“You hurt me.”
“I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to.” Hilly bent over the child, checked to make certain she wasn’t injured, then looked back at Allie. Allie, apparently alerted by Hilly’s alarmed cry, cocked her head to the side, confusion etched in her forehead as she rose and started toward them.
Hilly helped her niece to her feet, then pointed her in Allie’s direction. “See your mommy? Go straight to your mommy, okay?”
Hilly waited until she saw Emma Grace fall into her mother’s arms, then turned back toward the sounds. Who the hell used a children’s park for a hook-up? She scowled, her fury mounting as the noises behind the greenery grew louder.
“Okay, that’s it. I’ve had enough.” Gritting her teeth, Hilly broke through the brambles, pushing into the opening behind them. Shock mixed with outrage as she took in the scene.
A tall man, lean with sinewy arms and runner’s legs, was sandwiched between two blonde women. The first woman had her skirt pulled high on her thigh and had wrapped her leg around one of his, holding her body as close as she could to him. She kissed his neck and ran her hands down the front of his shirt, deftly working the buttons loose. “Come on, Tanner. I want to make you feel good.”
The other woman, almost as tall as the man, pressed her breasts against his back while she slid her hands over his shoulders, then down his arms and around his waist to pull his shirt out of his slacks. “Yeah. We’ll do all the work. All you have to do is lie back and enjoy. You know you want to.”
The man pulled the taller woman to his side. His long hair stood out as though electrified. “Of course I do, Saucy, and I’m definitely up for it. I’m just not sure a park is the right place to have a threesome, but that’s my fault. I didn’t think before I called you—”
Saucy crushed her mouth to his. He moaned, pulled her closer to fondle her breast, then broke the kiss.
“Tanner, honey, I thought you wanted us.” Saucy pouted, pushing out her lips.
His laugh was warm, but held an edge of darkness. “Trust me. I do.” He pushed her away from him, then slipped the other woman’s leg off his thigh. “But this isn’t the right place.”
Both women, however, wouldn’t be swayed. Vicky continued to stroke him while Saucy began unbuttoning the tight blouse that already showed too much of her large breasts. She tweaked one of her nipples and licked her lips. “If we can’t have sex, how about I give you a blowjob?”
He reached out to sweep a lock of her hair away from her cheek in a gesture that seemed almost tender. “You do know how to tempt a man, don’t you? However, I prefer my big bed and the comforts of home to rutting around in sticks and leaves.”
Once again, he pushed their hands off him. “Girls, let’s save this for later. Understood?”
The women continued to complain and make suggestive comments.
Hilly couldn’t stop staring at him. Although at first she couldn’t understand what seemed different about him—other than the fact that he was being propositioned by two women in a park—she did now. Power, controlled yet straining to break free, wafted off him to ripple over her in wave after wave of electricity. His long black hair flared outward as though charged with an unseen current. His body glowed, intensifying the paleness of his skin yet, somehow, making him appear darker. His sheer primal presence unsettled and excited her.
Every nerve ending awakened, every sense heightened within her. Hilly sucked in a breath as though the air had thickened around her. A musky aroma, the smell of raw sex, clung to her, and God help her, she wanted the alluring fragrance spread over her entire body. Nonetheless, instinct made her struggle to take a step back, but she couldn’t make her feet move. She whimpered, suddenly wanting to be anywhere other than where she was.
Then he turned toward her.
Eyes as dark as night wiped away her desire to leave. Heat, hotter than any sexual attraction, zeroed in on her, scorching her from the inside, as well as searing her flesh. If she could’ve taken her gaze from him, she would’ve checked to see if her body was on fire.
The air around her buzzed as though she’d moved too close to a power line. The hair on her arms stood on end and her hair mimicked his, spreading outward from her head to form an electrified halo.
He frowned, dismay filling his features. Then he narrowed his eyes, studying her like a bug under a microscope, and as though he’d come to a conclusion, finally smiled. The corners of his mouth lifted higher still until, at last, he sported a wide grin.
“Girls, we have a Peeping Tom. Or rather, a Peeping Tomasina.”
The women turned their glazed eyes toward Hilly, but several moments passed until any awareness filtered onto their faces. Once it had, they both cried out and hurried to pull their clothing into place. He casually buttoned his shirt and tucked it back into his slacks.
The man chuckled at their murmurs of embarrassment. His mirth, however, evaporated as quickly as it had come, replaced by a bored attitude. “Saucy, Vicky, don’t worry. This…
little girl
…won’t be a problem. But it’s time for you to go.”
“Don’t you want to take us back to your place?”
Tanner gave each woman a peck on the cheek, then sent Hilly a look that at once thrilled and frightened her. She tried to shake the feeling that he could see straight into her soul, sorting through the details of her life to learn all her secrets.
“No. Not anymore. Something—” he winked at Hilly, “—just came up.” He waved his hand in front of each woman like a magician performing a trick. “Forget you ever met me and return to where you were before I summoned you.”
The women wobbled on their feet, almost losing balance before they slinked away. Where they’d been confident and sexy before, now they acted like schoolgirls caught smoking in the restroom. Hilly couldn’t shake the impression that he’d done something to them. But what?
The man’s gaze locked on to her again and narrowed. “What are you doing here, sweetie?”
At last, Hilly’s feet obeyed her and she backed away from his advance. “Nothin’.”
His eyes changed from deep black to a strange gray that seemed to shimmer. But how? Was he a warlock? A real magician? Hilly wished Meg had come with her to the park. She might have been able to sense what he was.
“I don’t believe you.” Dark, silky hair fell forward as he bent toward her. “Don’t you know it’s rude to spy on people?”
Hilly stuck out her chin, determined to not let him make her cower. After all, he was the one who should hang his head in shame.
