Runaway: The Sequel to Secrets, a sexy and dramatic western romance (Finding Love ~ THE OUTSIDER SERIES) (9 page)

Andy glanced up and over her head. “No
, I didn’t know. Is he still here?”

She shook her head
. “No, he left.”

“Well
, I’m confused. Did he say something to you?” Andy did in fact appear not to know, and she wondered for a minute what the hell was going on. But why would Caroline want anything to do with her babies?

“They were talking about my babies. I overheard Carol
ine with that man,” Laura said as she pressed her hand into the small of her back and did her best to work out the tight knot that were making her damn uncomfortable.

Andy glanced up
, but he had that look in his eyes that meant someone was irritating the hell out of him. “Who was the guy?”

“I don’t know who it was
, Andy.”

“What did he look like
, Laura?” Andy asked, but his eyes were staring straight out into the foyer as if he was considering something.

“Tall
, reddish hair, glasses, wore a suit.”

His gaze swivelled to her and appeared more than interested. He also seemed angry. “That would be her lawyer
, it sounds like. What exactly did you hear?”

Okay
, maybe he didn’t know, because he really was acting as if there was something not quite right. “Your mother said she was taking my babies away from me as soon as I had them so I’d have no chance to see them.”

Andy jammed both hands through his dark
, tousled hair, which was still a windblown mess. He opened his mouth as if to say something and bit down hard with his jaw. She could tell he was so mad that he was grinding his teeth. Then he blew out a heated breath, much as a bull does before it charges. He opened his fisted hands and took another breath, trying to calm down. He picked up her hand and pried it from his housecoat until she allowed him to hold it, and she watched him doing his damnedest to pull it together before speaking.

“Laura
...”

“You shouted at me that you were going to take them away
,” she interrupted, because she too was burning with rage. She didn’t want to stay in this uncomfortable house one minute longer. “So tell me, Andy, is this the plan? Get me back here and then, as soon as I have the babies, use your money and power to toss me out in the street and take them?”

“No
!” he shouted. “And we already talked about this. I was angry because you hid them from me. I thought we were done with this. I thought you’d moved past it.”

“Well
, evidently not. Or rather, after what I heard from your mother...”

“She has no say in what we do
,” he barked out before she could finish. “No, I would never do something like that. My God, what kind of monster do you think I am? You must have heard wrong, Laura.”

She tried to pull her hand from his
, but he held tight, and the second time she yanked harder and pulled free. “No, I did not. I may have heard only one side, but I heard your mother clearly.” Laura struggled to her feet. “I don’t want to stay here. I can’t be worried about that.”

Andy was on his feet right beside her
. “Whoa, wait a second. You’re overreacting. One, you’re not giving me credit. Do you think I’d let my mother take our babies? Not going to happen, Laura. Come on, let me get you back to bed.”

He didn’t let her stay and argue
. His arm was around her, and he led her upstairs and back into their room. “Look, dinner’s almost done. I’ll have Jules bring dinner up here for all of us. Gabriel and me, we’ll camp up here with you, have dinner together.”

Laura allowed him to help her on the bed
. She loved the feel of his hands on her. She wanted to believe him, she needed to, because she wanted him so badly that it ached in every part of her to think he’d betray her. She didn’t want to leave him; she wanted to believe he had changed, because he had the ability to hold her heart in the palm of his large, sexy hand and crush it.

He slid his hands over her shoulders and then tucked her sleep
-tousled hair behind her ears. “You’re overthinking again.”

“Andy
, I want to trust you, but with what your mother said, you and I both know how powerful she is and what she’s capable of.”

“Laura, stop. I’ll handle my mother. Look
, just take a breath.” He shook his head as if annoyed at her and glanced away. She could feel his wall come up again. He was so good at shutting her out. When he faced her this time, his entire expression was annoyed and appeared as if he was doing everything he could not to snap at her. “I don’t know what it’s going to take, Laura, to get you to trust me. Tell me.”

“I want to move out of here. Can you find us a small place, nothing this big
, but something away from your mother? I don’t want any servants, just us.” She held her breath, wondering what he’d say. She had put herself out there, hoping he wouldn’t dismiss her idea and that he wanted to build a life with her, but the truth was that even though she wanted him so badly, she was afraid his feelings for her weren’t real.

“Laura
, this is our home. My mother won’t be here long. She’ll be off soon to one of our other houses.”

“This is not my home
, Andy. I’m not comfortable with all this.” She gestured to the room, everything lavish and expensive in it.

Andy cupped her face with his one hand
and made her look at him. “You’re my wife. This will be all mine; it’s my birthright, and it’s the way we Friessens do things. I am the only son, and this is all passed to me, and I’ll pass it on to my son. We’re not leaving here. You’re going to stay in bed and relax. I’ll protect you. You have to trust me, Laura.”

This time
, he didn’t wait for her to answer. He stood up, and she could tell he was annoyed, as he raked his hands through his hair. “Look, we’re both tired....”

A knock on the open door interrupted Andy.

They both stared at Jules, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. “The water for Laura.” She held up a tray with a pitcher and two glasses.

“Just set it down.” Andy gestured to the side table in between the two chairs by the fireplace. “Oh
, and could you have dinner sent up here? Gabriel and I are going to eat here with Laura.”

“Of course
, sir.” Jules set the water down. “Is there anything else you need in the meantime?” Jules glanced at Laura, but it was Andy she asked.

“No
. I’ll come down and grab Gabriel.”

Andy poured a glass of water
, and Jules hurried out the door. He handed Laura the glass, and she sipped at the water.

