Chapter Nineteen

Night paused as he rounded the house, catching a sight that took his breath away. Summer sat astride the tall gray gelding, balancing easily as he trotted toward the barn with the other two horses in tow. Without saddle or bridle, she held onto the mane, directing him with her legs while her long blonde hair fluttered behind her in the breeze. The late afternoon sunlight glistened over her head, lightening the color of her hair and giving her an angelic hue. Simply beautiful. He couldn’t take his eyes off her until she disappeared behind the barn.

Knowing she would linger a while to care for the horses, he sauntered that way, ignoring his body’s response to watching the woman he loved. He wanted to take the relationship one step at a time, not rushing until they were both ready. As it was, he’d probably pushed the limits with his declaration of love. Telling her of those feelings seemed right at the time. Not once had he wished them back, especially since she shared them too.

“Summer?” he called out, not wanting to startle her or the horses with his sudden appearance. Sticking his head in the door, he spied her pouring out rations of grain into buckets, the three big horses stamping their feet with impatience as they stood behind a small gate. Their ears pricked forward, the horses were watching Summer intently, as if she might drop a single morsel of oats.

“In here.” She hefted one bucket, carrying it into a stall before returning for another.

Night hurried forward, grabbing the final bucket and setting it into the corner holder so Summer could open the gate and let the horses in to enjoy their dinner.

She smiled widely at him, threw open the barricade, then rushed into his arms, holding on tightly. “Night. I missed you! Are you okay?” Drawing back, she looked him over.

He grinned, soaking up her rapt attention. “I’m fine. How are you doing?” He leveled his stare, met her eyes, watching for any hint of hedging of the truth on her part.

“I’m fine. Really. Murphy is a great companion, even chases the bad dreams away with her loud snoring.” Truth conveyed in her words.

Relief washed over him, finding her whole and seemingly back to her old self. Upon leaning in, he meshed his lips with hers, joy flashing through him at her enthusiastic reception. Not only did she accept the kiss, but she returned it eagerly, taking the initiative to open her mouth and deepen the embrace. He broke the contact reluctantly. “Lord, I missed you,” he whispered.

“Did you see your mother already?”

He wrapped her in his arms, holding her snugly, watching her brown eyes sparkle with happiness. “Yes. I got home late last night and spent all day with her. I know I should have called, but I wanted to surprise you.” He placed a kiss to her forehead, allowing her enough wiggle room to position her hands on his shoulders.

“I see. You wanted to catch me naked in the shower, huh?” she teased as she picked at his T-shirt.

Glancing down at her jeans and short-sleeved shirt, he pictured that very image. He smiled a little. “If only I could be so lucky.”

She snorted. “I swear. Men and sex.”

“Every six seconds, little one.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, I take it the mission went well?”

Her change of subject put the tension back into his shoulders.

Interacting with his father after so many years had upset him more than he’d anticipated, sending his insides to churning with anger, fear, and pity. He knew enough about alcoholism to understand a hereditary link existed and domestic violence tended to run in families. While he remained furious at the pain his father lashed onto his little family and could pity the man who spent every night drinking his life away, the notion that he could step right into those shoes shook him to his very core.

She furrowed her eyebrows together as she scanned his face, sensing something bothered him, something he probably didn’t really want to discuss. However, pent up worries and anger festered like an abscess. If someone didn’t lance them, open them up for all the foul smelling gunk to leak out, then it only spread and worsened.

After stepping back, she walked over to a nearby trunk, dragging a large blanket from the contents. Turning, she sent him a soft smile. “Come on.” She reached out her hand to him, latching on when he took it. “Let’s go sit outside and watch the sun set. You can tell me what happened.”

With a small tug, she led him through the gate and out into the pasture, allowing him to choose a place to settle on the ground. Once he’d spread the quilt, they both sat down, getting comfortable while looking off to the west.

She wiggled until she leaned against his side, sighing when he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Want to talk about what happened?” Biting her lip, Summer crossed her fingers that he would open up to her.

Night stared across the pasture. “The mission went okay. No injuries or casualties on our side. The DEA got the evidence they wanted and another drug cartel no longer exists.”

“Sounds like a success to me.”

He shrugged.

“Why the long face?” She watched a muscle twitch in his jaw as he distantly stared straight ahead.

“I made a stop on the way home.” He answered softly, lifting her in front of him so she sat between his legs, her back to his chest. While wrapping both arms around her, he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Okay. Where did you go?”

“To see my father.” His bit off words told her the visit ate at him now.

She blinked in surprise at the stark admission. Vaguely, she recalled the kidnapper mention Mrs Kensington’s ex-husband, but everything about that incident had blurred together in her memory, leaving her with an overall picture and few details. “Your father?”

