her hips, the heat from his chest only inches from hers.

  Following his instructions, she pushed her fist out until it slammed forward, swaying the bag.

  “Again,” he said.

  She let out a groan as she hit the bag. Certainly not a sexy sound coming from her, but neither was the sweat dotting her forehead and dampening the armpits of her t-shirt.

  “Harder.”

  She pounded her fist with as much force as she managed. And then she did it again without him even telling her to. Another three times in a row. Slam. Slam. Slam. More sweat and her breath came out in big puffs. She slowed down to catch her breath, making her realize he’d let go of her at one point and stepped back. She turned to face him and found a giant grin splayed across his face.

  “So maybe you don’t suck after all,” she said.

  “I figured you’d change your mind. You don’t exactly suck either. What’s your plans for later tonight?”

  “Packing. I have to leave in the morning.” The reality of her situation hit her right in the heart. Screw Ray! She’d always been polite to the asshole when he didn’t deserve one bit of decency. Just wait until she got into her office. She was going to tell him where to shove his job… finally.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Don’t be. I’m going to submit to other publications. I guess I will do some freelancing until I land something fulltime.”

  “Use the information I gave you for a new article about me.” Maybe it was knowing that she was leaving or the fact that he’d had the power to get her promoted at her former magazine but hadn’t done anything about it. Her being fired was partly his fault. “My article will earn you some quick cash.”

  “Thanks, Rally. I really appreciate this.”

  “Listen, I have stuff to do after the gym. Want to get together afterward or in the morning before you leave?”

  “I’d love to see you before I go. You know we’ll need to talk about what happens next, right?”

  A frown etched at the corners of his mouth. “I know. That’s the subject I was avoiding.”

  “Go train. You have matches to win,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. Someone whistled at them, but Grace didn’t turn to check who it was.

  When the kiss ended, he said, “Go interview boxers. You have a feature to do.”

  Chapter Nine

  Exhausted from a kickass workout at the gym, Rally dragged himself into his house. His arms hurt from the new punching and jab routine Felix added. His legs hurt from the extra mile he’d ran. Not to mention the ache in his heart. He wanted to see Grace tonight but he’d skipped dinner with Addison too many times since Grace’s arrival. He was torn between the two main females in his life.

  Entering the dining room, he fell into the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a groan. Fern came in, carrying Addison in her arms. When she saw him, she stopped, her mouth opened in surprise.

  He gave half a wave. “Hey.” Leaning his head back, he let his eyes drift shut.

  “You’re home.”

  “I’m always home for Addison’s dinner.” Damn, he was tired. If he didn’t get up, he’d probably fall asleep in the kitchen chair.

  He peeked one eye open. Fern hadn’t moved. Her shoulders were tense and she wore a frown. Addison wriggled in her arms, forcing Fern to put her on the floor. Once free of the squirmy toddler, Fern shifted her weight from one foot to another.

  “I was just going to cook dinner because I didn’t think you’d be here again.”

  He sat up straight. “I am. What were you going to make tonight?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing special.” She went to the kitchen island and put her hands on the counter top. She stared down, letting her hair shield her eyes.

  He forced himself from the chair. “Seriously. What’s for dinner? We’ll make it together.”

  Yanking her head up, she said, “I actually need to go out. I put my plans on hold when I figured you’d miss Addison’s dinner again. Now that you’re here, I’m leaving for a bit.”

  Addison grabbed her cuddle blanket from the recliner, toddled over to the couch and climbed up. She put her head on the cushion and snuggled against the blanket.

  “Did she have a nap?” Rally asked Fern.

  Fern nodded. “She slept for an hour and a half this afternoon, but she fussed some in her sleep.”

  He hurried over to his daughter and put a hand on her forehead. “She’s a little warm, but nothing to worry about yet. Go do your stuff. Check in with me later just so I know you are okay.”

  She gave a half smile. “Of course.”

