A Marriage Made in Texas (The Brothers Kincaid) (7 page)

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “If I kiss you now, we won’t make it to the party.”

She moved closer. “Then I guess you’d better not kiss me. Besides, you know what they say.” She sat back, folded her hands together, and waited.

He was staring at her with a slightly glazed expression in his eyes. “No, what do they say?”

Deliberately, she touched her tongue lightly to her lips. “Anticipation is half the fun.”

His pupils dilated and he sucked in a breath. “You’re a wicked woman, Gail. I like that about you.”

Fun, definitely fun, Gail thought as they drove away.

Still, it would be even more fun if she could shake that niggling worry that Roxy hadn’t finished trying to get her parents back together.

“N
ICE
,” J
AY SAID
, as they walked into the gorgeous ballroom. Chandeliers sparkled, elaborately decorated tables stood laden with trays of seafood, crepes, and
canapés, arranged artfully around ice sculptures of leaping dolphins. “What’s the occasion?”

“Technically, it’s a party for my boss’s daughter and her new husband. Her third, I think,” Gail added with a mischievous grin. “But believe me, he’s schmoozing, too. I’m sure half the Corpus Christi business community is here. There’s my boss,” she said, pointing toward a group of people. “I’ll introduce you. Charlie’s a nice guy, you’ll like him, but watch out for his daughter.”

“I thought you said she just got married.”

“She did.” She glanced up at him and smiled. “There’s a reason she’s on husband number three.”

Gail introduced him to several people, including Charlie Wade and his daughter, Muriel. Gail had pegged the sexy brunette perfectly, he thought, withdrawing a piece of paper from his pocket. He ditched her phone number on his way to the bar.

“White wine spritzer and a Sam Adams,” Jay told the bartender. There was only one problem with bringing a beautiful woman to a party like this one, he thought, watching Gail from across the room. Every other man in the room wanted to know her, and about half of them hit on her. And he didn’t want to share.

Tonight she looked outrageously good. Part of it, he suspected, was the dress. Sexy as sin, it clung to her in a way that had him counting down the minutes until they could leave. Hell, he’d spent the last two days doing very little else beyond thinking about
making love to her. If he didn’t have her soon, he just might die of frustration.

As he made his way back to Gail with the drinks, a distinguished gray-haired man slid his arm around her waist. Apparently, Jay wasn’t the only one who thought Gail looked good enough to eat. The man’s hand fell to pat her butt, with a hell of a lot more familiarity than Jay thought reasonable.

Gail said something to him and eased away. Jay reached them just as the man, apparently too stupid to understand no, tried again.

“Hey, buddy, you can take your hand off my date now,” he told the older man as he handed Gail her drink and, putting his arm around her waist, pulled her next to him. “I can handle it from here.”

Gail choked as he led her away. “Do you know who that is?” she asked, laughter lighting her blue eyes.

“No, but I know he’s a jerk.”

“Yes, he is. He’s also one of the biggest condo developers around here. My boss has been courting him for the last three months. He’s finally got him interested in a really big project.”

“Sorry,” he said, though he wasn’t. “I guess it would have really queered the deal if I’d broken his fingers, like I wanted to.”

Eyes dancing, she laughed. “Probably. His expression was priceless. I don’t think a lot of people turn him down, or call him on his obnoxious behavior.”

He didn’t want to talk about jerks, or think about
another man’s hands on Gail. Not when he wanted, very much, to put his own hands on her.

“Dance with me,” he said. He found a darkened area of the dance floor and took her in his arms. Holding her close against him, he didn’t speak at first, but let the music wash over them, a woman singing a bluesy, sexy ballad. Bending down, he spoke quietly in her ear. “Did you wear this dress to torture me? Because it’s doing the job. All I can think about is getting you out of it.”

Soft laughter was his answer. A few minutes later she said, “Jay?”

He looked down at her, saw those lush lips smiling and wanted to dive in right there. “What?”

“Matching lingerie.”

By the time they left the party he was damn near whimpering.

For the first time in his life, Jay wished he didn’t drive a sports car with bucket seats, a stick shift, and an extremely small back seat. So he wouldn’t even touch her. With a thirty-minute drive ahead of them, he couldn’t afford to. But he wanted to. The night was dark, the parking lot was deserted…maybe just one kiss. He drew in a breath and shook his head.
Start the car,
he told himself.
While you still can.