“Yeah.”

She felt him suck in air before continuing. A brief image flashed through her mind, the morning she’d had breakfast with Night and his mother. Mrs Kensington had spoken about her drunk and abusive husband whom she’d finally escaped after the violence had leaked over to her child.

“He’s an alcoholic and drinks at a small bar most of the time. Seems he got drunk, babbled about Mother’s jewelry to the wrong man. Not only did he talk about her possessions, but even gave out her name and where she lived. Your kidnapper seized the opportunity to make some quick cash by stealing an expensive necklace to sell on the black market.”

“That’s what the guy said.” Nice to know her kidnapper had known how to tell some truth at least.

Night’s arms tightened around her. “My father is responsible for that whole mess. If he did it once, I know he’ll do it again.”

His flat tone worried Summer. Night had a tough enough job and didn’t need to have to deal with a messed up father in addition. The man she loved deserved so much better after giving years of his life protecting freedom and US citizens from harm. Life wasn’t fair.

She rested her hands over his, lightly stroking her finger over his knuckles in a small attempt to soothe his emotional pain. “You had a talk with him?” For the life of her she couldn’t imagine what someone would do or say in such a situation, having to face a man he never really knew, one who’d let his whole family down, and continued to disrupt their lives years down the road.

“Yeah. I found him at the bar, told him who I was and what happened.”

The bitten off words and the fact his muscles locked around and behind her told her how the meeting went. “And?”

“He didn’t give a rat’s ass. Wanted to challenge me. Thought he’d knock me down when I called his bluff. The coward wouldn’t even do that. Instead, he went back to drinking, as if I’d just told him the time of day.”

“Didn’t he even ask about your mother? Or show a bit of regret?” Her mouth fell open at his father’s callous responses. No wonder Night struggled with his grief and rage. All children have dreams. She would have bet that Night had dreamed of meeting his father one day and becoming part of his life, making up for lost time. All little boys idolized their fathers at one time, looking up to them, emulating them. Seeing other children with two happy parents must have been hard, rubbing salt into the wound his father had created when he’d ripped their family apart. She’d been raised by a single parent as well, but in an entirely different context, and could understand the wish for a strong, stable father in Night’s life.

Perhaps he’d believed that his father would change, rising to the pedestal Night had placed him on. Instead, he’d faced down an old man, one who cared little if his former wife and his son lay murdered in their own house because of something he’d said to the wrong person.

She might not have had a father at all, but having no father beat having the beast Night had discovered, hands down. That level of cruelty and apathy cut people deep, especially ones with expectations that those sharing DNA should also share a heartfelt bond.

“Nothing. Because everything worked out in the end, he felt exonerated.” He released a long sigh. “That’s all he worried about, his own skin. Mom and I are dead to him for all the concern he showed.”

“And you worry it’ll happen again?”

“Yes. He’s not going to stop drinking and who knows what else he might say when drunk.”

“It won’t go away, then. The threat.”

“No.”

“At least we know about it now and can be on our toes,” she pointed out, trying to find the bright side in all the fiasco related to his father. She turned around, leaned in, and nuzzled his lowered chin. “I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

He hugged her tightly. “You already are.”

They remained silent for a few moments, staring at the coloring sky.

“I shouldn’t dump this on you,” Night uttered, keeping his arms around her.

Summer pulled up one of his hands, placing a kiss to the palm. “Everyone needs a shoulder now and then, even big tough military guys. Just because you can fly through the air and make things go boom, doesn’t mean you don’t have human emotions buried deep inside that have to come out. That’s the difference between people and robots, you know. Personally, as much as I would love a robotic maid that didn’t expect payment or benefits, I much prefer you to be a real human male, Night.”

He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head before swinging her around to cradle her against his chest. With a gentle touch, he cupped her cheek, encouraging her to look into his eyes. “You don’t know how much you mean to me.”

She smiled, pressing her lips to his chin for a quick show of affection. “The same here. I meant it when I said you’re my hero. It’s true. I love you, Night.”

He eased her head against his chest, holding her as the day transitioned into night.

Summer enjoyed the companionable silence, watching a show of nature in Night’s arms, in no hurry for the entertainment to end. As the last rays faded, she moved to stand up. “We should get back to the house. Murphy will need to go outside and I think dinner might be in order.”

“Sounds good to me.” Night followed, picking up the blanket and slinging it over his free arm. Hand in hand they trekked back to the house.

Murphy met them at the door, doing a little doggie dance of happiness.

“Hey girl.” Summer opened the door, letting the large white bundle of fluff outside, smiling when Murphy immediately trotted over to Night, smelling his rear.