“I wasn’t spying.” Did he really think he could turn this around on her? Like hell he would!
His sly look chilled her to the bone. “Well, never mind. The ladies and I were just playing a game.”
“A game? Yeah, right. Don’t insult my intelligence.”
The dark gray of his eyes lightened to a metallic silver-blue. “Hmm. You have quite the vocabulary for a child your age.”
Hilly inhaled, only now remembering her present form. But it was too late to change. Instead, she threw back her shoulders, determined to bluff her way through the encounter. “My mommy says that I’m precoshun.”
“You mean precocious.” He moved close enough for her to see the fresh stubble lining his strong jaw. “I bet you are. Tell me, child. Why aren’t you with your mommy?”
“Because.” The way he’d said the word
child
sent a flash of panic through her. Did he know she wasn’t really a child? “My mommy’s over there.” She thrust out her arm, indicating the park beyond the bushes. “Sitting on the bench.”
“Do you want to call her?”
Hilly swallowed, met those strange eyes again, then glanced away, unable to bear looking at them for too long. “Y-yes.”
“Then go ahead. You don’t need to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m not a-scared,” again using Emma Grace’s words.
He reached out but she stood her ground, refusing to let him see how he’d unnerved her. Besides, she couldn’t help but wonder how his touch would feel. Would his touch be as electric as the energy drifting off his body? The temperature around them rose, causing beads of sweat to form across her forehead. He, on the other hand, looked cool and collected.
Hilly couldn’t stop the shivers his stark appraisal gave her. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
He laughed, a full, hearty sound ringing out, and she had to force a smile from showing on her face. He had a likeable air about him, one that tempted her to know him better, even though his black clothes, strange eyes and intense expression gave a sense of darkness surrounding him.
“You’re something else, you know that? A real treasure in a tiny package.” He arched an eyebrow. “Or are you really so small?”
Once again, she had the terrifying impression that he knew what she was. Hilly’s mouth opened, preparing to say something to make him forget his suspicions.
“Hilly? Where are you?”
They both looked to the greenery behind her. Blocking Emma Grace from getting scratched as they pushed through the bushes, Allie led the way into the clearing, then stopped. She looked from Hilly to the man, then back to her sister.
Chapter Two
“Hilly, are you all right?” Bright blue eyes, the same color as both little girls’, glared at Tanner. “Who are you and what are you doing with Hilly?”
He noted how tightly the beautiful blonde gripped the small girl’s hand as she reached for her daughter’s twin. Or at least the girl who appeared to be her child’s twin.
“Your, um, daughter got lost and I was trying to find out what her name was. So twins, huh?” He hated obvious questions, but sometimes stating the obvious was the quickest way to get an honest answer.
“That’s right.” The mother blinked as though trying to think clearly. She turned to Hilly. “Sweetie, you know you’re supposed to stay where I can see you.” Bringing her attention back to him, she narrowed her eyes but continued talking to Hilly. “And you know what I’ve told you about talking to strangers.”
Hilly’s own ocean-colored eyes flashed, and he could see the struggle within her to stay calm. But was she a little girl upset at her mother’s disapproval? Or was there another reason for her distress? At last she hung her head and answered in a tiny voice. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
The attractive mother reached out to smooth Hilly’s hair. Hilly jerked out of her reach and shot him another glare.
Not bothering to smother a grin at Hilly’s impudence, he offered his hand to the mother. “I’m Tanner Cage. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I may have frightened your little girl. And your name is…?”
“Allie Halloran.” She scanned him, taking him in with a piercing look before finally accepting his hand. “This is my other daughter, Emma Grace.”
He bent lower and wiggled his fingers at the enchanting girl. Her crooked smile touched his heart with one look. “Hi, Emma Grace. Such a very pretty name for a very pretty girl.”
His amusement shot up when Hilly stepped toward Emma Grace, placing her body protectively closer to the little girl. Straightening, he adopted his best put-them-at-ease expression. “Then this is Hilly Halloran?”
“Yes.”
Liar, liar.
He nodded, taking the momentary lapse in the conversation to study the mother as she’d studied him. “They’re lovely children. But why wouldn’t they be when their mother is so beautiful?”
Allie blushed, then flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Do you think so? I mean, thank you.”
He noted the way she preened under his flattery.
This one likes attention.
“Mommy, this man was—”
“Quiet, Hilly.” He almost laughed at Hilly’s stunned expression. He’d bet not many people had ever told Hilly to zip it.
“I’m afraid Hilly found me entertaining a couple of my friends.”
“Entertaining? I don’t understand.” Allie glanced at Hilly who crossed her arms, acting every inch the picture of a sulking child. Nonetheless, an air of maturity surrounded her.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re gone now.” Once again, he winked at Hilly who threw him yet another dagger-style glare.
Tanner studied the children. They not only looked the same, they looked
exactly
the same. It was as though one girl had been made from the mold of the other.
Still, differences did exist. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the way Emma Grace held on to her mother’s hand, her body half-hidden behind her mother’s. Hilly, however, stood straight and tall, side by side with her mother, an equal in every sense of the word. Was she the confident twin to her shy sister?
“I hope Hilly didn’t bother you.” Allie glanced around as though hunting for clues. “Whatever you were doing.”
Tanner pulled his hair back to tie it into a ponytail. “No, of course not. She was no problem at all.”
Hilly’s snort surprised him.
“Hilly! That’s not very polite.” Allie fisted her hands on her hips. “Please apologize to Mr. Cage.”
Tanner couldn’t remember when he’d had more fun. Seeing Hilly’s mouth drop open at Allie’s command made him want to roll on the ground with laughter. Instead, he waved off the apology before Hilly could start. “No, no. It’s okay.”
“No, she really needs to apologize. After all, I want my children to learn manners.”