by Diana Fisher
They obeyed and pulled the door closed behind them.
I punched in the code and opened the heavy door at the back of the kitchen. If there was anyone watching, I sure in the hell didn’t want them to see the kids there. The man dressed in a black suit jacket and white tie smiled as he held up the bags with all of the requested items, pleased with his work—the work that I will have to pay a heavy charge for, but it would be worth it. It was for clothing and food for them all. Once I was able to get them out of there, I would get them some more. There was no way that I was letting them go near that house yet. Not until my connections figured out who the intruder was, and if it was in fact, their dad.
Tossing the bags into the apartment, I scanned the back parking lot not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Keri had been smart not to draw attention to herself last night and she stayed in the dark shadows. If there was someone else watching, they hadn’t seen those two get away. Locking up, I entered the code and opened the hall door just as Sky punched at Jordan.
Grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her over my shoulder, I brought her back into the living room and put her down on my recliner. Seeing the tears rolling down her face, it shot straight to my heart as it did seeing Keri crying. Skylar was a good girl, but so full of hurt that it was just killing me, and if I could take some of that pain away for her, I would. From now on, she was my biggest concern; her and her safety. “He’s back, Sky.”
“He walked out on us! He left us there alone! I hate him! He promised that he would never leave me and he did!”
“Some people make mistakes. You just have to find the people who are truly sorry for the mistakes that they made and forgive them. He made one mistake because he was looking out for you. You know that he would never do anything to hurt you. Forgive him, Sky.” I patted her knee and smiled. “He’s not going to leave you again.”
“He’s going to get us taken away from her and I really like her. This year will be the first time we can have a Christmas, and I want one like on television.” She fell into my shoulder crying as hard as she could, her whole body shaking.
“Nobody’s going to take you away. We are going to make sure of that.” Letting myself hug her, I looked up at Jordan who was trying not to kick his own ass. “Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold. Then, change and we will see what we are going to do.”
“But you’re going to leave us…” Sky pulled back to look at me.
“Not now.” I rolled my eyes playfully, while I brushed the tears off her cheeks. “I can’t now.”
“I think that Keri’s awake.” Jordan cleared his throat just as Keri came rushing through the doors panic stricken and the color drained from her face. The sweat beaded on her forehead and her upper lip. She grabbed Jordan’s arm snapping him back as she cleared the doorway. A loud gasp came from her as her eyes found Sky in my arms, sobbing a little.
“Ugh!” A loud curse broke through her lips, and she groaned as little as she sucked in a deep breath. “I thought it was real. I thought it was all real.” Without a thought, she had come up behind me, wrapping her arms around me, and I could feel her heart slamming hard against my back. “I just had a bad dream.”
“Why don’t we eat and just relax for a little bit?” Feeling Keri move and the pressure of her firm breasts against me, the heat filled in my stomach. I wanted that feeling there. I wanted her there in that thin tee shirt and my shorts. She couldn’t have been more beautiful, with her hair a mess and the dark circles gone from around her eyes.
Getting everyone around the bar table, I spread the Chinese food out and watched everyone eat. Keri passed me a plate and nudged me into the feeding frenzy. They enjoyed the treat and ate up everything. Afterward, I had all three of them change into the clothes that the family bodyguard picked up for them. Like I said, that would cost me a little to have him go and buy women’s underclothing, but they needed some and I wasn’t going to let them go back to the house.
Keri emerged out of the bathroom last with her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. The blue shirt had been a little snug, but damn if she wasn’t making me drool even more over her. The jeans fit her waist and had some shiny designs on the back pockets that attracted me to her ass even more.
Sky liked her pink shirt that fit her nicely and her black jeans. Jordan, on the other hand, groaned when he had come out wearing the long sleeved black shirt that had some band displayed across the chest. Of course, that wouldn’t have been the shirt that I would have picked out for the kid, but we didn’t have that much time.
