She watched him, trying to understand. “Gus, are you proposing to me?” she asked, the smile starting to form on her lips.
He shrugged. “What if I am? What would you say?”
She laughed and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. “If you are proposing, then yes, I’ll marry you. And if you’re not proposing,” she pulled back and sighed, “then I’m proposing to you. Will you marry me? Only if you truly love me. Because I love you Gus. I really love you. I love the sweet way you hold me,” she kissed his cheek. “I love the way you watch out for me,” she kissed his other cheek. “I love the way you make sure I’m eating lunch and taking a break.” She kissed his neck and shifted on his lap. “And I really love the way you make love to me, as if the world might stop spinning if we stop touching each other.”
He groaned and pulled her closer. “I love you, Mindy!” and he turned her so that she was straddling his hips, kissing the breathe out of her.
“But before you say anything else, I think you should come home with me.” He stood up and set her back down on her feet.
“I thought we were going to get a pregnancy test.”
He took her hand and led her back to his car. “We will, but there’s someone I want you to meet first.”
Once again, that wariness crept back into her mind.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up outside of his house. Nothing strange about that except that it was a Tuesday night instead of their regular Friday nights together.
As soon as she stepped into the house, she smelled the delicious meal. Instantly, jealousy shot through her. Was there another woman in Gus’ life? Was he bringing her home to some strange…threesome relationship?
Mindy had never really questioned their Friday night’s together. She’d simply assumed that he worked hard during the weeks and didn’t want to be distracted. But now, with the smell of something delicious permeating the air, she wondered if there was more to the story. He was a secretive man, not letting a lot out.
Then she realized what she was thinking and looked up at Gus. This man wouldn’t do something like that. He was sweet and kind and honest. If something was going on, he would tell her. Which was probably what he was trying to do now.
As soon as that thought hit her, she heard the screeching. A moment later an adorable dark haired girl shot out from around the corner, leaping into Gus’ arms. Without flinching, Gus caught the delightful girl in his arms, immediately nuzzling her cheek with a kiss.
They had a brief conversation or…more specifically, the girl told Gus all about her day. When she finally paused for a breath, the child turned and, with one arm wrapped around Gus’ neck, said, “Who’s this?”
She didn’t seem threatened in any way, which only told Mindy what a well-balanced child she was. Very comfortable and secure in her father’s love.
“I’m Mindy,” she said, extending her hand. Immediately, the girl leaned over and shook Mindy’s hand. “I’m Chloe,” she said. “Are you having dinner with us?” she asked. “Ms. Mona made lasagna. It’s really good,” she squinched up her nose, “even though she uses ground turkey sausage instead of the real stuff. She says it has to be healthy. And she sneaks vegetables in it, thinking I don’t know but I know because I’m smart. My daddy tells me I’m smart and I already know how to read.”
Mindy’s eyes looked up to Gus, enchanted with the little girl.
“This is my daughter, Chloe,” he explained.
Immediately, Mindy put the pieces of the puzzle together, nodding her head. “She’s very sweet,” she replied, smiling up at her lumberjack. Her heart swelled with love for the man who protected his daughter so carefully.
“You understand?”
Mindy nodded. “Completely.”
“So…”
“Yes!” she replied. “Definitely yes!”
Mindy looked from the daughter to the father and knew that everything was going to be okay. Then something occurred to her and, stepping back before Gus could take her hand and lead her into the kitchen, she glared up at him. “You’re a Mariners fan, right?”
He looked startled for a moment, then Chloe answered for him. “There’s no other baseball team worth watching,” she announced with an arrogance that only a child could convey.
Mindy sighed with relief. “Good! Olivia…” she shook her head. “Pete’s trying to convert her, but…”
Gus and Chloe waited and Mindy had to laugh. “Never mind,” she told both of them.
As the three of them walked into the kitchen, the smell of something delicious once again hit her. But even that mystery was solved as the fifty-something woman smiled as she untied the apron strings around her waist. “I’m Mona. It’s wonderful to finally meet the woman who has put this grouchy old man into a good mood.”
Chloe laughed, her little fingers covering her mouth before she giggled again. “Ms. Mona says that daddy has been happy lately. And he started doing the voices in our story books, so he must be in a good mood because usually, daddy only reads the stories but doesn’t do the voices.” She leaned over in her father’s arms and whispered, “Thank you!”
Mona and Mindy both laughed while Gus…well, Gus patted his daughter’s back.
Mona shook her head. “I have to go. Dinner is ready and in the oven for you when you’re hungry.” She hung her apron up on a hook and took down her coat. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Then she was gone.
Dinner was a delightful affair with Chloe chatting away. Mindy had finally met her match in the chatty department and was able to simply sit back in her chair and listen, smiling and nodding whenever appropriate.
It was fascinating to watch the little girl slowly wind down. When Gus gave her a bath, Mindy stayed downstairs, giving them a bit of time alone. She could hear Gus’ deep voice and Chloe’s higher tones. Obviously, the little girl was asking questions and Gus was answering.
