A Home for Haley (19 page)

Kayla shot her dad a look and
giggled, then quickly turned her full attention back to Maggie. She leaned her
cheek on top of the puppy’s head. “I hope you like your new family.”

Haley and Ethan’s gazes locked, and
emotions swirled through him.
This is what family was supposed to feel like
,
he thought
.
He’d never felt this comfortable, easy, feeling with Ellie. He
smiled at Haley. “This is pretty nice, even if we did wake you up.”

She smiled back. “You’re right.
It’s pretty nice.” She took Kayla’s hand and kissed it, then did the same with
Ryan.

Ethan held out his hand and Kayla
giggled. “Only kids get kisses.”

“Not true, so no skimping,” he said
with a wink.

Haley’s face flushed. He was about to
give her a break, when she took his hand and kissed the top of it. “Are you
satisfied now?”

Grinning, he shook his head then
rolled onto his back, which the puppy seemed to take as an invitation and
leaped onto his stomach. Both kids squealed and joined her.

Haley laughed as the kids burrowed
into him and the puppy tried to dig her way into the bodies. “I guess I’m the
only one not falling for your charms,” she teased.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Guess
I need to work on my technique.”

“I guess you do.” With a saucy
grin, she flipped off her covers and headed to the bathroom. Ethan watched her
long, slender legs until she was out of sight.

He shut his eyes. Out of sight, but
certainly not out of mind. He was beginning to think this woman would always
fill his mind. He hoped someday there would be a way for him and Haley to
explore the tenuous and fragile feelings they had for each other. But with the
turmoil that surrounded his family, plus Haley’s own need to heal, he had no
idea how or when that might happen.

****

Haley sat on a chaise on the back
deck and breathed in the warm evening air. The kids were out with Dottie and Jo
and she was enjoying the quiet before Ethan got home. The roses were in full bloom
and their sweet scent swirled around her. She pulled in a deep breath. Nothing
smelled as good as roses. A male cardinal landed on the deck’s railing before
flying over to the bird feeder a few feet away and pecking at the sunflower
seeds.

Maggie trotted around the yard
sniffing everything and running to her heart’s content. Stopping suddenly, she
grabbed a stick, shook her head, then pranced around with it, her head held
high.

Haley grinned at the puppy’s
antics, glad that she’d allowed Ryan to join Dottie and Jo’s outing with Kayla.
She’d needed this time for herself if for no other reason than to day dream
about Ethan. Not that she should be doing that, but she couldn’t seem to help
it. For the first time since Ryan had been born, she had hours to do nothing,
and she planned on enjoying every minute of it.

Dottie and Jo had taken the kids to
a movie and then dinner since it was Jo’s last night before heading back home.
Haley had been hesitant about Ryan going without them, but Dottie had insisted
he would be no problem.

Thank goodness she’d relented and
let him go. She was the most relaxed she’d been in what felt like forever.

After a long soak in the tub
earlier, she’d thrown on a pair of shorts and shirt and come out here to soak
up some sun. The quiet was wonderful, and being free to enjoy these few hours
without any responsibilities felt like heaven.

Her cell rang and she glanced at
the screen and frowned, surprised to see her mother’s number. She hadn’t talked
to her mom since she’d called her to tell her Dale had died, and the last thing
she wanted to do right now was ruin her peaceful evening, so she ignored the
call.

After a couple more rings, silence
once again reigned. Haley closed her eyes and let her mind drift. She was
almost asleep when the sound of a car door shutting jerked her awake. Ethan
bounded up the steps, carrying his briefcase. He stopped when he saw her.

“Well, don’t you look like a lady
of leisure. Where are the kids?”

“Out with your mom and Aunt Jo.
Ryan wasn’t about to be left behind. I hope he doesn’t run them ragged.”

“I think they can handle him for a
few hours.” Ethan set his briefcase on the patio table and sank onto the chaise
next to her. “You look relaxed.”

“Thank you. I’m being smart for
once and taking advantage of the calm and quiet.”

“Am I bothering you?”

She shook her head. “No. Not at
all.”
At least not the way he’d meant
.

“I’m going to go get out of this
suit and take a quick shower. My business luncheon—thus the suit—was a total
bust. Afterward, I met Matt at the club, played a couple of games of
racquetball and got rid of some of my frustrations.”

“Who won?”

“It’s not about winning or losing,
Haley. It’s about getting exercise and having fun.”

“So you lost, right?”

He grinned. “You nailed it.”

“Does your brother always beat
you?”

