Baby, Be Mine: Thompson & Sons, Book 2 Read online

  She was a hell of a package, and he wanted nothing more than to unwrap her one layer at a time and thoroughly mesh their lives together. Starting tonight. Maybe it was bad timing, but if he didn’t say something he’d spend the next six months regretting it.

  Also, not that he was a chicken or anything, but the time lag, if Katy agreed they’d be together, would give Clay time to get over any violent urges that might arise.

  Would give Gage time to make sure this was going to work—that he could handle the new situation as well as he hoped. That he wasn’t going to revert to…

  Not going there.

  Katy tumbled off the dance floor with Janey, the two of them red-cheeked and bright-eyed. They whirled to a stop, Katy only inches away from his knees as she rocked back to vertical and smiled shyly.

  “You okay heading out now?” Katy asked. The slightly out-of-breath quality of her question could be excused by her recent fling around the dance floor.

  He hoped it was for other reasons. “Grab your coat.”

  “I’m staying for loooonger,” Janey teased. “Because I don’t have a cuuuurfew, not like some people.”

  “Shut up, Janey,” Katy poked back. “You should go home now before your carriage turns into a pumpkin.”

  Janey stuck out her tongue. “I’m not driving, so there.”

  Gage rose to his feet to troubleshoot best he could, even distracted by his plans for the rest of the evening. “Katy, you want us to give Janey a ride home first?”

  Janey pulled back with a pout, accidentally bumping Len in the process. He caught her as she swayed, arms rising in the air momentarily. “Whooooaa. But I’m not ready to leave,” she protested.

  Len and Gage exchanged glances. Len rolled his eyes, settling Janey back on her feet. “I’ll make sure she gets home when she’s had enough.”

  “Going to shut the place down,” Janey warned.

  Gage double-checked Katy’s expression, but there was no concern there, only a bit of a smirk. He grabbed the bull by the horns and Katy by the hand, linking their fingers together. “Come on, let’s go.”

  It took a couple minutes of dodging through the close crowd, her hand tight in his, before they were outside. Voices and music faded to a faint buzz. Distant car traffic mixed in, but there was pretty much nothing but the fresh September air and the warmth of her body as he stepped next to her and slipped an arm around her waist.

  “Gage?”

  He squeezed lightly. “What’s up, Katybug?”

  She didn’t answer until they’d reached his truck, then she faced him, her head tilted to the side in this adorable manner. “I’m not sure what’s going on.”

  Gage leaned in, one hand planted against the truck door beside her head, the other still resting on her hip. “I’m taking you home.”

  Her tongue snuck out, leaving her lips shining in the pale parking lights. “You look like you got more on your mind than that.”

  He lowered his voice. “Would you be okay with it if I did?”

  Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded.

  Hallelujah. Gage closed the distance between them and touched their lips together. Soft. Sweet. More intense than any kiss he’d ever given her before—those innocent busses on the cheek during family holiday gatherings. Her breath escaped in a puff as he pulled back, warming his skin. “Oh. That was nice.”

  “Hmm, you ready for better than nice?”

  She opened her mouth to answer, and he caught her with her lips separated. His tongue eased into her mouth, and he tasted her like he’d longed to for months. Sweetness, a touch of cinnamon, but mostly her. This was far better than nice. He dug his fingers into the fabric at her hip to stop from exploring anywhere else. His other hand locked on the truck frame to make sure the only thing he used on her was his mouth.

  He wanted to consume her. Kissing was only the beginning because, oh hell, every nerve in his body had gone on high alert. Especially when she curled her hands around his back and stepped against him. One leg on either side of his thigh. Bodies tight together, her warmth enveloping him along with the scent of her perfume. His head spun from even this much contact, his erect cock pressed to one side of her soft belly.

  Stay in control.

  Somehow he retreated, this time to stare into a face that held the hugest eyes—wide pupils and wet swollen lips open in an O as she gasped for air.

