Kade: Armed and Dangerous (33 page)

Kelsey bit her lower lip, then said, “There’s one thing I have to ask you. Trent said
you told him not to tell me that he wanted me to stay.”

Kade smiled. “I asked him to hold off telling you because I wanted to.”

Kelsey sighed with relief. Even though he’d told her he loved her, a part of her had
still held back, afraid to give in. “I was worried you didn’t want me around.”

“How could you think that?” He kissed her nose, her cheeks, her forehead. “Just the
thought of you leaving rips me up inside.” The happiness welling up inside her made
tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” His blue eyes filled with concern as he brushed hair from her
face. “If you don’t want to live here, we’ll move to Tucson and I’ll get transferred
there. I’d even move to San Francisco if it would make you happy. I just want us to
be together for the rest of our lives.”

Her eyes widened. “You would do that for me?”

“Absolutely.”

She couldn’t think of anything to say but “Wow.”

He kissed her. “Say yes, Kelsey.”

She put a finger to his lips. “I have to tell you something first. And then if you’re
as happy as I am, I’ll say yes.”

Kane gave her his lazy smile and ran his finger over the tip of her nose. “Deal.”

“Remember when the condom broke?” She took his hand and moved it between them to her
belly. “You’re going to be a father again, sometime next April.”

His jaw dropped, shock crossing his face. “You’re pregnant?”

She nodded.

Kade raised himself up to run his hand over her abdomen. “Beautiful Kelsey. You’re
going to be a mother. You’re going to have my baby. Our baby.”

Joy filled her heart. “Are you happy about it?”

“Hell yes, I’m happy. I want us to have at least half a dozen more kids together.”

Laughing, she nipped at his chest. “Half a dozen? Why don’t we just start with this
one and Trent, and go from there.”

He took the ring from the box. The diamond caught the light, sparkling and glittering
with brilliant fire. The sapphires surrounding it were as deep as the blue in his
eyes. “Will you marry me?”

She nodded, so unbelievably happy. “Yes. I love you so much it hurts.”

He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her long and hard. The gold felt warm
and solid, a bond made of love. It felt right.

“I love you, Kelsey,” he said, his gaze fixed on hers. He kissed her hair. “You’ve
made me the happiest man in the world.”

Kelsey breathed in Kade’s earthy scent and sighed. “You can’t possibly be any happier
than I am.”

“Darlin’, you have the rest of our lives to prove it.”

One year later

“Trent, pick up your toys,” Kade said as his son reached the landing. “You wouldn’t
want someone to trip over them and fall down the stairs, now would you?”

“Okay, Dad.” Trent scooped up the action figures, tossed them onto the floor of his
room, and dashed back. “Mom’s feeding the baby on the balcony. When she’s done, can
we go over to Grandma and Grandpa’s? Roxie had her puppies and Grandpa said I could
have one if it was okay with you.”

Kade grabbed his son and tickled him until he squirmed on the floor in fits of laughter.
“He did, huh?”

Trent squealed. “Yes. And I want to name one Rex. Can I, Dad? Can I?”

Kade tousled the boy’s hair. “Okay, kiddo.”

“All right.” Trent scrambled to his feet and ran to the master bedroom. “Mom! Dad
said I could have one of Roxie’s puppies.” Kade followed his son through the bedroom
to the balcony. The sun was settling over the Mule Mountains, the sunset blazing across
the sky in pink and orange streaks. Kelsey was reclining in her favorite chair, a
soft smile on her face as she held their daughter over her shoulder, patting the baby’s
back.

“Mom, what do you think of the name Rex for the new puppy?” Trent asked as he gently
stroked his baby sister’s arm.

“Sounds wonderful.” Kelsey hugged him, then looked up at Kade and smiled. “How was
your day? No shower?”

Kade leaned over and kissed her. “Showered in the locker room.” His heart swelled
as he looked at their daughter. “Let me hold Naya.”

“She’s all yours.” Kelsey handed the baby to Kade and he cradled his daughter in the
crook of his arm and kissed the top of her head. Her features were so tiny and perfect.
She was as beautiful as her mother.

