Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,95
ready to go?” Ben asked Claire, trying not to notice the dress she was wearing, a soft burgundy that covered her neck-to-knee but was snug enough to show off every feminine curve. His gaze traveled down those long shapely legs, and he remembered the way they had felt wrapped around him in bed. She was wearing very high heels and he remembered the night he’d taken her in nothing but a pair of heels and thigh-high black stockings.
Christ, just looking at her made him hard, and there wasn’t much chance of that changing for the rest of the evening. Ben shifted to relieve the pressure in his groin.
“Let me grab my purse.” She ran back across the room and grabbed her handbag and a big present wrapped with blue-and-brown paper and a big blue bow on top. “Happy birthday, Sam.”
He took the present almost shyly. “Thanks. Can I open it now?”
“Nope. Got to wait till the party.”
Soon they pulled up in front of Sage and Jake’s, a big pale pink colonial in the University District they had renovated. Having a party for Sam had been Ben’s idea. Having it at Sage and Jake’s had been Sage’s.
It was November and the weather was cool. It wasn’t raining but when he walked out onto the covered patio, kerosene heaters had been set up to dispel the early-evening chill. Blue-and-brown-striped tablecloths covered a half-dozen small tables, each with a football decoration set in blue flowers. Ben and Sam had been watching the Texans games together. He wouldn’t have guessed how much fun it could be to share the game with his kid.
One of the tables held the presents. Staring at the pile in awe, Sam carefully added Claire’s gift to the stack.
“You know most everyone,” Ben said, having taken Sam into the office several times to meet his friends. They’d all been great to his son, especially Annie, who didn’t have kids of her own and took on the role of substitute grandmother.
Sam’s gaze wandered over the crepe paper streamers suspended from the ceiling, the party favors and colorful paper plates. “I’ve never had such a fancy birthday party.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” Ben said with the slight smile his son wasn’t quite sure was teasing. “They’ve got a lot more money than we do.”
Sam looked worriedly up at him. “We don’t have any money?”
Ben grinned. It happened more lately, but it still felt a little odd. “Don’t worry, we’ve got enough. You aren’t going to have to eat any more alligator stew.”
Claire’s eyes widened at the mention of Sam’s ordeal, but Ben had already decided to tackle the subject head-on.
Sam let out a belly laugh. Apparently the strategy was working.
“Come on, there’s a couple of people I want you to meet.” Resting a hand on Sam’s shoulder, Ben started leading him away. When Claire didn’t follow, he paused. “You coming with us?”
She hesitated, then walked up beside them. Ben ignored a feeling of rightness that settled him somehow and kept walking till he reached a familiar pair of faces.
“Sam, this is Mr. and Mrs. Justice. They’re just back from their honeymoon.” Alex, a former navy pilot, was tall and blond while his wife, Sabrina, was a cute little redhead.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sam said politely. The kid had good manners, and he was already beginning to fit in at school. He guessed Laura had done a good job raising him despite everything.
“It’s great to meet you, too, Sam.” Sabrina smiled. “You can call me Rina. Most everyone does.”
“Everyone but me,” Alex said, bending to give his petite wife a kiss on the cheek. Sabrina flushed.
“I’m Alex,” he said to Sam, extending a hand Sam politely shook. “Welcome to the family, such as it is.”
Sam looked up at him in confusion.
“We’re all a family here,” Annie explained as she sashayed up to join them. “Some of us are a little friendlier than others,” she said pointedly to Ben. “We just needed a young man like you to bring us all together.”
Sam seemed pleased.
“This is my sister, Rebecca,” Alex said. “This is Joe, the guy she’s going to marry. And this young lady is my favorite niece, Ginny.”
“I’m his only niece,” Ginny said, laughing. “Happy birthday, Sam.”
Ben didn’t think the boy was old enough to like girls, but from the look he was giving pretty little seven-year-old Ginny Wyatt, he definitely had his father’s genes.
“Wanna play kickball before you open your presents?” Ginny asked.