Have My Baby (Crescent Cove 1)

“Mmm-hmm.” I nudged her hand aside and squeezed her ass one more time. “Don’t suppose you’d be willing to play sex-on-the-beach later? I don’t have an ocean nearby, but I do have this nice pile of sand…” I gestured.

“The sand thing was really sweet. Laurie will always have these memories in years to come.”

“Not sure she likes it either.”

“Sure she does. Wait until all her friends come down here and see this. It’s like a kid’s dream come true.”

“Yeah, yeah, they’ll love it. Now back to sex.”

She grinned. “As nice as this sand is, you also have a nice big bed.” She patted my stomach and my cock jumped visibly enough that she laughed, her eyes dancing. “Thumbs up?”

“All the way up.” I cupped my hand around her neck and brought her mouth to mine, sinking into a kiss that was equal parts need and want and relief that she was still mine.

This hadn’t ended yet. She’d be in my bed tonight, and if I was lucky, again and again after that.

For as many tomorrows as I could beg, borrow, and steal.

Her tongue slipped along mine and she moaned as I cupped her cheek, tilting her head so I could take more. Always more. Her body curved into mine and I hooked my foot through hers, desperate to feel every part of her flush against me.

The sound of a clearing throat had us jerking apart. I blinked away the Ally haze and shifted my gaze toward the stairs, somehow not surprised my cat-quiet brother was standing there with one eyebrow winged up. Then he glanced around the family room, his frown deepening.

“If that’s truly sand, your contractor deserves a bad review on Yelp.”

13

Ally

“Are you Daddy’s girlfriend now?”

I stilled the backyard swing with my foot and turned toward Laurie. It was the end of a long day of children running, and laughing, and occasionally crying, usually after tripping on a toy or being denied something vitally important.

Like a second hot dog. Or a Transformer. Or for one little boy, not being allowed to take home the bunny we’d seen scampering through the yard.

That had led to Laurie once again asking for a puppy. Seth had said no, as he always did, but he was definitely weakening.

Softie.

I smiled and stopped fingering the ends of Laurie’s curls long enough to remember her question. Not the best time to zone out and think about Seth and floppy-eared puppies.

A quick glance at the back door told me Seth still wasn’t on his way back outside. He was probably eating a scoop of ice cream for every one he put in our bowls. We’d had cake earlier, of course, but the man had a sweet tooth for days.

Not that I could talk. I was starving. Again.

And I still hadn’t answered Laurie’s question.

“I’m still exactly what I always was to him, and to you.”

I pushed off with my foot and the swing kicked into motion again. “Unless you don’t like what you saw today,” I said carefully, hoping I was just referring to that aborted kiss she’d witnessed outside the bathroom.

It certainly hadn’t been the only incidents of kissing or touching today. Seth couldn’t keep his hands off me for long. I wasn’t much better, especially when Tina sashayed past, her attention still far too focused on him. I’d had a lot of years of toning down my jealousy where Seth was concerned, but sleeping with him must’ve toggled off that switch because I’d found myself cleaving to his side more than once. Maybe it was the way he smiled down at me or brushed his hand over my hair or whispered something for my ears only. He’d always treated me as if I were special, and now that we were sleeping together, his attention was even more potent.

Even more dangerous.

Laurie fluffed out her sparkly purple skirt, her forehead wrinkled. I had a feeling she had something she wanted to say, but maybe didn’t know how.

I understood far too well, because I did too. Ever since Mr. Hamilton had put that stuff in my head about driving away Marjorie, I’d been full of guilt. I tried to dismiss it as just his way of getting me out of his son’s hair—and his bed. But maybe there was a kernel of truth.

“Honey, I hope you understand I’m not trying to take your mother’s place. I wouldn’t do that. You have your Daddy, and he loves you so much, and I love you too, but—”