morning.” Molly disappeared back into the kitchen.
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear those two had planned this little tryst over sudsy dishes. He walked to the sofa and kissed Allie’s forehead. She woke.
“Dad, will you tuck me in?” His heart leaped. She lifted her arms to him and he bent and picked her up.
“Absolutely.” Ryan held her close to his chest. Her long hair tickled his neck when she shifted and tried to get closer. She smelled like tangerines or something citrusy, maybe lemons. Kate’s footsteps echoed on the carpeted hardwood floor behind him. She slipped around them, flipped on the light switch in the guest bedroom, and moved to pull the covers down. Ryan lay Allie on the bed and covered her with the blanket, tucking it in.
“I had fun tonight. I want you to teach me how to play the piano. I wish you’d be there every night to tuck me in.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek and she whispered, “I want you to fall in love with Mom and get married and live with us. I want a baby brother.”
A little dart jabbed through his heart. I want that too, baby, so badly. “You are the most wonderful, amazing and beautiful person on the planet, Allaina Corrigan.”
“I’m glad you came home, Dad.”
“I’ve loved you all your life Allie. I’ll be here when you need me. That’s all I can promise you for now.”
“Okay.” Allie closed her eyes and snuggled into the pillow.
The door closed with a soft click and he followed Kate back down the hall.
“Stopping looking at me like that, Ryan. Skye was teasing and well you know it. You don’t have to give me a lift. I can manage.” Ryan watched Kate stalk to the door and grab her jacket off the peg. He could smell rain on the air and wondered if she realized her pride would get her soaked.
He snatched the keys. “I’ll drive you. Rain’s coming. How can you take care of everybody else if you get sick?”
They drove in silence. Thankfully the ride was short. Kate pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and climbed out of the car. “There. You delivered me here. Thanks.” She glared at him out of hot blue eyes. He knew she needed distance to balance the frustration and he wasn’t about to give it to her.
“Here, I’ll do it.” Ryan took the keys out of her hand. She jumped when his hand touched hers. Thunder sounded in the distance and rain began to pound them while they stood on the landing. Ryan jiggled the lock and turned the knob.
“Thank you. I can manage from here.” She clipped the words at him. Kate pushed past him and went inside. She tried to slam the door in his face.
Ryan blocked it with the palm of his hand. “Are you really going to shut me out now? I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I know how he is.” He pushed his way in and locked the door behind him. Leaning forward, he pressed a light kiss to her throat.
“You made me look like a–well, do I need to spell it out for you? Then again, I guess you’d be used to those kinds of women by now.”
* * * *
It took a split second for her to realize she had pushed him too far. Ryan would never hurt her physically, but he might give up trying to repair their relationship. One minute she felt Ryan’s lips on her throat, the next the door pressed into her back and Ryan was plastered against her body. His hands circled her wrists and held them above her head. His eyes were so dark and intense.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t how you spent the last thirteen years of your life. I’m angry and afraid. I’m not sure why.”
“I can’t stand the thought of another man touching you. Kissing you. Making love to you. It’s killing me.” His kiss wasn’t gentle or caressing as it had been earlier in the evening. This was possession, a claiming. Ryan plundered and demanded she ride the torrent with him.
“Ryan, I haven’t had another lover. You are the only one.” Was it possible to feel so much at once? The line of his body fit
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear those two had planned this little tryst over sudsy dishes. He walked to the sofa and kissed Allie’s forehead. She woke.
“Dad, will you tuck me in?” His heart leaped. She lifted her arms to him and he bent and picked her up.
“Absolutely.” Ryan held her close to his chest. Her long hair tickled his neck when she shifted and tried to get closer. She smelled like tangerines or something citrusy, maybe lemons. Kate’s footsteps echoed on the carpeted hardwood floor behind him. She slipped around them, flipped on the light switch in the guest bedroom, and moved to pull the covers down. Ryan lay Allie on the bed and covered her with the blanket, tucking it in.
“I had fun tonight. I want you to teach me how to play the piano. I wish you’d be there every night to tuck me in.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek and she whispered, “I want you to fall in love with Mom and get married and live with us. I want a baby brother.”
A little dart jabbed through his heart. I want that too, baby, so badly. “You are the most wonderful, amazing and beautiful person on the planet, Allaina Corrigan.”
“I’m glad you came home, Dad.”
“I’ve loved you all your life Allie. I’ll be here when you need me. That’s all I can promise you for now.”
“Okay.” Allie closed her eyes and snuggled into the pillow.
The door closed with a soft click and he followed Kate back down the hall.
“Stopping looking at me like that, Ryan. Skye was teasing and well you know it. You don’t have to give me a lift. I can manage.” Ryan watched Kate stalk to the door and grab her jacket off the peg. He could smell rain on the air and wondered if she realized her pride would get her soaked.
He snatched the keys. “I’ll drive you. Rain’s coming. How can you take care of everybody else if you get sick?”
They drove in silence. Thankfully the ride was short. Kate pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and climbed out of the car. “There. You delivered me here. Thanks.” She glared at him out of hot blue eyes. He knew she needed distance to balance the frustration and he wasn’t about to give it to her.
“Here, I’ll do it.” Ryan took the keys out of her hand. She jumped when his hand touched hers. Thunder sounded in the distance and rain began to pound them while they stood on the landing. Ryan jiggled the lock and turned the knob.
“Thank you. I can manage from here.” She clipped the words at him. Kate pushed past him and went inside. She tried to slam the door in his face.
Ryan blocked it with the palm of his hand. “Are you really going to shut me out now? I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I know how he is.” He pushed his way in and locked the door behind him. Leaning forward, he pressed a light kiss to her throat.
“You made me look like a–well, do I need to spell it out for you? Then again, I guess you’d be used to those kinds of women by now.”
* * * *
It took a split second for her to realize she had pushed him too far. Ryan would never hurt her physically, but he might give up trying to repair their relationship. One minute she felt Ryan’s lips on her throat, the next the door pressed into her back and Ryan was plastered against her body. His hands circled her wrists and held them above her head. His eyes were so dark and intense.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t how you spent the last thirteen years of your life. I’m angry and afraid. I’m not sure why.”
“I can’t stand the thought of another man touching you. Kissing you. Making love to you. It’s killing me.” His kiss wasn’t gentle or caressing as it had been earlier in the evening. This was possession, a claiming. Ryan plundered and demanded she ride the torrent with him.
“Ryan, I haven’t had another lover. You are the only one.” Was it possible to feel so much at once? The line of his body fit
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