thudding against her palm.
The kiss deepened as he pulled her against his body and tilted his head. When he began nibbling a path down her throat, she thought her knees would buckle.
“Mommy!”
The screen door slammed and Molly shoved away from Sam. He turned from her without a word and stalked to the front window.
She smoothed her hair away from her face and faced the kitchen doorway just as Kelsie burst through.
“ Hey, hon—what are you hollering about?”
“ I caught a lightning bug!” She had her hands cupped and lifted them in front of Molly's face.
“ Wow! You must be faster than a greased pig at a sausage factory to catch one of those by yourself.”
Kelsie beamed. “I am.” She skipped towards the window. “Want to see, Mr. Sam?”
Sam turned and when Kelsie opened her hands to show him, the bug flew out.
“Oh no! He's getting away,” Kelsie squealed.
His hand shot out, catching the escapee. “Here you go, sweetheart.” He gently put his closed hand over Kelsie's and Molly was struck by the contrast of his strong tanned hands and Kelsie's small pudgy ones.
“ Thanks!” Kelsie's tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on not squishing her prisoner. “Can I keep him for a pet?”
Molly crossed her arms as she shook her head. “Hon, don't you think his family will miss him?”
Kelsie's lip jutted out like she was going to protest, but after a moment, she nodded. “Yeah. His mommy would miss him, just like you'd miss me.”
Molly winced at Sam's stricken look. She ushered Kelsie towards the kitchen, throwing a glance over her shoulder. He once again had his back to the room. “That's right, sweetie. Why don't we go return your little guy to the backyard and tomorrow night, you can visit him again. How does that sound?”
“ Sure, Mommy.”
Molly ruffled Kelsie's curls, thankful for her daughter's easygoing nature.
Kelsie beamed up at her. “I named him Buggy.”
Only half-listening, Molly said, “That's a perfect name.” She held the door as Kelsie ran out to the middle of the yard and consulted with Gavin, who was still pouncing on hapless lightning bugs. A few seconds later, after some whispered message into her hands, Kelsie released Buggy back to the wild.
When the boy ran to catch i t, Kelsie yelled at him. Molly leaned against the doorframe, a smile curving her lips at her daughter's protectiveness of her Buggy. She couldn't imagine life without her sweet little girl and swallowed a lump in her throat at what Sam must have gone through—was still going through. For a brief moment, when he had pulled her close, she had felt a spark of fear, but thinking back, his grip had been firm but not forceful. It was a world of difference from other experiences she had endured. The taste of his kiss lingered on her lips.
The twilight deepened and Molly pushed away from the doorway, taking a few steps into the yard. She squatted beside her daughter who was watching a lightning bug glow in a tuft of grass. She put her arm around her shoulders, drawing her up. “Bath time, hon.”
* * *
Sam sat on the sofa and worked on his boot. The leather was stiff and he swore as he bent it back and forth. He should have asked Molly to pick up some cheap boots, just something to get him on his bike and out of here. There was no denying it. If he stayed any longer, he'd end up doing something he'd regret. His chest seemed to burn where her hand had rested. Sam sucked in a breath and yanked at the leather, hoping that if he concentrated on the boot hard enough, he could forget the way the defiance in her eyes had flamed into something more— a passion and fire that threatened to consume him. He swallowed hard. And her body. She'd melted against him and he'd felt every curve. It felt so right, but it couldn't be. He slammed the door on the possibilities. There wasn't time for complications.
Pain washed over him as he heard Kelsie chattering in the bathroom.
The kiss deepened as he pulled her against his body and tilted his head. When he began nibbling a path down her throat, she thought her knees would buckle.
“Mommy!”
The screen door slammed and Molly shoved away from Sam. He turned from her without a word and stalked to the front window.
She smoothed her hair away from her face and faced the kitchen doorway just as Kelsie burst through.
“ Hey, hon—what are you hollering about?”
“ I caught a lightning bug!” She had her hands cupped and lifted them in front of Molly's face.
“ Wow! You must be faster than a greased pig at a sausage factory to catch one of those by yourself.”
Kelsie beamed. “I am.” She skipped towards the window. “Want to see, Mr. Sam?”
Sam turned and when Kelsie opened her hands to show him, the bug flew out.
“Oh no! He's getting away,” Kelsie squealed.
His hand shot out, catching the escapee. “Here you go, sweetheart.” He gently put his closed hand over Kelsie's and Molly was struck by the contrast of his strong tanned hands and Kelsie's small pudgy ones.
“ Thanks!” Kelsie's tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on not squishing her prisoner. “Can I keep him for a pet?”
Molly crossed her arms as she shook her head. “Hon, don't you think his family will miss him?”
Kelsie's lip jutted out like she was going to protest, but after a moment, she nodded. “Yeah. His mommy would miss him, just like you'd miss me.”
Molly winced at Sam's stricken look. She ushered Kelsie towards the kitchen, throwing a glance over her shoulder. He once again had his back to the room. “That's right, sweetie. Why don't we go return your little guy to the backyard and tomorrow night, you can visit him again. How does that sound?”
“ Sure, Mommy.”
Molly ruffled Kelsie's curls, thankful for her daughter's easygoing nature.
Kelsie beamed up at her. “I named him Buggy.”
Only half-listening, Molly said, “That's a perfect name.” She held the door as Kelsie ran out to the middle of the yard and consulted with Gavin, who was still pouncing on hapless lightning bugs. A few seconds later, after some whispered message into her hands, Kelsie released Buggy back to the wild.
When the boy ran to catch i t, Kelsie yelled at him. Molly leaned against the doorframe, a smile curving her lips at her daughter's protectiveness of her Buggy. She couldn't imagine life without her sweet little girl and swallowed a lump in her throat at what Sam must have gone through—was still going through. For a brief moment, when he had pulled her close, she had felt a spark of fear, but thinking back, his grip had been firm but not forceful. It was a world of difference from other experiences she had endured. The taste of his kiss lingered on her lips.
The twilight deepened and Molly pushed away from the doorway, taking a few steps into the yard. She squatted beside her daughter who was watching a lightning bug glow in a tuft of grass. She put her arm around her shoulders, drawing her up. “Bath time, hon.”
* * *
Sam sat on the sofa and worked on his boot. The leather was stiff and he swore as he bent it back and forth. He should have asked Molly to pick up some cheap boots, just something to get him on his bike and out of here. There was no denying it. If he stayed any longer, he'd end up doing something he'd regret. His chest seemed to burn where her hand had rested. Sam sucked in a breath and yanked at the leather, hoping that if he concentrated on the boot hard enough, he could forget the way the defiance in her eyes had flamed into something more— a passion and fire that threatened to consume him. He swallowed hard. And her body. She'd melted against him and he'd felt every curve. It felt so right, but it couldn't be. He slammed the door on the possibilities. There wasn't time for complications.
Pain washed over him as he heard Kelsie chattering in the bathroom.
Similar Books
