Protecting His Kidnapped Family - Leslie North Page 0,28

to me, reminds me of childhood memories…” He serenaded his daughter with one of his all-time favorite Guns and Roses songs, grinning when Gracie actually did smile up at him. By the time he got through the second verse and a repeat of the chorus, they were both smiling from ear to ear and he felt like he could move mountains. He was so into it, that he didn’t even notice when Serena came out of the bathroom and stood there listening to him.

When he was done, Serena came over and took the baby from him to check her temperature again. Finally, it was back to normal. He’d never felt so grateful for anything in his life. Once she’d fed Gracie and burped her and put her down for another nap, Noah got into the shower himself. He was shaving in the bathroom when Serena came in.

“Seems you really do have a knack with kids,” she said, softly closing the door behind her, shutting them into their own private world. “I’m so glad she’s doing better now.”

“Me too,” Noah said, wiping off his face, then brushing his teeth, aware that he was only wearing a damp towel around his hips while Serena stood behind him in a robe the B&B had provided. He spit into the sink and set his toothbrush aside, feeling a bit more relaxed now that he was clean again. “I called the guys and told them what happened. They’re going to take care of adjusting our reservations since we’ve been delayed.”

“That’s good,” Serena said, leaning her hips back against the edge of the vanity beside him, the heat of her and the sweet scent of shampoo from her hair making him dizzy with want. He wondered if she had any idea how she affected him. As if reading his mind, she slowly traced her finger up his bare arm, making him shiver. Her words emerged as little more than a seductive purr…and based on the heat in her eyes, yeah, she knew. Thankfully, she seemed to be just as affected by him. “You have a knack with me too.”

Picking up on her flirty vibe, he shifted slightly to face her, placing one hand behind her on the vanity and the other on the wall behind her, effectively trapping her with his body. “I do, huh?”

“Oh yeah.” She reached down and flicked open the belt of her robe, giving him a full view of her gorgeous naked body. “You do.”

That was all the encouragement Noah needed. He pulled Serena into his arms and kissed her deeply, loving the feel of her hard nipples rubbing against his bare chest. She moaned low in her throat and wrapped her arms around his waist, hooking her fingers into the back of his towel and whipping it off him, then grinding the heat between her legs against his rapidly rising cock. This time, it was him groaning with need.

He managed to tear his mouth from hers long enough to ask, “What about the baby?”

“She’s sleeping,” Serena said, stepping back slightly to let the robe fall to the floor, leaving them both skin to skin with nothing in the way. Then she returned to Noah, all but climbing him like a tree as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, opening herself up to him completely. “As long as we’re quiet, we’ll be fine.”

Noah buried his face against the side of her neck and nuzzled her soft, warm skin in a way that made her breath hitch, and grinned. “I’ll do my best, but no promises here.”

13

Serena was downstairs in the B&B’s dining room, eating some oatmeal the next morning when the news hit.

“Breaking news just in,” the announcer said on TV in Spanish. “We’ve just been informed that an arrest has been made in Buenos Aires in connection with the kidnapping of candy heiress Serena Carson.”

At first, she was so shocked to hear her name that Serena just blinked at the screen. Then she reached for the remote with one hand, to turn up the volume, while bouncing baby Gracie in the other to keep her occupied and happy.

“Wanted criminals Miguel Sanchez and Arturo Casavelle were apprehended early this morning at Ezeiza International Airport as they attempted to board a plane bound for the United States. While they were taken into custody for unrelated charges connected to a Colombian drug cartel, they agreed to make a plea bargain when they were questioned and supplied information