Something's Gotta Give (Tempered Steel Book 3)

by Adams, Maggie

  Georgia was now holding two toddlers in her arms while two other youngsters were leaning against her legs, looking sleepy. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sun. She looked like a fertility goddess offering thanks. Chance’s heart skipped a beat, then swelled with emotion. Never had she looked more beautiful to him.

  Now he knew exactly what Mac had gone through when he fell in love with Dixie. It was what Sam was fighting his own personal war against Angel. He could almost feel sorry for him, but Chance knew it was only Sam’s pride, not his heart, telling him that Angel couldn’t be trusted. But Angel was gonna win. And so was he.

  “Patience and perseverance are the keys to success.” His mother’s insightful words rang inside his head. He thought she was only talking about the children, but he wondered now if she knew more than she was letting on.

  “Hey Mister, Mister!” one of the young boys called from inside the house. Chance groaned. “Hey, Mister, you out there? I need help,” Jimmy… or was it Timmy that yelled to him as he put away his phone.

  “I’m coming. I’m coming,” he muttered.

  Chance made his way through the kitchen to the first floor bathroom. Knocking on the door, he asked warily, “What’s the matter, buddy?”

  “I need some help, Mister.”

  Chance sighed in resignation. “All right, I’m coming in.”

  He opened the door then stepped back into the hall because he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Three-year-old Timmy, Jimmy, or whatever his name was, stood with his backside to him, underwear completely off, and his pink bottom thrust out.

  He smiled at Chance with his head between his legs. “Hey, Mister, could you wipe me please?”

  Oh God, what had he gotten himself into?

  ****

  Georgia heard Timmy shout for assistance through the open window and bit back a smile. She knew exactly what he wanted and she had the feeling Chance was about to find out all he needed to know about three-year-olds and a bit more besides. He was finally realizing howmuch work was involved in watching several children at once.

  She had almost felt sorry for him, almost, when had he sat down with a heavy sigh and took the glass of tea that Missy Dee had offered him at their morning break, guzzling it down all at once.

  She gave Caleb Frazer a stern look from her position near the tree. He was trying to sneak onto the porch to put salt in Chance’s second glass of tea. She simply raised her eyebrows at him. He gave her a sheepish grin and headed back around the house, leaving the salt shaker sitting next to the tea.

  Georgia adjusted the children sitting on her lap and decided that Chance might be as handsome as the devil, but he was a babe in the woods when it came to dealing with so many youngsters. Still, he was giving it a gallant effort. She knew from personal experience the blow to the head with a baseball bat must’ve given him a heck of a headache.

  She wondered again why he was here. The only thing she could come up with was that it was his way of repaying her for saving his life. She knew he had a deeply ingrained sense of duty, just as his other brothers had. She’d been the recipient of his care and concern when her mother had died.

  She shook her head to ward off the bad memories. She couldn’t allow him to continue with that line of thinking. She had only been doing her job. Sort of. Chance couldn’t feel indebted to her.

  Georgia giggled softly as Chance’s muttered curses drifted out the open window. On the other hand, he was definitely coming in handy to have around the house.

  She allowed herself the luxury of fantasizing about having him around the house permanently. It would be heaven to have someone to share her opinions, her problems, not to mention, her bed, with. Someone who would be there for her when she needed help, or a shoulder to cry on, listen to her rant and rave about the injustices in the world. She closed her eyes and felt the heat of the sun as she let her mind drift….

  Chance would take her in his big, strong arms and make her feel tiny and beautiful just by looking at her, even though she wasn’t tiny or beautiful. He would kiss her passionately, ravenously, like he couldn’t get enough of her. Like he would die if he didn’t have her…

  Chance’s kiss. It was always there, in the back of her mind, and it came upon her at the most awkward times. She could recall everything about that sweet kiss. The smell of the smoke, the chemicals, the faint scent of his aftershave. His face, dirty from the soot of the fire, but his eyes ablaze with an incredible light. And his lips, those lips, were warm and soft and tantalizingly sensual. She had melted for just a second. She had known what it was finally like to kiss Chance Coalson.