Mindy really wanted to leave and give them a bit of privacy, but Gus had asked her to stay so they could talk. Tenderness and love were hitting her hard and she thought she might just burst into tears. She didn’t, taking deep, calming breaths so that she wouldn’t cry. Mindy was painfully aware of how tears affected Gus. He simply hated them and she knew that he would start mentally beating himself up if he came downstairs to find her crying.
So she moved around his house, noting the small things she should have noticed before when she’d been in Gus’ house. Such as the story books in a box under the coffee table. They were all little girl stories that seemed a bit too complicated for a girl Chloe’s age, but after meeting the adorable child, Mindy was certain that she was perfectly capable. On the windows, there were some prisms that she’d noticed before and had thought were charming, but now that she knew about Chloe, Mindy suspected they were for the little girl and not Gus’ choice.
There were a few other things, but Gus’ house was neat and tidy, so whatever toys Chloe played with during the day, Mona had most likely stored away before Gus arrived home each night.
It was only a few minutes later before she heard Gus’ footsteps coming down the wooden stairs. It occurred to her that, for such a big guy, he was very quiet when he moved.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, his eyes searched out hers and she stood there waiting. When their eyes connected, she felt the normal jolt and smiled.
“You’re still here,” he said softly, those incredible eyes landed on her, then slowly moved up and down her body, sending warm tingles of delight coursing through her system.
“Of course I’m still here. You asked me to stay.”
He sighed and stepped into the room. “I’m still never sure about…”
Mindy hurried over to him, taking his hand and feeling bold when he curled his fingers around her hand. “Talk to me Gus. Tell me what worries you. I can’t battle these demons if I don’t know what they are.”
He pulled her closer, his hand wrapping around her head so that he could kiss her. Immediately
, she tilted her head and kissed him back. This time, it was just a gentle kiss, warming her heart with the emotions he couldn’t express in any other way.
When he pulled away, she felt his fingers tighten on her hand. “Chloe is my life,” he explained.
Her smile brightened and she nodded. “I get that. You’re a wonderful father to care about her so deeply.”
“But I…” he struggled and she pulled him over to the leather sofa.
As soon as he sat down, she started to sit next to him but he pulled her onto his lap instead. Over the past several weeks, he’d done this, preferring her right on top of him but tonight, his need seemed to take on a different dimension.
She saw the struggle in his eyes and put a hand on the middle of his chest. “Gus, you love me. I love you. Chloe is a wonderful little girl.” She laid her hand on her stomach. “If I’m pregnant, then we’ll figure this out step by step.”
His strong arms wrapped around her as he held her close. “I don’t understand you, Mindy.”
She snuggled closer, feeling as if her world had never been more right than at this moment. “What’s not to understand? I love you. You love me. You have one delightful daughter and we might be having another daughter or son.”
He was quiet for a long time and Mindy waited, wondering if he would finally explain.
“She married me only for my money,” he started off. Mindy didn’t move, afraid that, if she shifted in any way, he might not tell her anything more. “And when she got pregnant, she threatened to abort our child.” His arms tightened as he said, “My ex wanted to get rid of Chloe!” Mindy felt the strong emotions hit him and pressed her face against the warmth of his neck. “When she first told me that she was pregnant, I panicked, but I never considered abortion. I couldn’t imagine how I was going to take care of a tiny person, but now, I can’t imagine life without Chloe.”
“Are you sad that your ex-wife is gone?”
“Hell no!” he said without hesitation. “That marriage was over as soon as the ink dried on our marriage certificate. Good riddance to the vicious woman.”
“Do you still keep in touch?”
“No. She doesn’t even call Chloe on her birthday. As soon as she left the hospital, I never saw her again.”
“Not even for the divorce?”
He shook his head. “Apparently, she’d gone to Europe and hired a lawyer to go through the divorce process for her. She tried to get money from me, but because of her departure, the judge dismissed any sort of alimony payments.” He chuckled and Mindy smiled, thinking it was the first time she’d heard him laugh. “The judge ordered her to pay child support though.”
Mindy lifted her head to look at Gus. “Does she?”
“I haven’t seen a penny from the woman. So if she comes back to the country, she’ll owe me thousands of dollars in delinquent child support payments.”
“Good job!” she whispered, kissing him once again.
“So you’re going to marry me, right?”
Mindy smiled, thinking Gus was the most extraordinary man. “If you really want that.”
“I want you. As long as you’re okay with Chloe being a part of our lives.”
She kissed him again. “I think Chloe is amazing and I would be honored to join your family.”
After that, there wasn’t much talking going on between them and Mindy reveled in the openness she felt now that she understood Gus more. He was even more amazing than she’d ever thought!
When the storm was over, she curled into his arms and kissed him again. “I love you,” she whispered, trying to be quiet so they didn’t wake up Chloe.
“I love you, Mindy. You brought sunshine into my life.”
Mindy’s heart swelled with love for this man. He was so gruff and big and dangerous looking. And yet, he constantly surprised her with sweet words like that.
