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“You seemed lost. I wanted to see if you were okay?”

Shutting off the engine, she gave him a smile. “I’m fine. Let’s go so you can change then play.”

The joy on his face warmed her. Together they climbed out. Tears stung her eyes as she watched him replace his cover then grab his bag. Sam walked towards them, his gaze lingering over her before moving to the young man who’d joined her at the front of her SUV.

“Eric, this is Sam Hoch. Sam, my nephew, Eric.”

“Very nice to meet you, sir,” Eric said, offering his hand.

“And you.” Sam shook his hand and glanced back to her.

“Go on, Eric. I’ll be in shortly.”

He said farewell and hurried inside. She was again alone with Sam Hoch.

“How are you?” she asked, not really expecting an in-depth explanation.

“You left early this morning.” His gravelly voice made her panties wet.

“I did. Caught an early ferry and ran some errands in Seattle before gathering Eric. How are you?”

They walked into the garage and the second they stepped around the shelf and couldn’t be seen from the outside, she was in his arms, pressed flush to his muscular physique. Her groan of pleasure was captured by his mouth as he kissed her. His tongue swept dominatingly through the heated recess of her mouth. Stroking. Surging. Thrusting. She nearly sank boneless to the floor. Sam held her up. Body aflame, she had one thought—getting him inside her as fast as possible. He ended the kiss, dragged a knuckle down the side of her face, and gave her a passionate look, one which only reaffirmed her desire for him.

“I’m fine.” His deep voice rasped over her.

Yes.
Yes,
he was. Sam rotated and opened the door into the house.

“I just need to put my things away.”

Sam stared at her, not saying a word. Her nipples tightened and that insistent pulse in her sex began again. She made her way to her room only to stop outside the laundry room. The door they’d got no longer occupied a space in her garage but hung here. That’s what he’d been doing.

Glancing from the door to Sam, she touched two fingers to her heart and mouthed, “Thank you.” His gaze warmed and he gave a sharp nod before he vanished back out into the garage.

She skimmed her lips before sighing and entering her room. Sinking against the closed door, she breathed heavily. Sam Hoch was dangerous. Especially to her. The feel of him against her,
in
her, all of it risked her heart more every second.

While she didn’t know the nitty-gritty details about how he’d grown up, Laila had said it hadn’t been easy. Her friend hadn’t said much more than that, but she got the gist of it. Sam had had it really rough. She wanted to cry for the little boy he’d been as well as the pain he’d endured, and she loved the man he’d become.

Loved.

Well, shit, she’d gone and fallen in love.
No
.
It’s not been that long. I can’t possibly be in love with him. Could I?

Taking a bit of time to compose herself, she went to the kitchen to bake some cookies. Ingredients gathered, she began, her gaze on the backyard. After a bit, she frowned and walked to the door. No Eric. She checked his room. Not there either. Wiping a hand on her jeans, she opened the door to the garage and looked there.

Eric was with Sam. They were by his Dodge 2500, which Sam had pulled out and had lifted the hood on. Her nephew stood on a step ladder, watching whatever Sam did.

Her heart clenched with emotion as she observed them together. Sam nodded every so often and, smiling, she stepped back into the house. She felt safe knowing Sam was with Eric. Quite safe.

After the cookies were finished, she started work on supper and was lost in her own world when she glanced up to see Laila standing there. After a small jump, she smiled.

“Hey.”

Laila gave her a tired smile. “Hey, yourself. Sam said you were in here. I see Eric’s bonded well with him. He’s out there chatting away while Sam works on his truck.”

“I saw them earlier. It’s nice to see.” She gave a nudge with her chin. “What’s up with you? You look exhausted.”

“I am.” Laila sat at the table, a groan escaping.

“Everything okay at work?”

“Yeah, that’s not it. It’s…well, Dean Jr.”

Roxi clenched her fingers around the spoon handle she was using on the spaghetti sauce. She was making a dish Eric had asked for.

“What’d he do?” No response prompted her to glance at her friend. “Laila? Answer me.”

“They’re not good house guests. Chris was smoking inside when I got home. They’re demanding and just rude.”

Tamping down her immediate desire to rush over there and kick their asses, Roxi remained where she was. “Tell them to stay at a hotel, then.”