I looked them all over and grinned. They were all so good together. They were actually perfect together. But with the tension from last night’s adventures, I knew they needed some time to relax and have fun—something that I really didn’t think that they had. Sure, Jordan had his hockey and Sky had been playing some basketball after school, but what was there for Keri? Nothing. Her complete attention was on the kids and that was it.
“Let’s go.” Grabbing my keys and my cell from the kitchen counter, I rolled my eyes. Out of everyone that was ready, I was the one that was still in last night’s clothes. I hadn’t even thought about it. Going to my room, all the clothing of mine that they borrowed was folded neatly and sitting in the laundry basket. Keri’s doings, I imagine.
Changing into a pair of dark blue jeans and a green shirt, I went back to them sitting around the living room, waiting patiently. I knew of something that we could do and all have fun. And it wouldn’t even cost a dime. I was going to take them to the rink.
When we arrived, I closed everything down behind us and led the girls to the room with the skates. Having them pick some out and get ready, I laughed at Sky’s excitement, but Keri … Keri was the one who wasn’t thrilled about the idea. Maybe she had never been ice skating before, but then again, her leg could have been the reason. Though, when she walked, I could see that it really wasn’t giving her any trouble.
Sky had no problems about finding a pair of ice skates and lacing them up. Keri, on the other hand, was coming up with every excuse not to as she sat on the bench and fought me while trying to help her lace them properly so she didn’t break her ankle.
Her breathing had hitched a little as her eyes dropped down to my lips and back up nervously, afraid that last night was a mistake and brought on by the near-death experience. When I looked up, as I was crouched on my knees in front of her, her torso leaned closer, her hand went from the bench to my shoulder, scorching my skin through the cotton fabric. “I can just watch. That’s fine.”
“Nope. I’m afraid that there are no watchers today.” The heat intensified as I glanced down at her chest rising and falling quicker. I had the same effect on her as she had on me, and last night was no mistake. “You keep looking at me like that and I will have to lock the kids in the arena for a while.”
“You didn’t have to carry me in here.” Her cheeks darkened along with her eyes, the gunmetal melting and molding together as one as they drifted back to my lips.
“If you’re going to kiss her, then do it!” Jordan slid across the ice from the open door at the end where the players came out of the red locker room. He brought a few sticks and a puck with him taking them to the team box. “You’ve been eyeing her since we started coming around. I’m not an idiot.”
Keri’s eyes opened wide as her face turned blistering red. Sitting back, she shook her head, and as soon as she went to say something, I cupped the back of her head, my mouth covering hers, taking the breath from her lungs. She even tasted better than last night. When I pulled back, I straightened up and smirked at Jordan who had his mouth hanging open and was gliding across the ice until he came to a complete stop.
“Happy?” Grabbing my skates from the bench, I sat next to her, her eyes burning deep under my skin. How that woman could make me come unglued just by a simple look was beyond me. I had screw-me-eyes shot at me all the time, but nothing that ever gave me the urge to take the woman down right on the spot like Keri had.
“We
ll, now maybe your attention will be on the practices instead of when she will walk through the door.” The boy pulled back turning his attention to his sister entering the ice. “Sky, it’s been a long time since you’ve been on the ice so be careful.”
“I will. This is so great, isn’t it?” The big grin brightened her golden face as she pushed off, gliding through the air.
Taking off my boots and slipping my skates on, I glanced over at the surprise in Keri’s eyes. Her lips were pressed tight together as the giddiness was circling inside of her. Her cheeks were flushed with the slightest shade of pink, and the innocence that she had about herself was more so than I’d ever seen in a woman of her age. It was like the first kiss that was supposed to happen when a girl was thirteen at her first boy-girl party, not a twenty-five-year-old who had been married. But, I was glad it was me who brought that whole special time to her like this. It was me who was making her blush and shy away.
“You were not paying attention to me.” Her softened grays focused on the lace job I did on her skates and she ran her bottom lip through her teeth in order to hold off the giddy smile that was trying to make an appearance.