  The banging of the screen door brought her daydreaming to an end. Chance stood on the steps of the porch, looking at her quizzically. Georgia felt the blush spread across her cheeks again-damn her fair skin-and lowered her lashes. But not before she noticed his sensual smile, lighting up his eyes and making her heart stop. God, it was like he knew exactly what I had been thinking!

  He walked over to her and took one of the sleeping babies. “You stay right there. I’ll be back for you,” he whispered.

  Georgia shivered. His deep voice had made that sound like a promise of untold delights. But he couldn’t have meant it that way, could he? What on earth could he possibly want with her?

  Suddenly, she wasn’t so afraid. She kind of wanted to find out what he had in store for her.

  ****

  “I’ve had it!” Chance roared as he marched in the back door in search of Georgia, four days later. He found her sitting once again under the old apple tree. He held a wailing child tucked under his arm. “I’ve taken a lot this past week, Peaches, but dammit all, this is the last straw!”

  He dumped the child in Georgia’s lap, past caring about her injury. He was incensed. He was furious. He paced back and forth, trying to get his temper under control, raking his hands through his short cropped black hair, before he confronted the woman he loved. How dare that sniveling, dirty faced, pants pooping, little beast in ponytails curse at him, him!

  “What happened?” Georgia demanded as she tried to sooth Patsy Taylor. The little girl, finding a sympathetic ear, began to sob louder. Georgia glared at Chance as she asked in a near shout in order to be heard over the ruckus. “What did you do?”

  “What did I do? WHAT DID I DO?! You’re lucky I don’t take her across my knee. That little rugrat-” he pointed an accusing finger at the whimpering little girl, causing her to snuggle closer to Georgia in protection from his wrath, “-cussed me out.”

  He nodded emphatically at Georgia’s incredulous look, then turned a smug little smile at the child in her lap.

  Georgia was astounded. Patsy Taylor was an angel. True, she did have a slight toilet training problem, but what two-year-old didn’t? She never threw tantrums, and she was more than happy to sit quietly and listen to a story. Her parents were pillars of the community. There was no way this child could have done what Chance was accusing her of. Yet Georgia could tell Chance was serious and believed Patsy had purposely slandered him. “Wait a minute. Tell me everything she said,” Georgia commanded.

  “She called me a shitting asshole. Not once, but she kept repeating it over and over while she banged on the kitchen table. She was damn rude saying it and pounding on the table.” Chance huffed. “Now this week, I’ve had my shoestrings tied together, salt put in my iced tea, bubblegum on the seat of my pants, and cleaned up more messes of one kind or another than I care to recall, but I will not tolerate being cursed at by a child!”

  “Please calm down, Chance. I’m trying to get to the bottom of this,” Georgia replied.

  Ironically, it only seemed to fuel Chance’s anger. “Listen, Peaches, I worked construction for quite a while at various other jobs before this. I’ve heard quite a few really obnoxious phrases in my time, but this kid--” He pointed at little Patsy, “--could give a merchant marine lessons in gutter talk.”

  Georgia knew she had to be missing something. “You’re absolutely
positive she called you that?” Where in the world had she heard such language? “She has trouble speaking still, you sure you didn’t misunderstand something she was saying?”

  Georgia thought back to the lunch table. Patsy was sitting at the table… No, beating on the table… calling him… Suddenly Georgia began to laugh. Tears rolled down her cheeks, startling the child in her arms, but after her initial surprise at her teacher’s mirth, she began to giggle right along with her. Georgia brushed the tiny tears from Patsy’s cheeks and gave her a big hug. As Georgia looked over at Chance’s scowl, she started laughing again. It was just too priceless!

  Chance was fuming now. Feeling completely helpless in the face of her obvious laughter at him, and not liking the feeling of being the butt of some kind of joke that was over his head, he could only stand there stiffly, with his fists clenched, waiting for her to provide the punchline.