“Not always. Pretty often though.
Guess I’m a glutton for punishment.” He leaned his head back just as Maggie
raced onto the deck, yipping at him like a wind-up toy. Ethan scratched her behind
the ears and she quieted instantly. “This dog is just about perfect. Aren’t you
girl?”

“She cried for fifteen minutes when
Kayla left.”

“It’s good to see her and Kayla
bonding so well.” Ethan gave Maggie a pat. “The other morning before Kayla and
I crawled into bed with you, I found Kayla sitting on the floor holding Maggie
and crying and spilling her guts about her mother. God, it about did me in.
Kayla thinks her mom stays away because of something she did.” He rubbed at his
chest. “I knew she felt like that, because her therapist gave me the thumbs up,
but hearing it . . .” Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and blew out a heavy
breath.

“That had to have been tough,”
Haley said, reaching out and running a hand over his arm.

He nodded. “Yeah. Pretty tough.”

“Did you tell her it wasn’t her
fault?”

“Hell, I could barely think, let
alone talk intelligently.”

Her heart went out to him. “I think
I know you well enough to know you’ll sit her down someday soon and talk with
her about it.”

Ethan cast her a sideways glance. “And
the sooner the better, huh?” Without waiting for her response, he stood. “I
won’t keep you from your time alone. The humming birds should be coming in for
their evening feeding before long. Enjoy.”

“I intend to.” Haley closed her
eyes, wishing she would have been able to think of something to say that might
have helped Ethan feel better, but what in the world could she say to ease the
kind of hurt that Ethan must be enduring? Kayla wasn’t even her daughter and
she was pretty sure she couldn’t have kept from crying right along with the
heartbroken little girl.

After a few minutes, Maggie shoved
her cold, wet nose in Haley’s hand and whined. Without opening her eyes, Haley
stroked Maggie’s silky fur, and the pup quieted instantly. A minute later,
Maggie jumped up and landed on her stomach, all but knocking the air out of her.
Haley set Maggie down on the deck and stood. She might as well go inside and
get more iced tea, and put Maggie in her crate for some down time, if she
wanted to get her own quiet time.

She called to the puppy, who had
scampered to the edge of the deck to bark at birds. The pup raced over to her,
all wiggles and happy eyes, and Haley couldn’t help but smile at Maggie’s
enthusiasm. “Nap time for you, little one,” she said heading upstairs and
trying not to trip on the wiggling mass of fur that followed right at her bare
feet.

When Haley entered Kayla’s room and
opened the crate’s door, Maggie looked at her pleadingly. “Come here,” she
coaxed when Maggie didn’t move. “I’m going to give you a toy, so don’t look at
me like that.” She picked up a squeaky toy and Maggie dashed over to her. Haley
tossed the toy in the crate and then put Maggie in. After pawing at the door a
minute, she grabbed her toy and lay down, chewing on it and making it squeak
over and over. “Good girl.”

Haley left the room and closed the
door behind her. She’d get Maggie out to play before the kids got back so she’d
work off more energy before bedtime. Lord knows Haley didn’t want to be kept up
all night with a wired puppy.

She started toward the stairs and
then stopped. Ethan was singing along with George Strait. Who’d have figured
him for a shower musician?
And not a bad one
, she thought. The man had
some hidden talents. She sighed, remembering a few of his other hidden talents
and wondering if she’d ever know more of them. The man sure could kiss. Oh, what
she’d give to experience that again. She closed her eyes and re-played some of
his kisses, letting her mind wander.

“What are you smiling at?” a deep
voice asked.

Her eyes flew open and she covered
her hammering heart with her hand. “You startled me.”

He took her elbow. “What were you
so deep in thought about?”

She felt her face heat up.
“Nothing.”

He moved closer. “Liar.” She
swallowed hard. He backed her against the wall and nibbled on her neck. “I promised
myself I’d behave, but you’re driving me crazy and we have the house to
ourselves. What should we do with our time, Haley?”

Her knees turned weak as adrenaline
surged through her. She glanced down at his bare chest. He smelled clean and
all male and absolutely delicious. “I was about to get more tea and go back
outside to watch the hummingbirds,” she finally managed to say.

“Fine by me if you’re sure that’s
what you really want to do.” He trailed a finger down her neck and between her
breasts.

Her breath hitched. She shifted her
gaze from his chest to his sexy mouth, and all the air whooshed out of her.
“Ah, are you hungry?”

“Yes.” He traced her bottom lip
with his thumb. “I’m very hungry. Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?”

She stared at his full lips and her
mind went fuzzy. “No,” she finally managed to say.

He took her hand and led her into
his bedroom, shut the door and locked it. “Just in case they get home early.”

