Going Hard: Steele Ridge Series

by Kelsey Browning

  Normally, Carlie Beth would’ve just done the rip-it-off-quick thing, but not happening this time. By the time Grif strode back in the room, his fist curled around something, she had one side unstuck and was working on the other.

  “Oh, Shortcake,” he said, crouching down in front of her. “That looks painful.”

  Her skin was pink where the tape had been, and he leaned in to kiss her breast. Light, barely there touches of his lips not quite at her nipple. It tightened in response, and she worked the other side down. Grif moved over and gave her other breast the same gentle treatment. “Doesn’t matter how fucking hot that dress is, I don’t want you taping yourself into clothes for me.”

  She laughed. Oh, if it inspired the kind of response he’d displayed earlier, she’d hog-tie herself into sexy clothes once a week. “It doesn’t hurt.”

  He worked her dress off her hips and tossed it aside. Yes, Carlie Beth would definitely be handing Evie a check because her dress would never be the same again. Besides, she’d die if Evie ever wore it now, after Grif had his hands all over it. Under it.

  Grif swept her body with a quick look that set her nerves buzzing, but his attention quickly returned to her face. He shifted onto one knee like kids did around the coach after a Little League game.

  Then he held out a box.

  A black box.

  A black velvet box.

  “Carlie Beth Parrish, will you marry me?” He opened it to reveal a ring that had to have been custom made. A wide, silver-colored band with a trio of channel-set diamonds.

  A slightly hysterical laugh tumbled out of her. Of all the things she’d been expecting, this wasn’t one of them. The power she’d felt earlier drained from her, replaced with a confusing stew of uncertainty and fear and hope. “Why?”

  “Why should you marry me? There are a hundred reasons—”

  “No, why are you asking me? I know Austin’s death has us all on edge, but Maggie will get to the bottom of that. If you’re worried about Aubrey and me, I’ve told you time and time again that we’re fine. If it’s because—”

  He pressed his fingers against her lips. Not in a sexy way, but in a shut-up way. “I can’t say those things don’t matter, because they do. But I’m asking you to marry me because what I said earlier wasn’t some off-the-cuff turn of phrase. I meant all three words. I love you.”

  And oh, how she loved him. But if she’d known all this would happen when she’d spotted Grif in Triple B a few weeks ago, what would she have done? Would she have dashed headlong toward him or run like she’d wanted to?

  “Have you forgotten your work is in California?”

  His eyes shuttered a little. “I tell you I love you and you’re talking logistics?”

  “Logistics are important.”

  “What about ‘love conquers all’?”

  “How did that work out for your parents?”

  He visibly flinched, and she immediately regretted her words. She was lashing out because she was scared. Probably more scared than she’d been when she found out she was pregnant with Grif’s baby. Because that, she’d known she could handle on her own. Had, in some ways, wanted to. This? When it involved two people, she no longer called all the shots.

  “I think you care for me.” His was face immobile in the shadows. “I don’t think you sleep with men you don’t care about.”

  “So says the man who knocked me up.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  As much as she wanted to jump out of this bed and run like hell, she couldn’t. She owed him better. After all, he’d given her the most precious thing in her life.

  Now she had to tell him how she felt. For better or worse.

  She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Because I am scared all the way down to my toes.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that I’ll take care of you and Aubrey? The whole point is you don’t have to do this by yourself anymore.”

  His skin was warm against her face, and she couldn’t help but press a little kiss to his collarbone. “That’s not what I’m afraid of. I can do it. I have done it. Grif, we don’t need your money, but we need you.”

  “You have me. I’m moving back to Steele Ridge.”

  Oh, God how she longed to believe that was what he truly wanted. But if he made this sacrifice, then decided he’d been wrong and walked away, she’d wasn’t sure she’d survive it. She lifted her face and looked at him straight on. “I’m scared that you only think you love me because of the circumstances. Learning about Aubrey and someone targeting people I care about has brought out all your protective instincts.”

  His mouth tightened, triggering a matching response inside her. “I can’t sign an affidavit or a contract, Carlie Beth. All I can give you is my word. Yes, I’m worried about finding the person who killed Austin. I can’t even express how much I appreciate that you’re the mother of my daughter, but that’s not why I fell in love with you.” He intertwined his fingers with hers as if he would hold her hand forever. “You’re beautiful, in a sexy dress or jeans. You’re talented, with fences and artwork. You’re smart, with business and people. You’re strong, in life and”—he drew their hands up to her chest—“in here. I’d be crazy not to be in love with you.”

  His expression was so serious, so sincere and heartfelt, that the tension inside her began to fade, bit by bit. God, being loved by this man would be…intense, sometimes overwhelming, and downright amazing. Her heart was reaching out for him, but her brain was still gun-shy. “Do you really think we can make this work?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, shocking her again. Lord, this was one seesaw of a conversation. “Because I’m greedy. I want it all. And I’m not willing to marry a woman who doesn’t love me back.”

  “What?”

  “I put myself out there.” He glanced down at the ring box and snapped it closed, and Carlie Beth gasped. No. No, no, no. She wanted that ring. “And you said nothing.”

