A Place to Call Home (15 page)

“Daddy called Hannah a brat,” Luke said, giggling.

“Son, sometimes you just call them as you see them.”

“Ahh,” Hannah said, turning in her seat so only Mac could hear her. “I see someone is still a bit cranky. I guess you didn’t take that advice I gave you for relief.”

He shot her a cynical glare. “I don’t need self-help. I have other ways,” he said low.

Suddenly, jealousy rose like a bitter pill in her throat. She’d find out what he meant by that.

When he arrived at his parents’ house, the boys opened their doors, jumping out before Mac even stopped the truck. They disappeared to the back of the house.

Hannah turned to face Mac. “Listen, you. I know I have no claim to you, but I won’t have you kissing me while you screw other women.”

He grinned wide, his blue eyes lighting up with amusement. “Good thing I’m not screwing other women, darling. The only pleasure I’ve gotten is from my hand.” Illustrating, he raised his arm and wiggled his fingers.

The sinful twinkle in his eyes caused heat to spread across her cheeks.

“Feel better now, brat?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“And that works two ways.” His gaze remained on her. “While I’m kissing you, there better not be another man.”

“Agreed.” She nodded and then her stomach knotted. What had just happened? How did they make an unofficial commitment over a bit of jealous temper?

“We’d better get in there before the clan comes looking for us,” Mac said. He turned off the engine, removing his keys. “Hannah.” She looked at him. “I hope you’re as good in bed in real life as you were in my fantasy. I must say I do feel much better today.”

She smiled widely. “Just wait until I let you have me. You’ll feel fantastic.”

He grinned. “Come on, you little brat.”

Chapter Eighteen

Two hours after their arrival to the barbeque, Hannah found herself alone with Mac in his parent’s kitchen. She stood in front of him. He towered over her so much that even with her heels she had to crane her neck up to see into his eyes.

His hands caressed her arms. “Are you having a good time, Hannah?”

“Yes, you have a lovely family. They’ve made me feel very welcomed.”

“That’s because they want to know all about the woman who has blown into town like a hurricane and disrupted my very orderly, quiet life.”

“Now I’ve done no such thing.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Have I?” she asked innocently.

“Let’s see.” He wrapped his hands around her waist. “In a week’s time, you’ve managed to need to be rescued by me numerous times, have thrown eggs at me, thrown cans of food hard enough to cause a concussion, infiltrated my tight-knit family, made my two teenage boys starry-eyed with their first love, gave my youngest boy his first date and have made me dizzy with lust.” He shrugged. “No, you little brat, you’ve done no such thing.”

“Austin,” she whispered, resting her hands lazily around his neck.

“Hmm?” he said, his breath tickling her cheek.

“I really like your family.” She leaned up and placed her lips briefly on his. “And I really like you.”

“Really?” His hands tightened around her waist. “Now I’d hate to see what you’d do to me if you disliked me.”

She laughed, the heat from his touch whipping through the thin material of her shirt, driving her desire out of control.

“I’d probably be in a body cast.” His expression softened while his eyes searched hers and the corners of his mouth stretching into a crooked smile. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” she asked, puzzled.

“Call me Austin.”

His eyes mesmerized her, and she shrugged. “I don’t know. It just happens. I like the name. It’s sexy.”

“Is it now?”

“Uh huh.” This close, the scents of the soap from his shower and the cigar he’d enjoyed with the other men created a clean and rugged smell that suited him and sent her senses into overdrive, filling her with the need to have his body cover hers. “Why does it affect you so much when I call you Austin?”

“Because no one calls me that anymore and I always liked my name. But people got used to calling me Mac when I started the business. Guess it was easier or something. I don’t know. But I missed my name. I missed my identity. Then you came along and gave it back to me. Just like that.” His knuckles skimmed her jaw, sending shivers clear down to her toes. “Do you remember the first time you called me Austin?”

“Uh huh. It was when I slept over your house.”