“Stop that.” He shook his head, playfully scolding the canine.

Murphy glanced at them once more before heading farther away from the house, presumably to find the right spot to complete her business.

Summer led the way into the house, took the used blanket, tossing it in the laundry basket, before heading to the kitchen. “Any preferences for supper?”

He trailed along behind her. “Not really. What did you want to fix?”

She glanced through the cupboards then headed to the fridge, jerking the door open to survey the contents. “I can make breakfast or a sandwich. That would be the quickest. Spaghetti is also possible.”

Night grinned. “I happen to be a great breakfast cook.”

She flashed a smile his direction. “I vaguely recall marvelous pancakes.” She reached in, pulled out eggs, milk, butter, and pancake mix. One by one she set the items on the table then nudged the door shut with her foot. “I’ll fix hard boiled eggs if you work on pancakes. But you have to tell me your secret ingredient.”

“Hmm. I don’t know. It’s a well-protected family secret, after all,” he teased, digging through a drawer for a large spoon.

Summer handed him a glass bowl and a measuring cup. With a pout, she bumped her hip slightly against his. “You won’t share with little old me?” After his earlier melancholy, she longed to see those deep blue eyes twinkle with merriment. She gathered up a handful of eggs and gently placed them at the bottom of the pan before filling it halfway full with water. After lightly plopping it down on a back burner, she switched it on high and waited for them to boil.

“The pancakes? Sure.” His lips twitched.

She rolled her eyes. “No, silly. The secret recipe.”

He poured mix into the bowl with the other ingredients before stirring them all together. “Ah. What secret recipe?”

She snorted. “Be like that. That’s okay. Just when you least expect it, I’ll kiss you senseless until you tell me.”

The left dimple in his cheek popped. “Kiss me senseless, huh?”

“Oh, yeah.” She lifted her head in challenge. “I’d tickle you, but I’m sure you’re not ticklish. So, I’m left with kissing you until you beg for mercy.” She tried and failed to hold back a mischievous grin.

After flicking the switch on the stove, he set a skillet over the burner, pouring mix into small circles. That chore finished, he rounded on her, tugging her flush against his body.

“Can I return the favor?” His tone dropped, carrying a sultry pitch.

“Well…” She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on tiptoe to seal her lips with his. After only a swift kiss of promise, she pulled back. “I suppose we could flip a coin to see who gets to kiss whom first.”

He chuckled, patted her rear then returned to the stove, using a spatula to check the bottom side of the pancakes. “I thought we were playing strip poker.”

Her belly flopped in a slow, delightful somersault at those words. More than once her mind traveled down the imaginary path of naughtiness, with Night being the center of her erotic imaginings. Heat blasted across her face recalling some of the more adventurous scenes and her wild inhibitions.

His dimple returned, along with a smile big enough to show straight front teeth. “So you have been thinking about playing.”

Her face heated all the more. How embarrassing. “I plead the fifth.”

Night laughed, his eyes twinkling with sensual amusement. He flipped the pancakes with precision before gathering up a plate to sit nearby. “I take that for a yes.”

“No comment.” She stuck her burning face back into the cool fridge, lingering a bit longer than necessary to snag the juice from the main shelf. Upon placing it on the table, she picked glasses from the cabinet, setting them on the table’s placemats. The pancake syrup soon followed.

“Uh, huh.” He scooped up the pancakes and clicked the stove off. With platter in hand, he plopped down in the nearest chair.

A whining at the door caught Summer’s attention. Quickly, she headed over, opening the door to allow Murphy back in. “I hope you didn’t roll in anything icky.” She gave the animal a once over, satisfied when no foul odors or stains marred the stark white coat.

The dog walked straight to the living room rug and flopped down.

Summer returned to the kitchen, turned the heat off the eggs, and poured out the water. She pulled a hot pad out of a drawer and placed the pan on it, in easy reach when they were ready to peel the shell off the eggs.

Summer sat down in the empty seat then filled her glass with juice.

Night forked half the small pancakes to his plate before shoving the rest off the platter and onto her empty plate.

“That’s too many.” She spied the tall stack and sighed.

“You need to eat. Can’t have you passing out from malnutrition before you get a chance to strip for me and kiss me until I beg.”

She blinked. “I think you twisted that a bit. I didn’t say I’d strip. I said we could play strip poker and you promised to give me a head start.”

“Well, damn. I liked the idea of you stripping better.”

“Uh, huh.” She slapped butter and syrup on her plate then cut her dinner into bite-sized portions. “You can always strip for me, though.” She tossed out the bone, hoping he would chomp down on it.

