So why was she suddenly depressed?
UNFORTUNATELY, her day went from bad to worse. No sooner had Cady walked into the kitchen to join the guys for breakfast than her cell phone went off. One glance at the in-box showed half a dozen text messages, another dozen missed calls.
The VPs at Hanover Horseshoes had moved up the delivery date on the marketing plan. The spokesmodel everyone had agreed was perfect for the gig had just landed a part in a movie filming in Mexico, and was no longer available. A conference call was scheduled for nine-thirty, and Cady was expected to be on it, vacation or no vacation.
“It’s not a problem,” Jeb said. “I’ll take the boys for the day and we’ll meet up at my place for dinner, say around five o’clock?”
Cady looked at all she had to do and groaned in abject misery. “Better make that six….”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed with the affection of an old friend, instead of a boyfriend-to-be. “See you then….”
Trying not to think about how easily Jeb was able to let go of their lovemaking, and how much she wished it could happen again, Cady settled down to work. By the time she finished, it was nearly five-thirty.
She went upstairs to freshen up, then called Jeb to let him know she was on her way. She could hear the boys in the background. “Tell Aunt Cady to hurry up!” Dalton yelled.
“Yeah,” Finn agreed loudly, “we can’t wait for her to—”
The sound cut off abruptly, as Jeb apparently covered the phone. When he came back on, there was dead silence—except for some telltale giggles—in the background.
Wondering what was going on, Cady asked, “Everything okay?”
“They’re just excited to see you,” Jeb said matter-of-factly.
Cady had missed them, too.
Although it sounded as if they had had a very good time without her.
She grabbed her purse and keys. “I’ll be there in five.”
Minutes later, when she pulled up in front of Jeb’s ranch house, all three boys were seated on the front steps. Jeb was standing next to them.
“You’re not going to believe what’s behind the house!” Dalton leaped up to greet her.
“Aunt Cady! In there!” Micah pointed to the front door.
Finn rushed to take her hand. “You’re going to love it, Aunt Cady.”
“But first,” five-year-old Dalton instructed, more seriously than ever, “you have to close your eyes.”
Cady glanced at Jeb. He looked pretty proud of himself, she noted.
“Better do as they say,” he told her solemnly as he grasped Cady’s other arm.
She closed her eyes and let them steer her toward the front door, while the other boys raced on ahead.
“Keep your eyes closed, Aunt Cady!” Finn told her.
“Yeah, we’ll tell you when you can open them!” Dalton cried.
Cady obeyed as she was led blindly through the hall, into the kitchen and out onto the screened in back porch.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now!” The boys’ excited voices tumbled over each other.
She did. And could barely believe what she saw.
“It’s a princess birthday party!” Finn told her. Complete with birthday presents, cake and a huge bouncy-house castle in the backyard.
Beaming, her nephews handed her a glittery gold tiara and a pink-and-white, faux-fur trimmed cape. “Do you like it?”
A lump rising in her throat, Cady settled the “robe” around her shoulders and sat down in shock. “I love it.”
The boys clapped their hands. “Well, then, you’re really going to love the presents we got you, too. Get it?” Finn handed her a gift.
Jeb chuckled. “Better open it,” he advised Cady drily. “Before they expire with excitement.”
Cady worked off the paper. Inside was a white wooden sculpture of the word Love.
“See?” Finn said. “Don’t you love it?”
“I do.”
“Open mine,” Dalton insisted.
Inside was a necklace of pink plastic beads. “It’s pink. So it’s a girl color,” he explained happily.
Cady slipped it around her neck. “It is. And I love it, too.”
Micah held out his gift. Cady opened it and found a soft pink-and-white chiffon scarf. She smiled and took the two-year-old into her arms for a hug. “I love this, too,” she told the beaming child.
“We’ve got more!” The boys raced off, returning with three small framed canvases. “This is you and us, Aunt Cady,” Dalton explained, showing her his stick figures.
“This is you and Our Friend Jeb.” Finn handed her his drawing.
Micah gave her his. “Flowers,” he said shyly.
“They are all wonderful.” Cady was deeply touched. “I’m going to take them home and hang them in my loft.”
The boys grinned wider, then turned to Jeb. “Aren’t you going to give her your present?”
He smiled and reached for a small box in the center of the table. “The boys helped me pick this out, too,” he said.
Cady opened it.
Inside was a bottle of Pretty Princess bubble bath. She wasn’t sure whether to be amused or hurt. But she wasn’t going to disappoint the boys after all their hard work.
“Got to love it,” she said of the bubble bath, telling herself such a gift from Jeb was for the best. “In fact—” she smiled and held her arms out to embrace all three of her nephews and Jeb in a heartfelt group hug “—I love it all.”
If she wanted more from her relationship with Jeb…that was a matter for another time.
“BELIEVE IT OR NOT, they’re all asleep,” Jeb reported several hours later. In a knit shirt and jeans, his sandy-brown hair rumpled and the hint of five o’clock shadow on his face, he looked sexy and at home.
And all Cady could think about was what it would be like if she and Jeb lived together like this all the time.
Certainly, he made everything fun and exciting. Not just for the boys, but for her, too.