  He gave a quick kiss to his daughter’s forehead before returning to the kitchen. Easy dinner tonight. He pulled chicken nuggets, Addison’s favorite, mixed veggies even though she only ate the corn from the ensemble, and tater tops from the freezer. While the food cooked, he checked out the window to make sure Fern had left already before calling Grace.

  After a quick hello, he jumped to the important part of the conversation in case Addison started to cry or make some other type of almost-two-year-old noise. “I’m sorry, Grace. Can we see each other tomorrow morning before you leave?”

  “Sure. It’ll give me more time to submit proposals. Wouldn’t it be nice if I sold them right away?”

  “It would be great. Don’t worry, Grace, you’ll find someone to buy them.”

  She sighed. “Thanks for the encouragement. It is almost as good as an acceptance letter.”

  Addison started moving around on the couch. Damn. He needed to hurry up with a goodbye. “I need to get going. Let’s get together in the morning.” He tried pushing the sadness away by sounding demanding when he said, “You can’t leave without seeing me first, got that?”

  She laughed. “We’ll do takeout breakfast in the morning. Grab some on your way over. Sound good?”

  He pictured her in her cute flannel pj’s. Heat rushed over his chest and he stiffened in his workout pants. “Perfect. I’ll be in my pj’s, too.”

  “But you have to go to a restaurant and through my hotel.”

  “So what? The only person’s opinion who matters is yours.” He didn’t care who seen him.

  “Oh wow.”

  Addison sat up on the couch and called out to him with her arms stretched.

  “See you tomorrow,” he said, covering the phone’s mouthpiece so Addison’s cry didn’t transmit over the phone.

  Grace said a quick goodbye and he set his phone on the table to scoop Addison up in her arms.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  She snuggled her face against his chest. “No,” came her mumbled reply.

  “Chicken nuggets tonight. Your favorite.”

  “No,” she repeated, her voice low. She rubbed her tiny fist over her eye.

  She nodded against him. He touched his fingertips to her head again. This just wasn’t like her. His high spirited toddler never lounged around like this. She was on the go from the moment she opened her eyes to the moment she closed them at night. She still didn’t feel feverish. Maybe just tired? Times like these made him wish for instructions on parenting. It seemed that once he got the hang of each new ‘thing’ she went through-like teething-she changed again, throwing him the curve ball all over. Maybe someday, when she was twenty, he’d get this whole dad role. If Addison had a mom around, things would be even easier. He sighed. No, he couldn’t dwell on the fact that it was just him and the nanny taking care of Addison. Most single fathers didn’t even have a nanny. For that, he should be grateful.

  He strapped her in the high chair before going over to dish her food. With two plates in hand, he went back to the table and sat in the chair beside hers. Once the food cooled, he said, “Here you go, cupcake.” He put her plastic plate on the high chair tray.

  “Dada,” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “Cup.” She always used that word for drink.r />
  “Oops. Daddy forgot the drinks.” He hurried to the fridge and pulled out the milk, filling a large glass for him and a sippy cup for her.

  “Cup,” she said again.

  “I’m coming, impatient girl.” He put the milk jug back in the fridge and hurried around the kitchen island to the table.

  “Cup.” Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Here’s your milk.” He handed her the sippy and reclaimed his chair, ready to dig into his dinner, but first cut hers into small bite-sized pieces first. He cleared his plate by the time she finished three bites of chicken nugget and two pieces of corn. No tots. She didn’t even dip her finger in the ketchup he’d squirted on her plate.

  She held her hands up. “Dada,” she said.

  “Not hungry tonight?”

  “No.” Tears welled again. One fell down her freckled cheek.

  “Want to watch TV and cuddle with Daddy?” he asked, pulling her up from the high chair.

  “No.” It usually didn’t matter what the question was. The answer usually stayed the same.

  “Yes, you do.”