He hadn’t considered Gail kissing him, but he should have. She wrapped herself around him, locked those lovely lips on his, and he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. His hand slipped inside her bodice, inside her bra and he felt the bare, silky skin of her
breast. His fingers touched her nipple, felt it pearl, and they both moaned.

He wanted to see her, had to see her. He tugged the clingy fabric down, pushed down her bra and gently lifted out one perfect breast. “Beautiful,” he murmured, as the moonlight shone through the window. His lips closed around a deep, dusky rose nipple. He licked it and then sucked it, as it grew to a hard point to tease his tongue. The gearshift stabbed him in the side, and he released her breast, cursing.

They stared at each other, both of them gasping for breath. “There’s a hotel right here,” he said. “With a big, comfortable bed in the room. Why are we leaving?”

“The puppies. Don’t you need to—” Her eyes fluttered closed when he cupped her bare breast. “See to them?” she finished, a breathless moment later.

He started to say to hell with the animals, they’d be fine, but he knew if he left them shut up in the laundry room all night, the place would be a shambles. And if he went into that hotel with Gail, he knew he wouldn’t come out until morning. At least.

“You’re right. Damn it.” Regretfully, he pulled her bra and dress up to cover her breast, cranked the engine and started the long drive home.

As if he needed anything more to turn him on, she kept her hand on his thigh the whole way. And he discovered, once they got on the highway and he didn’t need to shift, that she wore thigh-high hose and very little else under that sexy blue dress.

T
HEY MADE IT INSIDE
, barely, before they started ripping off each other’s clothes. Jay backed her up against the wall. His lips crushed hers, his tongue plunged inside her mouth with hot, rapid thrusts. She met him stroke for stroke, her hands grappling with his shirt buttons, even as she felt the zipper at the back of her dress slide down.

“This dress is really pretty,” he said, and sucked on her earlobe. “I want you out of it.”

She laughed as he pushed it down over her arms, past her hips, until it pooled at her feet. Stepping back, his hot gaze slid over her, and she felt as if she’d been blasted by a furnace. Then his mouth was on hers, his hands on her breasts, popping the front closure of her bra and peeling back the cups.

He cupped her bare breasts, caressed them, then his head dropped and he sucked her nipple, tonguing the tip of it until she put her hands in his hair and pressed him harder against her. He tormented one breast, moved to the other, gave it the same, sweet treatment. She nearly exploded right there.

He raised his head, his hands sliding down to grasp her hips, rocked his own against her. “The bedroom.” His voice was deep, seductive, sliding over her like the tide.

Shaking her head, she put her hands on his belt buckle. Unbuckled it, opened the button, slid his pants zipper down, slowly, with difficulty, over a blatant erection. “Here. Now,” she said, and closed her hand around him.

“I won’t argue with you,” he said, and pulled her
to the floor with him. His hand slipped inside her panties, palmed her, rubbed her until her hips bucked against him, and then he slid one long finger inside her.

“Jay!” His name burst from her with a shocked gasp as she crested, trembled on the edge.

“Yeah. Oh, yeah,” he groaned, and kissed her mouth. He left her for a moment, to pull out a condom from his pants pocket.

“Hurry,” she said, holding out her arms. He covered himself, then lay down, pulling her on top of him. He helped her straddle him as he thrust inside her in one smooth, long plunge, his hands on her hips, guiding, stroking.

His hands came up to caress her breasts as she rode him, at first slowly, then faster and faster. She looked down, into his eyes, fell into their depths with each deep thrust. He slipped his hand down to where their bodies joined and sent her tumbling, flying. She gasped, stifled a scream as her orgasm speared through her on a burst of light.

His hands grasped her hips again, and she looked into his face as with one last, welcome push, she saw his eyes cloud, close and felt his climax rip through him.

“I had no idea,” she murmured, aeons later, still collapsed on top of him.

“That it would be so good between us?” he asked, his hand stroking her back.

“Hmm.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest.
She didn’t think she had a backbone left. She was certain she couldn’t move without assistance.

“I did.”

She raised her head and smiled at him. “You’re a smart guy, aren’t you?”

He smiled. “If I was so smart, we would have done this five years ago.”

“True,” she said, and laughed. “Is that the puppies I hear?” Sharp yaps came from the direction of his kitchen. “Shouldn’t we see about them?”

Jay groaned. “Yeah. I’m sure they’ve demolished the laundry room. But it was worth it,” he said, and kissed her. His hands slipped over her rear. “I meant to take you to the bedroom. To my bed.”

