Unchained (43 page)

She stifled a giggle-swoon. They weren’t back yet fifteen minutes and, already, he started to get back the absent-minded professor look she fell in lust with a year ago. He’d loosened his tie and popped open the top buttons on his shirt. As he came toward them, he was already sliding the tailored suit jacket down his arms.

Yum,
her brain tittered. Maybe he’ll do the beard thing again now that we’re home. Meghan liked her husband in a suit and tie with his serious scowl and larger than life persona. But oh dear baby Jesus—put Alex Marquez all scruffed up with a beard and long hair in a pair of washed-out and well-worn jeans and those massive arms and muscular chest clearly visible under an ancient concert t-shirt, and she was slipping off her panties.

He knew exactly what she was thinking when he kissed her soundly after dropping the suit coat on a kitchen stool.

“Carmen, my love!” he teased with a twinkle in his eyes. “Get over here, Señora, and give me a hug.”

Being old enough to be his mother didn’t stop her from giggling like a schoolgirl. “Meester Alex”—she sniffed, her voice filled with emotion—“you were missed.”

Watching the two embrace was another heart-happy highlight. She saw Carmen whisper something, and Alex almost imperceptibility shook his head. The housekeeper put her hand on his arm, patted it, and then offered them a dazzling smile.

He didn’t look at her, so she figured the Justice information train was just informed that no, the Marquez bride didn’t return from the honeymoon pregnant. How the hell was she supposed to react? In a way, she was relieved the news would pass person-to-person without any comment from her.

The sound of hell breaking loose burst on them without notice when a frantically barking and running at high speed Zeus came barreling into the kitchen, her doggie paws and nails making a scrambling noise as she bounded through the space and launched right at Alex’s chest.

“Girl!” he shouted with unabashed glee. Dropping to one knee before she toppled him over with her enthusiastic greeting, Alex and his devoted canine did the dance of love while Meghan watched with a smile. Rubbing her neck and chest, Alex praised his best girl for her beauty and manners. It was so freakin’ charming; a small sigh escaped her throat.

For Zeus’s part—she lost her doggie shit. The barking stopped, but she was doing a doggie-whine interspersed with happy yips. Licking her master’s face and rubbing her face on his chest, the two were adorable.

She glanced at Carmen and found her taking a cell phone snap as if she read Meghan’s mind. Great Christmas card potential!

Ben rounded the corner, saw the man-dog love fest happening, and laughed. “She was all over me when I took the limo to the garage. Got one whiff of the Boss’s scent and she was off and running!”

Zeus barked happily as if agreeing with Ben’s explanation. That was when the faithful Lab remembered about Meghan. Taking off with a scrambling burst of speed, she came straight at her and rose up on her hind legs to put her paws on Meghan’s chest and sloppily lick her face.

Dropping to a chair—no way was she rolling around on the floor in a dress—she hugged the dog and did her own fair share of singing the praises of the remarkable family pet.

Alex was smiling and looked really, really happy. Carmen might have wiped away a tear. Ben was grinning ear-to-ear.

The housekeeper started bustling about, Zeus calmed down but stayed glued to Alex’s side, and after a hushed back and forth with her husband, Ben took off.

Alex offered assistance to help her stand and then nodded with a pleased gleam in his eyes when she moved in close and meshed her body to his. It felt right when he moved his hand to her bottom and grabbed hold. He could do that every day for the rest of their lives, and she wouldn’t complain.

“You okay?” he asked. “Seem a little pale, baby. The heat too much?”

“Oh, I’m all right,” she chided. “Stop worrying.”

Undoing his tie the rest of the way, she pulled it from around his neck and rolled it around her hand. He’d pushed up his sleeves when on the floor with the dog, and without the tie, he appeared relaxed and in high spirits. She feathered her fingers through the hair above his brows that threatened to cover his forehead.

“I’m surprised there wasn’t a greeting party.”

“Do you imagine changing the subject is going to deflect my concern?”

Her mouth quivered with amusement. “Was worth a try.”

“Talk to me, Meghan,” he urged. “Pale is one thing, it’s your damn Irish coloring, but I’m sensing something else.”

“I love you so much,” she replied in a rush. “Do you know how reassuring it is?”

He looked at her with a question on his face.

“Knowing you’re the one taking care of me.” Was she explaining this feeling right?

“I will always take care of you.”

“I know. And really, I’m fine. Unless I’m dreaming, Carmen is making tea as we speak. I think my blood sugar dipped earlier. No big deal. The excitement. The flight. The time difference and yeah, the heat. But I’m good. I’ll eat something and sip some tea.”

He ran his hands up and down her bare arms. She wished he’d grab her butt again.

He wasn’t convinced, and Meghan sensed his hesitation. She’d responded to his concern and didn’t feel any more discussion was necessary, so she backtracked to her earlier observation. “So where is everybody?”

“Before I explain, I’d like to ask a question.”

“Sure.”

“Why haven’t you used your phone at all? I thought you’d alert the troops to your return.”

He’d noticed. Well, my goodness. The Major didn’t miss a thing, so she didn’t balk at explaining.

“The truth? I got overwhelmed. Talking to Ben while you were with Parker and seeing the model of the compound, well, it got to me a little.”

“Now, do you understand why I imposed the no-information zone?”

“Yes.” She kissed him softly. “And thank you for being such a badass dominant at the perfect time. You were right. Focusing solely on ourselves was a brilliant tactical maneuver, Major Marquez. I’d salute, but it’s more fun touching you.”