  He held his daughter to his chest with one arm while tossing the plates into the sink with the intention of washing them later and turned the dimmer switch on the lights to the low setting. Using the remote, he flipped the television on to the twenty-four hour cartoon station that appealed to the younger ages before curling up on the couch. Addison stayed against his chest as he leaned back on the large, brown couch pillows. She made sucking sounds as she kept her eyes on the little purple creatures singing and dancing across the screen. He hated these shows so much and could do without his daughter rotting her mind by viewing them. But it was one of those nights and this shit calmed her down. They made it through an entire program when he glanced down to find her asleep. He flipped the TV off and the strain on his over-worked muscles gave him a jolt. He tried not to flinch at the pain and wake up Addison as he carried her to her room. A kiss on her forehead and a tuck under the blanket later, he was outside of her door again, patting his pocket for his phone. He wanted to call Grace but didn’t even know what time it was. Right. He’d left the cell on the table.

  Just as he got back into the dining room, the front door opened. Fern stepped in, her cheeks rosy.

  “Cold out there?”

  “Mm hm,” she said, eyeing the living room. “Where is Addison?”

  “Bed. She zonked out while cuddling with me.” Seeing the dishes still in the sink, he took a step in that direction, babying his right leg as he put his weight down on it.

  She went to the table and rested a hand on the back of a chair. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just pulled a hamstring or something. I will have Charity check it out tomorrow.”

  “Then go to bed. I’ll make sure the baby monitor is on and I’ll get up with Addison tonight if she wakes.”

  “Thanks. I’ll just finish these dishes first.”

  She shooed him from the sink. “No. Let me do those. Go to bed.”

  He told her goodnight before checking on his sleeping daughter one last time. Her little forehead was still warm but not hot. His chest tightened as he left the room. His life was full of goodness and he cherished every single bit.

  After Fern locked herself away in her room, the house was too quiet. Rally tossed and turned in his own bed, wishing that he could fall asleep at last. He glanced at the clock. Eleven. He rarely stayed up that late. Rolling over again, he shoved the top sheet and blanket to the side. He crunched the pillow under his head, adding more leverage. The chill drifted over his bare chest, making him pull the sheet and blanket back over him.

  He knew exactly what the problem was. He missed her. They’d only been able to see each other for a little while and she would be leaving in the early afternoon. He’d insisted on her taking some time to write up her proposals for the other publications which gave him some much needed time with Addison. Now he missed her as much as his lungs would miss breathing air. What the hell happened to him?

  Was she awake right now? He’d tried giving her a call but reached her voicemail and hung up without leaving a message. He didn’t leave a message. He groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair. Bad idea, for sure, but he grabbed his phone and found her name on his contact list. Two rings before she answered.

  “Rally? Is everything okay?”

  “No. I can’t sleep.”

  She let out a low-sexy as hell-laugh. “I can’t sleep either. Not since we’ve spent the night together. I want to see you.”

  He wanted to see her, too, but couldn’t leave. “Me, too.”

  “I can come over. Just give me your address. GPS will lead the way.” She giggled, but he didn’t feel like laughing. He had to find a way to see her tonight, to hold her in his arms. Could having her over here be possible?

  “Fine with me,” he said.

  “Give me a few minutes, but I’m not getting dressed. You’ll have to deal with my pj’s.”

  After a quick goodbye, he climbed out of bed and hurried to his bathroom for a quick brush of his teeth and then his hair. He adjusted the waist band of his navy plaid pajama pants, they’d turned slightly while he’d been rolling around on the bed, before heading out to the foyer. He paced the small room and moved to the living room. With the large windows lining one wall, he would be able to see her pulling into the driveway.

  He glanced around the room, his gaze landing on all of the kid stuff cluttering up the place. Damn. He scrubbed a hand over his five o’clock shadow. Unless he wanted to reveal Addison, which he didn’t right now, he couldn’t bring her in here. Maybe take her straight to his room? Fern kept a baby monitor in by her bed to hear if Addison woke during the night. That shouldn’t be a problem.

  Lights flickered across the window, indicating her arrival. Before she had a chance to ring the doorbell, he took long strides across the kitchen, living room, and into the foyer where he unlocked and pulled the door open. She was just stepping on the porch when she made eye contact with him. A big grin splayed across her mouth and she rushed into his arms.