“When a hot ass woman bursts into my office, what do you expect, Keri?” Nudging against her, her warmth jumped the fences and settled into my own cheeks. It was like I was a damn teenager again with her; unable to control my own body and my hormones, and pretty soon, my voice could crack apart with the nonchalant touch of hers. “The sight of your ass in that one pair of jeans that night … I still can’t get my mind off that.”
“You … You…”
“Color me taken.” Reaching over, I cupped the back of her head, pulling her to me and I smothered her lips with mine, the heat increasing and her hunger beginning to meet me at my own game. If I kept it up much longer, I wouldn’t be able to skate and the need to excuse myself to the locker room would be needed. And this was something I would finish when the kids weren’t just a half-wall away. “I’ll let you sit for a little bit, but then you are coming out with us.”
Getting on the ice, I looked over at the kids giggling in a hush-hush way. After skating around for a little bit, I brought out the sticks and the puck. Sky was a natural just like her brother and she was having so much fun. Seeing them happy and carefree for once was a big issue; not to just Keri, but to me also. Knowing what they came from, it was a sense of pride to be watching a set of siblings who had nothing but pain and misery all their lives finally being able to be kids and laugh, and be worry free.
“Alright. How about a little game?” I looked at Keri still sitting on the bench with tears in her eyes—happy tears, I hoped. “Adults verses kids.”
“What? That’s no fair!” Jordan stopped next to his sister. “You’re good. Better than us put together.”
“Yeah, but look at what I have on my team.” I pointed at Keri, seeing her smile dropping instantly. “I’m the one who’s going to have to carry my teammate, literally.”
“That’s true.” Jordan nudged Sky’s arm. “We can take the old people.”
“I can still hear you!” Keri used the half-wall to pull herself up on the wobbling skates. The determination was on her face and casted into her steel eyes. When she managed to get onto the actual ice, she pushed away from the wall, keeping her ankles steady. “This is so on!”
We played for a while, and Keri—well, she didn’t really play, more like scooted across the ice while watching us. But the smile on her face and the sheer happiness in her eyes had been enough to topple me over the edge with her. When Jordan had the puck and she was trying to get it from him, he kept teasing her with it.
Finally, she grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pulled him close to her. “I can ground you from playing, mister. You better let me have the puck.”
His eyes opened wide as he looked over at me for help. “Hey. That’s a penalty! That is! She has to go to the box, Coach!”
I shrugged, skating over and nudging him a little. “All’s fair in love and war.”
“Oh. This is war!” He gritted his teeth as he crinkled his nose at her, making her laugh harder.
“Bring it on and we will see who’s playing this Saturday!” She bumped the puck with her stick and raised her eyebrows. “Oh! Color me awesome! I just hit the ball!”
I caught the puck before Sky could get over and knocked it into the goal. “And that is how it’s done, baby!” Going back over to her, I went to put my arm around her waist when she slipped trying to do a victory dance. Catching her, I laughed as I put her back up on her skates. “You are really bad, you know that?”
“You can spank me later.” Her eyes darted over to the kids retrieving the puck. Her mouth had dropped open when she had realized what she had said. Crimson filled her face as those wide eyes shot to me quickly.
“That will be arranged.” I left her there with her mouth hanging open and her face bright red.
Glancing back at her, I winked urging the crimson in her cheeks to darken even more. Oh, it was on. It was definitely on. There was no loving and leaving this. I wanted this. I wanted this more than anything I’d ever had before. Keri was my drug, and I was hooked.
Chapter 21
After the time at the rink and dinner, Kane piled us into his truck and he drove past the club. My heart slammed hard as I looked over at him. His jaw was set tight and his eyes were constantly scanning the road. Last night, he had been so wonderful … and that kiss. I had never been kissed like that before. It had been to the point where he could have done anything and I would have let him. Parts of me were on fire that I never thought were possible.
