A Piece of Texas Trilogy

by Peggy Moreland

  Pushing up to her knees, she clamped her legs at his hips. “You can’t hurt me,” she told him again, as she lowered her hips to his groin. Taking him in to his hilt, she dropped her head back with a groan, glorying in the sheer, sensual pleasure of having him fill her completely, of feeling his hips ground against hers. After a moment, she began to rock slowly back and forth, absorbing each sensation, while the pressure built inside her.

  She felt the change in his body, even as her own body readied. The gathering and bunching of muscle, the quiver of flesh, the almost desperate dig of his fingers into her buttocks. Wanting, needing to share that ultimate experience with him, she braced her hands against his chest and thrust her hips back hard against his groin. She held herself there, on that pinnacle of pleasure, her head thrown back, her lungs heaving, accepting the gift of his passion, while her body exploded around him with her own.

  Until that moment she’d never truly understood the meaning of rapture, what it was to experience it firsthand. But she knew now. The pleasure, the intensity of it, was blinding, liberating, spellbinding, humbling.

  She drew in a breath through her nostrils, held it a moment, then opened her eyes and released it on a sigh…and found Mack watching her, his eyes a soft, translucent blue. His face was damp with perspiration, a dark stubble shadowed his jaw. With his gaze on hers, he reached up to stroke a hand over her belly, and a soft smile curved his lips.

  She tensed, remembering the stretch mark that trailed along her bikini line. Wishing she could melt into the mattress or, at the very least, switch off the bedside lamp, she placed a hand over her stomach, trying to hide it.

  “Don’t,” he scolded gently. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  As if to prove it, he hitched himself up on an elbow, then bent his head to press a kiss against the mark. Lifting his head, he met her gaze, as he dragged his thumb through the moisture he’d left there. “That’s a medal of motherhood. Wear it with pride.”

  Her heart seemed to stop a moment, then kicked against her ribs. She was falling in love with him, she realized, as she stared into his eyes. How could she feel anything less for a man who could say such an outrageously sweet thing and obviously mean it?

  Before she had time to completely absorb the notion, consider it, he caught her arms and pulled her down to his chest. Their faces only inches apart, he searched her gaze.

  “Addy…”

  He caught her face between his hands and drew it down to touch his lips to hers. The kiss was so tender, so incredibly sweet, it brought tears to her eyes.

  Drawing back, he swept a finger across her damp lashes. “Hey,” he said softly. “Why the tears?”

  She gulped, shook her head. “I…I don’t know.”

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  She shook her head again, then tucked her face into the curve of his neck. “No. I’m fine.”

  Cupping a hand at the back of her head, he pressed his lips to her hair. “Regrets?”

  She sputtered a watery laugh. “How can I regret something I planned?”

  He drew back to search her face. “You planned this?”

  Realizing how awful she must look, she touched a hand to her hair and grimaced. “Well, not this exactly. I had it all thought out. Candlelight. Soft music. A bottle of wine. A totally irresistible me.” She wrinkled her nose. “Unfortunately you caught me before the transformation was complete.”

  “I don’t know about that.” He swept her hair back from her face, held it there. “I wasn’t able to resist you.”

  He lifted his head and touched his lips to hers. “You knocked me completely off my feet.” Dipping his head, he nuzzled her neck, then inhaled deeply. “What’s that scent you’re wearing?”

  She closed her eyes and arched her neck, giving him better access. “Seduction. It seemed appropriate.”

  Zadie would have a fit if she could see her kitchen. Cracked eggshells littered the island, a pound of bacon lay in a heap beside the range ready to add to the skillet warming there, and flour dusted every surface within a five-foot span of the dough board where biscuits were lined up like soldiers preparing for battle.

  But Addy didn’t care about the mess she’d made. What Zadie couldn’t see couldn’t hurt her, and Addy was having the time of her life.