“Thank you
,” she said, then set it on the bedside table beside her. “Andy...”

He cut her off.
“No, Laura, let’s just have dinner with Gabriel, get a good night’s sleep. I know you’ll feel differently in the morning. It’s just the stress of the day.”

He did look tired, and she was
frazzled. Maybe he was right.

She shut her eyes and sighed
. When she looked back up at him, she said, “Okay, but will you talk with me tomorrow about this and not blow me off?”

If a man could
be exasperated by a woman, the expression on Andy was exactly that. “Oh, for the love of God, Laura. I will deal with my mother. A week, Laura, give it a week. I assure you my mother will most likely be gone and I’m sure you’ll feel differently then, too. But we’ll talk then, okay?” He waited for her to respond. Frankly, he wasn’t being unreasonable.

“Al
l right, one week.”

He didn’t exactly smile at her, but his expression softened. “I’ll grab Gabriel and be right back.”

He left, looking so damn good from behind. She knew this man could talk her into anything if she let him, especially when he looked at her the way he did. If she wasn’t careful, he’d be organizing and planning her life, and she couldn’t allow him to do that, not ever again.

Chapter 13

“Is Gabriel asleep?” Laura strode out of the bathroom
, her damp hair brushed back, wearing Andy’s robe again and nothing underneath.

“Yeah
, with a smile on his face.” Andy sat on his side of the bed and unbuttoned his shirt.

Laura froze and stared at his incredible chest and
the dark hair that lightly covered it. He stood up and walked straight for her, and she felt her face heat and probably turn a nice shade of red.

“Laura
, you better get used to this, because I’m not changing in the bathroom.” He chuckled under his breath and slid his hand behind her neck, his other in her wet hair, and he leaned down. She swore he was about to kiss her, he was so close. He touched his nose to hers, and she couldn’t help breathing in how he smelled. It was earthy and, good God, made her knees weak. His scent was indescribable and all man, her man.

“I need a shower
,” he said and went to pull back, but Laura reached her hand up and slid it over his whiskered cheek.

“You smell so good.”

He smiled his sexy smile and touched his lips to hers, and she couldn’t stop the tremble that shot through her, making her weak in the knees. He must have known, as he slid his arm inside the housecoat. She couldn’t think how he managed to untie it so easily as he caressed her belly, the small of her back, sliding his rough hand over her bare skin, running his thumb under her breast and his other around her bottom as he used his tongue to deepen the kiss, tasting her until she was taking his breath as hers.

Andy
caressed her rounded cheek, touching her so she lifted her leg up to hook around his hip. Her large belly poked into him, and he pulled away, grabbing her as his bathrobe fell open wide and she was naked before him.

“I’m sorry
. I didn’t mean to get so carried away.” He was breathing hard, but she doubted he was anywhere near as out of breath as she was.

Laura went to pull the housecoat closed in front
, but Andy stopped her. “No, wait. I want to see you. My God, you’re beautiful.” He slid his hand over her large belly, running his other hand up her side and over her breasts, which had grown throughout her pregnancy. He placed his palms over both her nipples and watched her as he ran his hands over her breasts in a circle.

Laura held on
to his arms and could feel his control as his muscles flexed under her touch. For a moment, she felt safe. He leaned down slowly again to taste her, to touch his lips to hers, and she wanted him so much that a moan slipped out just as his lips covered hers and she opened for him. He pulled his lips away, resting his forehead against hers.

“I’ve got to stop now.”

“What if I don’t want you to stop?” She licked her lips as she watched his heavy gaze and the sizzle that deepened the blue ring of his iris. God, how she loved his eyes.

“No
, not until I talk to the doctor and find out if it’s safe.” This time, he stepped back, and when she grabbed the edge of his housecoat to close it again, he put his hands over hers. “I love to look at you. Don’t hide yourself.”

S
he couldn’t help the warmth that rocketed through her center. “I’m not very attractive right now.”

“Oh
, that’s where you’re wrong.” He slid his hands over her shoulders until she relaxed and just stood before him. “Get in bed. I’ll be right there. I’m going to grab a shower, a cold one, I think.”

He was halfway to the bathroom when she finally said, “Andy
, I don’t have a clean nightgown. Those clothes that arrived earlier, there was no nightgown in there.”

He smiled and rested his arm above his head on the door
jam. “Yeah, I know,” he said, and then he disappeared. A second later, she heard the shower pop on.

Laura perched on her side of the bed
, still wearing Andy’s bathrobe. She loved the feel of the silky material and the fact that he’d worn it. She could smell his scent in it, and she didn’t want to take it off, but the thought of sleeping naked with Andy, taking off the robe and slipping under the covers now with nothing on, pressed against her husband—oh, she wanted to do it. She dreamed of having the courage, but she’d never been as comfortable in her own body as he was, strutting around as if it were the most natural thing.

“Are you going
to sit there all night, or are you going to get in bed?” Andy came to stand in front of Laura, a towel wrapped loosely around his hips. How long had she been sitting there, day dreaming?

A
ll Laura could do was shake her head as she stood on shaky legs and slid off his robe, tossing it to the foot of the bed and pulling back the covers to climb in.

Andy
, of course, watched her every move closely, his eyes filled with heat. He reached for his robe and tossed it across the room, where it landed on one of the chairs. The towel soon followed. He didn’t just stride in his cocky way, fully erect, around to his side of the bed; he watched her as she lay on her side and faced him, and he pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and ran her hand down to touch him, but he grabbed her hand.