She pulled a load of towels from the dryer, carried them into the family room and upended the basket on the sofa. “You were up there only five minutes.”
He sauntered over to help her fold. “That bouncy house really wore them out.”
The easy camaraderie, plus his willingness to help, warmed her even more. She slanted him an appreciative glance. “Thanks for the party.”
A deadpan grin creased his face. “I know you didn’t want one. I tried explaining that to the boys, but the idea of your birthday going by without a celebration was not something they could sanction.”
Cady could only imagine the howls of protest that would have engendered.
“So…” Jeb shrugged his broad shoulders amiably. “We went with it and gave you the best princess birthday party we could dream up.”
Chuckling, Cady folded the last towel and placed the stack into the basket. Setting it aside, she propped her hands on her hips and gushed, “I have to say, it was fantastic.”
Jeb sauntered closer and gazed at her as if she were the sexiest, most desirable woman on earth. “And now,” he said softly, pausing to look deep into her eyes, “for the real birthday present from me.”
Cady’s heart accelerated to a thunderous beat.
He pulled a small, square jewelry box out of his pants pocket.
“You didn’t have to do this,” she whispered, enthralled.
His eyes gleamed with undisguised affection. “I wanted to.”
She had only to look at him to see that was true.
Gulping, she opened the velvet box.
Inside, nestled in a bed of satin, was a gold, heart-shaped locket.
Jeb leaned closer. “You can put your baby’s photo in there.”
Actually, she could fit two photos inside. Unbidden, the images of the baby and Jeb appeared simultaneously. Cady drew a breath and shut her eyes. She really was getting ridiculously sentimental. Maybe because when she was with Jeb like this, she felt as if all her d
reams were about to come true.
Looking just as content, he took the necklace and stepped behind her, leaning down to murmur in her ear. “I’ll help you try it on.”
Trembling all over, she lifted her hair off the nape of her neck, to assist him. His hands brushed her skin as he fastened the clasp and settled the locket at her throat. She released her hair as he came back around to view his handiwork. “Well, what do you know—” pleasure lifted the corners of his lips “—it matches your tiara.”
Cady reached for it. She had forgotten that was still on her head. “Whoops…”
He stopped her with his hand over hers. “Leave it on,” he ordered huskily, his gaze drifting over her ardently before returning with slow deliberation to her face. “I like the way you look….”
Suddenly, she wasn’t the only one with illicit longings. The need to be touched, held, loved. “Jeb…”
He cupped her face and tilted her lips to his. A wealth of feeling was in his eyes. “Let me kiss you, Cady,” he implored. “Just one kiss.”
Cady should have said no. Would have said no. But it was her birthday after all…and his will was fiercer than hers. “Okay,” she conceded, closing her eyes. “But just one…”
The only problem was, there was no stopping with one. For either of them. The moment his lips captured hers, the last of her resistance melted, then faded entirely. A volcano of desire erupted inside her. The next thing she knew, he was sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her toward the stairs.
He stopped to kiss her again, on the landing. And again when they reached the upstairs hall. And then there was no more delaying as he strode toward the guest room where he was residing.
He set her down near the bed, then walked over to shut and lock the door. As he came back to her, Cady’s heart took on an even more erratic beat.
“Happy birthday,” Jeb whispered, taking her in his arms once again.
Standing there in the splash of moonlight with him, it felt like the best ever. Cady couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re certainly making it a day to remember, cowboy.”
He favored her with a lopsided grin, then kissed her leisurely. Determined to savor every instant of their coming together, she kissed him back. He unbuttoned her blouse, let it fall to the floor. She slid his knit shirt over his head and drew it off.
Her breasts tautened as her bra went the way of her shirt. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, his fingertips brushing the sides of her bare breasts.
She felt beautiful when he looked at her that way, all hot and bothered. Never wanting their lovemaking to stop, she took his wrists and guided his hands to cup her breasts. His callused palms were warm against her skin. A shiver went through her and she caught her breath as another wave of yearning swept through her. There was no hiding how much he wanted her, no denying his need as he flicked his thumbs over the very tips of her nipples.
Something was happening here, something that could potentially change both their lives.
Her back arched, her hips pressing against the hardness of his. He anchored her upright, with an arm about her waist. Still cupping her breast, he slowly kissed his way down her throat to her collarbone, then lower still. The rough, wild rasp of his tongue, combined with the gentle suckling, caused her knees to buckle.
He chuckled in satisfaction and, still holding her, lowered her to the bed. Her shorts and his jeans were in the way. With mounting impatience, they got rid of them. Undergarments followed. He slid between her thighs, the rhythmic pressure of his hands and his mouth taking her to new heights, making her burn inside.
And he burned for her, too. Cady made sure of it as she wriggled out from beneath him. Daring more than she ever had, she took the lead. Touching, stroking, taking him all for her own.
As he slid inside her and they finally came together, she regretted all the times she had cut off her feelings. All the times she had chosen the mask of friendship over the risk of love. Jeb wasn’t in love with her, even though she might be very close to falling in love with him. But right now it didn’t matter. They were together, as one.