  She’d spent an unbelievable night in bed with Mack, making love, cuddling and finally sleeping, only to wake and do it all again. And now, while he showered, she was cooking his breakfast, which she considered the perfect way to celebrate what had proven to be an unforgettable night.

  And if her stomach was a little jittery about facing him in the bright light of day, she supposed that was to be expected. It was one thing to make wild, passionate love with a man in the dark of night, and quite another to sit across the breakfast table from him afterward and share a meal she’d prepared, as if nothing had changed between them.

  “Smells good.”

  She jumped, nearly burning her hand on the skillet, then wilted, as Mack looped his arms around her waist from behind and buried his nose in the curve of her neck.

  “Me or what’s cooking?” she asked coyly.

  Chuckling, he nipped her neck, then moved to stand beside her, keeping an arm looped at her waist. “Both. What’s for breakfast?”

  “Biscuits, omelets and bacon. Hungry?”

  “As a bear.” He gave her bottom a playful pat and turned away. “I checked on Johnny Mack,” he said, as he crossed to the refrigerator. “He’s still asleep.” He poured orange juice into glasses and brought one to her. Sliding an arm around her waist again, he rested his hip against hers and sipped his juice, while she fried bacon.

  To Addy the whole scene screamed family. In fact, if it were any more so, she feared she would explode with happiness.

  “What have you got planned for today?” he asked.

  She lifted a shoulder as she turned the bacon. “Nothing special. Do a few loads of laundry. Maybe help Mary around the house. What about you?”

  “I need to go into town and take care of some business. Later I thought we might do something. Just the two of us. I bet Mary would jump at the chance to babysit Johnny Mack.”

  She looked up at him in surprise. “You mean, like a date?”

  His smile sheepish, he rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah. Something like that. Marriage first, then lovers. Somewhere along the way, seems we missed a step or two.”

  Addy spent an insane amount of time agonizing over what to wear on her “date” with Mack. It wasn’t as if she needed to impress him, she told herself, as she flipped through the closet for the third time, searching for something appropriate to wear. He’d seen her at her absolute worst more times than she cared to think about, and he hadn’t run yet, so what difference did it make what she wore?

  “Because it’s our first date,” she reminded herself, “and I want everything to be perfect.” She pulled a sundress from the closet and held it up to her, as she crossed to the bed. “What do you think?” she asked the baby, who sat propped up in an infant carrier on her bed. “Too casual? Too revealing?”

  Johnny Mack kicked his feet and cooed, obviously excited at the attention he was receiving.

  “So you think I’d look good in this, huh?” Laughing, she bent to drop a kiss on his cheek. “You’re just saying that because I’m your mommy.”

  Straightening, she held up the dress, frowning as she studied her reflection in the dresser mirror. “Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll wear it.” She glanced toward the baby and raised a brow in warning. “But if Mack doesn’t go all google-eyed when he sees me in it, the blame is all yours.”

  In answer, Johnny Mack blew a bubble of spit.

  Laughing, Addy bussed him another kiss. “You are just too darn cute.”

  Addy crossed and uncrossed her legs for the third time since they’d left the house.

  “Did I tell Mary that I left bottles of breast milk in the refrigerator?”

  “Twice,”
Mack replied patiently, then reached to pat her hand. “He’ll be fine. Mary has four kids of her own. She knows how to take care of a baby.”

  She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “But her children are older, aren’t they? She may have forgotten that she needs to warm his bottle before giving it to him.”

  Shaking his head, he pulled his cell phone from the holster at his waist and offered it to her. “Call her. You aren’t going to be able to relax until you do.”

  She eyed the phone a moment, then pushed his hand away. “No. Mary knows how to take care of a baby.”

  Chuckling, he slid the phone back into the holster. “Seems as if I’ve heard that before.”

  She made a face at him, then turned to peer out the passenger window, watching the scenery that swept past. “Where are we going?” she asked, after a moment.

  “Austin. I thought I’d show you some of the sights.” He glanced her way. “Have you ever seen the State Capitol?”

