Better Than Before (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (24 page)

When he finished, she squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Because I brought you a Blizzard?”

“No, because you’re here with me in person. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

Her eyes were shining with such emotion it humbled him. This woman had claimed his heart practically from day one, and he was totally at her mercy. It helped ease his fears when she pushed the half-eaten Blizzard away, scraped back the stool and sidled onto his lap.

He buried his face in her neck. “I won’t let you down again, Annie. I promise.”

“Of course you will. And I’ll let you down. It’s the way with couples.”

“Are…” He had to clear his throat. “Are we going to be a couple?”

She kissed his jaw. “I hope so.”

Drawing back, he stared at her intently. “You’ve decided to make love with me, haven’t you?”

“Surely that can’t come as a surprise. Especially after those naughty phone calls.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’re going to meet my kids, I can give you my body.”

His heart knocked in his chest. “I-I’m going to meet the kids?”

“Uh-huh. This weekend.” She slid off his lap.

He stood, and in a move uncharacteristic of him—of the old Spence, anyway—he scooped her up into his arms and headed to the front of the house for the staircase.

At that moment, he felt like the richest man in the world.

o0o

Annie felt as if she were dreaming. Spence’s ministrations were so gentle, so featherlight and tender, she was drowning in them. He’d put her on the bed, undressed her and raised her arms above her head. He stared at her intensely as he disrobed.

Now he was over her, his eyes crinkled at the corners, his face relaxed despite the bulge pressing into her groin. “You are so lovely. I’ll never get enough of you.” He accompanied his words with kisses across her chest. He stopped at one breast, took it in his mouth and suckled, making her body bow.

He transferred his mouth to the other breast, where he did the same. By then she was squirming. He brought her hands down next to her head and held them there. “Stay still, I’m not done yet.”

“I can’t take much more. After those phone calls, my body’s ready for yours.”

“Hmm. Enough to leave half of the Blizzard uneaten.”

Her eyes snapped open. “I left half my Blizzard? Let me go.”

“No way, baby. I’m never letting you go.”

He kissed her lazily, too, mouth against mouth, back and forth. He tasted like chocolate ice cream and candy. He worked his way down her ribcage, outlining each rib, then stopped at her abdomen, where he lingered.

She grasped on to his shoulders. “Please, more, Spence.”

He sighed as if beleaguered. “All right.”

His mouth closed over the triangle at her legs. He licked her, darted his tongue inside her, and when she felt herself begin to spiral, he was there with his hands and his mouth. Starlight burst behind her eyelids, blinding her, eclipsing everything.

With such primal male satisfaction, with such a full heart, Spence watched Annie come. He didn’t know exactly what to do with all that emotion.

When she opened her eyes, she smiled. “That was wonderful.” She placed her hands on his arm. “Let me touch you.”

“No way,” he whispered, close to her ear. “You’re going to come again while I’m inside you.”

Sneaking his hands beneath her butt, he lifted her and slid inside her. Her whole body jolted as she closed around him. “Hurt?” he asked.

“Are you kidding? It feels wonderful.” She came off the bed and kissed him. “You feel wonderful.”

He began to move. In and out, slowly, easily. Then all of a sudden, his body took over and he was dimly aware of plunging into her. Driven to possess her completely, his mind blanked until the world turned dark, and he spun off into oblivion.

Spence opened his eyes and saw Annie smiling up at him. He cupped her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I wanted you to come again.”

She laughed. “I did, Spence.”

“I…didn’t realize.” He ducked his head.

“Do you know how good that makes me feel, to have you lose all sense of reality, because of me?”

He stared into her eyes. “You are something else, Annie.” Then he said words he’d never meant as much as he did now. “I love you.”

So caught up in the moment, it took him a minute to realize she wasn’t going to say it back. She’d said it once before, in this very bed.

Ah, but it was to the other Spence, the common man. What her silence told him about where he stood knifed him in a chest that had just sung with happiness.

He rolled off her.

o0o

Rising up, she braced herself on his chest. “I’m sorry, Spence. I can’t…I know it hurts you that I didn’t…I couldn’t…”

 “It’s too soon.” He brushed a hand down her back. I didn’t even mean to say it.”