  Of course, had it been any other woman laughing at him this way, he would’ve simply cut her with a wicked rejoinder and stalked away. But this woman was his love. She had gotten under his skin from the moment he touched her. In the past week, she had wheedled her way straight into his heart. There was no way he could walk away now. So he used the only weapon he could come up with to make her blush and shut the hell up. “Keep that up, Peaches, and I’m gonna have to kiss you to keep you quiet.”

  Georgia immediately closed her mouth. He had issued that seductive threat so intensely that she knew he meant it. And while the thought of that sexy mouth slanting over hers, put her libido into overdrive, her mind was still able to realize that down that going down that particular path was trouble. She wanted his kisses to mean something more than a clever way to shut her up. She wanted his kisses to mean a lot more if she was being completely truthful.

  “Go on in the house and see Missy Dee,” she whispered in Patsy’s ear, and the little girl scooted off her lap, giving Chance a wide berth.

  “I’m sorry for laughing, Chance, but once you hear the reason, I’m sure you’ll understand. Patsy wasn’t cursing you. She has trouble enunciating clearly, so she’s often misunderstood. She was still hungry. She wanted another helping of… chicken casserole.” Georgia bit her lip to keep from laughing. His expression was priceless, but she refrained from laughing this time. His ego had already taken quite a beating this week.

  Chance didn’t know what to say. He was thoroughly embarrassed. All the things he said, the way he acted, his righteous indignation, all because he didn’t take the time to listen carefully to what the child was saying. His complete and total mortification was over chicken casserole? Well now she knew he had a temper. So now what? Apologize? Definitely. “Sorry, Peaches. All I can say is it’s been a hell of a week.” He hung his head and looked at her from behind his lashes with a shy grin.

  Georgia melted. He stood there looking so chagrined as he asked for her forgiveness. His clothes were rumpled and stained from the kids. He had worked so hard this week trying to help her, putting up with the children’s little pranks.

  Not to mention the sweet care he had taken with her. Somehow, he had found out her favorite dessert was cheesecake. Everyday, he had Desserts and More, the little pie shop in town, deliver a different cheesecake, just for her. When she had mentioned to Missy Dee that she was in sore need of a pedicure, Hailey Lewis had showed up at naptime ready to give the ladies an impromptu pedicure.

  He had charmed Missy Dee with her favorite chocolates. And thanks to the Coalson brothers, the daycare now had an honest to goodness basketball court. She didn’t think she could love him more, but every little thing he did, just confirmed what her heart had known. He was perfect.

  Well, everyone had a breaking point, she surmised.

  Apparently Chance’s was chicken casserole.

  She nodded her head in acceptance of his apology, and she tried one more time to control her laughter, but it bubbled forth, causing her to hold her sides. Her eyes filled with tears of joy again. She really tried to stop herself but it was useless. It was just too funny. She crowed. She guffawed. She snorted as she rolled off the chaise lounge, onto the ground.

  Chance watched Georgia’s enjoyment at his expense and felt his heart expand. She was so full of life and love she was bursting with it. She simply had to let herself go once in a while. For the first time this week, she was forgetting to be polite, but distant, and she was treating him with the same love and warmth that she gave to her kids. He wanted that so badly. Suddenly feeling like a kid himself, he bent down and grasped her hand. “Falling at my feet again? You’re shameless, you know. Absolutely shameless.”

  Chance laughed when Georgia swatted his hand away as she gained her feet, while still chuckling over his humiliation. She took a step forward and her ankle gave way sending her tumbling into Chance’s arms. “I feel a certain déjà vu here, Peaches.”

  “No, you feel my bottom, now move your hand,” she responded smartly, then laughed at his incredulous expression.

  She had flirted with him! Chance had realized exactly where his hand was, but her remark sent him careening into a wall of desire. She was more comfortable around him and Chance knew this was his moment. “I can think of something better to do with that lovely mouth than laugh at me,” he whispered, just before his mouth came down on hers, giving her no opportunity to reply or move away.