“Yeah.” He twirled the hair in her ponytail. “That’s how I finally fell asleep that night. With your voice in my head saying my name. My real name.”

“And then I stole your truck.”

He laughed, a truly relaxed, heartfelt laugh. “Yeah. Then you stole my truck.”

“Shouldn’t we get back out to your family? I don’t want to be rude,” she said, needing to put space between then before she got any hotter—or wetter.

“Nah. Don’t worry about it. KelliAnn probably has them thinking we’re having hot, steamy sex right now, so no one is likely to come into the house.”

Hannah’s cheeks flamed. “Austin MacDevin! You better get out there and make sure no one thinks that,” she ordered, slapping at his chest.

“Now why would I want to do that when I can be the envy of every man here if they think I’m scoring with a hot lady like you?”

“Hot lady, huh?”

“I call them as I see them.”

He leaned down and kissed her lips, scorching her while administering a thorough exploration of her mouth. She melted against his upper body, allowing him to deepen the kiss, and steal her breath away.

“Daddy!” Luke cried, the kitchen screen door slamming.

Mac and Hannah instantly separated.

“Daddy!”

“In here, Luke. What’s wrong?” Mac leaned down to his limping son, tears streaming down the boy’s dirt-stained face.

Hannah’s heart pounded when she saw thick, red blood oozing down the boy’s leg. With a gasp, she knelt beside him and rubbed his back while Mac inspected the injury.

“I…I…fell off the tree,” Luke cried. “Daddy, it hurts.” He wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders. Mac slowly lifted him, cradling him in his arms, paying extra attention to holding the injured leg still. Luke looked so small in Mac’s massive arms.

“I know, buddy. Let’s put you up here.” He placed him on the counter. “Let Daddy look at it.”

“Nooo, it hurts. Don’t touch it.”

Mac stared for a moment and kept his voice soft. “How am I supposed to help it feel better if I don’t touch it?”

“Nooo. I don’t want it to hurt…owww.”

“Luke, now listen to me,” Mac said, his voice a little sterner.

Hannah cut him off. “Here, Luke. If you let Daddy look at your knee, you can hold my hand. All Daddy’s going to do is look.”

Luke sniffled, his tears flowing. “No, he isn’t. He’s going to want to clean it, like he always does, and that hurts.”

“Then why did you come in to see Daddy if you knew what would happen?” she asked rubbing his hair.

Luke slowly stopped crying and just shrugged his shoulders.

She bent to be eye level with him. “You don’t believe Daddy would hurt you on purpose, right?”

Luke shook his head.

“I thought so. I bet you know your daddy will take good care of you and make you feel better, right?”

Luke’s watery eyes stared at Mac. “Can you make it feel better, Daddy?”

“I’m sure going to try, buddy. Can I?”

Luke nodded and took Hannah’s hand. Gently, she held it and kissed his knuckles. Mac looked from Luke to Hannah then focused on the knee. He grabbed a dishtowel, wet it then held it gently on the knee for a moment.

“Ow!” Luke yelled. Hannah wrapped her arm around his shoulder and he let his head rest on her shoulder, rubbing his hair with her free hand.

“Well, son, once again I think you’ve avoided stitches. You can bend it, so it’s not broken.” Mac opened a First Aid kit.

“Daddy, don’t use the stinging stuff. Don’t.”

Hannah smiled. “Oh, I bet I know what that is.”

Mac looked at her.

“It’s what your daddy used on me when I hurt my leg.”

“Did it sting?”

“Oh, yes, a whole lot.”

“You know, you’re not helping the matter,” Mac whispered.

Hannah ignored him. “But you know what? When it was all done, my cut was bandaged so it couldn’t get hurt anymore. And the best part was I got to have ice cream.”

Mac eyed her.

“Really?” Luke asked, glancing at Hannah instead of watching Mac apply pressure to the cut with the wet towel.

“Yup,” she said then whispered to Luke, “I bet your daddy will do the same for you if you hold still and let him do what he needs to so you can get back to playing.”

