Paula Riggs - The Parent Plan

It had been his turn then to slide his palms over the tantalizing curves of her breasts and hips, to trace the soft mounds of her bottom, to test the texture of her skin with his fingertips. When, at last, he’d turned his attention to the warm, moist secrets between her lush thighs, she’d all but exploded in pleasure.

Tonight she was wearing his favorite dress. It was pale blue with a high neck and long sleeves, and it had a way of clinging to her breasts that made a man think he was seeing more than he really was.

He wanted his mouth on her, her body warm and compliant beneath his. He wanted to stroke every inch of that curvy little body until she was wet and wild and trembling. And then he would sink into her, his engorged body filling the hot, smooth space that seemed fashioned just for him.

Thinking about those things now was a mistake, he realized as he felt his body harden instantly and painfully. Biting off a groan, he widened his stance, grateful that he was wearing loose-fitting trousers instead of his customary jeans.

“Mind the puddles,” he all but growled in his frustration. No matter how hot it was inside, he had a feeling he’d be wearing his suit coat most of the night.

“Hurry up, Daddy.”

Stifling a sigh, he released Karen’s hand in order to open the cab’s rear door. “There you go, Vick. Hop out.”

“No, Daddy, hold out your hand like you did with Mommy,” Vicki said with a pout.

“I beg your pardon, Miss Sloane.” He bowed slightly, sending Vicki into a gurgle of laughter. “May I?” he added, extending his hand.

As regal as any princess, Vicki allowed him to help her down from the high frame and his heart swelled at her innate grace and femininity. Just like her mama, he thought.

“Down, Rags!” Vicki ordered as she lowered the tailgate. The Australian shepherd bounded to the ground and immediately licked Vicki’s hand. “Stop wiggling so I can put on your new leash,” she ordered, tugging on his collar.

“Make sure you keep a tight hold on him,” Cassidy reminded her with a pointed look at the fifty-pound dog now straining at the end of the braided chartreuse strap. The Australian shepherd’s freshly shampooed black-and-tan coat glistened, and his ears were cocked forward, a sure sign he was eager to explore.

“Daddy!” Vicki said in a scolding voice as she scratched her adored pet’s ears. “Rags knows how to behave. Besides, he’s a hero! If it hadn’t been for him, you might never have found me stuck down there in that gross hole.”

Beside him, Cassidy heard Karen draw a quick breath and move closer to his side. Replying to her unspoken plea, he slipped a comforting arm over her slender shoulders. Maybe she did need him some, after all. His spirits edged up a couple of notches, inspiring him to tighten his hold.

“Of course Rags will be good, sweetheart,” Karen said with a smile, the soft one that begged for a kiss. “Daddy was just teasing you. He doesn’t like to think about how close we came to losing you, that’s all.”

“But you didn’t, ’cause I’m as tough as Daddy, right?”

“Right.”

Vicki tossed one of her beribboned braids over her shoulder before heading toward the brightly lit entrance. According to the child psychologist they’d taken her to for six months after the accident, she’d handled her ordeal with a surprisingly mature aplomb. In fact, she was quite pleased with herself for being such a brave little girl.

“Watch your step,” Karen called after her.

“Save your breath,” Cassidy muttered, winning him a pert grin that had him going soft inside. Until she shivered.

With a scowl, he dropped his arm in order to help her drape her lacy shawl over her shoulders. “Dammit, Kari, I told you to wear a coat,” he grumbled, wishing not for the first time that he had the money to wrap her in expensive furs.

“Maybe I just wanted an excuse to cuddle up next to my husband,” she said, slipping her arm through his. His already hard body began to throb.

“Are you flirting with me, Mrs. Sloane?” he demanded through the sudden thickness in his throat.

“Absolutely, Mr. Sloane.” This time the grin she gave him was ripe with seductive promise. His heart speeded as he imagined undressing her with slow and careful deliberation.

“I can see lots of decorations,” Vicki called from a spot just outside the door to the exhibition hall.

“Coming, sweetheart,” Karen called back, tightening her grip on his arm.

“Brace yourself for a long evening,” he muttered, eyeing the large concrete-and-steel structure with the same wariness he accorded to a suspicious pile of rocks in snake country.

Karen slowed, her gaze searching his face. “Cassidy, about the things I said earlier, I hope you know I don’t mind running errands for you or Vicki.”

Cassidy sensed her need to smooth over the rift between them, and his conscience walloped him a good one. “You’re working too many hours. You’re wearing yourself out.”

Her lips curved, and the dimple in one smooth cheek flirted with him. “I’m fine, Cassidy. Really, but it’s lovely to know you’re worried about me.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from getting them both in a tangle. “That’s my job.”

“Yes, I know. You take care of everyone around you, but when someone tries to take care of you, you buck like that beautiful white stallion you couldn’t bear to see broken.”

“I can take care of myself,” he said, embarrassed now, and wondering how this conversation got started.

Her hand touched his arm, gentling him to a stop. “I love the way you blush when someone dares to pay you a compliment.”

“The hell I do.”

“And I love you.”

“Do you?” The words were out before he realized he’d opened his mouth.

She nodded. “If you let me, when we get home I’ll show you just how much.”

Tension stretched across his shoulders and throbbed at the base of his neck. Need surged into him so fiercely he curled both hands into fists inside his pockets.

“Vicki’s waiting,” he reminded her, but she was already stepping into his arms, her face upturned, her lips parted.

“A quick lesson in patience won’t hurt her.” Palms down, she slid her hands over his lapels to his neck. Her fingers were warm against his neck as the tips threaded into his hair.

His little innocent-at-heart temptress, he thought, his mind beginning to cloud over. “Kari—”

“Shh.”

He recognized the lazy droop to her thick lashes, even as she pressed closer. With a defeated groan, he dragged his hands free and reached for her. His emotions tangled as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his for what he told himself was a quick husbandly kiss. Her lips parted—not in protest, but urgency—and shock jolted through him, as strong as the first time he’d tasted her incredible mouth.

The beguiling scent of her perfume swirled around him, and he drew it in, along with the pungent aroma of rain and earth and wet pavement. He let his tongue tease hers, absorbing the feminine taste of her mouth. The flavor of her was as arousing as it was sweet, and he felt the hunger in his gut grow stronger. His already throbbing body stretched to the edge of pain. In spite of his good intentions, he settled one hand on her bottom and pulled her closer in an effort to ease his pulsating discomfort.

This time the groan was hers, and he felt his control slipping. For one wild, illogical moment, he considered scooping her into his arms and returning to the truck. It was then that he heard the familiar sound of impatient barking.

Drawing on what little strength of character remained to him, he eased backward, supporting her only with his hands on her arms. Slowly, her eyes still dazed and her breathing far too rapid, she lowered her spiked heels to the pavement and rested her head on his chest.