  Chance tasted her sweetness and yearned for more. His desire for her was actually growing into a physical pain that would not abate. He held her close, one arm encircling her waist, the other hand caressing her cheek. Such softness, like the velvet skin of a peach.

  His hand trailed over her collarbone and came to rest on the side of her beautiful breasts pressed against his chest. His hands ached to lift her shirt and explore. But he knew it was too soon. In an effort to gain some measure of control, his arm once again skirted downward to her waist, then slid down to break away completely, but she wiggled against him and his hand came into contact with her bottom once again.

  He squeezed gently. He thought he had died and gone to heaven. His hand skimmed lightly over her luscious curves. She didn’t turn away. She even snuggled closer against his growing erection. His hands began to wander over her smooth skin, the color of a split peach. God he loved peaches. He loved her.

  Passion, white-hot and blinding, ricocheted throughout her nervous system to puddle in Georgia’s lower regions. For a timeless moment, she gave in to the delicious feelings like he had reduced her to the night of the fire. With wild abandon, she matched his kiss, her tongue darting, dancing, and twirling with his until she felt faint.

  Georgia moaned and Chance grew bolder, cupping her bottom with both hands and bringing her up closer to press against the juncture of his thighs. She circled his waist with her leg and grabbed at his silky black hair with both hands. He felt so good to her. All hard male and soft lips, making her forget where she was, concentrating only on how good he was making her feel. And the feelings were coming fast, too fast, too intense, to be described as anything other than soul shattering.

  The sound of rustling branches was her only warning that they were no longer alone. “Chance and Miss Peaches sitting in a tree, K I SS I NG,” a squeal of giggles accompanied that remark, as four little faces peaked out from the tree to make fun of the entwined couple.

  At the first sound of childish voices Georgia came back to earth with a crash. She whirled around, ignoring the twinge in her ankle and frantically tried to think of something to cover her embarrassment. She shooed the children away with fluttering hands.

  She turned to Chance. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” she whispered.

  Georgia noticed Chance’s eyes burned brighter with desire as he heard her words. “Maybe not now, darlin’. But you’ll know soon enough. Trust me.”

  She was confused by what he meant by that remark. Then she noted his devilish grin. She began to shake. She finally understood exactly what he had meant. And what Chance wanted. Heaven help her. Chance wanted her complet
e surrender.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Friday night Georgia limped up the stairs to her bedroom eager to change her sodden shirt. Baby Bodie had unfortunately decided to toss back the contents of his bottle all over her. She was desperate to get out of the wet shirt and bra and get rid of the smell. She flung the shirt and bra off into the laundry basket as she hastened to give herself a small bath in the sink before her six o’clock appointment. The Baxters, Trent and Stacy, had a newborn baby boy and were looking into daycare services. Georgia had always liked Stacy. She was a few grades ahead of her in school, but Stacy had always treated her well.

  Now Trent, well, that was a different matter. He had pushed her up against the porta-potties one night at the football game, holding her head while he tried to thrust his tongue in her mouth. She had kneed him in the groin to get him off of her, and she hadn’t forgotten about it. But if he had changed for the better, and could see his way into forgetting that embarrassment in order to give their child good daycare services, she supposed she could forgive him. But if he tried something like that again, she was introducing him to Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson.

  Georgia came out of the master bathroom, topless, and moved into the bedroom to grab a bra from the drawer of her dresser. Usually the soft mint tones of her bedroom soothed her, but lately all she could think about was what Chance would look like prowling like the great beast he was, in her feminine space.

  She glanced at her figure in the mirror, pausing a moment to take stock of her heavy breasts that sagged just a bit already. The areola was a light brown and her nipples were large, not perfect and not pretty like a model. She shook her head. She just didn’t understand why Chance wanted her. She wasn’t picture-perfect, her curvy body was soft not firm, and she was almost as tall as he was. She let the bra drop back down onto the dresser and took her breasts in her hands, examining them. She always felt like a cow with udders.