“Ease back slowly, honey,” he murmured. “This isn’t a race. If you need time to chill, that’s totally cool.” He smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear. “I guess it’s good everyone is scattered and not all here with their loud and crazy antics.”

She didn’t disagree.

“I’d give Lacey a ring when you feel ready. She was here, but Dylan was grumpy. Ben mentioned teething, so she took him home to nap.”

“Okay.” She could do that.

“Don’t know where the fuck Drae is. Our arrival wasn’t a secret, so fifteen points from Hufflepuff for being a d-bag.”

Oy
. She heard the displeasure dripping from her husband’s voice.

“Your brother keeps busy in town. That’s a direct quote from Ben, and I have no idea what it means.”

“Jesus,” she muttered. “Continue.”

“I’d keep an eye out for Calder and Stephanie. Please don’t freak out; Ben told me some wild tale about menopause and stuff like that. I think the word fainting might have been spoken. He says Calder dragged her to a doctor to get things sorted out.”

“What? Did you say menopause? Who came up with that? Good lord! That’s not how it works. What’s been going on around here while I was gone?”

She was kidding. Kind of. But not about the menopause. Meghan was pretty certain it didn’t happen out of the blue one morning when you woke up. Stephanie was barely fifty. And she knew for a fact that her cycle was regular and as predictable as Big Ben. An odd piece of personal information, but it’d come up right before the wedding when Tori was making baby noises.

Alex didn’t chuckle at her attempt to be funny. She focused on him and saw the tension around his eyes. Who hadn’t he mentioned?

“And Victoria?” she said when the obvious hit her broadside.

He sighed heavily. “She’s here.”

Meghan glanced toward the hallway leading past Alex’s study that split off to a quirky labyrinth of oddly shaped rooms where his absent-minded professor’s lab was situated. And the music studio. Among other things.

He silently nodded when he saw where she looked.

“She needs you.” It was all she could say. “Go.” Meghan gestured with a jerk of her head. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

After a brief kiss and a delicious booty squeeze, she reminded him as he walked toward the tech zone with Zeus obediently at his heel, “If she has Daniel with her, you bring me that baby!”

He laughed and gave her a thumbs-up. Good. Sending him off with a smile to what she suspected would be an emotional reunion was the right thing to do.

“Tea, Meesus. A new one! It’s called Soothing Sunset. And Ria, she sent up a big jar of cactus honey. Come. Sit.”

Another tremendous tsunami-like surge of emotion overtook her for the good people who were such a big part of her life.

Ben, the trusted jack-of-all-trades, who managed Alex’s life. Carmen. Jeez, Carmen, the longtime Marquez caretaker. She’d been making Meghan’s life easier and waiting on her hand and foot from the moment she showed up at the Villa for what was supposed to be a simple lunch.

If she sneezed, these people said, “God Bless You,” and passed the tissues. If she needed her car washed or a dinner party planned, all these things and so much more were taken care of for her.

Was that another reason why she and Alex were so perfectly bonded? Without the minutiae of every day clogging her schedule and thoughts, she was free to concentrate on her husband and the wacky extended family living with them.

Carmen ushered Meghan into a comfortable chair, poured the tea as though she were serving the Queen, and shoved a small dish of oatmeal raisin cookies toward her. They were a favorite. Tears briefly blurred her vision when she thought about the dear woman baking up a storm making Meghan and Alex’s favorite treats to fill their homecoming with comfort.

Boy
, she thought on a bite of the soft, cinnamon-spiked indulgence,
I had better get a grip before all this happy heart stuff turns me into a blubbering baby.

M
AKING
Z
EUS SIT
and stay in the hallway took a minute. The dog was not happy about being pushed aside, but she’d just create havoc.

He saw Tori walking around in her office, so Alex watched her for a good few minutes through the smoked glass partitions, conscious of the sluggish way she moved. He was used to his feisty assistant being something of a whirlwind, so seeing her appear reserved and cautious wasn’t reassuring at all.

Moving stealthily, he closed the distance and heard her softly tease Daniel. “You do a better commando than Daddy.” Lifting his gaze, he peeked around a line of tall cabinets and spied his young nephew, much bigger than he was the last time Alex saw him, scooting about on his belly.

Tori sat cross-legged on the floor now, picking baby toys out of a brightly colored plastic bin. She tossed him a noisy plastic key ring and a bunch of soft fabric blocks. He saw his opportunity and took it.

Stepping into the room behind her, he chuckled sternly and said, “Is this what I pay you to do?”

Her head whipped around in shock. “Alex,” she choked out before jumping up and coming to him for a fierce hug.

Was he concerned when she grabbed tight and didn’t let go? A little. But he understood what she needed, so he stood there and held on, patting her back softly and not saying a word.

When she pulled back and wiped away some tears, he was relieved to find her smiling sheepishly. “Sorry,” she mumbled with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’m Wanda Waterworks lately. Shit. Cried watching a soup commercial the other day.”

He draped an arm around her shoulder for a fatherly side hug and kissed the top of her head. “My wife informs that not all tears are cause for alarm.”

“Your wife is a know-it-all,” she fake sneered.

Daniel belly flopped and squirmed his way across the carpet, arriving at Alex’s feet with the plastic key ring clutched in his hand.

“And just who the heck do we have here?” he asked, remembering just in time to check his language. “Is it?” he asked with a laugh. “Why, I do believe it’s young Daniel Alexander.”