Blood rushed through Haley, roaring
through her veins like a river out of its bounds. Lord knows she was out of her
self-induced bounds right now. She licked her lips. “I thought we decided to go
slow.”

“We did.” He leaned his forehead
against hers. “But it’s about to kill me. I need you, Haley. I don’t want to
push you, though, if you’re not ready.”

A fleeting thought of Dale floated
through her mind, but she shoved it away. She’d never been this turned on with
anyone, including Dale, and she wasn’t going to deny her feelings for Ethan
anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him. “I’m
ready.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” He smelled so good she
couldn’t keep her hands off of him. Or her lips. She peppered his chest with
kisses, tasting as she went. “I want you.” She couldn’t believe she’d said
that, but no guilt stole through her, only heat and need. I’m more than sure.
I’m desperate.” She nibbled on his lower lip. “What are you going to do about
it?”

A wicked grin lit up his face.
“Anything you want, baby. Anything.”

Ethan picked her up and carried her
into his room, slammed the door shut behind them with his foot and then somehow
managed to get the door locked before walking to the bed and laying Haley down.
“Impressed with my finesse?”

She laughed. “Kiss me while I make
up my mind.”

His smile evaporated as he leaned
over her, his lips a whisper away from hers. She pulled his head down and he
kissed her softly, then ran his tongue over her bottom lip before deepening the
kiss, going from sweet to breath-stealing hot in a second. She moaned and held
him closer. He pulled his lips away from hers, cupped her face in his hands and
kissed her again. “You’re all I can think about.” Haley melted at the sweetness
of Ethan’s words. In a flash, he became demanding and hot. So hot. She arched
into him and wrapped a leg around his hips.

He came up for air with a gasp. “God,
Haley, you drive me insane.” He ran a hand down her back, cupped her bottom and
tugged her even closer. Groaning, she rubbed against him and he slid his hand
down her thigh and back up over her hip, running his fingers under the waist band
of her shorts. “These need to go,” he muttered into her mouth.

Haley pulled her mouth from his, wiggled
out of her shorts and tugged her tee off, tossing it onto the floor. His dark
eyes clouded with lust as he traced the lacey edge of her black bra, then replaced
his fingers with his tongue. Haley’s breath hitched and her heart took a dive
as every thought vanished and all-consuming need licked through her.

“Get out of your shorts,” she
rasped, tugging at them. He stood and jerked them off, then lay back down,
pulling her on top of him. With one quick flick, he unfastened her bra and
slowly pulled it away, his eyes soaking her in. She wiggled out of her panties and
his gaze locked onto her. “You’re truly are killing me. You know that, don’t
you?” He wrapped his hands around her bottom and settled her snug against him,
his brain muddled with need and his heart pounding against his ribs.

Haley leaned down and rubbed her
aching breasts against him. “God you feel good.” Smiling, she placed her hands
on his chest and arched up, offering a breast. He sucked a taut nipple, twirled
his tongue around it, then sucked again, and she almost came undone. “I need
you in me. Now.” She raised her hips and guided him inside her, sliding all the
way down and then back up.

“If you don’t stop that, this will
be over way too soon,” he murmured in her mouth.

“But I
like
doing this,” she
said with a saucy grin.”

He flipped her onto her back.
“That’s good to know.” He kissed her long and hard, tasting, sipping and
nibbling. She wrapped both legs around him and arched up to him. Not sure he
could take much more of this, he eased away, and she cried out with need.

He wanted to ravage her, but he
somehow managed to refrain. He’d waited a long time for this and he wanted to
draw it out. Still breathing hard, he lay on his side, propped his head up with
a hand, then coasted his other hand down her flat stomach, making circles as he
eased his way toward her center. Haley gasped and her hips jerked off the bed. He
leaned down and kissed her quivering stomach. She opened for him, straining for
more.

He nuzzled her breast, forced
himself to go slow. “You like that?”

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.
He took a breast into his mouth and teased her with his tongue as his hand slid
down between her legs, where she was ready. So ready. He almost lost it. He
dipped a finger into her, added another, then slowly eased out. She arched higher.
“Please, Ethan.” He stroked her, giving her what she wanted. When she exploded
around his fingers, he watched in wonder, barely controlling his own need.

“Oh. My. God.” Haley went limp, a
satisfied smile on her face.

He stroked her hair away from her
face. “You’re incredible.”

“I can’t move,” she said as her
breath came in gasps.

“I’d bet a month’s salary, I can
make you move.” Grinning he tugged on a nipple, laved it with his tongue then
made a slow trail down her belly.