“But you feel that way.”

His first instinct was to deny his words, to bury his feelings, as he’d done for a lifetime. But Annie’s Spence surfaced. “Yes, of course. I don’t want to spoil all this, though.”

“I’m…honored Spence. Really. And…happy. I guess I need time.”

“I said I’d wait for everything and I will. I promise.” Which wasn’t going to be any easier now, after having made love again. He thought it might be, but now he wanted
everything
from her.

She ran a finger down each side of his mouth. “There are lines here. You’re tired.”

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep in New York. After talking with you each night, woman.”

“Stay with me. Keith takes the kids to school, so they won’t be home at all. I wouldn’t want them to meet you like this.”

“I understand.”

As he cuddled her close, Spence pushed away his disappointment and his fears. He had her here, in bed, and their relationship was on the right track.

He felt that way when he kissed her good-bye in her foyer at seven-thirty the next morning. She made quite a picture, all rumpled and messy from their dawn lovemaking. He’d opened the door and stepped onto the porch when a car pulled up to the curb.

Out of it jumped a boy of about twelve. “Mom, I forgot my…” The kid stopped halfway up the walk. Frozen, they both stood there. Spence had no idea what to do. Introduce himself? Hell, he was totally out of his depth with this family stuff.

o0o

Keith bolted out of the car and stalked toward the porch behind Alex.

Annie ignored him. “Alex, this is the friend I was telling you about. Spence, this is my son.”

“Hi,” Alex said.

“Nice to meet you. I stopped over to have coffee with your mother before work.”

“You took Jake to PetPlay.”

“I did. He enjoyed himself.”

Keith reached them. “What’s going on here?”

Catching Keith’s eye, Annie nodded to Alex.

“Go get your book, son,” Keith said, understanding her silent communication. “Then wait for me in the car.” He pointed to the side of the house. “Over there, Annie.”

Spence started to object, but Annie tugged on his arm so he followed her.

Keith said, “Alone.”

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Spence. But I don’t want Alex to overhear, so I’m going over there with you, despite how you’re ordering me around.”

“You should have thought of Alex when you had
him
here all night.” They’d moved out of earshot of the porch. “I don’t buy that crap about his stopping over for coffee. Look at you, it’s like—”

“Be careful of what you say, Kennedy,” Spence warned. Obviously he wasn’t going to be intimidated, but Annie wasn’t in the mood for a pissing contest, either.

“When the hell did you start sleeping with him?”

“I mean it, Kennedy…”

“Stop it both of you. Spence, I can fight my own battles.” Then she turned on Keith. “I’m only going to say this once. Don’t question me again like I’m still your wife. You broke that bond and gave up any say in what I do. Second, if you try to turn Alex against Spence, I’ll do the same with Belinda. Your situation with her, by the way, makes you a hypocrite. You’ve been sleeping with her for two years with my kids under your roof. Before that, actually.”

Keith flushed at the statement of fact and even his ears got red.

From the sidewalk, Alex yelled, “Dad, we’re gonna be late.”

Sliding his arm around Annie’s waist, Spence gestured to the boy. “You’d better go.”

Speechless and sputtering, Keith strode away.

As he peered down at Annie, Spence chuckled. “You’re formidable when you want to be.”

“He’s an ass sometimes.”

Leaning close to her ear, Spence kissed it lightly. “He’s an absolute idiot to have given you up.” They walked toward the house holding hands. “I’ll text or email you today.”

When they got to the porch, she raised herself to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Good-bye, Spence.”

“Good-bye, love.”

Warmed by his words, she waited on the stoop until he reached his car, got inside and waved. Annie was buoyed by all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours and planned to enjoy the feeling. Determined more than ever to fight her fears and insecurities, she went back inside with a smile on her face.

Chapter 13

Hope Kennedy was her mother’s clone. She met Spence at the door, still dressed in her dance clothes and pink-ribboned shoes, braids down her back from her Saturday-morning class. Her coloring was exactly that of her mom’s. It was amazing.

Annie stood behind her daughter as she invited him in and introduced them. “Hope, this is my friend, Spence Wickham.”