“How’s Daddy’s girl?” He let Naya grab his finger with her tiny hand. She kicked and
smiled, and made strange gurgling noises that filled his heart with intense joy. Her
eyes were dark, and he fancied they would be the same chocolate brown as Kelsey’s.

Trent ran his hand over the baby’s soft blond hair. “Naya’s cute for a baby, but she’s
not much fun. When’ll she be old enough to play with?”

“Oh, give her a few months.” Kelsey pulled Trent into her lap and hugged him. “And
then she’ll probably be into all your toys.”

“Some things I might let her play with, but not my important stuff.” Trent wriggled
out of Kelsey’s lap. “Can I call Grandma and Grandpa and tell them we’re going over
there in a little while to pick out a puppy?”

“Sure,” Kelsey said with a smile.

“Did you finish those book reviews?” Kade asked Kelsey after Trent dashed out of the
room.

She yawned and stretched. “I managed to e-mail the last one to Theresa while Naya
napped.”

Kade walked through the French doors into their bedroom and laid Naya in her bassinet.
Kelsey followed and slid her arm around his waist as they looked down at their daughter.

“Do you remember when we made wishes at the lake on Trent’s birthday last year?” Kelsey
asked as she leaned against Kade.

“Mmmm,” he murmured, and kissed the top of her head. “My wish came true.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “I wanted a baby. A child, like Trent. But before
I made that wish, I wanted to wish for you. I just didn’t think I could have you.”

He grinned. “Darlin’, you had me wrapped around your little finger from the day we
met.”

She turned and eased her arms around his neck. “What did you wish for?”

“You.” Kade brushed his lips over Kelsey’s. “What do you say we take a nice long bath
in that huge tub of ours, and start practicing making another brother or sister for
Naya and Trent?”

Kelsey sighed and melted against him. “I’m all yours, cowboy.”

“Lawmen” series

By Cheyenne McCray

Almost absently, he rubbed his thumb along Tori’s delicate jawline while they both
remained quiet. He liked the way she fit in his arms. It felt…right.

It was the right time to tell her about what happened with Brian. Landon knew he should
do it now.

And then every good intention vanished as she tipped her face up to look at him. Her
eyelashes glittered from the remainder of her tears and her brown eyes seemed even
darker than normal. As their gazes met and held, he didn’t think he’d ever be able
to look away from her again. She drew him to her in so many ways and he was helpless
to stop himself from wanting to get closer to her.

The other agents were downstairs and he was upstairs, alone. With Tori.

This wasn’t smart.

Hell, it was a long, long way from smart.

He held his breath, then let out a slow exhale as he lowered his mouth to hers.

The moment their lips met, she gave a sigh, surrendering herself to his kiss. That
sense of surrender fueled him, somehow making him desire her even more than he already
did.

He moved his lips over hers, hungry for the taste of her, the feel of her. Her scent
filled him, as if a part of her was now inside him. Her lips were so soft, her taste
exquisite on his tongue. God, he knew he could never get enough of her.

She leaned into him as their body heat melded, fusing them together in a way that
defied explanation. Her sighs turned into a soft moan as he moved his hands over her
shoulders, down her arms, and to her waist. She was wearing one of her new T-shirts
and he pushed the hem up just enough that he could feel her soft skin along the waistband.
He gripped her slender waist in his hands, his fingers brushing the base of her spine
where she’d been tattooed.

Her hunger and his grew in matching intensity. She moved her palms up his chest to
his shoulders and gripped them like she was afraid she would slide away if she didn’t
hold on tightly.

He slipped his palms from her waist to her ass, feeling the perfection of it as he
squeezed her closer to him. His cock was impossibly hard, pressing against her, straining
to get free from behind the tough denim of his jeans.

Their clothes—too much cloth was between them. He wanted to feel her warm silky skin
against his, nothing keeping them apart. He wanted only to slide between her thighs
and drive his cock deep inside her heat.