Her muscles clenched. “You don’t
play fair.”

“That’s because you drive me
insane.” He eased above her, parted her legs and covered her mound with the
palm of his hand, rubbing gently. She opened wider, inviting him in.

Never taking his eyes off of her
face, he entered her. When he was in as deep as he could go he pulled out,
taking it slow and savoring every second. When he knew he couldn’t take this
one more minute, he thrust into her and began the rhythm that took them both
over the edge in a matter of minutes.

He collapsed on top of her and she
wrapped her arms around him, feeling his heart pound against hers. She’d never
felt so sexy and so fulfilled. She let out a long, satisfied sigh.

After a few minutes he raised his
head and smiled, kissed her lightly, and then rolled onto his back, taking her
with him. He eased her head down to his chest. “That was incredible.
You
are incredible.”

“I think you’re the one who’s incredible,
but we can have do-overs and discuss this further.”

He chuckled. “Deal. Just give me
thirty minutes.”

She raised her head and kissed him.
“Take as long as you need. I’m perfectly content right where I am.”

****

Ethan’s stomach growled and Haley
ran a hand down his taut belly. He grabbed it and kissed her palm. “You wore me
out and I’m starving.” Ethan scooted out of bed, pulling Haley with him. He
tossed her clothes to her and then pulled on a pair of jeans and t-shirt. Haley
got dressed in record time, and he took her hand just as his stomach let out
another rumble. “I can’t believe you’re not hungry, you little tigress.”

“I’m too worn out to be hungry.”

“I’m not and I need sustenance.”
Laughing, Ethan headed toward the kitchen and made a bee-line for the
refrigerator. Haley’s blinking cell phone lay on the counter beside it. He
picked it up and handed it to her. “Looks like someone’s left you a message.”

She glanced at the screen to see
who had called, scowled, and set the phone down on the kitchen table.

Ethan grabbed a couple of chocolate
chip cookies out of the cookie jar. “Something wrong?”

“Mom’s called three times, but I
don’t feel like talking to her.”

“Because?” Ethan took a bite of
cookie.

“Because I’m in a good mood.” Haley
stood on tip-toes and kissed him. “A fantastic mood actually.” She wrapped her
arms around Ethan’s neck and kissed him again, this time long and hard.

When they finally came up for air,
Ethan brushed her hair off her shoulders and studied her face. “Great kiss, but
why are you avoiding your mom?”

“Because I don’t want her to spoil my
time with you.” She played with his hair, combing the soft curls that brushed
his neck with her fingertips. “Everyone should be getting home before long, and
I’m not ready to behave.” She would give anything to have the whole night with
him with nobody intruding.

Ethan pressed on the small of her
back and she melted against him, feeling every muscle in his body. She sighed
with pure bliss. “We’ll find more time just for us,” he whispered. “I promise.”
He gave her a quick kiss, and then leaned around her and opened the
refrigerator door. “You hungry yet?”

“Ravenous,” she answered, batting
her eyelashes at him.

He laughed. “I think I like this
side of you. We might have to run back upstairs for a quickie.”

 She felt her face heat up. This
was so not like her, but it sure was fun. She wasn’t sure she’d ever had this
much fun making love. Dale had always been good in bed but quiet and
predictable. Ethan, on the other hand, had a fun side, and just the way he
looked at her made her feel feminine and flirty. She liked it. Matter of fact,
she liked it a lot.

Her phone rang and she jumped, then
groaned when she saw it was her mom. Again. “I refuse to ruin my good mood by talking
with her.”

“Tell her you’re cooking dinner.”

Haley scowled and picked up her
phone, forcing cheerfulness into her voice. “Hey, Mom.” Her mother started
right in and Haley gritted her teeth. “I’m cooking dinner right now so I don’t
have much time to talk, but I don’t think now is a good time for a visit.”
Haley wiggled her leg under the table and listened to her mom’s pleas “I know
you want to come see us, but I’ll have to call you back and let you know when
my schedule eases up.”

Her mother continued as if Haley
hadn’t even spoken. Haley rolled her eyes at Ethan. Grinning, he pulled out
leftover spaghetti and two plates. “I know exactly how long it’s been, Mother,
but this is not a good time. I have a lot on my plate right now. I’ll check the
calendar and get back to you. Bye.” Haley ended the call and set her phone on
the counter. “She and my father want to come see Ryan and me. That’s a first,”
she said, anger churning in her.

“I’ll give you time off. Lord knows
you’ve earned it.”