  She shook her head. “No. In fact, I’ve never been to Austin, other than driving through, of course, but that doesn’t count.”

  “I’ll give you the five-dollar tour some other time. Today we’ll just hit the high spots.”

  The high spots, it seemed, included a drive down Sixth Street, which, according to Mack, was Austin’s version of New Orleans’s Bourbon Street. From there, he drove her by the state capitol and shared with her the story of how some men full of Texas pride had schemed to construct a building, without breaking any laws, that would exceed the height of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., by choosing a hill as their building site. They enjoyed a relaxing stroll through Lady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower Center, where Mack insisted on buying her a huge bag of bluebonnet seeds she stopped to admire. Then, late that afternoon, he rented a canoe on Town Lake, situated in the heart of downtown Austin, and gave her an entirely different perspective of the city, this time from the water.

  The sun was just beginning its descent, turning the horizon blood red, when he pulled the oar from the water and rested it across his thighs, letting the canoe drift.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” he teased.

  More relaxed than she’d been in what seemed like ages, Addy hid a smile as she leaned to trail her fingers through the water. “I’d take you up on that, if I had any.”

  Catching her hand, he set aside the oar and tugged her over to sit on his lap.

  She gasped, clinging to his neck, as the canoe rocked precariously from side to side. “What are you trying to do?” she cried. “Drown us?”

  Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “No. Just wanted you closer.”

  She melted at his response and smiled, as she stroked his windswept hair back from his face. “You could’ve just asked, you know. What if I’d fallen in?”

  Since his face was even with her breasts, he was unable to resist nipping at her nipple. “I’d have jumped in and saved you.”

  She sucked in a breath, then released it with a shiver. “Watch it, buster,” she warned and pressed the tip of her finger against the center of his forehead to push him back. “There are laws against public groping.”

  “That wasn’t groping.” His gaze on hers, he slipped a hand beneath her dress and stroked his fingers up her thigh. “This is groping.”

  Even as his fingers molded her mound, he took her mouth with his, stealing her breath. The heat was instantaneous, bone melting.

  “Mack,” she begged, her breath hot against his lips. “You shouldn’t. Someone might see.”

  He swung her legs around, bunching her dress up around her waist, until she was straddling him. “Who?” he challenged. “There’s nobody out here but you and me.”

  She stole an uneasy glance around and discovered that he was right. They truly were alone. The canoe had drifted into a narrow inlet, darkened by the canopy of trees whose limbs draped overhead. In the far distance, lights gleamed from businesses that lined the opposite shoreline, but the area immediately around them was webbed with shadows of dusk, creating a private spot perfect for lovers.

  He tugged on the string that crisscrossed her breasts, loosening it and pressed his lips in the valley he exposed.

  “Ever made love in a canoe?” he asked, as he swept his tongue up her chest toward her chin.

  She dropped her head back and closed her eyes. “N-no,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t think so.”

  He drew her hips up against his. “Good. Then this’ll be a first for us both.”

  That night Addy lay with Mack spooned at her back, her head pillowed by one of his arms, the other hooked loosely over her waist. The fit was near perfect, the peace that filled her beyond anything she’d ever known, ever imagined.

  She supposed she owed Ty a debt of gratitude—although she’d cut out her tongue before she’d ever tell him so. If not for Ty, she never would’ve met Mack.

  Realizing how different her life would be without Mack a part of it, how empty, she linked her fingers with his, finding reassurance and comfort even in that slight connection.

  So this is what it feels like to be in love, she thought with a shiver. She glanced over her shoulder to peer at the man responsible for her making the fall, and her heart turned to mush. He looked so boyish, with his hair all tousled and his face relaxed in sleep. So peaceful. Did he love her? she wondered uncertainly. He hadn’t said the L word. But then, neither had she.

