had to be the strong one. He was the man after all.
“Go on.”
“We can’t have sex until we get married. I didn’t promise you to wait until you decided it was okay. I promised I would wait till we were married.” Malcolm watched her lip pout. It felt good to be wanted, really wanted. “But, now we are both clear on that. We can do other things till then.”
“What other things?” Stephanie felt her heart race. She hadn’t done other things with anyone. To say the physical part of a romance wasn’t what had her scared the most right now would be a lie. She thought about it constantly, but he had experience; she didn’t.
“I haven’t decided yet, but you’ll be happy. I hope.” Malcolm was sure he could make her happy. He had to. He wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life.
***
Downstairs Charlie realized Stephanie and Malcolm were still missing. Maybe Stephanie had put her plan into action already. Smart girl. That made her think of Ayden and her own plans. She ran her gaze over him. He was holding Logan, tossing him slightly in the air and bringing him back down. The kid was laughing and giggling.
Then he threw up.
Ayden was lucky it was on the down. It only got on his shirt.
“Grace.” Ayden laughed. “Logan, I don’t think you’re getting that scholarship into the space program after all.”
Charlie laughed. He had such an easy way with the kids. Of course, a little baby vomit wasn’t offensive to Ayden. In his job, he had worse spilled or thrown on him. The thought of that made her glad he was no longer working for the FBI. She knew how valuable he was to people like her, people who needed him. At the same time, she knew if he were still in that life, he would never have settled down in this town. He would still be smoking, and he wouldn’t be playing with babies.
“I’m going to head back up to the house and change.” Ayden announced to no one in particular, but Charlie stood and followed him.
“He got you pretty good, huh?” Charlie was ready to get him alone. One second, one good, opportunity. That was all she needed.
“Yeah. I knew better though.” Ayden pulled his shirt over his head as they entered the house. “I need to clean this up.”
Charlie went to the sink and wet a washcloth from the drawer.
When he came out of the laundry room, she was there, in the hall waiting for him. Ayden stood frozen for a moment. The woman had a definite look in her eye. Not one he could recall seeing before. She placed the warm cloth on his shoulder and began to gently wipe.
“Charlie?” Ayden felt his breath catch and his pants tighten.
“You’re very tense, Ayden. You should let me take care of that for you.” Charlie didn’t look him in the eye, didn’t look at his face at all. She focused on the washcloth and his chest beneath it.
“What did you have in mind, darlin’?” Okay, this is it. She’s making a move.
“I don’t know. A massage maybe?” Charlie pressed a little harder into his chest as she said it.
“I could go for that.” Ayden tipped her head up to look at him, with his fingers under her chin. God he wanted to kiss her. A massage would do for now. If this was her game, he was decidedly happy to let her play it, now curious as to how far she was willing to go.
Charlie expected more resistance, but since he said yes, she knew she had to act fast or he would change his mind and start thinking of her as a woman to protect and serve again. Hmm, that last part wasn’t so bad. She could go for Ayden playing her servant. Not that he would.
“Do you want to lie on the bed or on the floor?” She was trapped in those eyes. Her heart was beating so fast just because he was going to let her touch him. Not just hug him, no. She wanted him naked and ready. She would show him what he had been missing. Let him know exactly what he would miss out on if she had to leave.
“Floor?” Bed, good grief she wasn’t cutting any corners. He wasn’t going to be
“Go on.”
“We can’t have sex until we get married. I didn’t promise you to wait until you decided it was okay. I promised I would wait till we were married.” Malcolm watched her lip pout. It felt good to be wanted, really wanted. “But, now we are both clear on that. We can do other things till then.”
“What other things?” Stephanie felt her heart race. She hadn’t done other things with anyone. To say the physical part of a romance wasn’t what had her scared the most right now would be a lie. She thought about it constantly, but he had experience; she didn’t.
“I haven’t decided yet, but you’ll be happy. I hope.” Malcolm was sure he could make her happy. He had to. He wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life.
***
Downstairs Charlie realized Stephanie and Malcolm were still missing. Maybe Stephanie had put her plan into action already. Smart girl. That made her think of Ayden and her own plans. She ran her gaze over him. He was holding Logan, tossing him slightly in the air and bringing him back down. The kid was laughing and giggling.
Then he threw up.
Ayden was lucky it was on the down. It only got on his shirt.
“Grace.” Ayden laughed. “Logan, I don’t think you’re getting that scholarship into the space program after all.”
Charlie laughed. He had such an easy way with the kids. Of course, a little baby vomit wasn’t offensive to Ayden. In his job, he had worse spilled or thrown on him. The thought of that made her glad he was no longer working for the FBI. She knew how valuable he was to people like her, people who needed him. At the same time, she knew if he were still in that life, he would never have settled down in this town. He would still be smoking, and he wouldn’t be playing with babies.
“I’m going to head back up to the house and change.” Ayden announced to no one in particular, but Charlie stood and followed him.
“He got you pretty good, huh?” Charlie was ready to get him alone. One second, one good, opportunity. That was all she needed.
“Yeah. I knew better though.” Ayden pulled his shirt over his head as they entered the house. “I need to clean this up.”
Charlie went to the sink and wet a washcloth from the drawer.
When he came out of the laundry room, she was there, in the hall waiting for him. Ayden stood frozen for a moment. The woman had a definite look in her eye. Not one he could recall seeing before. She placed the warm cloth on his shoulder and began to gently wipe.
“Charlie?” Ayden felt his breath catch and his pants tighten.
“You’re very tense, Ayden. You should let me take care of that for you.” Charlie didn’t look him in the eye, didn’t look at his face at all. She focused on the washcloth and his chest beneath it.
“What did you have in mind, darlin’?” Okay, this is it. She’s making a move.
“I don’t know. A massage maybe?” Charlie pressed a little harder into his chest as she said it.
“I could go for that.” Ayden tipped her head up to look at him, with his fingers under her chin. God he wanted to kiss her. A massage would do for now. If this was her game, he was decidedly happy to let her play it, now curious as to how far she was willing to go.
Charlie expected more resistance, but since he said yes, she knew she had to act fast or he would change his mind and start thinking of her as a woman to protect and serve again. Hmm, that last part wasn’t so bad. She could go for Ayden playing her servant. Not that he would.
“Do you want to lie on the bed or on the floor?” She was trapped in those eyes. Her heart was beating so fast just because he was going to let her touch him. Not just hug him, no. She wanted him naked and ready. She would show him what he had been missing. Let him know exactly what he would miss out on if she had to leave.
“Floor?” Bed, good grief she wasn’t cutting any corners. He wasn’t going to be
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