Hope smiled, ingenuous and trusting. “Hi, Mr. Wickham.”

“Spence, please.”

The little girl glanced up at Annie, who said, “Go ahead, honey.”

The door to the garage slammed and Alex yelled, “Mom? Where are you?”

“In the foyer.”

Feet pounded on the hardwood floors, along with claws scratching. Before Spence could prepare himself, he was accosted by Jake, up on his hind legs, licking Spence’s hand. He’d never particularly cared for animals, but damned if he didn’t feel affection for this mutt.

“Hi, boy.” He patted Jake’s head. “Nice to see you, too.”

Annie grabbed Jake’s collar. “Down, Jake.” The animal eyed her.
“Down!”

As if he knew Annie meant business, Jake dropped his front paws to the floor. When Spence looked up, he saw Alex’s mouth had dropped open. So had Hope’s.

She said, “Jake never acts this way. He doesn’t like people since he got lost.”

Alex poked her. “Spence took him to PetPlay.”

Hope’s eyes rounded like the moon. “You did? I wanna go there so bad.”

“I could—”

Annie cut Spence off. “We’ll talk about that later. Meanwhile, Hope, you go change, and Alex, you can wash up, then both of you set the table on the patio. I want to talk to Spence alone for a minute.”

The children left but the dog hovered at Spence’s side. Spence kissed Annie quick. “Hi,” he said to her.

Stepping closer, she hugged him. Her easy affection settled sweetly in his heart. When she drew away, she said, “You have to be careful about what you say around the kids.”

He’d made a mistake already? “What do you mean?”

“I still haven’t decided about PetPlay. I’d like you not to contradict my wishes with them.”

He felt like a chided teenager. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about going there again.”

“Actually, it’s the principle I’m reacting to now.”

“Whatever you want.” His tone was curt, because this was stupid. They were talking about a damn dog.

Or were they?

“Now I’ve offended you.”

“Some, yes.”

“You’re not used to kids, Spence. It’s complicated raising them.”

Again, the scolding tone. Still, he was here meeting her children, so he tried to be grateful for that milestone. “Let’s not fight. I won’t mention PetPlay again, though it seems to me if your kids want to go that badly and Jake remembers me because of it, you’re the one that’s being silly about this.”

“The place is so expensive. I hate for you to spend your money on us.”

“I wouldn’t be spending it on you. It’s for my new best friend here. And the kids. They can play in the other arena with him after the orientation, which we already had.”

 “I didn’t know that. They’d love it. But a thousand dollars for three months is exorbitant.”

“The cost of a reputable gym.”

Like a mother studying her child, she peered down at Jake. “Much as I love him, he’s only a dog, Spence.”

“This from the woman who still makes him hamburger and rice for his meals?”

When she didn’t agree, he started to get exasperated. “Besides, you won’t let me pay for your share of food or entertainment when we go somewhere, and though it bothers me, I haven’t balked.” He moved in close and pitched his voice lower. “People who’ve made love shouldn’t care about whose money they spend.”

“I can pay half and you pay half.”

Well, he could tear up her check. “I’ll settle for a third.”

“It’s a deal.”

She led him to the kitchen and told him to go outside with the kids while she finished up lunch. The sun was high and hot, making Spence glad he’d dressed in sandals, shorts and a lightweight, gauzy shirt. Alex tossed a ball into the air, catching it in his glove while Hope read a magazine at the table, which wasn’t set. He crossed to her first.

“What are you reading?”

“HighPoints
magazine. It’s for kids.”

“What does it have in it?”

“Come see.” She pointed to another chair, which he pulled out and sat down on. “It’s got puzzles and stories and Find the Animal and cool recipes.”

“What are these?” he asked as she turned a page which contained several squares with cutting dashes around them.

“Free passes. In case you’re worried about something you did. You get one a month to use if you do something wrong.” She gave him a wide-eyed onceover. “You probably don’t do anything wrong anymore.”

Don’t bet on it.
He thought of the girl’s mother.

Alex called from the lawn, “Hey, Spence, you wanna play catch with me?”

He’d forgotten about sibling rivalry for adult attention. “Would you mind if I toss a ball with your brother a while?”