  “I didn’t say no.”

  “But you didn’t say I love you.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “Are we really going to have this yes-I-did, no-you-didn’t conversation while I’m down on one knee ass naked?”

  Okay, so maybe her thoughts hadn’t actually made it out of her mouth, and his leg was probably numb by now. She grabbed his hand and tugged. “Come up here, please.” Relief rushed through when he did it without setting that precious ring box aside. Once they were lying on their sides facing one another, she took a deep breath. “I think I fell a little bit in love with you the night we were together all those years ago. You were so charming, so optimistic.”

  “So cocky, you mean.”

  “Maybe a little. But it looked good on you. Still does.” She smoothed a hand over his cheek and made sure their eyes met. “When I learned you were back in town for more than a visit, I panicked. Still, I wanted you. But I fell in love with you for reasons that have nothing to do with this.” She waved a hand down their bodies, and Grif’s eyebrows rose. “Okay, maybe a little to do with this. Really, it’s about the man you are. Passionate, funny, dedicated. And a snazzy dresser.” She flashed him a smile. “Most important, you accepted Aubrey. Maybe that shouldn’t factor in, but to a mom, it does. I can’t love a man who doesn’t love my daughter.”

  He turned his head to kiss her palm. “You never have to worry about that.”

  “Grif Steele, I am so in love with you, I’m infected right down to the bone.”

  He laughed and pulled her closer. “Only you could make that sound like a good thing.”

  When he came in for a kiss, though, she avoided his lips and looked at the box resting between them. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “Mercenary little thing, aren’t you?” Grif flipped open the box, and the ring once again caught her breath. Most women would ooh and ah over a delicate setting with a big diamond. But Carlie Beth wasn’t most women. The three diamonds shim
mered in the shadows of the room. Because of the way they were set in the metal, she wouldn’t have to worry about knocking them loose. “It’s titanium.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  “Do you know how hard it is to pick out a ring for a woman who can make her own jewelry?”

  “I don’t work with precious metals.”

  “Then let’s put this where it belongs.” He slipped the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. And it fit perfectly. Only Grif would get something like that just right.

  She pushed her hands into his hair and lined up their mouths, feeling the ridge of his erection growing between them. “Now that we have that settled, what do you say we put something else where it belongs?”

  “I think I can manage that.” And with one slick move, he rolled her over, wedged between her legs, and slid home.

  32

  Wrong. They’d all been the wrong ones. That schmuck Carlie Beth dated back when Aubrey was younger, John Something-or-Other. Roy Darden. Austin Burns.

  Possibly even that asshole Grif Steele.

  Because the strongest love in the world was the one between mother and child.

  Why had that truth been unclear for so long?

  No longer.

  Never again.

  The balcony on the back of the house offered up a small challenge, but the French doors leading into an upstairs bedroom were unlocked. Sloppy of the Steeles. But perfect.

  It was a sign. This was right. The right move.

  The right time.

  There was just enough moonlight to navigate the room. Only one girl—Evie with her long dark hair spread over the pale duvet—occupied the bed. Which meant Aubrey was somewhere else. Not ideal, but a little inconvenience wouldn’t stop what Carlie Beth had started.

  Out in the hallway, a quick pause revealed no threats. No sounds or movement.

  Luckily, Aubrey was in another bedroom at the back of the house, one that also had French doors and a balcony. Another sign.

  When the girl woke, she was groggy. “Wha… Mom?”

  “Aubrey, your mom’s been in an accident. I need you to come with me.”

  She seemed to shake off a little of her confusion and jumped out of bed. “I have to tell Evie and Grammy and Uncle Reid.”

  “Kiddo, they’re already gone.”

  “They…they wouldn’t leave without me.”

  “They aren’t used to you being here. Raced out before they remembered. But they called me and asked me to come get you.” Step one, quietly open the French doors. Done. Step two, get the girl on the balcony.

  “Why are we going this way?” Aubrey glanced around, confused and still half-asleep. But not dazed enough. “I need to get dressed.”

  “Aubrey, your mother could die. Now, stop asking questions and come with me!”

  Fear flashed in Aubrey’s eyes and she grabbed the phone off the bedside table. “Please take me to her.”

  A firm grip on her elbow and she dutifully went outside. “Give me your hands and I’ll help you climb down.”

  “I still don’t understand—”

  “Do you want your mother to die?”

  The girl let herself be lowered over the side, and once they were both on the ground, she looked around. “Where’s your car?”

  She simply wouldn’t go without causing problems, would she? Shouldn’t have been a surprise. The brat had always been trouble. Way more trouble than she was worth. If Carlie Beth hadn’t gotten herself knocked up—

  “This is scaring me,” the little bitch whined. “How are we—”

  One well-aimed blow to the temple cut her off mid-sentence. Thank Jesus. Kids were nothing but a distraction.

  It was a pain in the ass to drag her a half mile through the woods, but every ache and pain would be worth it once Carlie Beth’s daughter was out of the picture.

  And out of her mother’s heart.

  * * *

  The tiny whirling stars at the edges of Carlie Beth’s vision refused to be blinked away after Grif had put his mouth, hands, and fingers all over her. In her. She shivered, half from her cooling skin and half from the recent erotic experience.