Epilogue
“I do,” she whispered, fighting back the tears of happiness as she vowed to love, honor and cherish Gus for the rest of her life. The gold band now on her finger warmed her soul as she stared up into the beautiful eyes of Gus.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister announced.
A moment later, Gus pulled her into his arms, not even waiting for the minister to give him permission to “kiss the bride”. The small church, filled to capacity with people even standing in the back against the wall, burst into applause. When Gus finally lifted his head, it was only because they were pushed apart by Mindy’s bridesmaid, an adorable Chloe who was jumping up and down with excitement, spraying flower petals from Mindy’s bouquet everywhere as she abused the arrangement.
When Gus and Mindy separated, Chloe walked in front of both of them and quickly kissed Mindy’s swollen belly where the soon-to-be-newest member of their new family was still growing. The congregation burst out laughing and Mindy took her step-daughter’s hand as the three of them walked back down the aisle together.
Other books in this Series:
Resisting His Seduction – Click HERE for details
In the Boss’ Bed – Click HERE for details
Seducing His Wife – Click HERE for details
A Taste of Paradise – Click HERE for details
Defying His Charm – Click HERE for details
Other Novellas will be available in this series as well – Coming soon!
For Updates and other news from Elizabeth Lennox – including the occasional novella that is free only to subscribers, click HERE
Excerpt from In the Boss’ Bed
Zeke walked into his office, ready to fire someone. He’d just left a meeting where a contractor complained about missing documents. He was so furious, knowing that those documents were somewhere in the mess of his office, either on his desk or his assistant’s, but he had absolutely no idea where they might be. There were other issues that were falling through the cracks as well. Things that couldn’t happen! Inspection requests weren’t happening, contracts weren’t being sent out so contractors weren’t showing up at work sites, slowing down progress, which would eventually mean additional costs and missed deadlines.
Something had to change! He was fully prepared to cancel his meetings for the next week so that he could personally go through all the documents on his desk, figure out his office filing system just so that he could know where everything was!
But when he stepped through the doorway to his office area, he came to a screeching halt. The exquisitely round bottom that greeted him fired up his imagination like nothing he’d ever experienced. He was so enthralled, he actually considered dropping the files in his hands so that he could bend down and cup the round globes. They were perfect, straining against the wool material of the slacks, making his mind go down a very wicked path.
And that was all before he realized he was standing there looking at the most incredible derriere he’d ever seen.
He must have made a sound because the delectable stranger spun around…well, she “fell” around. Her body twisted and, because of her position, when she looked up at him, she sort of…toppled over.
“Oh!” She gasped and pushed herself up. Unfortunately for his already strained body, her silk blouse gaped slightly when she stood, giving him an enticing glance at the black lace of her bra underneath. His mouth watered with the idea of discovering what that black lace was covering. As she stood, everything about this woman screamed energy. Lively, lovely, amazing, sensual energy. Even the black curls around her face, pinned on top of her head by several pencils, bounced around her.
It took him several moments to pull his eyes away from those dancing curls. Black hair, white skin, incredibly long, black lashes surrounding the bluest, clearest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. He couldn’t even say that her skin was pale. It was white. A creamy, soft, delicate white that tempted his fingers to reach out and touch her skin, to find out if she was real or a porcelain doll. And her lips, her rosebud lips, were the perfect shade of red.
It took several momen
ts for his eyes to move away from those lips. Lips that he’d like to explore, kiss…damn, he was picturing those lips doing…ah hell.
As his eyes moved lower, his body couldn’t hold back the almost instant reaction. She was perfect! Her breasts were full and round, almost straining the burgundy silk of her blouse. Her tiny waist flared out to round, lush hips that he suspected his hands would enjoy more than anything he’d ever touch. Besides those breasts.
She was like a Madonna wrapped up in the body of a sensual goddess.
And he wanted her!
“Who are you?” he asked but even to his own ears, the question came out sounding harsh.
Marcy stared up at the giant man glaring down at her. She’d done something wrong. And if this gorgeous, intimidating, huge man would stop looking at her like he wanted to bite her, she might be able to figure out what she’d done wrong.
Goodness, he was handsome! Not in the way Teague was handsome, but she could see the family resemblance. No, this man was…different. He was…
Terrifying!
“You must be Marcy, from Teague’s site.” He moved closer and Marcy suppressed the crazy instinct to move back. She couldn’t have this man close to her. Why, she didn’t understand. All she grasped in her jumbled mind was that this man scared her. It was basic survival, she thought. Bunny rabbit skittering away from the wily fox. Or wolf, was more appropriate. Foxes were cute and fuzzy.
There was nothing cute or fuzzy about this man.
He was hard. Hard jaw, hard green eyes, hard glare, hard shoulders….yep. Top to bottom, this man was granite hard and scary as all get-out.
She shivered, her fingers almost numb around the files she was holding.
“You are Marcy Marshall, correct?” He extended his hand, his sharp, green eyes narrowing on her features, and Marcy had no choice. She lifted her own fingers and almost jumped out of her skin when the heat from his hands enclosed her cold fingers.
Wild for Him (The Steele Brothers Book 6) Page 5