  He didn’t say another word until they were in the truck. Gage caught her by the hip and dragged her across the bench seat to his side. “Buckle up.”

  The question was there in her eyes, but the words never came, and he wasn’t ready for them, either.

  He drove with one hand, his right arm draped around her shoulders so he could snuggle her tight. Every time they stopped for a set of lights, he couldn’t resist leaning over and kissing her. Each stop grew a little more intense, slowly building the need inside him. Each kiss a little hotter than the one before until they were both damn near panting.

  A horn sounded behind him, and lights flickered, and he dragged himself back to focus on the road. “You’re addictive,” he muttered.

  “I’m still not sure what’s going on,” she confessed, “but I like it.”

  Gage moved his hand to grasp hers, linking them on top of her thigh. “We’re almost to your house. We’ll talk there.”

  Because he wanted to be looking her in the eye when he made his next move.

  That plan wasn’t as simple to execute as he’d hoped, now that they’d let their attraction out of the bag. He parked and pulled her out the door after him, and they ended up kissing, grinding together against the outside of his truck before he realized where they were.

  Out in public. In her driveway. Within spitting distance, or at least seeing distance, of where her father still lived in rooms above the garage shop.

  Gage tugged her to the front door and she attempted to unlock it. Only there was this spot on the back of her neck that screamed for him to kiss it, and the next thing he knew he had his lips on her skin, his arms around her, and she was moaning in this sexy way that made his knees shake.

  “Oh God, Gage, I can’t think when you do that.” A full-body shiver rocked her as the door finally swung open, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to have her pinned to the wall in less than thirty seconds.

  And while he couldn’t remember why, that would be a bad thing.

  Katy was past the “what is going on?” stage and was well into the “whatever is going on, it better not be a dream” stage. She abandoned her purse to the floor and the next thing she knew her fingers were tangled in Gage’s hair, her tongue in his mouth. The front door slammed shut—had to be Gage kicking it, because she’d had nothing on her mind except getting close to him all over again.

  The passion raging through her body was unfamiliar, and she didn’t ever want it to stop. Didn’t want him to stop.

  He dragged his lips down her neck, hands scrambling to push her coat from her shoulders. She fumbled with his shirt, tugging it free from his jeans so she could press her bare hands against his naked chest.

  Heat. Like fire licking over her, hot desire raced up her back. “God, Gage, what are we doing?” She hated to whisper the words. The last thing she wanted to do was to interrupt this, whatever this was, but she had to know.

  He stilled himself, her hands on his tight abs, his fingers poised over the buttons on her shirt. “You want me to stop?”

  “No, but what is this? A one-night-stand? Or…” Damn, she remembered something important. “You’re leaving tomorrow.”

  His eyes flashed, and he nodded, dragging a finger over her cheek. “And you’re not seeing Simon anymore.”

  A light bulb went off in her head. “Oh.”

  A sheepish smile transformed his expression from sex god to reluctant, yet adorable, boy next door. “I couldn’t very well ask you to go out with me when you were seeing him, but now I’m leaving for six months, and maybe it’s crazy, but…”

  “
You want me to go out with you? Like, see each other exclusively?”

  The instant response visible on his face was even clearer than his words. “Hell, yes.”

  She stroked back the lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead. “Okay.”

  Gage grinned for a moment then it faded. “I have to leave tomorrow, Katy. I made the commitment, and I need the money to—”

  A slip of the hand moved her fingers over his lips to stem the flood of words. “I know you have to go. It’s okay. You’ll be back in six months, which kind of sucks to wait for a second date, but I can live with it. What I want to know is what we’re doing tonight.”

  “You’re incredible.” Gage shook his head. “And I’m a shit for making a move now, but I’ve been watching you for ages, woman. I couldn’t risk waiting any longer.”

  He couldn’t have been watching and waiting as long as she had. “It’s not a big deal. I need a break after dating jackass Simon anyway.”

