Page 37 of Deadly Forever

“And who understands what she’s going through better than me?” Emma asked, her somber eyes landing on James. She was practically daring him to argue with her.

“Uncle,” James barked, causing Avery to giggle again due to the exaggerated face he made. “You win, ladies. Darcy can stay here and come and go as she pleases. I think you’re both deluding yourselves if you think she’s going to want to hang around with virtual strangers, though.”

“Oh, whatever,” Emma scoffed. “You have no idea how charming I can be. Plus, I’m betting Darcy has already bonded with Mandy.”

“What makes you say that?” James asked, surprised. He’d already noticed Darcy clinging to his wife and was surprised by the bond building between the two women.

“Because Mandy made me trust her when I was a frightened teenager and she’s the entire reason I decided to believe in your family,” Emma answered. “People know when someone is genuine … and Mandy is genuine.”

James cast a fond look in Mandy’s direction and smiled. “My baby is genuine,” he agreed. “You guys can offer Darcy anything you want to offer her. I want to make her feel safe, too. Do what you think is best.”

“Great,” Emma said, exchanging a triumphant wink with Mandy.

“Don’t think I don’t know that you two just ganged up on me, though,” James added. “I’m not an idiot. I know when I’m being manipulated.”

“You’re definitely not an idiot,” Mandy said, rolling up to the balls of her feet and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, though.”

James’ expression softened. “Thank you, baby. Your good heart is one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”

“I thought it was because of my looks and a shark fetish that allows you to talk me into crazy bedroom games at the drop of a fin.”

James’ grin was so wide it split his face. “That, too.” He dropped a soft kiss on her lips and hugged her close for a moment, Avery squawking when Mandy got close. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, though. I know you want to protect Darcy, but she might not want our help.”

Emma made a derisive sound as she patted James on the shoulder. “You leave that to me.”

“WHAT ARE you doing?”

James found Mandy sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of their bedroom shortly before ten. They’d spent a quiet evening together – er, well, for them – and watched two shark movies fully clothed and only let their hands wander once or twice. After the events of the day, they both seemed happy to merely touch one another.

Emma handled the discussion with Darcy like a champ, and not only was the girl open to hiding in the extra room if things got too rough on the home front, she was also exceedingly thankful. That made James realize exactly how intuitive the women in his life really were.

On the flip side, James felt a sense of anger that he couldn’t quite explain when he thought about Darcy. She wasn’t his child … or sister … or even a friend. He remained furious about what happened to her, though, and the anger he felt about the way her parents turned on her was keen.

Even though James and Mandy were generally tactile (and lived their lives naked whenever possible), the couple opted to simply be together tonight. James was just as happy holding her while watching a shark movie that made absolutely no sense as he was making love to her. Er, well, mostly. One activity was clearly a favorite, but quiet nights with his wife were a rarity so James basked in their closeness whenever he could.

“I’m debating the meaning of life,” Mandy answered, her expression unreadable as she extended her hands and gestured toward James. “Sit with me.”

James pressed his lips together, uncertain. “Are we about to do something filthy? If so, I should probably get naked first, right?”

Mandy made a face. “We’re not getting naked.”

“We’re not?” James couldn’t help but be a little disappointed.

“Okay, we’re not getting naked yet,” Mandy clarified, smiling. “We’ll get naked in a few minutes. You were extremely patient with the shark movies earlier so I think you’ve earned it. I want to do something else, though.”

James happily acquiesced, taking her hands as he sat across from her. He had no idea what she was doing but he was more than happy to play whatever game she was fixated on as long as it made her happy. That was the one thing he wanted above all else – a happy wife.

Mandy linked her fingers with James’ and slid closer so their knees touched. James watched her, interested in the way she moved. Once they were close, Mandy leaned forward and pressed the side of her head to James’ chest, sighing.

James watched her for a moment, the need to hold her briefly overwhelming him. He reminded himself that she didn’t ask him to do that. She wanted to hold his hands and sit like this – for whatever reason – and he was determined to go out of his way to follow her lead. After a few minutes of watching her still form, James couldn’t take the silence.

“What are you doing, baby?” His voice was quiet, barely audible, but Mandy smiled when he spoke.

“You lasted longer than I expected,” Mandy said, grinning. “I thought you would immediately release my hands and take control of the situation … maybe even force me onto your lap.”

“Hey, I don’t force you to do anything,” James countered. “I’m not going to lie, though. My first inclination was to put my hands on you and pull you on top of me.”

Mandy didn’t move her head from the spot above James’ heart. “Why?”