  “You okay?”

  “You’re very…thorough.”

  “I don’t like to leave anything to chance.” He played with her hand, rubbing his thumb over the ring he’d given her. “Especially when it comes to giving you pleasure.”

  “You ever go to Vegas?”

  His forehead crinkled. “A few times. Why?”

  “You win every time, don’t you?”

  He laughed. “Bet it all on black, baby. Bet it all on black.” His laughter died away, and he said, “What I said earlier about logistics? I know it’s an issue. But I would never take you and Aubrey away from your home.”

  “What if you lose clients?”

  His arm moved against hers with his shrug. “I’m cutting down my client list significantly anyway. I’ll only work with the athletes I really believe in. I want plenty of time for my family. And this city manager gig is starting to grow on me.”

  “Are you serious?”

  He laughed and gave her a smacking kiss above her left breast. “If anyone can run multimillion-dollar careers and a town, it’s me.”

  “You don’t have to do this for Aubrey and me.”

  “I’m doing it for all of us. But I’ve been wondering something. What about…” He paused and shook his head, obviously trying to decide if he should continue his question.

  “What about what?”

  “How do you think Aubrey would feel about little brothers and sisters?”

  The air whooshed from Carlie Beth’s lungs even as something low in her belly tightened. She’d thought that train had left the station. “Don’t you care what I think?”

  His grin slashed across his handsome face. “Of course. But I figured if the idea wouldn’t fly with Aubrey, then it would be off the table.”

  She rolled the idea around in her brain. Lord, she hadn’t had a baby in fourteen years. Could she do it all over again? Was she too old?

  No, that was ridiculous. Some women were just having their first babies at her age.

  Babies.

  “You said brothers and sisters. Like multiples.”

  “I come from a big family.”

  “Your mother is a saint.”

  “True.”

  “This has been a lot tonight. The ring, the proposal, the I-love-yous. Can we table this one for a little while?”

  Although his expression didn’t change, she could see the disappointment cloud his eyes.

  “I’m not saying no,” she hurried to add. “I just need to mull it over a little to figure out how many babies I can give you and still stay sane. I love my work.”

  “And you’re damned good at it,” he said, the smile back in his eyes. “But think about it this way. I missed all those late nights and diaper changes with Aubrey. Don’t you think it should be my turn?”

  Well, when he put it that way…

  The sound of Grif’s cell ringing came from across the room, and Carlie Beth started to get up to grab it.

  “Leave it,” he said.

  “What if it’s a client?”

  “They can wait.” He tried to roll her under him, but she scooted away and grabbed his pants to root around for the phone. “A long, long time.”

  One look at the screen and her body went cold. “It’s Reid.”

  Grif lunged off the bed and grabbed the phone from her limp hand. “What happened?” he barked.

  Carlie Beth heard Reid say, “Aubrey’s missing.”

  * * *

  Grif couldn’t have given a shit less that he was probably ripping out Louise’s entire undercarriage on the backroads out to his mom’s place. As long as the car made it for long enough for him to find Aubrey and beat the ever-lovin’ fuck out of the guy who’d taken her, it was fine. Even though he was driving like a bat directly out of hell, it still took them seven minutes and Carlie Beth spent every o
ne of them curled into herself like an armadillo trying to avoid being roadkill.

  He snagged her hand, her fingers like individual icicles against his. “We’re going to find her.”

  “How could this happen? You and Reid assured me. Promised me she’d be safe.” Her voice rose in both volume and pitch with each word.

  “Reid’s got security combing the area around the house. Something will lead us in the right direction.”

  She turned away from him and looked out into the night, but he could see her pale face reflected in the window. He’d let her down. After just telling her he’d always take care of her and Aubrey.

  Obviously, that had been a crock of shit.

  When they pulled up and came to a neck-snapping stop, his mom’s house was lit up like someone had taken a torch to it. Reid was standing on the front porch barking into his phone while three of his security guys patrolled around the house.

  Carlie Beth slammed out of the car and raced up the stairs to beat at Reid’s chest.

  Reid said, “Keep me posted” into his phone, then just stood there and let Carlie Beth whale away on him.

  Grif caught his eye over Carlie Beth’s head, and Reid shook his with the message: Let her do it.

  Finally, she wound down and rested her head against Reid’s chest, and her sobs wrenched Grif’s heart. “How could you let this happen?”

  Grif pulled her off Reid and into his arms.

  “Did you fall asleep?” Grif asked his brother.

  “No. I was downstairs, making another round of the house. When I went back upstairs to check on the girls, Aubrey wasn’t in her bed and the balcony doors were open.”

  Carlie Beth looked up, her face streaked with the mascara she’d worn earlier. “I made sure they were locked before I left. Double-checked the deadbolt.”

  “Yeah, well, Evie’s doors weren’t. That’s how the dickhead got in. I told her to lock that goddamn door." He smothered a sigh. “It’s my fault. I should’ve gone in there and made sure she’d secured it before I did my walk-through downstairs. Someone snuck in before I got back upstairs.”