  Gage’s eyes darkened, and not in a good way. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shrugged, sliding her hands around to his back and easing their bodies closer. She wanted to get back to what they’d been doing. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes.” Gage tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted. “What’s wrong? What did he do to you?”

  Katy sighed, the aching desire in her limbs still there, but fading. She wished she could stare at her feet while she admitted this, but instead she picked a spot over his shoulder. Pretended he wasn’t really there. Whispered her confession. “He’d started to get pretty bossy about a lot of things, and I didn’t like it. Plus, he didn’t think I was very good in bed. Not adventurous enough, or something.”

  If curses had burst from his lips, she would have nodded in understanding. If he’d hummed knowingly before patting her shoulder in sympathy, it would have made sense as well.

  Him busting out laughing was the last thing she’d expected. It wasn’t laughing at her, though. Didn’t make her uncomfortable, just sent another zing of lust up her spine, over her shoulders and zipping back down between her legs.

  Gage dipped his head until their eyes were on the same level, his amusement fading as the fires turned back to desire. “Any guy who thinks you suck in the sack—it’s his damn fault, not yours.”

  She wiggled. “You say that, but… I mean, how could you know?”

  He drew a line down the placket of her shirt, playing his fingertips over the buttons like an erotic connect-the-dots. The heel of his hand barely brushed the swell of her breast, and her breath hitched. “You’re walking sex, Katy. You make me hard by just breathing. We’ve done nothing more than kiss, and I already know you’re going to blow my mind.”

  She wanted to blow more than that, but her cheeks had flushed to feverish temperatures. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he warned as his gaze dropped down her body, his finger circling the button on her jeans. “I’m too damn ready to prove it. Right here. Right now.”

  There was this uneasy itch between her shoulders. Katy wanted harder than she ever remembered wanting, and with that deadline hanging over their heads?

  She wasn’t sure where she pulled the confidence from but, thank the Lord, poise she didn’t usually feel arrived. “Do it.”

  Gage’s head whipped up. “Do…what?”

  Katy lifted her hands to her buttons and popped the first one open. “Do me. Here, and now.”

  The entire time she worked on her shirt he didn’t move, except for the heavy breathing. Her every move was examined closely, though, his lids dropping to hide his eyes. She shrugged the material off her shoulders and allowed it to puddle on the floor.

  His throat moved as he swallowed. Whispered, “Say it’s not crazy. Say this is what you want, even though I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  “I want you,” Katy confessed. “And it’s not crazy—not completely.” She reached behind her and unhooked her bra. “I’m tired of sitting back and being told what’s going to happen in my life. I want this, Gage. I want you, even more because you’re leaving soon. There is no tomorrow, so give me today.”

  Her bra joined her shirt on the floor, and that was it. Discussion over.

  Gage had her in his arms, her feet dangling in the air as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. Their lips connected, the worn fabric of his T-shirt soft against her naked chest. He paused to toe off his boots, and they bounced off a few walls en route. Her legs were wrapped around his hips, her hands traveling over his shoulders and back as she savoured finally getting to touch him.

  The thought of the last occasion she’d been with her now-ex blipped in and out of her brain, taking barely a moment. About as long as the actual act had taken, if she was honest. She’d certainly gotten no pleasure from it, not like the incredible sensations rocking her body this time around.

  Gage lowered her to the bed and stepped back. He reached over his head to grab his T-shirt, jerking it forward and off his muscular torso. His biceps flexed, chest muscles and chiseled abs clearly visible in the light streaming through the window. She admired the dark dusting of hair on his chest, another dark trail leading down into the jeans that were even now being unbuttoned, unzipped and frantically cast to the floor.

  “Get naked,” Gage ordered. “I want skin, and nothing but skin tonight. I want enough touching to make me crazy for the next months while I think back to tonight.”

  She wiggled off her jeans and undies, staring at him in awe. “I’d ask for a picture, but your image is branded on my brain. You’re gorgeous, Gage.”