“Will you make me more blueberry muffins?”

 “Absolutely, sweetheart.” She kissed the top of his head.

Mac made quick repair of Luke’s injured knee, cleaning it with the dreaded peroxide while Hannah occupied Luke with talking about everything from cartoons to his cousins. Mac applied antibiotic ointment and wrapped a tight bandage around the knee. Luke was laughing with Hannah before he finished.

“Thanks, Daddy. Hannah was right. It feels better already.”

When Luke would’ve jumped down, Mac caught him, keeping him on the counter, and placed both massive arms on either side of his son. “What have I told you about climbing trees, Luke?” he said in a stern yet calm voice.

“That I’m not a monkey and not to do it.”

“So you disobeyed me. Right?”

“Yes, but I wanted to—”

 “Doesn’t matter what you wanted to do,” Mac said, cutting him off, his voice full of authority. “I told you not to do something and you disobeyed me outright and injured yourself doing so. Now you force me to punish you, Luke.”

Hannah’s heart sank. Her eyes widened, focusing on the boy and man, and she wondered what to expect next.

“But, Daddy…” the boy whined, his shoulders sinking.

Mac cut in. “I don’t want to hear another word, Luke. You were wrong and you’re grounded along with your brothers. You’ll have extra chores to do as much as that bum leg allows and no cartoons. Now go play while you still can and no more climbing anything.”

Luke shuffled out the back door away, head hung low.

Mac cleaned up the counter and glanced at Hannah. “Jesus, Hannah. Would you stop looking so frightened every time I have to punish one of my boys? Believe me. It happens a lot. And I already told you I don’t hit them so stop looking at me like I’m a monster. Shit. I feel bad enough when I have to hand out discipline. You looking horrified don’t help.”

Hannah offered a weak smile, her stomach in knots. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to seeing a man so gentle with his kids.”

“Yeah, well, I’m gentler with them than they are with each other.” He closed the First Aid kit and washed his hands before turning back. “You know, Hannah, you were great with Luke. I’m not used to having an assistant. You were very helpful.”

“He’s a great little kid, Mac.”

“You’re a natural mother, you know. You’ll make a great one someday.”

Her heart swelled and a lump formed in her throat. Never had she thought about having a family of her own. Not that she wouldn’t be absolutely overjoyed with kids of her own but she’d never imagined that as part of her life.

“Come on. Let’s go outside since if I try to kiss you again we’ll only be interrupted by someone,” Mac said softly, taking her hand.

“Whatever you say…Austin.”

 “That’s not fair,” he complained, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I don’t believe in playing fair.”

“You are such a brat, you know.” His lips landed on hers.

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When Mac pulled into her driveway, Hannah glanced into the backseat. All three boys sat sleepily in the truck. Aidan rested by the window with his arm on the door resting his head. Ryan crouched by the other window sitting in similar fashion to Aidan. And Luke slumped in the middle of them, yawning, his eyes barely open.

“Goodnight, boys,” Hannah said softly.

“Goodnight,” they said in different tones.

“Boys, I’ll be right back. I’m just walking Hannah to her door,” Mac said to them over his shoulder.

“Take your time,” Aidan said with a grin.

Mac glanced back and didn’t respond to the three sets of eyes watching his every move.

Walking up her front steps, Hannah unlocked the door and turned to Mac, who stood arm’s length away. “Thanks, Mac. I had an absolutely wonderful day. You’re lucky to have such a large, wonderful family.”

He looked down at her, his thumbs hitched in his front pockets. “I’d kiss you good night, brat, but I’m afraid we have an audience. Probably not a good idea,” he said, disappointment ringing in his voice.

She looked past his shoulder to see the boys watching curiously from the truck. Her gaze returned to Mac. Tenderly she placed her hand to his cheek, feeling the stubble forming, and spoke softly. “I understand. Goodnight…Austin.”

“Now that’s not fair.”