  “I missed you,” she said, her mouth dangerously close to his ear.

  “I’ve missed you, too, honey.” He’d never called any female honey before. Not even Stella. The nickname seemed to fit Grace. The word now belonged to her just as ‘cupcake’ was reserved for Addison.

  He snuggled her close. A flowery scent mixed with soap soothed his senses. He slid his hand up the back of her head, letting the strands of hair fall between his fingers and tilted her for a long kiss. His shoulders were rigged as if Fern or Addison’s door might open, letting Grace in on his secret. Keeping Addison from Grace wasn’t an option anymore. He couldn’t stand a night away from her. Grace needed to be a permanent spot in his world.

  “Want to show me your house? I’d love to see it.” Before he had a chance to answer her question, she slid her hand up his tight bicep and over his shoulder. She asked, “What’s wrong? You’re so tense.”

  He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep and wanted you here. Want to go to my room? You can see the house tomorrow. It’s better in the daylight anyway.” He’d tell her by morning and then introduce her to Addison.

  “Sure.”

  He took her by the hand and led her through the foyer and down the hall. She tried pausing to look at the pictures hanging there. Some were of Addison alone, others with Addison either with him or various members of the family. His favorite was him holding Addison for the first time after her birth. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off that little squishy faced baby. Grace needed to hear the story at another time. As he passed by Fern and Addison’s doors, his shoulders tensed even more. It would be his luck for Fern to open it right now. He pushed open his door with a sock-clad foot and stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind Grace. He had a lock on the door but never had to use it. Fern didn’t intruded on his personal space. As far as he knew, she didn’t even cross the threshold of his room while he was away from t
he house.

  His lips pressed against hers for a few minutes. His fingers traced over the contours of her fit stomach and made their way up to the lacy edge of her bra hidden beneath her pajama shirt. Her hard nipple poked against the fabric, enticing him to free each of her breasts from the confining clothing. He’d release them, all right. With impatience, he shoved her shirt up around her shoulders, revealing cleavage against lacy lavender. A deep groan rumbled in the back of his throat as he stared down at her nearly nude torso. Fuck, he wanted her so bad. His lips found the heat of her skin, making a trail with the tip of his tongue. Without a second left to spare, he pulled the thin fabric down and sucked her nipple into his mouth. The small action made his dick rock hard. He flicked one of her pink puckered rosebud with his tongue and found the other with his fingertips. She arched her back and let out a moan. Reaching above her head, she yanked her shirt off, tossing it to the floor. He had to let go of her long enough for her to slip her pajama bottoms off, kicking them to the side. Next went her panties.

  “I want you badly.” She wrapped her hand around his engorged shaft. One stroke. Then another. “I won’t make it through any foreplay.”

  Rally tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and let out the most passion induced moan he could remember having. “Damn, Grace. You’re killin’ me.”

  “Then take me, Rally. Take me now.”

  He turned her around, pushing her down on the bed. He throbbed for her, needed her just as much as she needed him. Hot damn. What had he gotten himself into? With her sweat crease ready for him, he shoved the head of his dick inside of her. She bucked against him, pushing him deep inside. Her muscles clenched him tight, making him pulsate. His hands clutched her hips, not that he needed to hold her in place. She knew exactly what to do. Pumping hard and faster until she shuddered against him, only giving him a minute more of pleasure before he released his own orgasm, his moans joining hers.

  He pulled from her and showed her to his private bathroom where they took turns cleaning and redressing. She went first while he waited outside of the door to give her some privacy. Once it was his turn, he hurried through the act of cleaning himself and slid his pajama bottoms back on. He went back into the bedroom to find her in his enormous four-post king sized bed. She looked so tiny under the down-filled comforter and the five fluffy pillows spread across the head of the bed. He held up the blanket and sheet, crawling in next to her. Spreading his arm across the row of pillows, he pulled her to him. She snuggled against his bare chest.