“I liked it here, just fine,” she told him.

He rolled them over, settled between her legs. Her eyes widened as she felt him harden against her. “Me too.”

“Jay,” she said breathlessly. “The puppies.”

“Okay, I’m going.” He kissed her mouth, tenderly. “Because next time, we’re going very, very slow.”

She looped her arms around his neck. “So, there’s going to be a next time?”

“Definitely.” He kissed her again, and again. “More than one, if I have anything to say about it.”

T
HEY SPENT THE WEEKEND
together. Talking, watching movies, playing with the puppies. And making love. Everywhere. A lot. By Saturday afternoon Gail could attest to the fact that Jay Kincaid had a number of moves, every blessed one of them smooth.

They sat on the couch, the puppies at their feet gnawing on chew toys, sharing a bowl of popcorn and a diet soda. Gail wore one of Jay’s dress shirts and nothing else. He wore a pair of cutoffs, and, she was almost certain, nothing else.

At the moment, Jay’s eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. Her fingers itched to trace their way down that muscled chest. If she thought about it very hard, her extreme preoccupation with his body might worry her. Then again, she acknowledged, it was some body.

“I’ve never done this before, you know.” She dug into the popcorn bowl, munched a bit. “I had no idea my education was so lacking.”

“Never done what?” he asked, eyes still closed.

Thick blond hair fell over his forehead, mussed from her fingers running through it. She wanted to do it again. His beard, like his hair, was light, though
he’d shaved that morning, saying he didn’t want to give her whisker burns. Progressing to his mouth, she sucked in a breath. Perfection. His lips were just full enough to be beautiful, yet they were unmistakably masculine. Unable to resist, she traced a finger over his mouth, remembering what it felt like on her own, and on her skin.

“Had marathon sex,” she said, fingers still on his lips. “I like it.”

He cracked open an eye. “You were married. You mean to tell me you never spent a weekend in bed? Was your husband a eunuch?”

Knowing Barry thought himself the ultimate sex machine, she gave a peal of laughter. “No,” she gasped when she stopped laughing. She couldn’t wait to tell Cat that one. “Maybe he just didn’t have your stamina. Or maybe he wasn’t interested.” Not in her, anyway. She frowned at that, thinking it the most likely explanation.

“Then he’s an idiot,” Jay said succinctly. “He had you and your daughters and he let you go. How much more stupid can you get?”

She laid her hand on his cheek and smiled. “Have I told you I really like you?”

He grinned, turned his head to kiss her palm. “Not lately. Have I told you I really like you?” He set the popcorn aside, lay back on the couch, pulling her on top of him. “And that I find you extremely—” he kissed her mouth, trailed his lips to her neck “—extremely sexy?”

“Not lately,” she said, and sighed as he unbuttoned her shirt.

O
NE DAY
the following week, Jay went to his partner’s office. “Hey, Tim, you got a minute?”

Tim’s office was somewhat less spartan than Jay’s, for in addition to a desk, chairs and bookshelves, it held a kid’s-size table in one corner, for when his children visited their father at work. His desk and bookshelves boasted a number of pictures, as well, most of his family at various stages. The office was like Tim, Jay thought. A little messy and very comfortable.

“Sure.” Tim set aside the chart he’d been studying and sighed. “I don’t know why I can’t convince Mrs. Finch she can’t expect her blood pressure to improve if she won’t take her medicine.”

“Maybe it makes her feel bad. Try a different one.”

“I think I will.” He leaned back in his desk chair as Jay took a seat across from him. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“I’ve got a patient with a lump in her breast. Almost certainly a fibroadenoma,” he said, speaking of a tumor that while common in women in their twenties, was also benign. “Problem is, she won’t let me excise it.”

“Just you, or anyone?”

“Anyone. I explained that it was almost certainly benign, but that it still needed to be biopsied, and that the operation’s a minor one. She said she didn’t care,
and has been adamantly refusing the surgery. I finally got her to admit she’s just gotten married and she’s afraid her husband will flip.”

He tapped his fingers on the desk and thought about the woman he’d seen that morning. It hadn’t taken him long to realize she was scared to death. More of losing her husband than of the consequences of ignoring her medical problems. “Seems she thinks he married her for her looks.”

Tim looked at him over his glasses. “I take it these looks include a great set of….”