She slapped his chest playfully.
“Don’t be so helpful. I don’t want them here. If it was just Mom, I might
consider it, but I really don’t want to see my father.”

Placing both hands on her
shoulders, Ethan turned her around and rubbed her tight muscles. “And here I
thought I had you all loosened up.”

“You did.” Haley sighed with
contentment and dropped her head, giving him better access.

“How bad could a short visit from
your folks be?”

“You have no idea. My father criticizes
me every two minutes, and I’m not up for it.”

“Bet I could take him,” Ethan
whispered in her ear. She laughed and he kissed her neck, eliciting a sigh of
pure bliss from her.

“Definitely. You could take him.”

“Good answer.” He nibbled her ear.
“So tell them to head this way. Get the visit over with.” Haley shook her head.
Ethan wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head,
and her nerves quieted. Being in Ethan’s arms felt incredibly safe. If only she
could be in his arms more often.

“Are you feeling this way because
they didn’t come when you needed them?” he asked.

She turned in his arms, laid her
head against his chest and soaked up his comfort. “That’s one reason, but it’s
a lot more than that.”

He rubbed her back. “I’m sorry
you’re not close to your folks. Even sorrier that they didn’t treat you well
and offered you no support when your husband died. But if they come for a visit,
Mom will be here and she’s pretty good at shutting people up.”

Haley laughed. “I haven’t seen that
side of her, but she sure can keep things lively.”

“True. Trust me, your dad wouldn’t
get away with much with both Mom and me hanging around.” Giving her a quick
kiss, Ethan stepped around her, filled two plates with spaghetti, and then
stuck one plate in the microwave and pressed start.

“I’m sure they’ll insist I spend
time alone with them.” Haley made a put-upon-face and shuddered.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Unfortunately Haley knew she was right. The microwave dinged and Ethan pulled out
the plate of heated spaghetti and handed it to her. “Sit. Eat. We can talk
about this on a full stomach.”

Haley didn’t want to talk about it,
but she supposed Ethan was smart to encourage her to get this out in the open.
She pulled in a deep breath, got a huge whiff of spaghetti, and was suddenly
famished. She sank onto a chair and ate a few bites. As soon as Ethan’s dinner
was heated, he joined her at the table. “You could always flat-out say no.”

“I tried that the other day. She
thinks I can surely find at least
some
time for them.” Haley scowled. “I
don’t want to find time for them. She swears Dad was truly sick for Dale’s
service, but Mom could have come. He wasn’t
that
sick.”

Ethan reached across the table and
took her hand. “Do you want Ryan to get to know his grandparents?” She frowned
and he set down his fork. “That bad, huh?”

“Pretty much.”

“Then they need to stay away. I
don’t want them upsetting you.”

She smiled, warmth filling her at
Ethan’s concern and protectiveness. “Thank you,” she said just as a car horn
sounded.

Ethan gave her hand a reassuring
squeeze. “Let the chaos begin,” he said with a wink. “This evening was
wonderful by the way. We’ll plan alone time soon. Very soon.”

Smiling, Haley took a huge bite of
spaghetti, washed it down with water, and stood. “Let’s go see how Dottie and
Jo held up.”

Before they could get to the back
door, Dottie opened it, and both kids bounded inside, grins on their face.
“Where’s Aunt Jo?” Ethan asked.

“Picking up trash in the car.”
Dottie sank onto a chair. “The kids were wonderful, and we had a great time,
but I’m ready to crawl into bed for at least a week.”

“Where’s Maggie?” Kayla asked.

“Upstairs taking a nap.” Haley
grabbed Kayla for a quick hug. “Why don’t you go let her out of her crate and put
her in the back yard to potty?”

“Okay.” Kayla raced from the
kitchen. Haley bent down to Ryan. “Did you have a fun time?” He nodded, a huge
grin on his face and raced over to Dottie, slapping her knee and then running
to hide behind his mother.

Dottie laughed and pointed at him.
“No more tag for me, young man.” She yawned. “Why aren’t these kids tired? I
feel like I aged twenty years.”

“If it’s any consolation, it barely
shows,” Ethan said.

Dottie shot him daggers. Aunt Jo
came in and sank onto a chair, looking as tired at Dottie. “Haley, you earn
every dime my nephew pays you and then some.”

“Yes, she does.” Ethan smiled at
her and then held out his hands to Ryan, who ran to him and practically jumped
into his arms. Ethan lifted him up and turned his attention back to his aunt.
“You do look a tad worse for the wear, Aunt Jo.” She scowled at him and he
grinned, then kissed Ryan’s upturned nose. “Did you wear Dottie and Aunt Jo
out?”