Sweet Seduction (2 page)

She heard her name being called but she didn’t dare turn around. There was no way in hell she was going to face him after that. No, no, no. Hell no!

Paige kept going as far as her sandal clad feet would carry her.

“Paige would you
please
stop!”

“No!”

“Dammit Paige!”

She could hear him sprint into a full run and she tried to go faster but her foot hit a slab of uneven pavement and she was going down before she knew it. She put her hands out, waiting for an impact that never came.

That’s when she heard his chuckle and felt it rumble through his chest as his strong arms caught her just a few seconds away from breaking something important.

“You can open your eyes, sweetheart. I got you.”

She did, very slowly and felt herself being righted until her feet were firmly back on the ground. Looking up at Felix, she stepped back a few feet. “Thanks.”

“What’re you doing out here, you almost ruined your pretty face.” One big hand came up to fix her glasses but she slapped it away and moved back.

Felix frowned. “Wanna tell me where you were going?”

“Home.”

“Why?”

“Because...because...”

“Waiting here, sweetheart.”

“Because of that!” Paige threw up her hands.

Felix frowned even harder. “Because I call you sweetheart?”

“Yes and baby, and that weird Latin nickname and every other endearment you can. Cut it out would you?”

His head cocked to the side. “You’re angry.”

Her face grew hot. “No, I’m not.”

Stepping closer, he pressed his index finger to her forehead, smoothing the wrinkles. “Yes, you are. Why? Because I call you sweet names?”

“I...that...that’s not what makes me angry.”

“Okay then, so what does exactly?”

She rubbed her temples. “Going through the motions with you.”

He frowned. “The motions?”

“Yes,” Paige nodded. “The motions. This game of dancing around each other until we finally sleep together. It’s pointless.”

“Who said all I wanted to do is sleep with you and why do you
think
it’s pointless? The motions, I mean.”

She let out a frustrated little growl. “I
know
it’s pointless because
I don’t want you
.” She was lying and she knew it. Paige wanted him so bad that it scared the shit out of her. She’d seen what that kind of love could do to a person; make them slaves to their emotions, completely eradicate their identity, and all for what, to prove themselves in love? No, she’d watched her mother do it and she’d be damned if she would repeat the cycle with Felix.

“Oh.” His brows lifted.
“Oh.”
A sly grin replaced the confusion on his face. “So you’re saying you’re not attracted to me?”

Paige froze. Felix had an effect on her, making butterflies flutter around in her tummy whenever he got near, and a minute ago when he’d caught her… Shaking her head, she backed away. “No, I’m not.”

He stepped closer. “I think you are.”

“Well what you
think
and what
is,
are two different things.” Sighing, she tried a different approach. “Listen, you’re great Felix, you really are but I’m not...I can’t...”

“You know, I have a favorite pastime besides annoying Lena.”

“And that would be?” She questioned, not really wanting to know. The gleam in his eyes told her everything.

Leaning down, Felix whispered, “Exposing a liar.” Then his lips were on hers, his tongue sliding easily into her mouth, tangling with hers. Paige found herself reaching for him but she came away wanting because he broke the kiss. His dark eyes twinkled as he stared down at her. “Tastes like a lie to me.” He grabbed her hand and linked their fingers. Paige didn’t pull away because she was too dazed. “Now,” he said tugging her along, “let’s go back before Lena goes kamikaze and comes looking for you.”

Paige just followed behind, wondering exactly what the hell had just happened.

Where

Ten years later...

“I’m risking my life for you. You owe me!” Oh she was crazy if she thought he’d be paying his debt like this. There was no way in the deepest, darkest, dankest, recesses of hell he was doing this.

He shook his dark head and faced her glare straight on. “No.
Hell
no.”

“Felix—”

“Forget it Lena. I love you and I appreciate what you’re doing to help me but I
refuse—
and I do mean
refuse—
to do
that.”
He waved a hand at the disgusting and disturbing task before him.

“If your stupid-ass plan succeeds then you’ll be doing this a whole lot more than just this once, genius. So get to it.” His little sister snapped her fingers and pointed at the wiggling baby boy that lay on the changing table.