“Spectacular,” Jay admitted. “But you know as well as I do it shouldn’t make a difference. It’s a minor operation, you should hardly be able to see a scar. I even offered to set her up with a plastic surgeon, if she doesn’t want me to do it, but she still said no go.”

“Do you mind if I ask who the patient is?”

Jay told him.

Tim laughed. “Have you thought about having them in together and explaining it to the husband?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if I can talk her into it.”

“Keep trying. I know the guy. He’s crazy about her.”

“You’re sure? I don’t want to make it worse.”

“Positive. I don’t know why she’s so worried. The guy’s sappy in love with her, and it’s not just her looks. I wish all my problems were that easy.”

“Thanks, Tim. I’ll see if I can convince her to bring him in.” He got up to leave.

“Hey, hold on a minute. The wife’s having another
barbecue this weekend. Saturday afternoon. How about dropping by?” He stacked some papers and added, “She’s asked a friend of hers. Single, brunette, built.” He waggled his eyebrows. “What do you say?”

“Sorry, have to pass. I’m seeing someone.”

“Damn, Jay, you work fast,” Tim said admiringly. “You’ve only been in town a few weeks.”

He grinned. “We go back a ways.”

“Mind telling me who she is? Tamara will make my life a living hell until she knows. Anyone I know?”

“Yeah, she’s a patient of yours. Gail Summers.”

“Gail?” He rubbed his chin and smiled. “That’s good. Tamara likes her. Why don’t you both come, then? And tell Gail to bring the kids. There’ll be a wad of them there. Not to mention, Roxy and my daughter Carol are friends.” He paused, then added, “Unless it’s all too domestic for you.”

“I’m dating a woman with two kids. I think I can handle domestic. Thanks, I’ll ask her.”

L
ATER THAT EVENING
, when he saw Gail at Mark’s house, Jay thought about his earlier conversation with Tim. Four kids and four adults made for a lot of domesticity. He liked the kids—all the kids. They were good kids, sweet kids. But he hadn’t made love to Gail since her daughters had come home on Sunday. His frustration level was beginning to get seriously out of hand.

So when Cat complained all the popcorn had dis
appeared and she couldn’t watch the movie without food, he spoke up. “Gail and I will fix more.”

They managed to put a bag in the microwave and set the timer before they were in each other’s arms.

“Oh, God, put your hands on me,” Gail said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him frantically.

Not about to argue, he put his hands on her sweet rear and pressed her tightly against him, plunging his tongue into her mouth. “I want to be with you,” he said, sliding one hand up to cup her breast. “Inside you.”

“I know, I know. I want you, too.” She groaned and pushed her breast into his palm. “So much,” she whispered. Their lips met, clung, parted. “Tomorrow night. I’ll get a baby-sitter and come to your house.”

“Good. Come here.” He let go of her long enough to pull her into the room off the kitchen that Cat used to isolate the birds she rehabilitated. Currently it was empty. He leaned back against the door and wrapped his arms around Gail. Her breasts rested against his chest, the vee of her thighs against his hardening flesh.

“We should go back,” she said, but she kissed him as she said it.

“We will. First I need to touch you.” He slipped his hand beneath her skirt. They both groaned when he slid his hand over her panties, stroked her heat. Her hips thrust toward him, seeking more. He thought about easing that scrap of fabric off and sliding inside of her.

“Let me have you,” he said against her mouth.

“Now?” she whispered hoarsely.

“Now.”

Their gazes locked. Slowly, eyes still on his, she nodded. He tugged on her panties, slipped them over her hips, down her pretty legs.

Someone knocked on the door. “Gail, are you in there?” Mark asked.

Jay closed his eyes and swore. “Go away, Mark.”

“Sorry. Mel needs Gail.”

“Um, okay,” she said, her voice a bit unsteady. “I’ll be right there.”

Jay kissed her, hard, then slowly, regretfully let her go. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen. She looked tousled, a little dazed, and so damn sexy it hurt him to watch her. She pulled up her panties, adjusted the rest of her clothes, ran her fingers through her hair, then opened the door.

“Sorry,” Mark said again.

“That’s all right. Is something wrong?” she asked him.

“Yeah, Mel says she has a stomachache. She wants to go home.”

“Too much popcorn, I’ll bet,” Gail said. “Thanks, Mark.” She looked at Jay, her gaze regretful.

Jay leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’ll call you later. Go see about Mel.”

She nodded and left the room.