The rumble that rose up in his chest was like a lion staking a claim on his territory,
and she made an answering purr, giving herself completely to him. Not just surrendering,
but offering herself for his pleasure. She asked for nothing, just gave him everything
she had.

She sighed again as he slid his lips along her jawline to her ear. She gasped when
he nipped at her earlobe and shivered in a delicate way that told him he’d just found
one of her erogenous zones. He sucked the soft flesh into his mouth and nipped at
it again. He felt another shiver run through her body.

He moved his lips down the column of her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat.
The soft purring sounds she made caused his cock to grow even harder and he rubbed
himself against her in a slow deliberate movement, like what he’d do when he was inside
her.

A gasp escaped her as he cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs over her taut nipples
that pressed against the fabric of her T-shirt. She slid her fingers into his hair
and encouraged him to lower his head so his mouth was even with her breasts. His body
was close to shaking from the power of his need for her as he circled her nipple with
his tongue, wetting the T-shirt and causing her to suck in her breath. She gave a
small cry and gripped his hair tighter as he moved his mouth to her other nipple.

He had to taste the salt on her skin, feel its softness in his mouth. He pushed her
T-shirt over her perfectly sized breasts and licked each of her nipples through her
satin bra. She caught her breath as he pulled her bra beneath her breasts so they
were bared for him.

She pushed his head down again, guiding him so that his mouth was directly over her
nipple. He skimmed his lips over the hard nub and she moaned as he sucked it and flicked
it with his tongue. Her nipples were hard peaks as he nipped at each one. God, but
he loved the way she tasted. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to show him what she
wanted. He loved everything about her.

~Riding Tall Series~

By Cheyenne McCray

Branded For You e
book available FREE at all major ebook retailers

The afternoon was cooling off as it turned to dusk and then darkness descended on
them. They each grabbed a light sweat jacket from the camper and slipped them on.

Ryan took a couple of steaks out of the cooler to cook over the fire. Megan sliced
the potatoes and wrapped them in foil with butter and seasonings and put them in the
coals first. Ryan buttered, salted, and peppered the corn on the cob and wrapped them
in foil, too. When it was time, they placed the corn along the edge of the fire. Ryan
had cored out the onion and put butter in the center and wrapped it in foil and put
it in the coals, as well. The steaks went on last, when everything else was just about
finished cooking.

When it was ready, they sat on the camping chairs in front of the fire and ate dinner.

“This is unbelievable,” Megan said with a smile.

Firelight flickered on her pretty features, casting shadows in the darkness as they
ate. He thought about what he’d said to her earlier.

“I might be falling for you, Meg.”

He didn’t regret his words. He’d dated a lot of women in the past but there’d just
been something missing. Something intangible that he hadn’t been able to name.

He’d never been a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, but some thought so. He just
wasn’t going to hang in there with someone if he knew she wasn’t the right one.

He’d never felt the same way with anyone that he did with Megan.

Last night he’d taken her hard and rough, and the memory caused his groin to ache.
Damn she’d been amazing. But she needed to know that he wanted more from her than
a night of good, hard sex.

When they finished dinner and had cleaned up, he brought a blanket from the camper
and handed it to her before he put out the fire. After he extinguished the fire, he
lit a candle within a glass and metal hurricane lantern.

He took her by the hand. “I’ve got something I want to show you.” Her hand was warm
in his.

She smiled up at him, her smile causing something deep inside him to stir. He led
her into the forest, candlelight from the hurricane lantern lighting the way. The
candlelight was much gentler than a regular camping lantern and the shadows from it
bounced from tree to tree.

“I saw a place somewhere over here,” he murmured as they walked through the forest
then came to a stop. “Here we go.”

A small clearing lay on the other side of a fallen tree, a bed of leaves at the center
of the clearing. They stepped over the tree and then he found a sturdy place to set
the hurricane before taking the blanket from Megan and spreading it out on the leaves.

He slipped out of his jacket and set it on the fallen tree. “I’ll keep you warm,”
he said as he held out his hand.

She looked up at him, slid off her sweat jacket, handed it to him and he set it on
top of his own.