Felix gagged at the smell wafting from the diaper. He gave Lena his saddest look. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because you have to learn and if you think for one second that Paige is gonna birth your big headed babies and be saddled with the constant job of changing every diaper you’re in for a Texas sized disappointment down the line.  Now,” Lena waved her hand towards baby Liam, “do what I showed you and do it quickly before he starts screaming.”

He turned panicked eyes her way. “Screaming? Why would he scream?”

“Well if your diaper was full of shit, needed to be changed and you had two adults perfectly capable of doing it but one of them was too scared to handle the small task when you knew and understood that they could, you’d scream too because you’d realize that was the only way to get the dumbass’ attention.”

“You owe Abby’s swear jar like ten bucks.” Felix pointed out.

Lena smirked. “I don’t see Abby around any—” Her words slowly stopped as her daughter scooted from under Liam’s crib—where she’d been hiding—and held out her jar with a wide grin, her golden eyes twinkling.

In the sweetest little voice she said, “You owe me money, Ma. Ten bucks just like Uncle Felix said. I’ve been under there the whole time.”

Lena scowled down at the miniature version of herself. “Your Daddy told you it was a good idea to hide under there, didn’t he?”

Abby’s grin got wider. “Yup and he gave me this too.” She reached under the crib and pulled out a small recorder that—Felix was guessing—would play back every cuss word Lena had let loose in the last twenty minutes.

His sister’s jaw clenched before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty. She dropped it in the jar and Abby frowned up at her. “That’s a twenty, Ma.”

Lena gave a tight smile and said, “Keep the change because Mommy has some things she needs to say to Daddy.” She pointed at Liam. “Get to it Felix. I’ll be back.” Then she made her way out of the room bellowing, “Archer!”

Felix looked down at his niece. “You just got your Daddy in a lot of trouble, baby girl.”

Still she held that grin. “I know but I’m rich now!”

He smiled back. “And that’s all that matters.” He stuck out his fist and waited for her to bump knuckles with him before he straightened and stared down at Liam’s face—which was getting redder by the second. “Go ahead and scream kid. I have a feeling after I open this diaper I’ll be screaming right along with you.”

The small, bright grin his nephew gave probably should’ve been his first warning that something was
really
wrong.

“Sweet baby Joseph Johnson on a Christmas Sunday morning!” Lena stopped cussing Archer, after the bellow, long enough to watch Felix practically sprint from the nursery with Liam held out a good foot in front of him and diaper-less. Her brother looked two seconds away from hitting the floor.

“Dude, green is so not your color,” Archer said.

Felix simply handed over Liam to her and flipped his brother-in-law the bird. “That child,” he said pointing to the toddler “is not human. I don’t care what you say. Nothing human can produce what he did in that room.” He gestured towards the nursery. “I have seen some really disturbing shit in my day but that...that was just wrong!”

Abby materialized with her jar held up towards her Uncle and one brow slightly raised. Felix’s jaw clenched as he took out a buck and stuffed it in the jar. “Little miser,” he muttered. Tossing a disgusted look at Liam, he shook his head. “And you...I hope they get you help for whatever your problem is kid.” Then he stormed pass them all and out the front door.

Archer looked at her. “See? I’m not the only one who feels that way about
your
son’s diaper changes.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah but
he
didn’t faint.”

“I keep telling you I got light headed and I had to sit down, dammit.” He growled.

Lena waited for their baby girl to stick the jar out towards her father but she just stood there, counting the tens and twenties. “Um, little girl?”

Abby’s eyes focused on her. “Yes, Ma?”

“Your Daddy just cussed. Aren’t you gonna charge him?”

Their daughter shrugged and answered, “Nope, he’s allowed. Uncle Felix says that cussing is the least he can do while married to you.” With that she flounced off and Lena had never wanted to stick her foot out and trip a kid more than she did right then.

“Don’t you dare,” her husband said.

“What? It’s not like she has far to fall. She’s only like three feet tall.”

“Lena...”

“Alright but I’m telling you I’m gonna start charging that kid rent.”

Archer waved his hand. “Forget that. What’re you gonna do about Paige and Felix?”

“Oh well, we have a plan.”

One of his brows went up. “And that would be?”

A slow smile formed when she retorted, “A nice family vacation that goes just a little bit wrong.”