He took a long drink of milk. “Anytime, baby. Anytime.”

Now what have I started? Her belly clenched at his words and the images they provoked. A hot flash traveled the length of her body and back, compelling her to fan herself with her hand.

Night watched her closely, a grin slowly emerging at her reaction.

The lout. How was she supposed to eat with him staring at her as if she had morphed into a beauty contestant who signed up for a dating show? Think of something dull and boring. One plus one equals two. She ran math equations through her head. One of him, one of me. Naked. Together. In bed.

Summer bit back a groan. Night’s return had stoked her libido into overdrive. Just sitting across from him at the table set her mouth to nearly drooling. His sculpted body drew her attention as did his deep blue eyes that stole her breath. An overwhelming urge to lift up his T-shirt and taste those delicious abdominal muscles hit her like a hurricane-force wind. Shoving those thoughts to the side, she focused on her plate, purposely forking a piece of food and sticking it in her mouth. Maybe if she ignored him, her feminine wants and needs would settle down.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Night asked, pulling her attention back to him.

She considered her schedule for a moment. “Nothing, really. It’s Monday, but a holiday, so I don’t have any clients. I need to give Murphy a bath and the outside chores, of course. Maybe some housecleaning, but that’s the excitement of the day. Why do you ask?” She tilted her head in curiosity.

He shucked off an egg shell with ease, dropping the crumbs onto his empty plate. “I thought we might spend the day together.”

“I’d like that.” She pasted on a smile, somewhat disappointed he didn’t offer to spend the night with her. Her teasing held a purpose, to feel him out, hint at her wishes for him to stay with her. Obviously, she didn’t get the idea across or he didn’t share her wants.

“Summer?”

She met his eyes. “Yes?”

He refused to release her gaze as he dropped the egg onto his plate. “You know that I want you, right?”

She bit her lip. “I think so.”

He reached out a hand, clasping hers when she met him halfway. “Have no doubt that I want you, in every way that a man wants a woman.”

“I…want the…same.” She found herself unnerved by his intense stare and the intimacy of the conversation. “Why can’t we…tonight?”

He puffed out a breath of air. “Because I want you to be sure. I promised myself I wouldn’t push you or the relationship—everything has to be mutual.”

“But this is mutual,” she protested.

Shaking his head, he stood, using their intertwined fingers to tug her up beside him. “Sweetheart, you’ve had a rough time lately. And, I just returned. Of course you want me to stay and for us to take that big step together. I get that. But, I need to make sure you won’t have regrets tomorrow.”

She opened her mouth, but he placed a long finger over it, sealing in her words.

“I have to give you another night to consider what you truly want. You have to be absolutely sure, because once we cross that bridge there’s no going back. I want this to be the beginning of a lifetime, not just a few days of stroking my ego while you use sex for comfort.” He wrapped both arms around her, gathering her close, before using his thumb on her chin to encourage her to hold his look. “Understand?”

Multiple thoughts raced through her mind, not least the sensitivity and caring that Night showed in his restraint. His mention of a lifetime set her heart aglow while only increasing the already strong feelings she had for him. “Yes.” She lifted up to brush her lips over his chin. “But know this. I’ll feel the same tomorrow as I do tonight.”

“I sure hope so.” He smiled.

“You might want to eat a good breakfast then. Can’t have you passing out from low blood sugar,” she teased, rubbing her palm across his shirt-clad chest, sampling the hard muscles underneath.

He snorted. “Take your own advice. I’m a force to be reckoned with.” His hand captured hers, holding it steady over his thumping heart.

“We’ll see.” She lifted again to kiss his lips, flicking her tongue until he opened beneath her foray. Taking the initiative, she explored thoroughly, inciting a quick game of tag with his tongue.

Night stepped back with a muffled curse. “No more of that. I hate cold showers.”

She grinned like a kid holding the candy jar. “Uh, huh. Just remember to bring the deck of cards.”

A chuckle escaped his throat as he meandered back toward the front door. “Oh, I’ll bring those and a few more things.”

She blinked, her face heated as the possibilities of what he might bring ran through her head—all of them erotic and sinful.

Night threw back his head and laughed. “Think about that tonight.”

“Gee, thanks. Now I won’t be able to sleep for wondering what in the world you’re talking about.” She trailed him to the front door.

“Then we’re even.” He sent her one more smile, turned, stepped out of the door, and trotted to his pickup.

She watched from the entranceway until the headlights on his truck became tiny blips in the night. Only then did she shut and lock the door. “Murphy, old girl, I think I’m in deep doo doo.”

The dog opened her eyes, lifted her ears, and thumped her tail twice before falling right back to sleep.