Read Online Torrent (Cosmic Forces Book 1) by Elle Thorne - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elle Thorne
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half-smile, half-grimace, she shrugged and looked at Torrent. “He just fell asleep.”
“Sorry.” Torrent whispered so as not to waken Gillie. “I wanted to make sure that the coast was completely clear.”
“We appreciate that,” Jesse said. His tone told Alyssa he was suspicious.
Torrent stepped closer to Alyssa and Gillie. “He’s a big one, isn’t he?”
“Just like his daddy.” Alyssa wished she could bite her damned tongue. She hadn’t meant to say it. She didn’t want to put pressure on him to like Gillie. Oh, shit . Then it hit her and a shiver ran through her.
“You don’t plan to…” She struggled with forming a sentence, and even after she did, the words were trapped in the sawdust of her fear. “Do you intend to take Gillie away from us?”
----
T orrent froze , staring at the beautiful, curvaceous brunette on the sofa with the little boy in her lap.
“What?”
How the hell did they know his mission? Why were they being so friendly if they did?
“It’s a valid question.” Jesse stepped closer to Gillie and Alyssa. “You’re his father. It would stand to reason you’d want to take him wherever you live. Is that your plan?”
Torrent wiped away the sweat that had sprung out on his upper lip. He fumbled for an answer. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. You’re the family he knows. How would I raise a child by myself?”
“So you won’t take him?” Belinda approached, wariness in her eyes.
“You need to prove you’re his father before you even think of taking him away.” Alyssa had fire in the dark depths of her eyes and steel in her tone.
“I wasn’t planning to. I don’t have anyone who can help me with him when I… when I’m at work or traveling.”
“So what do you do for work?” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. He was clearly not ready to trust Torrent.
Torrent hadn’t thought this through. Hell, it wasn’t for him to think through. He didn’t belong at a family reunion. Now he was pissed at himself for going through with this charade. He was supposed to come in here and get the package and get the hell out.
Package. No. Not package. Stop calling him that even in your head or you’ll screw it up and say it out loud. Gillie. Gillie. Gillie , he reminded himself.
“I freelance.”
“For who? What do you do?”
Alyssa came to his rescue. “Can’t some of these questions wait a while?”
Jesse turned a dark look her way.
“I think they can, too,” Sonya said.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Wasn’t there another cousin?”
The family exchanged looks, making Torrent wonder what that was about.
“He’s out.”
Torrent wanted to ask if he was a teacher in secret as well, but he didn’t want to spook them with how much he knew. What else would he be doing after curfew, though?
The little one in Alyssa’s lap stretched and rolled over, dark curls shifting as he turned to face Torrent. He emitted a little laugh in his sleep, his little lips curved into a smile, plump cheeks rounded and with a touch of pink on top of the café au lait skin.
“Can I touch him?” Now why the hell had he said that?
Too late now. Alyssa was nodding.
He reached out and put his hand on the little boy’s crown of curls, enjoying the way the softness curled into his palm and around his fingers. Gillie’s head was tiny compared to Torrent’s palm, and practically disappeared beneath his hand.
“Isn’t he precious?” Alyssa was looking directly into his eyes.
The look in her brown eyes made his heart beat faster. Her heart-shaped face, with a set of cheeks that reminded Torrent of Gillie’s cheeks, was irresistible. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, regardless of the toddler in her arms.
“Take him.” She held the little one out.
“Really?” For some reason, Torrent was nervous. And for more reasons than one. He didn’t want to come to care for the boy. He had to think of him as cargo to transport.
Torrent clenched his jaw to keep his
“Sorry.” Torrent whispered so as not to waken Gillie. “I wanted to make sure that the coast was completely clear.”
“We appreciate that,” Jesse said. His tone told Alyssa he was suspicious.
Torrent stepped closer to Alyssa and Gillie. “He’s a big one, isn’t he?”
“Just like his daddy.” Alyssa wished she could bite her damned tongue. She hadn’t meant to say it. She didn’t want to put pressure on him to like Gillie. Oh, shit . Then it hit her and a shiver ran through her.
“You don’t plan to…” She struggled with forming a sentence, and even after she did, the words were trapped in the sawdust of her fear. “Do you intend to take Gillie away from us?”
----
T orrent froze , staring at the beautiful, curvaceous brunette on the sofa with the little boy in her lap.
“What?”
How the hell did they know his mission? Why were they being so friendly if they did?
“It’s a valid question.” Jesse stepped closer to Gillie and Alyssa. “You’re his father. It would stand to reason you’d want to take him wherever you live. Is that your plan?”
Torrent wiped away the sweat that had sprung out on his upper lip. He fumbled for an answer. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. You’re the family he knows. How would I raise a child by myself?”
“So you won’t take him?” Belinda approached, wariness in her eyes.
“You need to prove you’re his father before you even think of taking him away.” Alyssa had fire in the dark depths of her eyes and steel in her tone.
“I wasn’t planning to. I don’t have anyone who can help me with him when I… when I’m at work or traveling.”
“So what do you do for work?” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. He was clearly not ready to trust Torrent.
Torrent hadn’t thought this through. Hell, it wasn’t for him to think through. He didn’t belong at a family reunion. Now he was pissed at himself for going through with this charade. He was supposed to come in here and get the package and get the hell out.
Package. No. Not package. Stop calling him that even in your head or you’ll screw it up and say it out loud. Gillie. Gillie. Gillie , he reminded himself.
“I freelance.”
“For who? What do you do?”
Alyssa came to his rescue. “Can’t some of these questions wait a while?”
Jesse turned a dark look her way.
“I think they can, too,” Sonya said.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Wasn’t there another cousin?”
The family exchanged looks, making Torrent wonder what that was about.
“He’s out.”
Torrent wanted to ask if he was a teacher in secret as well, but he didn’t want to spook them with how much he knew. What else would he be doing after curfew, though?
The little one in Alyssa’s lap stretched and rolled over, dark curls shifting as he turned to face Torrent. He emitted a little laugh in his sleep, his little lips curved into a smile, plump cheeks rounded and with a touch of pink on top of the café au lait skin.
“Can I touch him?” Now why the hell had he said that?
Too late now. Alyssa was nodding.
He reached out and put his hand on the little boy’s crown of curls, enjoying the way the softness curled into his palm and around his fingers. Gillie’s head was tiny compared to Torrent’s palm, and practically disappeared beneath his hand.
“Isn’t he precious?” Alyssa was looking directly into his eyes.
The look in her brown eyes made his heart beat faster. Her heart-shaped face, with a set of cheeks that reminded Torrent of Gillie’s cheeks, was irresistible. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, regardless of the toddler in her arms.
“Take him.” She held the little one out.
“Really?” For some reason, Torrent was nervous. And for more reasons than one. He didn’t want to come to care for the boy. He had to think of him as cargo to transport.
Torrent clenched his jaw to keep his
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