Another peek at her friend and she witnessed Laila chewing on her lower lip with a bunch of indecision in her expression. When she sighed heavily, Roxi tasted the sauce and placed the spoon on the dish before giving Laila all her attention.

“What’s the problem?”

“I don’t want to lose him, he’s family. They all are.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Bullshit.”

Laila jerked like she’d been shot. “What?”

“Sam is more family to you than Junior Fuck over there or his two useless brothers. You know it, yet you continually take Dean’s side when you know damn well that excuse of a human wouldn’t cross the street to piss on you if you were on fire.”

“Language, Roxi.”

She scoffed. “Don’t have time to be delicate, Laila. Sam would move mountains for you. It’s time for you to make a decision on who is more important.”

Laila’s eyes flashed fire. “You don’t know what it’s like to lose your family, Roxi. So kindly keep your damn advice to yourself. Dean’s in a tough spot.”

Ignoring the stab of pain, she lifted her chin. “Just because I haven’t lost my parents doesn’t mean I can’t recognise an asshole when I meet one.”

The sound of the door opening reached them and she knew there was little time before either Sam or Eric arrived. Perhaps both.

“However, if you need to believe Dean’s above reproach, then go deal with him.”

“Hi, Aunt Roxi,” Eric said, bounding in. The seriousness which had surrounded him while he’d been dressed in his academy uniform had vanished. “Hi again, Miss Laila, are you staying for dinner?”

“No, she can’t,” Roxi spoke up before Laila could. “She has company at her house she wants to spend time with. Her
family.
”

Laila met her gaze, anger and hurt in her eyes, then she looked away. “Maybe some other time, Eric.”

Sam appeared in the doorway and Roxi knew he recognised the tension. Turning back to the stove, she picked up the spoon and stirred the sauce. “Bye, Laila.”

The chair scraped back and she heard Laila’s farewells to Eric and Sam before her voice faded. Roxi chewed her lower lip. Maybe she
had
overstepped but damn it, it was about time Laila stood up for herself.

Eric popped up beside her. “Almost ready?”

His eager question made her smile. “Will you please set the table?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When she drained the spaghetti, she watched Sam assisting Eric. He nodded occasionally as he’d done near the truck, but still rarely spoke. Eric, if he noticed, didn’t seem to care his companion was mostly silent. He chatted along happily.

Pasta in a bowl, she placed it on the table beside the pot of sauce. Spinning back to grab the salad and bread sticks, she ran into Sam.

“Oh!”

He steadied her and she struggled not to press closer. “Everything okay?”

She glanced around for Eric.

“He’s washing up. Answer me.”

“Fine,” she managed to mutter before extracting herself from his grasp.

He didn’t believe her, she could see that. Still, he didn’t press the issue. Which was good, because Eric soon returned. They ate, with Eric telling them about school.

Throughout the meal, she felt Sam’s intense gaze upon her. After dessert, Eric went to play a video game while she cleaned up. Sam stayed with her. She kept waiting for him to ask her again what was wrong, but he didn’t. She huffed and Sam glanced at her.

“Just ask already.”

One black eyebrow arched in silent question.

“About me and Laila and what happened.”

“Not my business, but if you want to tell me”—a shrug—“I’ll listen.”

She wanted to shake him. His gaze never wavered from hers. The epitome of patience. So unlike her.

“Never mind.”

He blinked and went back to wrapping up the leftover breadsticks. She watched him for a few moments. He was wearing a nondescript black T-shirt and jeans, and they affected her in so many ways. The way the sleeve cuffs hugged his muscles only emphasised the strength in his arms. She knew how delicious it was to be held by him. The flat abdominals with the ridges that she loved tracing with both her fingers and tongue. Powerful legs and lean hips she loved having between her…

“Roxi?”

“Huh?”
Shit. Got caught staring and fantasising. Damn near drooling, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to be standing in a puddle. Or lake.

Those damnable evening-blue eyes darkened with understanding and more than a hint of desire. Lord help her, she wanted to touch him.

“Are you okay?”

She forced a smile. Was she?
Most assuredly not
. She was horny as hell and pissed off that she’d fought with Laila. “Fine.” Even to her ears the word sounded like it had been pushed through gritted teeth.

