Teague (The Family Simon 4)

She shrugged. “Say it did. Hypothetically. Would you go back there?”

“I…” He glared at her, hands clenched at his sides.

“Or what if Bowen called you up about a hot story in some dangerous part of the world that only Teague Simon could cover. Do you expect me to believe you wouldn’t leave?”

“I’m not playing this game, Sabrina.

” Didn’t she get what he was trying to say?

“But that’s the thing, Teague. This is my life. It’s not a game.” She cocked her head to the side. “I’ve had, what, one conversation with you in two months? What the hell does that say about whatever this is between us?”

“I don’t know,” he exploded. “But maybe we can figure it out? I want to have a future with you, Sabrina. A life with you.”

He could see the shock in her face. The hurt. The confusion. All of it settled into those big blue eyes and it cut him to the bone.

“You want a life with me?” she whispered hoarsely.

“I do,” he said, taking a step closer. “I love you, Sabrina. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Her eyes squeezed shut and stayed that way for a long time. So long that Teague became concerned. He took another step closer but just when he was about to touch her, they flew open. She glanced behind him and the fury inside their blue depths was something else. “Harry and Morgan, get to the car. We’re leaving.”

“But Mommy,” Harry started.

“Car,” she repeated. The kids stood near the edge of the dock and at the tone of their mother’s voice, they didn’t hesitate. They ran back up to the car without another word.

“Bree, give me a chance here. I know I screwed up and I want to make things right. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

“It’s not that simple, Teague. This is not just about me and what I want and it sure as hell isn’t about what you want. I have two kids who’ve already lost so much. How can I let you back into their lives, knowing that you could leave us again?”

“That’s not going to happen.” He was firm on that. Why couldn’t she see?

“You love me,” she repeated.

“I do.”

A heartbeat passed. And then another. The pulse at her throat—the one he was dying to kiss—took off like a rocket. Her lips parted. Her eyes glistened and her chest heaved.

A shot of hope ran through him and he took a step toward her.

“You love me,” she muttered, sparks flying from her eyes. “Prove it,” she said, pushing past him.

Teague had no time to react, at least not without causing a scene, and he watched as Sabrina marched up her driveway. She fired up the engine of her vehicle and less than ten seconds later, disappeared from view.

What the hell had just happened?

Prove it, she’d said. She hadn’t said, go to hell or get lost or I hate you. She’d said none of those things. She’d said prove it.

Guess Sabrina didn’t know him as well as she thought she did. She’d just thrown down the gauntlet and fired him up. Teague Simon grinned into the early evening gloom and stood alone on the dock for a long, long time. So long that when he finally made his way back up to the house to join the party, the grass was wet with dew and the sun was long gone.

He made small talk with his family and all their friends who had gathered together for the event. He even held the new baby—a first for him. But his mind wasn’t on those things. Nope.

He had plans to make and a woman to seduce all over again.

Chapter Twenty-six

Sabrina was on edge and she looked like shit. She’d not slept a wink the night before and the kids had crawled into her bed way too early on this Saturday for her liking. They’d been full of beans and trying to keep up with the questions fired her way was exhausting. Especially because all of them were in some way connected to Teague Simon.

Teague this.