Beautiful Chances (The Beautiful Series) (22 page)

My body felt like it was overheating. Apparently, I had played with fire, and my panties were now wet.
Shit! I should have quit while I was ahead.

“No, I can wait until after dinner,” I protested while trying to stifle my smile at how he had turned the tables on me.
Do not laugh.

I stomped over to the dresser, swaying my hips with attitude, and I discarded my wet panties. Kyle inhaled sharply, and I glanced over my shoulder to see his eyes widening in disbelief.

“What in the hell are you doing now?” he asked.

“You got my panties wet,” I hissed. I rotated and picked out a pink-and-white pair of panties that would still match my bra.

He started laughing.

“It’s not funny,” I said. I turned back to face him with the most serious face I could muster. My mask faltered, and a chuckle escaped me.

“Yes, it is, and you know it.”

He closed the distance between us, his eyes dancing with humor. He gathered me in his arms and tossed me onto the bed playfully. As he straddled me, I squealed. He looked as if he was going to tickle me.

“Don’t. You. Dare,” I said, giggling uncontrollably.

A sexy smile curved his lips. “Then, you better kiss me.”

My hands cupped the sides of his jaw, and single-mindedly, I brought his lips against mine. As our mouths mingled together, I thought about how I loved the way he could be playful one minute and full of passion the next.

He broke our contact, and he affectionately smiled at me. “Ready?”

I nodded. I could feel myself glowing from within. “Ready,” I answered confidently.

As we pulled into his parents’ driveway, I quickly learned where Kyle had gotten his talent for design. The Victorian-style home was a breathtaking sight. The driveway led to a large arch centered above a stone water fountain. The front of the house was completely surrounded by wildflowers, except for a narrow cobblestone path that ran down the middle of the flowers.

“Wow,” I said, stunned, trying to take in all of the beautifully detailed landscaping.

“Yes, my father is a very talented craftsman. Since he retired, he has had even
more
time on his hands to perfect his already immaculate yard.”

I turned to face him. “I already see many similarities between your work and your father’s. You must really admire him.”

“I do.” He parked the car next to two other vehicles. “He was a great teacher.”

We walked hand in hand up the curvy sidewalk. At the door, his mother greeted us with a loving smile, and Kyle pulled his mom into a hug.

“Hello, dear. It’s very good to see you. We have missed you.” She kissed his cheek and then turned to face me as she gestured us into the foyer. “And you must be Lily. It’s very nice to meet you, dear,” she said as she hugged me.

The sincerity and kindness radiating from this woman reminded me of Kyle.

“Hi, Mrs. Madison. It’s great to meet you, too. You have a lovely home,” I said as I looked around. I admired a large chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling in the foyer. It had pretty crystal jewels in the center, and it fit the rest of the décor perfectly.

“Oh, please call me Grace, dear.” She turned to Kyle. “Dinner is almost ready. Your father had to run out, but he should be back soon. Kyle, why don’t you take Lily into the living room to join Ryan, Kate, and Abbey? I have just a few things to finish up in the kitchen, and then I’ll come and get everyone.”

“Would you like some help, Grace?”

“Oh no.” Grace motioned us to the living room. “You are a guest in our home, and Kyle’s brother and sister are looking forward to meeting you. You go on ahead and visit, dear, and make yourself comfortable.”

When Kyle and I entered the living room, everyone stood to greet us.

His brother stepped forward to hug Kyle. “Hey, Kyle. Good to see you, stranger,” Ryan said in a voice that was much lighter than Kyle’s.

Ryan shared many facial traits with Kyle, but he was fractionally shorter and about twenty pounds leaner.

“You, too, man.” Kyle gently pulled me forward. “This is my girlfriend, Lily,” he introduced me, not skipping a beat.

Girlfriend?
My heart pounded even more rapidly.

“Lily, this is my brother, Ryan, his wife, Kate, and their soon-to-be plus one.” He pointed to Kate’s stomach. “Did I mention that I’m going to be an uncle?” Kyle grinned lovingly at me.

My brain was still stuck on the word
girlfriend
. I wasn’t sure if he was grinning over the word
girlfriend
or
uncle
.

“Lily, it’s nice to meet you,” Ryan said kindly.

I turned to Ryan and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, too, Ryan.”

Kate outstretched her hand. “Hello, Lily. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled sweetly.

“You, too, Kate. Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

All of our gazes shifted to Kate’s rounding belly.

“When are you due?” I asked.

Her hands instinctively came up to rub her stomach as she looked to Ryan with an affectionate smile. Turning back to me, her eyes glimmered with that pregnancy glow. “I’m due in August. Until then, we are anxiously awaiting to meet our daughter.”

“That’s wonderful!” I gushed. “How exciting.”

Kyle’s sister stepped forward. “Hi, Lily. I’m Kyle’s sister, Abbey. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Abbey was fairly short with long brown hair. She also had on a sundress with flip-flops. She was gorgeous to say the least. The Madison family had stunning traits all around. They each had chocolate brown hair and golden suntanned skin.

Ryan and Kate sat on the couch while Abbey went for the chair, leaving the love seat open for Kyle and me. He reached for my hand, sensing my nervousness, and ran his other hand over my knuckles.

Ryan was the first to make conversation. “So, how was your flight?”

“Good. We got in by four,” Kyle answered.

Ryan then turned to me. “Which hotel are you staying at? Not that we have many to choose from around this area.”

