the family dinner on Friday.
“They seem to have sorted out their trouble,” he said, once the door was closed and their car had driven down the road.
“Yes,” Kate murmured. “They’ll be okay.”
“McLeod intuitiveness?” he asked.
“Maybe stubbornness,” she murmured, and brushing a kiss to his cheek. “You okay, baby?”
It had been a shitty afternoon and early evening but hearing her call him baby made it better. Same as Kate not getting mad, even though he’d known she’d needed space and patience and that she’d had plans watching Lacy.
He hadn’t the strength to stay away.
But she welcomed him in. She’d cooked and fed and held him, and when he’d felt like the events of the afternoon had loosened their stranglehold, he’d managed to set her away from him long enough to do the dishes.
God, the way she looked at him when he washed a couple of plates.
Fuck.
He knew he’d just signed up to do them for the rest of his life, and he somehow didn’t give one damn. Because he loved this woman and it made her happy.
Now she cuddled close to his side, tugged him back to the couch.
“Are you ready for your punishment?”
Jaime blinked. “What?” Were there more dishes to be washed?
“Your punishment,” she said again and wound her arms around his neck, brought her body flush to his. “You knew I was having a girl’s night and intruded anyway.” A shake of her head. “Tsk. Tsk. So rude.”
He grinned. “I think you need to consider that I saved the day.”
One brow arched up. “Oh, really?”
“Yup,” he said. “You needed my Lacy calming abilities, otherwise you’d still be heating that bottle and eating an apple for dinner.”
“I’ll have you know that apples are delicious,” she said, lips tipping up at the corners. “And I took an advanced babysitting course in high school. It’s how I was able to pay for my first car.”
He chuckled. “Impressive.”
“Yes,” she said. “It is. I was the most sought-after sitter in our neighbor.”
Jaime ran a finger down her cheek. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m in the presence of greatness?”
She giggled. “Yup. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Mmm.” He trailed his fingers down her throat, stroked across one collarbone and then the other. “And what should I do with all that greatness?”
“Take me to bed?”
His jaw dropped open.
Her smile took his breath away. “Is that a yes?”
Fuck yes, it was a yes. Except, what if she was trying to make him feel better because he’d had a terrible day? What if she didn’t really want this? What if she felt pushed into—
Her hands rested on his shoulders, kneaded lightly.
“This isn’t a pity offer,” she said. “You have to take your care medicine, same as me.”
“Kate,” he began. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to—”
“Have more orgasms?” she interrupted, pressing closer. “Because, I mean, I know I don’t have to have them.” She smiled, and it took his breath away. “But I’d really like to have some, and I’d especially like to have them courtesy of you and not my vibrator.”
He grinned. “Yeah?”
She nibbled at her bottom lip.
He groaned, used his thumb to release it, to soothe over the small hurt. “You know what that does to me, Red.”
“Tell me.” She ran her hand down his chest, his abs, gripped his waist. “Or better yet, show me.”
And Jaime forgot about the teasing, the banter, pushed away the tough day, only pausing to mentally tuck the dinner and how she’d held him tight into a safe place in his heart, a place where he would never forget the memory of her arms around him, and then . . . he gave in.
He closed the distance between their mouths and kissed the woman he loved. One touch, and her lips parted. A heartbeat passed, and their tongues tangled. She moaned, fingers clenching on his waist, nails digging into his skin, sharp bites that made heat scald down his spine, whiskey trail down his throat, warming him from the outside in and the inside out in equal measure.
She jumped and he scooped her up, coaxing her to wrap her legs around him, breaking apart only long enough to ask, “Bedroom?”
A slow, sexy smile that turned his cock to granite.
“Up the stairs. Second door on the left. But I can wa—” She broke off on a moan when he nipped at her lip, when he kissed and sucked his way down her throat. Then he got his ass in gear, carrying this wonderful woman upstairs, down the