He came closer and crowded her back ’til the edge of a counter met her spine. “You’re lying.” His hard cock pressed definitely and defiantly against her and he moved until there was no light between them. His warm, masculine scent surrounded her in a blanket of security.

Yes, she was. Instead of responding, she merely shrugged. Another flex of his hips had her swallowing hard as her clit pulsed and nipples pebbled. Sam dragged two knuckles down her cheek before he stepped away. She missed his closeness immediately but held her tongue, for Eric walked in.

“Mr Sam, will you play a video game with me?”

Blue eyes met hers with a question in them. She gave a brief nod and basically held her breath until Sam and Eric left. Once she’d completed the last bit of clean up, she propped her shoulder against the archway between the kitchen and living room.

The guys were on the couch, faces intent on the game. She shoved her hands in her pockets and just watched their interaction. Eric looked up and gave her a heart-melting smile.

“Ready, Aunt Roxi?”

“Whenever you two finish.”

“We’re done now. Are you coming on our walk, Mr Sam?”

Again those blue eyes found her.

“Come if you like, Sam.”

“Please, Mr Sam. I would love to hear more about being in the Marines. Aunt Roxi doesn’t talk about it much.”

“Okay,” he said, still holding her gaze.

The television was shut off and they grabbed coats before walking out the front door. Night had fallen and so the street and porch lights lit their way. They walked with Eric between them.

“So what’s it like being a Marine for you, Mr Sam?”

She watched from her periphery for his reaction to Eric’s question.

Chapter Five

Sam stared at the boy who walked with him and the lovely Roxi. Her nephew was an inquisitive lad. Smart too.

“It is an honour for me,” he replied honestly. “With the Marine Corps you have a family.” He paused. “Or another family.”

He sliced his gaze to Roxi. She wore her hair loose and it fluttered with the breeze. The overwhelming urge to grab her and kiss her hit him. Hard. It wasn’t like the feeling ever truly left him, though. She seemed a bit more relaxed now than she had back at the house, after whatever had occurred between her and Laila. He’d wanted to have her share but he didn’t want to intrude on her business.

Pathetic man. A Marine. A Recon Marine and feelings scare you.

“Do you have a family, Mr Sam?”

“Eric, I don’t think Sam wants to talk about that,” Roxi admonished. Her eyes met his and were full of apology.

“It’s okay,” he said, surprising himself. Focusing back on Eric, he smiled. “The Corps is my family, aside from Laila and Master Gunnery Sergeant Richardson.”

“What happened to your parents?”

“I don’t know. I grew up in…in foster care.”

There was no way he was telling a boy that his parents had put him in the car and had driven him to a city in Minnesota—a different state than he had lived in—and had left him. Alone. No money, no friends, no anything. He avoided looking at Roxi, not wanting to witness the sympathy in her eyes. Eric touched his arm briefly and he glanced at the boy.

“Aunt Roxi and I are your family too.”

He was humbled. “Thank you, Eric.” This time he did chance a look at Roxi and he swore there were tears in her eyes. He’d just had his defences breached by a boy he’d known less than a day.

Roxi steered the conversation back to a less emotional topic for him. He found himself amazed at the difference between the boy walking with him and the one he’d met in uniform. Eric knew how to have fun and relax when he wasn’t in uniform. Something Sam had not managed to do.

Back at the house—he’d waved to Laila on the porch but hadn’t swung off to talk to her, unwilling to leave Eric and Roxi—he was surprised to see the boy grab a board game from a shelf instead of a video game and take it to the kitchen table. Turned out it was a board-and-card game.

“You playing?” Roxi questioned from where she set it up.

“This looks like—”

“Sam. You are more than welcome to play. Eric would love it if you joined in.” She neared and put a hand on his arm, the strength and warmth of her touch like a shock to his system. “It’s our way of staying close and not allowing technology to get in between us.”

“You’re playing, right, Sam?”

He caught Roxi’s subtle flinch when Eric didn’t use ‘Mr’ before his name and he quickly assured them both that Sam was just fine.

Eric’s big brown eyes watched him expectantly. “So you’ll play?”

“Yes.”