He stood staring after her, wishing Mark had been five minutes later. But it couldn’t be helped. Her child
needed her. He’d live. A man didn’t die of sexual frustration. Probably.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Mark asked.

He turned around to look at his brother. “What?”

Mark gestured at the door. “You and Gail. Maybe you should cool it. Before you get too involved.”

“Why would I want to do that?” And where the hell was Mark coming from? As far as Jay knew, Mark had never had a problem with Gail. Why would he have one now?

Mark took the popcorn out of the microwave, opened it and poured it into a bowl. “Gail had a lousy divorce. The bastard really did a number on her.” He glanced up at Jay. “You and Carla haven’t been broken up that long. If this is just a rebound relationship you’re going to hurt Gail. And she’s been hurt enough for a lifetime.”

Annoyed, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and paced a step. Mark didn’t have a problem with Gail, he had one with Jay. “I’m not on the rebound. And this is none of your business.”

Mark crossed his arms. “It damn sure is. You’re both my family.”

“And we’re both grown and capable of taking care of ourselves.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to piss you off, but have you thought about what will happen when it ends? What about the kids? What about all the family crap?”

He’d thought about it. Not a lot, but he’d thought about it. He’d just thought about getting Gail into his
bed a lot more. His temper spiked, maybe because Mark’s questions were reasonable. “Butt out, Mark.”

Mark picked up the bowl and started toward the door. “Fine, but just think about it, will you?”

It irritated the hell out of him but the conversation did make him think. Gail and he weren’t the only ones involved. She had children. They had mutual family. None of that made him want her any less, though, and no way could he step back now. No, they’d just have to be careful. He was damn near addicted to her. How could he think about ending it?

S
ATURDAY AFTERNOON
, as Gail was getting ready for the Kramers’ barbecue, Roxy came into her room.

“Daddy’s coming to get me.”

Gail paused while putting on mascara and looked at her daughter. “What do you mean, your father’s coming? We’re going to the Kramers’ barbecue. You were at your father’s last weekend.”

Roxy shrugged and plucked at some of the doodads littering Gail’s dresser. “Daddy said
we’d
barbecue. ’Sides—” she looked at her mother, accusation in the blue eyes so like Gail’s own “—you don’t care if me and Mel go. You just want to be with Uncle Jay.”

Gail reached out for her daughter, but she jerked away.

Hurt, Gail dropped her hand. “Honey, that’s not true. I want you and Mel both to be there, and so does Jay. What’s wrong, Roxy?”

She dug her toe into the carpet and dragged it. “Last time, when we went to Daddy’s house, he said
you sure looked pretty. He said you looked
beautiful,
” she quoted, emphasizing the word. “So why can’t you go out with Daddy, and not Uncle Jay?”

Understanding dawned. “Your father and I are divorced, Roxy. We don’t go out with each other.”

Roxy muttered something Gail couldn’t hear. “Roxy, honey, I’m sorry, but your daddy and I aren’t going to get back together.” Gail barely restrained a shudder.

“But you could.” She pinned her mother with a hopeful gaze. “If you wanted to, you and Daddy could get married again. My friend Shauna’s parents did that.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s not going to happen. But even though we’re not married, both your daddy and I love you and Mel very much. That’s not going to change.”

Might as well give Barry the benefit of the doubt, because Roxy needed to believe in his love, even if Gail wasn’t sure he was capable of it. She was very careful never to mention to the girls the two years their father had gone without seeing them. That or the fact he’d taken their savings with him when he walked out. Thankfully, the girls had been too small to remember it well.

But Gail remembered.

Her daughter’s lip stuck out. “I’m still going to Daddy’s. You can’t stop me,” she added defiantly.

“If you want to, then of course you can. But we would love to have you come with us, Roxy. Your friend Carol will be there,” she reminded her.

For the first time, Roxy looked undecided. Then the doorbell rang. “There’s Daddy!” Roxy ran out of the room. Gail finished putting on mascara and then followed.

“Daddy,” Gail heard Mel say as she walked in. “Can I still come see you next weekend? Mommy wants me to go with her tonight.”

“Sure, honey.” He ruffled her hair, smiling when she ran out.

“Barry, can I see you a minute? In the kitchen?” To Roxy, who was hanging on her father’s arm, she said, “Go make sure you have everything. Your father and I will be finished in a few minutes.”

She let him precede her into the room. He held up a hand. “Before you start ragging on me, Roxy called me.”

“I know that. But you should have at least warned me you were taking her on an unscheduled day.”