That was all it took for my cheeks to warm. I blinked and slowly opened my mouth, trying to decide on what to say.

Kyle beat me to the punch. “Lily is staying at my house while she’s here.”

Ryan’s, Kate’s, and Abbey’s eyes briefly widened at the same time. I could have sworn Kate mouthed,
Oh
.

Guess Kyle didn’t usually have houseguests.
I made a mental note to ask Kyle about this later when we were alone.

“Oh.” Ryan recovered first. “So, what do you think of my brother’s house?” he asked, crossing one leg over the other, while taking his wife’s hand in his.

“It is beautiful. He’s very talented.”

“Yes, he is. Not to mention, he built most of it, too. He also helped Kate and me with our home a few years ago. He would have made a great architect.”

“Wow. That’s incredible.” I turned to Kyle. “Have you built any other homes?”

“Besides my own, I just helped with Ryan and Kate’s.”

Grace came in to inform us that dinner was ready, and we all stood just as Kyle’s father walked in the back door. After kissing Grace, he noticed my presence.

“Sorry for being late. Mrs. Wallace’s car got a flat tire just up the road, so I went to help. Looks like I’m just in time for dinner.” He made eye contact with me. “And you must be Lily. I’m Gavin, Kyle’s dad. Welcome to our home.” He reached forward to politely shake my hand.

“Thank you, sir. Your home is lovely.”

“Thank you.” Gavin smiled warmly.

As we all walked into the kitchen and took our seats at the table, I could see where Kyle got his looks. He was a carbon copy of his father. They were both tall with broad shoulders and similar facial structures. It was quite the resemblance.

“Well, let’s dig in, kids,” Gavin said.

He reached and placed the largest pile of mashed potatoes on his plate, making a small laugh escape from my lips.

Kyle cocked his head in my direction. “Do share.”

“Oh, just seeing another family resemblance, judging by the serving size of your father’s mashed potatoes.” I chuckled again.

“Oh, yes. Us Madison men love our food.” Gavin chortled.

“My mother used to tell me, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’” Grace let out a small laugh as she shook her head. “I didn’t understand that expression until I was married, dear. I can now tell you after a husband and two boys, it’s very true,” she said, making everyone at the table join in on the laughter.

This is a beautiful sight—this family all gathering together, sharing love and laughter.
I quickly cut off the thought before the next one followed. I would not think of that today. This was a day of happiness, not sorrow.

After dinner, we all went out onto the back porch to sit by the little patio fire pit. Kyle put our chairs next to each other, placing us a little off to the side.

“Are you having a good time? Would you like to stay for a bit, or do you want to head home?”

My mind was stuck on the way he’d said
home.
“We can stay. I’m having a great time,” I assured him.

They were all great company and very welcoming.

Kyle’s sister, Abbey, stepped out with a large smile on her face. Her hands were full of graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate bars, and of course, marshmallows. “What fun is a bonfire without s’mores?”

I was roasting my marshmallow to perfection, turning it until each side had a nice golden brown tone. All the while, Kyle was watching me with a charming smile on his face. I placed the marshmallow on my graham cracker with a large chunk of tasty chocolate, and I was about to bring it to my lips.

“Hey!” I squealed as Kyle snatched it and took a huge bite out of it. I couldn’t believe he’d eaten practically half of it in one bite.

Ryan laughed, and Kate elbowed him.

“Thank you,” Kyle said around a mouthful of my dessert. “Mmm, delicious. Now, that is how you cook a marshmallow!”

He grinned widely at me as he brought what was left of it to my mouth. I glared at him.

“Your turn. Open up,” he said.

The warm chocolate was so good as it melted against my lips, but I decided payback was still in order. I roasted marshmallow number two, created another s’more, and offered it to Kyle first.

“Want a bite?” I asked, keeping a straight face, as I lifted it to his mouth.

He tilted his head and gave me a look. “What’s your game?”

“Um, no game. I just decided to offer it before you took it,” I said, trying to keep my tone innocent.

“Uh-huh. Just remember what I said before about payback,” Kyle warned.

Oh shit! Keep the game face on and then…run! Fast!

Eyes on mine, he leaned forward and slowly opened his mouth. Holding the s’more with two hands, I quickly pulled the top graham cracker off, exposing the marshmallow, and then I tipped it up against his upper lip and the side of his cheek.

Laughter filled the air as Kyle narrowed his eyes. Shrieking, I jumped from my chair and started to run.

“Lily!” Kyle yelled, his voice laced with amusement.

I didn’t turn back. I just kept running while trying to find a safe hideout.

“Run, Lily! Run!” Abbey bellowed out while rolling into a fit of giggles.

Kyle caught me before I made it halfway across the yard. His hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his chest.
Crap!

“You better cry for mercy,” Kyle whispered roughly and teasingly against my ear.

I turned in his embrace and circled my arms around his neck. Noticing a bit of smeared marshmallow around the edge of his lips, I decided to impishly tease my way out of his wrath. I leaned up on my toes and gently kissed his lower lip. Then, I inched over to the side of his mouth to lick the sticky residue off. He groaned and took my mouth against his, kissing me until I was breathless. He pulled away and bent down to put his hand behind my knee. He lifted me effortlessly into his arms, acting like my misdemeanor was all forgotten.

Instead of walking the full length of the yard back to the bonfire, he veered left, and that was when I saw it.
Double crap!
A pool was glowing with underwater lights rimming the edges.

I whipped my head back to Kyle. “You wouldn’t!”