She was taking him into her very depths and he was transporting her to a place unlike anywhere she had ever been. To a place that was soft and warm and sexy. A place that made her feel so very wanted, and so very much alive. And for tonight, she thought tenderly, as they both plummeted over the edge, it was more than enough.
Chapter Ten
The first time Jeb and Cady made love had been an amazing surprise. A way to distract themselves from the chaos of caring for the kids, satisfy their growing curiosity about one another and find comfort in each other’s arms. The second time was like coming home. And as Cady cuddled against him, Jeb sensed she was just as content.
He kissed her shoulder, loving the way she felt against him, so soft and naked and warm. And then he felt her tense.
Cady lifted her head. Confusion warred with the quiet deliberation on her face. “I promised myself I wouldn’t let this happen again.”
He touched a hand to her hair, burying his fingers in the silky softness. He knew what she presumed, as she struggled to keep this on a strictly practical level. That it was just about sex. But it wasn’t, he thought, as he rolled to his side and shifted her to lie facing him. Their hearts and minds and souls had been engaged from the very first. They just hadn’t allowed themselves to act on any of their feelings, for fear it would ruin what had been a damn fine friendship.
He trailed a palm over the indentation of her waist, the curve of her hip. “But we did.” He watched her lips part softly in response. “Maybe there’s a reason for that,” he continued, kissing her temple tenderly.
Cady closed her eyes briefly and hitched in a breath. “Like what?” she whispered.
He stroked the satiny skin of her breasts, letting her know he was still as wild for her as she was for him. Bent to kiss the tempting roundness, then the tip.
Deliberately avoiding the part of her he most wanted to touch, he moved upward and captured her lips once more. He kissed her until she moaned, a little helpless sound that sent his senses swimming, and then opened her lips even more.
And yet when the kiss ended, some resistance remained, along with the partially in place barbed wire around her heart. So he cupped her chin in his hand. “It’s like we’re meant to be more than just friends…”
“Friends with benefits?” Skepticism laced her low tone. She started to leave the bed.
Okay, maybe not that. Cursing himself for not having realized it was the wrong thing to say, he caught her wrist and drew her back.
The truth was, the passion they felt for each other aside, he was just as confused as she was.
After his botched engagement, he hadn’t planned ever to allow himself to be truly vulnerable or get emotionally involved with a woman again. Friends were in the equation. So were fun and sex.
But the categories were separate. The boundaries clear-cut. So clear-cut he had earned a well-deserved reputation as bad marriage material.
Although he still had no interest in marriage per se, he did have a desire to be with Cady. To turn his long-held fantasies about her into everyday reality. Not just the occasional “sexy mistake.”
He studied the resistant posture of her slender frame. Maybe she just needed him to slow things down, take it a little easier. “Hey.” He caught her hand, and held it over his heart. “We don’t have to figure out everything tonight.”
Cady turned wary eyes to him and drew a quavering breath. Her pulse was pounding as rapidly as his. “Then when? I’m only going to be in Laramie another week.” She shook her head, rushing on in a troubled tone. “After that, I’m back in Houston. I’m adopting a baby. I’ll be juggling motherhood and work—”
He pressed a silencing finger against her lips. “We can make time to be together if that’s what we both want. I’ll even do all the traveling.” It would be a privilege to do so, if it meant he’d be with her, instead of just thinking about it.
He wrapped his arms around her and brought her against him. “I mean it now.” He searched her face, letting her know with a long look that he would give her the space she apparently needed. “We don’t have to do the usual thing…don’t have to be married…to be happy together.” He did his best to put a practical spin on the situation, one that Cady could accept. “All we have to do to make this work is enjoy being together when we have the chance.”
Determined to show her just how important she had become to him, how resolved he was to find a way to give her everything she needed and wanted in a relationship, Jeb positioned her on her back once again. He slipped between her thighs, prepared to be relentless in his pursuit of her.
Still holding her gently, he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, until they parted in surrender and she curled against him, wanting more.
“We can set our own parameters and make our own rules. Just the way you’re doing in adopting a baby on your own.” He delivered sweet, seductive kisses that had both their bodies heating. “We can find our own happiness, Cady. And we can do it together….”
Her breasts pearled against his chest. She rubbed her body against his, all soft feminine pliability and need. Jeb moaned deep and low in his throat as she kissed him back.
“You’re right,” she murmured, “I am overthinking this. And I do—” her amber eyes lit up wickedly “—want to make love with you again.”
Palm to his chest, she pushed him onto his back and climbed astride him. She clasped his shoulders and kissed her way down his chest.
“My turn to take charge,” she whispered playfully.
Luxuriating in the hot, sexy feel of her, he ran his hands over her silky skin, then captured her breasts with his hands. “For a while,” he agreed with an unrepentant smile.
Laughing smoothly, she moved lower still, her hair brushing his abdomen and thighs.
Basking in the sweet smell of her body, and the lingering fragrance of her perfume, he knew she was everything he had ever needed. She’d brought him deftly out of the disappointment of the past, and into the here and now, to a place where enduring happiness not only seemed possible, but probable….
Her Cowboy Daddy Page 12