Finally, those green emeralds shot over to me as the cocky smirk slid across his face. My comment on the ice was getting me into trouble, and the butterflies were fluttering around inside of me. It had been such a long time since I had been with a man, but still, that wasn’t even like this at all. The anticipation was tingling all over, and I couldn’t wait for him to touch me. I needed him to touch me just to put this inferno out that only he started.
Today had been perfect, almost unbelievable, but now it was time to get back home and get back to reality. Nothing would ever work out with Kane anyway. He was a one-time, jump in and right back out of bed, kind of man. I knew that type. I knew that was how he was when I saw him with that woman’s tongue down his throat. There was no way I could be that type of woman either. What would that look like to Jordan? That those kinds of ways were condonable?
No. I didn’t want him to grow up to be like that. I wanted him to be a good man who would someday be a good husband and a great father. He had the makings for it with the way he was protective over Sky and his want to protect me now also.
When Kane ended up driving past our street, my breath caught in my throat. Where in the hell was he taking us? We had to go home. The kids had school in the morning and I had to work.
His hand came over and rested on my leg with his thumb making soft circles through the denim. If that wasn’t getting my mind off the matters at hand. The intoxication hit as I enjoyed the warmth of him, the comfort he was giving me through the nonchalant touch. Just a couple of months ago, I thought this guy was hot and that was all I thought about him. Now, I was lusting over Jordan’s hockey coach, trying to imagine what it would be like to have those large and powerful hands all over my body, touching me in places that hadn’t been touched in almost a year.
“I have your stuff at the house already.” His voice was low as he was leaning on the console that was separating us from each other. Glancing over my shoulder in the back seat, I noticed that Sky was dozing off and Jordan’s mind was focused outside of the window. It was getting late and I could tell that they were exhausted from playing at the ice rink and the adventure from last night.
“Do you mind telling me where we are going?”
“To my place.” His eyes shifted up to the rear view mirror as he cringed a little. His jaw tensed and his hand tightened on my leg. As if he had forgotten where he had b
een heading, he switched lanes quickly, taking a sharp left. Then, his eyes shifted back up to the mirror. “I haven’t been there in a long time and it’s not much, but it’s safe for you and the kids.”
Thousands of thoughts flooded my mind as the worry screamed at me, but my heart wasn’t all that stirred up. “Are you leaving us there?”
His head snapped my way for a second as the hesitation hit him. He was thinking about what he was getting himself into with us, and with me. It hadn’t been something that he wanted, and he was trying to find a way to get himself out of it without hurting us. It would be something that I needed to talk to him about after the kids were in bed. I had to cut him loose and walk away. This wasn’t anything that either one of us needed right now. Not with my life belonging to the two in the back seat.
“I’ll get you all settled and...”
“It’s okay, Kane.” The tears filled my eyes unexpectedly, burning the soft tissues. Looking out the window, my breath caught seeing the big fancy homes that we were passing. We were in the very nice part of the city; the one where everyone watched over everyone else. The lawns were all well-groomed and perfect with flowers and some trees. They were houses that I always dreamed of having someday. But that someday was taken away when I said I do to a man who didn’t and left me with his kids.
Kane turned again and once more into a maze of houses that were farther and farther apart. Finally, he slowed nearing a lonely driveway that was surrounded by thick woods. When he turned into that driveway, my heart stopped as I looked at him. “Where … where are you taking us?”
“Relax. I told you that I am taking you to my place. It’s actually not too far from yours. It just seems farther because of the way that you have to get here.” He smiled as he drove down the dirt road careful not to scratch up his beautiful black truck. Finally, we emerged from the woods into a clearing where a large one story house was hidden. The front was floor to ceiling glass windows that were dark and tinted for privacy. The front door was a double door that had brass handles and etching to enhance the beauty of the entrance. Parking in the drive that rounded the front, he looked at me and nodded. “Honey, we are home.”