  Setting her jaw, she turned her face away and settled her head on the pillow in front of his again. Don’t get ahead of yourself, she lectured silently. It was like Mack had said earlier that day, when she’d asked if he was taking her on a date. They’d missed a few steps along the way. Virtual strangers, they’d married, become lovers. Now they would have to take the time to explore the possibilities, get to know each other, see where their feelings took them.

  Gulping, she crossed her fingers and sent up a silent prayer that he would discover that he had fallen in love with her, too.

  Johnny Mack let out a wail, and Addy flung back the covers, but Mack tightened his arm around her waist, stopping her before she could rise.

  He pushed himself up to an elbow and pressed a sleepy kiss to the back of her neck. “Stay in bed. I’ll check on him.”

  Though she was more awake than he, she lay back down and watched his shadowed form disappear into the nursery.

  “Hey, little buddy,” she heard him whisper to the baby. “What are you doing awake at this hour?”

  Smiling, she closed her eyes, able to monitor his movements by the sounds coming from the nursery. The light metallic grate of the crib’s guard rail being lowered. The wooden creak of the rocker accepting Mack’s weight. The husky croon of Mack’s voice as he soothed the baby. She grew sleepy, listening, as comforted by the sound of his voice as Johnny Mack seemed to be.

  How lucky her son was to have Mack, she thought as sleep tugged her toward the brink. She’d never had a father to soothe her tears or rock her to sleep. But her son would always have Mack.

  Seven

  Mack sat before his lawyer’s desk, listening carefully as Lenny explained the legal requirements of the request he’d made.

  When Lenny was finished, Mack absorbed the information a moment, then said, “Let me see if I understand this correctly. You prepare the document necessary for Ty to forfeit all paternity rights and once he signs them, that’s it? Johnny Mack is legally mine?”

  “Legally he’s already yours. The adoption papers we filed took care of that. Addy’s refusal to name the father on the birth certificate simplified the process.” He lifted his hands. “But since we both know Ty is the baby’s biological father and are aware of his propensity to cause trouble for you, the forfeiture of paternity rights adds further protection should he ever choose to challenge the adoption.”

  “Then let’s do it. I don’t want Ty to have any legal claim on my son.”

  Lenny nodded. “All right. But I feel I should warn you. This is going to cost you, and I’m not talki
ng about my legal fees. Ty will use this an opportunity to squeeze more money from you.”

  Mack stood and snugged on his hat, preparing to leave. “We’ll worry about that if and when it happens. What we need to focus on now is locating Ty. Hire a private investigator. Ty usually leaves a trail of destruction a mile wide in his wake, so locating him shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “Will do.” Lenny rose and followed him to the door. “You didn’t mention Addy. How are the two of you getting along?”

  Mack ducked his head to hide a smile, nodded. “Good. Real good.”

  Lenny looked at Mack closely. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he murmured, then laughed and clapped Mack on the back. “Who’d have thought that an old coot like you would ever fall in love again?”

  Zadie was gone four days, nine hours and twenty-two minutes. Addy knew, because she’d thoroughly enjoyed each and every second she’d spent in the kitchen during her absence. But that freedom was soon coming to an end, as Zadie was due to return that afternoon.

  “You scrub that sink much more,” Mary warned, “you’re going to rub a hole in it.”

  With a sigh, Addy dropped the dishcloth in the sink, then glanced around the kitchen, looking for anything out of place. “It looks the same, doesn’t it?” she asked uneasily. “I’ve put everything back just the way she had it.”

  “Would you quit worrying?” Mary fussed. “It’s your kitchen, not Zadie’s. You can paint the walls fire engine red, if you want. You don’t need her permission.”

  “Yeah, right,” Addy said dryly. “Zadie would hang me by my toes if I so much as moved the dust mop, without asking her first.”

  Mary wagged her head. “I can’t believe you’ve let that woman bully you into believing she’s the boss around here. You’re the boss. Mr. Mack’s wife. Remind her of that, and I’ll bet she’ll sing a different tune.”

  “You really think so?” Addy asked doubtfully.