  He crawled onto the foot of the bed, tossing her clothing on top of his. “I’ll send you a picture from my cell phone.”

  “A dirty one?” she dared to ask.

  “No, not dirty.” Gage dropped a condom on the pillow, and her heart did this funny thump. With his knees on either side of her body, he had her trapped. Elbows to the sides of her torso, and a slow, deliberate connection between them followed as he settled on top of her. “You want naked from me, you only get it in real life. But I’ll email you…”

  He kissed her. Soft again, like in the parking lot.

  Another retreat, and another steamy grin. “…I’ll send you texts…”

  Gage traced the edge of her jaw to her neck, kissing his way up to the sensitive spot under her ear.

  “…I’ll be back in late March, and we’ll make that our New Year’s celebration. I’ll prove exactly how much I’ll have missed you. And exactly how perfect we are together.”

  “Gage, oh…”

  He’d stopped talking and started, well, everything else. Kisses and caresses, his lips on her torso as his fingers plumped her breast. His tongue tracing circles around her nipple a second before his lips closed over the tip and he sucked. A sharp, aching need shot from his mouth to directly between her legs, and Katy could no more hold back her groans than fly to the moon.

  It wasn’t just one thing, it was the complete seduction. His hands on her stomach, sneaking over her belly to tease the folds of her sex. His mouth doing sinfully good things to her breasts. Katy’s heart pounded, her body growing slick as he teased her, fingers on her clit, fingers slipping inside her.

  “I’m going to make you come, and this first time? I’m going to watch.”

  Gage hung over her, his face only inches away as his hand worked her, a rapid thrust of his fingers driving her toward a peak faster than expected. His pupils dilated further as she groaned his name, her nails digging into his broad shoulders.

  He kissed her breathless then vanished, sliding down her body like a human tornado. More caresses, long slow strokes—he avoided her sex for a moment, and she was glad until the continued touches made her twitch with the desire.

  “Hmm, delicious.” Gage opened her legs with his shoulders and dropped to tease her folds with his tongue. Gentle at first, then bolder until she was arching up to his mouth, grinding against him as he thrust his tongue deep. As he covered her sensitive clit and sucked,
flicking the tip with his tongue until she broke into a million pieces.

  She turned into a puddle on the mattress, barely able to focus. He snatched up the condom and covered himself, lowering over her to touch their heated foreheads together.

  Gage breathed out slowly as his cock nudged her core. “You ready for me?”

  Years ago. Forever. All the words she wanted to say she held back, instead simply nodding.

  He slid inside, and she shook, fighting to keep her eyes open so she could add the expression on his face to the whole experience. Bliss mixed with the hunger, and a moan escaped him as she crossed her heels against his lower back. The change of position slipped him deeper so they were all-the-way connected.

  Skin to skin, fully engaged as they stared into each other’s eyes. Gage pulled his hips back, and pressure skittered past sensitive nerve endings, making her entire body heat further.

  He thrust forward, and again, catching hold of her hip to lift her higher. He pinned her in position as the pressure and tempo increased.

  “Sweet Katy. Oh my God, so bloody good.” Gage tilted his hips at the end of each thrust, and she gasped. “Okay?” he asked.

  “Oh, this is…” She couldn’t breathe to get the words out, but she didn’t want him to stop. “Yes, good. So good.”

  He kissed her, his breath hot on her cheek before he tangled their tongues, thrusting into her mouth in imitation of his cock.

  Katy saw lights sparkling before her eyes when they broke apart to gasp for air. “I’m close. Oh, Gage, how? How can this…?”

  “You feel it, Katy? How good we fit? How fucking good we are together?” He pressed her to the mattress and grabbed both her thighs, looming over her and opening her in a whole new way. The changed angle increased the tension, and when he slipped his fingers over her clit, she was lost.

  “Gage…” Katy shouted his name. She clutched her thighs as he drove in one final time, his cock held deep while her body convulsed around him.