I turned my face away. “Don’t.”
With a sigh, he rolled off me, but pulled me against his hard muscled belly and chest. His arm trapped me against him, yet I didn’t fight to escape his grasp. His legs covered mine, completely catching me against him.
“You’re running,” he whispered. “So am I. We can do this. If we stay together.”
Twisting my neck, I gazed into his eyes. “You’re sure?”
Avery bent to kiss me. “Yeah.”
I wiggled enough to set my back against his chest and stared into the darkness. “I’m not so sure.”
“Apart we’re weak,” he muttered, his lips against my neck. “Together? Shit. They don’t have a chance.”
“How can you be so sure?”
His breathy chuckle against my flesh made me shiver. “I’m sure, honey. Trust me.”
***
“Dad isn’t upset anymore.”
Declan made the comment from the table where he practiced his reading. Wendy and Peter tussled on the floor, while Max watched from the kitchen doorway. He’d overcome the worst of his anxiety over the cats, and I suspected he’d soon try to make friends. The kittens had long lost their fear of him, and they often stalked him in an attempt to play.
“No,” I said, making Declan’s lunch. “He’s much better.
So am I. There’s nothing like great sex to release the inner tensions and fears.
Of course, I still worried about what my presence in their lives might bring to them. I recalled the strange woman, her scrutiny, her pointed questions.Did she believe we lived in Bakersville and sent Carter or his goons searching for me there? Was she even certain I was the woman Carter sought?
I set Declan’s sandwich and chips in front of him, then poured his milk into his cup. The kittens instantly went on alert, and jumped into his lap, their inquisitive noses inspecting his lunch. Declan slyly tried to filch some turkey from between his bread slices.
“Uh, no,” I said firmly. “Put them down.”
Reluctant, Declan pushed the kittens off his legs. After two more tries, and failures, to gain a snack, Wendy and Peter sat onthe floor, side by side, watching every morsel he ate. I chuckled under my breath.
“You can give them some turkey in their bowls,” I commented. “After you’re done. And Max gets some, too.”
“Okay.”
My confidence had returned. I felt that with Avery at my side, Carter and his goons couldn’t do a thing to harm me. Perhaps I should have pushed that confidence away, stayed on my guard. I didn’t. Instead, I cleaned the house while daydreaming of Avery.
He said he could fall in love. Maybe I can, too. He’s strong, yet kind, warm, humorous. A tried and true good guy.Humming while vacuuming, I recalled his love making, how well our bodies meshed together. How quickly and easily he’d brought me two orgasms. How well I’d slept in his arms the night before.
As though we were meant to be together.
Fated.
I ceased all thoughts of leaving Avery and Declan to run for Montana. Instead, I pondered fresh notions of staying, of making nightly love to Avery, perhaps have a kid of my own with him. Maybe two.I know Declan would love being an older brother. Even to half siblings.
But would Avery want more kids?
I suspected the answer to that was yes.
I heard the sound of Avery parking the car, and suddenly, sensations surged through my body. My face was definitely flushed. Was it because of last night? Was I still burning with the desire to be in his arms again?
When Avery walked in, he came straight to me and leaned in to kiss me—a long, slow, tender kiss filled with love. A warm glow bloomed from my core to my chest as we smiled into eachother’s eyes. His hands settled on my hips, his body just an inch from mine. His trousers weren’t tented, but his desire was unmistakable.
Yeah. I could fall in love
